Mahesh Bhatt's second daughter enters Bollywood

	SHAHEEN BHATT and MAHESH BHATT

Ace Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's second daughter, Shaheen Bhatt entered the tinsel town as she is busy assisting director Vikram Bhatt on his upcoming filmRAAZ 3.

Mahesh announced about the debut of his daughter in the world of Bollywood on micro-blogging site.

''My daughter Shaheen begins her journey as an assistant with Vikram Bhatt who was once my assistant!'' Mahesh tweeted to his fans.

The horror-flick RAAZ 3 features Emraan Hashmi and Bipasha Basu.

''Reporting live from RAAZ 3 set. Today is the first day of our shooting. Bipasha & Emraan are on the sets. Vikram Bhatt is directing the film,'' Mahesh added.

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Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Shakespearean journey

The ace filmmaker is set to adapt ‘Romeo and Juliet’ for the big screen

Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s last attempt at translating literature on screen with ‘Saawariya’ might have bombed (the film was an adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story ‘White Nights’) but that doesn’t stop the filmmaker from trying again. And this time he takes the Vishal Bharadwaj path of adapting Shakespeare for the silver screen.

Sources say the 48-year-old’s latest desire is to adapt the evergreen ‘Romeo and Juliet’ for Bollywood. Though it was assumed that Sanjay’s next project would be the long-awaited ‘Bajirao Mastani’ or ‘Heera Mandi’ or ‘Padmavati’, a source close to the filmmaker revealed that these days Bhansali is obsessed with remaking ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

The story apparently has been set in Gujarat and might feature B’wood’s ‘Chammak Challo’ Kareena Kapoor and the ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’ actor Ranveer Singh. It is also believed that Bhansali has already discussed the project with Bebo and is presently awaiting her reply. But Ranveer hasn’t been approached just as yet.

The source also added that Bhansali had already assembled his team and wants to start work on the project soon especially since his friend-turned-foe Ismail Darbar is also considering adapting the same play by Shakespeare.

In an earlier interview, Bhansali himself had stated that after ‘Saawariya’ and ‘Guzaarish’ he wanted to make a fun, colourful film. Now ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a passionate love story that ends on a tragic note so we don’t understand how Bhansali thinks it’ll be a fun subject to handle!

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Vidya considered ‘unlucky’

Why she never worked in South Indian films

Vidya Balan

Vidya Balan is certainly in the best phase of her career right now after the roaring success of ‘The Dirty Picture’. In fact, she has had a great run in Bollywood ever since her debut ‘Parineeta’ with several hits to her credit. However, the actress who is now among the top five heroines in T’town was once considered ‘unlucky’ in the Malayalam film industry which is why her south career was nipped even before it could take off!

Apparently, before ‘Parineeta’, Vidya was offered scores of Malayalam films with top stars like Mohanlal and Mammotty. And given her south Indian lineage, she was only too happy to work in them. But the projects never took off for some reason or the other prompting superstitious filmmakers down south to label her a ‘jinx’.

However, her astounding success in Bollywood seems to have woken the southern directors to her talent and now, nearly eight years after her debut, she is being wooed again to sign Malayalam films. Sources say she is being sent scripts and offers from Mollywood almost daily.

On her part, Vidya doesn’t hold any grudge against anyone for the ‘bad luck’ tag. At a recent award function hosted by Asianet, she said she was keen to feature in movies with the veterans of the industry and that acting in a Malayalam film would be the best gift she could give to her parents.

So ready to do an ‘ooh la la’ with Mohanlal, Vidya?

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Agent Vinod doesn’t have the K factor

Why was Kareena missing from the film’s first big promotional event?

Kareena Kapoor

The much-talked about spy thriller ‘Agent Vinod’ began its promotional rounds and held its first event the other day. But for a movie which boasted of its Saif-Kareena pairing, strangely the leading lady was missing from the first big event.

Kareena apparently gave the big press meet a miss and instead, attended the Apsara Awards that was scheduled on the same day. Is there trouble in paradise? Well, apparently not because the reason she didn’t attend the event was simply because she had already given her commitment to perform at the awards function.

The maker of the slick thriller, Sriram Raghavan (‘Ek Hasina Thi,’ ‘Johnny Gaddar’) and its producers Saif Ali Khan and Dinesh Vijan remained unavailable to comment. However, a member of the film unit said that it was Kareena’s beau Saif’s conscious decision not to include Bebo in the promos because he wanted the movie to be received seriously and not a gimmick to sensationalise his relationship with Kareena. (Isn’t that a bit late in the day considering Saif is mentioned in the same breath as Kareena?).

Saif also revealed that he would reveal details of his character in the film on February 12, only after Kareena’s ‘Ek Mein Aur Ekk Tu,’ releases in the theatres.
Not that’s what we call a supportive boyfriend!

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The Biwi and Gangster's Second Tryst

Mahie Gill will play a socialite who has an affair with a male prostitute

They may have only just finished a film together -- Sahib Bibi Aur Gangster -- with a sequel in the pipeline, but Randeep Hooda and Mahie Gill have been signed up together for another film.

This one, titled Mayanagari is based on popular Hindi novelist Surendra Varma's Do Murdon Ke Liye Guldasta and will be made by Satish Kaushik.

While Hooda, along with actor Prashant Narayanan, (who earlier essayed a psychopath in Murder 3), will play two migrants living in Mumbai, Gill will play a rich socialite who starts an affair with both actors.

In the film, Narayanan will play the role of a gangster, and Hooda, a male prostitute. According to sources, Hooda is leaving no stone unturned in his attempt to get his performance correct. He has reportedly even met male prostitutes in Mumbai to prepare.

