Randeep denies being violent

Actor Randeep Hooda (of 'D' and 'Risk' fame) has denied the allegation that he physically attacked a neighbour after a dispute. A case registered at the Versova Police Station claimed that the actor charged at his neighbour with a rod after a heated argument.

Randeep's spokesperson Dale Bhagwagar dismissed the allegation saying, "Nothing of that sort happened. Randeep just had a disagreement over trivial matters in his colony when some outsiders took advantage of the situation by filing a false complaint at the police station. He was probably paying a price for being a celebrity. But Randeep has matured a lot over time, so he kept his cool. The police too, have been extremely understanding towards the situation and if truth prevails, the actor will soon get a clean chit from them."

Meanwhile, Randeep has emerged with flying colours in a Dressage equestrian event this week, where he bagged the third position amongst 15 horse riders competing at the Mahalaxmi Race Course. "Horses have been my passion and I love to tame them," he said after winning.

Major production houses eyeing Katrina

It's a known fact that Katrina is the only actress to have had four back to back hits last year—Namastey London, Apne, Partner and Welcome. And this year begins with Race that is all set to hit the theatres soon.

Her two tracks 'Touch Me' and 'Sexy Lady' have her gyrating seductively to have viewers' eyes popping out of their sockets.

The songs have topped the list and Katrina has become the talk of the town. Looking at the curiosity that 'Touch Me' had generated, director duo Abbas and Mustan shot 'Sexy Lady' with Katrina and Saif. So impressed was producer Ramesh Taurani with Katrina-Saif track that it was included in the audio CD too.

Meanwhile, Katrina's Rs 6 cr deal with Studio 18 has generated interest amongst other A-list production houses which are looking at cracking similar contract with her.

Shilpa challenges Baba Ramdev?

Last month, Shilpa Shetty's fitness DVD 'Shilpa's Yoga' emerged a sell-out in the European markets, beating other fast-selling workout videos of fitness specialists Davina McCall, Samanda, Erin Boag, Karen Hardy, Rebecca Wheatley, Nell McAndrew, Fleur Murray, Lilia Kopylova, Gaynor Faye and Danielle Llyod.

After topping the charts abroad, the popular DVD is being dubbed in Hindi and readied for a grand release in India a few weeks from now.

The home-video giant Shemaroo has struck a whopping exclusive deal with Shilpa to release it on her home turf. Needless to say, her DVD will come in straight competition with the DVDs of Baba Ramdev, who almost rules the market of yoga education products in India.

When quizzed about the competition with the extremely popular Baba Ramdev VCDs and DVDs here, the actress' publicist Dale Bhagwagar said, "Shilpa is the sexiest yogi the world has ever seen. But it's unfair to compare her DVD with Baba Ramdev's. She is a kid in yoga, while Baba is a guru… a super gyaani in the world of yog. Shilpa can only bow before him."

Shilpa often takes a tip or two from Baba Ramdev's television programmes and even visited his camp at the Bandra Kurla Complex last month on his trip to Mumbai and presented him with a copy of her yoga DVD.

The DVD showcases the right techniques of doing ashtanga yoga including breathing techniques. "Apart from practicing yoga daily for four years, Shilpa took special added intensive training from yoga trainers Shiv Kumar Mishra and Vinayak Dixit for some time, making sure she perfected the asans before demonstrating them to the world. Everyone wants to maintain a slim waist without dieting and Shilpa's yoga secrets will help achieve that," added Bhagwagar.

Shot at the backwaters in Kerala, the DVD is produced by Shilpa's newly launched production house 'S2 Global Productions' and directed by Manish Jha (of the critically-acclaimed feature films 'Matrabhoomi' and 'Anwar' fame). While Arghya Lahiri has written the script, the camerawork is handled by Englishman Jamie Sowlds.

Showing off her flexible physique, the actress reveals her fitness secrets to create a lean and toned body while retaining all the feminine curves. Outlining the various benefits of yoga, the DVD demonstrates specific sequences to enhance concentration, agility and flexibility. Through it, she explains how to transform mind, body and soul, with unique ways to build stamina and get revitalized, while discovering inner peace.

To go with the mood and feel, the package also contains a free lounge music CD with compositions by Pankaj Awasthi. This is to help unwind and relax after practicing the yoga techniques.

Dream comes true for Sonam

This dame who has been lying low key for quite sometime after her debut film 'Saawariya' has bagged yet another jackpot. Yes this time she has landed herself a role opposite none other that the King Khan. After Sonam acted in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Saawariya' it was the hero of the film Ranbir who seemed to make a mark and Sonam had just one good film in her kitty with Dilli 6.

We now have confirmed news that Sonam Kapoor will act in an Aditya Chopra film which he himself is going to direct. This time she will be acting with the Badhshah of Bollywood. The film titled 'Rab Ne Bana De Jodi' will see a 40-year-old hero getting attracted to a 16-year-old heroine.

It seems the Yashraj had been hunting wild to find an appropriate heroine who would fit this role. The script demanded a typical Punjabi kudi who would fit the role like a glove. And finally when Aditya approached papa Anil Kapoor he was more than willing to make Sonam hope on to the Yashraj bandwagon.

With an interesting story like this in hand we hope Aditya makes a smashing re-entry into direction!

Re-invention time for Shibani Kashyap

After being known for her dark, intense and thrilling compositions such as 'Sajnaa Aa bhi ja', 'Zinda' and the recent 'Kashmakash' for Rohit Shetty's 'Sunday', singer cum composer Shibani Kashyap is all set for a re-invention with a totally different song for Sanjay Gupta's first English film from White Feather Films- 'The Great Indian Butterfly'!!

Titled "Kehle Kehle Dil Se", a completely romantic and happy number sung and composed by Shibani, it is the main song of the film and also features the singer along with Sandhya Mridul in the film. 'The Great Indian Butterfly' also stars Aamir Bashir and is produced and directed by Sanjay Gupta.

The song is written by Vipul Sahni. Well, now this is definitely a new and different song from Shibani to watch out for!

The Asian Film Awards is organized by the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Suresh Menon's solution for annoying tele-callers!

Funnyman Suresh Menon who is all set to make us laugh with Rakesh Roshan's Krazzy 4, directed by Jaideep Sen, we hear has a perfect solution to get rid of annoying tele-callers from banks!

On the sets of a song shoot of Krazzy 4 with the entire cast consisting of Juhi Chawla, Arshad Warsi, Irrfan Khan and Rajpal Yadav, Suresh showed all present how to deal with annoying tele-marketers when he happened to receive such a call that time…

We heard that Suresh actually pretended to be someone else on the line and told the caller that Mr Menon had died and they were too late with the call!

Reveals our source from the sets, "This lady frm XYZ bank called and apparently offered Suresh a 3 lakh loan…so he told her very loudly and tearfully that Mr Menon had died years ago and he never even got to see so much money and that they were too late!!!…the lady immediately hung up!! Everyone including choreographer Raju Sen just burst out laughing seeing Suresh's antics!…when he's around you just cant stop laughing!"

We also heard he impersonates anyone around while on phone calls….well….now that's quite a good way to get rid of pesky callers…what say!!

Krazzy 4 releases April 11, 2008

Pepsi ropes in Katrina as Slice brand ambassador

New Delhi: Beverages major PepsiCo has signed film actor Katrina Kaif as brand ambassador for its mango juice drink brand Slice.

Katrina, who has become the first brand ambassador of the product, will also be the face for Slice Mangola, the local brand of Slice in Mumbai.

Commenting on the development, PepsiCo India Vice-President Homi Battiwalla said, "We are delighted to associate Katrina Kaif as the brand ambassador for Slice and are positive that she will help build the brand's connect with our core consumers."

Slice was one of PepsiCo's high-growth brands last year and the trend is bound to continue, looking at the growing consciousness around health and wellness, a company statement said.

Ash ready to work with SRK

Obituaries were in place for the Aishwarya-Shah Rukh pair, immediately after the unfortunate happenings on the sets of CHALTE CHALTE (2003), involving her and 'the then' boyfriend Salman Khan. But that is a closed chapter and a thing of the past. At present Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is basking in the glory of the superb performance of her first post marriage release, JODHAA AKBAR. Even her detractors have grudgingly given her the title- The first fully active actress after marriage!