When contacted, Kaushik confirmed the casting of the film. He also said, "Mayanagari will focus on the seamy side of a migrant's life. Randeep's role is something never attempted before (in Bollywood). So far, our films have only focused on female prostitution."

Dilip Shukla, who earlier wrote Dabangg, is writing the script of the film.

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Ahana Deol has given up on being an actress

Hema Malini's daughter will now focus on fashion designing instead

Ahana Deol has given up on being an actress. Hema Malini's younger daughter apparently was never interested in acting but due to her mother's insistence decided to give it a shot.

Though she had offers from directors like Aparna Sen, Vikramaditya Motwane and Shoojit Sircar, for some reason or the other, none of the films got on the floors.

Ahana had also refused to play the lead role in one of Dev Anand's films some years ago. There was also buzz that Ahana was keen to be a director.

A source close to the Deol girl says, "When your heart is not in something, it doesn't work out.

Ahana's heart is not in acting. She wants to pursue fashion designing. It's her mother who wants her to give it a try because she feels Ahana has the talent."

About her opting out of Shoojit Sircar's Second Time Lucky, the source adds, "She was reluctant to audition for the role.

The production house was keen to cast her opposite Prateik. But he has apparently been replaced by Vinay Virmani (who featured in Speedy Singhs) and Hemaji was not very keen for Ahana to debut with Vinay."

Hema Malini confirms, "Ahana is not very keen on acting but she keeps getting a lot of offers. Right now she is not in a mood to pursue acting.

She wants to focus on fashion designing. But who knows? She might change her mind tomorrow."

Is she the one trying to convince Ahana to get into films? "Though I think she can be a very good actor, I am not going to force her to do anything against her will."

Is she happy with Ahana's decision? "My happiness lies in her happiness and if designing makes her happy, so be it."

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Shahrukh Khan unwell

Shahrukh Khan has been quite busy from past few days with lots of award functions to host and perform. Perhaps, the frantic schedule and rehearsals have taken their toll on King Khan’s health with him being down with seasonal cold and flu.

Ever so charming Khan tweeted in a rather depressed tone, “Damn cold & fever winning the battle,slowly taking over my robust pathan constitution.

Cigarette tasting bad in mouth now...this is serious!”, adding, “Explaining life to kids is tough enuff....explaining death extremely painful. Son & me being grown up. And me falling sick...throat hurting”.

We would just like to wish the actor a speedy recovery.

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Agent Vinod Sab Ka Hai

The first look of much-awaited "Agent Vinod" is out and Saif Ali Khan says he wants to move beyond the 'suited-booted' Enlgish speaking audiences and reach out to the masses with the thriller.

"I think Vinod is a universal name and you can see it written on the back of an autorikshaw. India is a very big country. There is a huge market out there apart from people who wear suits and speak English.

So, we want to reach out to as many people with this film as possible. I think that what was the reason why we called it that," the 41-year-old said here at a promotional event.

Saif is not only starring in it, but it is being produced by his banner Illuminati Films.

The title "Agent Vinod" is same as the 1977 film that starrred Mahendra Sandhu as the protagonist.

Directed by Sriram Raghavan, "Agent Vinod" had been in the making for quite some time but Saif is unperturbed about the delay. "I think it's a big film, it's an interesting film. So, there were rumours from the beginning that the film is getting delayed or it's getting over-budgeted. We don't have to bother about these things."

"The minute the first trailer and then the second trailer will come out, people will stop thinking about all these things."

"Agent Vinod" is set for a March 23 release and Saif, 41, is expected to tie the knot with his long time girlfriend Kareena Kapoor, who also stars in the film, in the same month.

Meanwhile, Saif is busy shooting for "Cocktail", "Go Goa Gone" and "Race 2".

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Salman to play Dhoni?

Mahesh Manjrekar's plan to remake his Marathi film Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho in Hindi with Salman Khan is now getting an unexpected push.

Khan, who has been putting off the Hindi version of Manjrekar's film for some time, has now suddenly decided to give the film immediate time. According to sources, this is because Prakash Raj's soon-to-be-released Tamil film Dhoni, is based on Manjrekar's film.

When contacted, Manjrekar admitted to the news, adding in jest. "The current trend is that of Southern remakes in Hindi. So before someone in Bollywood buys the rights of Prakash's Dhoni, which is a remake of my Marathi film, I will make the film with Salman, as planned."

Raj's film is about the academic pressure faced by a teenage boy interested in cricket. Manjrekar says he gladly gave the rights for a Tamil remake of his film.

He said, "Prakash Raj is a friend. When he told me he wants to direct a Tamil version of my film, I readily agreed. The film has a strong message about our education system and I am only too happy to spread it."

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Jacqueline, Sajid Khan hunt for a home together

Sajid Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez were spotted checking out apartments in the Mumbai suburb 

For a while now there has been buzz about how Sajid Khan is influencing Jacqueline Fernandez to go about her career.

The latest is that the director is helping his actress girlfriend hunt for a suitable house. The couple were spotted househunting on Republic Day in Bandra.

Sajid stays in Juhu while Jacqueline presently is living in a rented place off Carter Road.

Says a source, "The couple checked out a few homes at Pali Hill and D'Monte Park Road. She has this dream house in mind, so she'll take her time till she finds it."

Apparently Jacqueline is looking for a three-bedroom apartment.

The source adds, "Sajid told the estate agent that he should line up a few more places to check on their next visit soon."

Jacqueline however maintains, "I've been living in my apartment for the last three years and don't plan on moving."

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