There is no denying the fact that the two films, JOSH (2000), MOHABBATEIN (2000) and DEVDAS (2002), in which Aishwarya acted with Shah Rukh Khan, the two vibed superbly. In fact, when JOSH released, the uniform view was that Aishwarya shared a better chemistry with SRK (who played her brother in the film) than with her love interest, Chandrachur Singh! Not only that, their item number, 'Ishq Kameena' from SHAKTI -THE POWER (2002) is a very popular track, till this day.

So will we see the King Khan-Aishwarya pair again or has the CHALTE CHALTE controversy killed the prospects? Well, when the Bachchan Bahu was asked the same, she was very clear when she said that she is ready to work with Shah Rukh Khan, provided that there is a proposal worthy of her consideration.

Santoshi to make love story with Ranbir Kapoor

Director Rajkumar Santoshi, who has been toying with the idea of making a love story for some time, has signed Bollywood's new sensation Ranbir Kapoor for a film. He will cast Katrina Kaif in the female lead.

He starts the project immediately. Confirming the development, Santoshi told IANS: "I'm making this film, Ranbir has confirmed and even Katrina has almost confirmed. I wanted to work with Ranbir the minute I saw him in 'Saawariya'. I see that special spark in him. In fact, after I saw him in 'Saawariya', I sent him a bouquet. I was so impressed by him."

Following the unexpected debacle of "Halla Bol", producers are no longer eager for more from the Ajay Devgan-Santoshi pair. Apparently, PVR Films, which was supposed to support Santoshi's multimillion rupee historical movie on emperor Ashoka, has backed out of the project.

Tips, with which Santoshi had a long-standing tiff over outstanding payments for "The Legend Of Bhagat Singh", will produce the film. However, Santoshi denies differences with Tips.

"We had a very fruitful working relationship during 'Bhagat Singh'. If we didn't, why would we be working together again?"

The director is especially excited about this project because it's a love story that he is writing himself.

"For very long now I have wanted to make a pure love story. I wrote this script some time back. I was waiting for the right face. I think Ranbir was destined to be the hero in my love story."

Two years ago, Santoshi was supposed to make a film called "Ranbir" with Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan.

Neha makes comeback

The petite, pretty and talcum-fresh Neha who was introduced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra in Kareeb is back. She figures in Sanjay Gupta’s Alibaug as a prominent part of the vast cast. She had a blast shooting for the film. “I’ve always been passionate about acting. But I couldn’t go role-hunting from door to door at producers’ homes. Maybe that was a drawback in me. After a while when the right roles stopped coming, I withdrew from acting and was just happy being Ms Manoj Bajpai,” she said.

The couple made it legal in April 2006. “But it didn’t really matter. Manoj and I have known one another for ten years. I met him right after Kareeb was released. And since then we’ve been together. We’re individuals and yet a compatible couple. Now we’ve recently moved into our new home. Our own new home, just imagine!” she exulted.

House-proud Neha, now known as Shabana Raza, can’t stop raving about her home. “I’ve done up the house piece by piece.And I still can’t believe its ours! Manoj and I don’t need to socialise or go out to feel happy. We share long evenings of tea, silences and warm vibes right in our house. Nothing gives us more joy than to be together in our house.”
“I’m in no hurry. Yes, I’m passionate about acting. But I won’t run after work. I never have. I’ll wait for the right opportunities to come my way. Like Alibaug. It came to me when Sanjay Gupta asked Manoj about me while they were shooting for Dus Kahaniyaan. Gupta wanted to check me out to see if I suited the role of one of Sanjay Dutt’s students. I guess I fit the bill. Shooting Alibaug has been the most pleasurable work of my career. Not that I’ve done so much work,” she jokes.

Tell her that people were wondering where she was and she quickly retorts, “Come on, no one was missing me. I don’t have a body of work. I wish I did. Hopefully with so many kinds of films happening now I can find my space in cinema . Otherwise there’s always the space that I share with Manoj. Nothing can equal that.” Neha has now reverted to her original name. “I was always Shabana Raza. And that’s how close family and friends have always known me. Neha was never me. It’s too delicate a name to describe me. I’m far stronger.”