Shraddha Das busy with Shootings

We love to see some heroines in specific roles and some heroines will make themselves special with certain kinds of work. In that way, noted saree shops in Hyderabad are missing this svelte seductress.

Bengali bomb-shell Shradda Das is not a new name to the glamour lovers of Telugu industry. Her raw sex appeal and titillating oomph factor are always huge turn on for all age groups of men. However, this beauty is much more popular for her ribbon cuttings and used to do hungama at various saree stores through her saree-show when new stocks arrive. Off late she is getting busy across various tinsel towns and keeping herself off from these ribbon-cuttings. Not just those shop owners, but her fans are also missing her spicy treat these days.

Reports have that for the next couple of months she will shoot for her Hindi movie without any break. Being a right package of sex appeal and performance, Shradda is busy with Rey (Telugu), Dracula (Tamil) and an untitled Hindi flick.

Gautham Menon Praises Nani

Gautham Menon has a style of his own when it comes to making romantic entertainers. The film Yeto Vellipoyindi Manasu which is a trilingual (Telugu, Tamil, Hindi) is another beautiful love story from this sensible filmmaker. While Nani is playing the lead in Telugu version, Jeeva was roped in for the Tamil and Adithya is debuting as hero with the Hindi version. Samantha is playing the female lead in all the three versions.

Gautham who worked with Nani for the first time is full of praise for the actor and appears very confident about the product. "Nani is a pleasure to work with.. Will do a film with him anytime given the chance..With nani, what struck me was his confidence. Revelation- Nani, the most confident actor," says the director.

"Simple film, beautiful music, very good actors, Jiiva, Nani and Samantha. Adithya too actually. Great experience for me. Loved every minute," he adds.

The audio which was composed by maestro Ilayaraja is already a rage, eventually increased the film's business range and kept expectations soaring. Wait it October to fall in love with the film!

Pranitha in Nani's Next Movie

As an actress, one can be sexy and have the right kind of oomph factor to drive the audience crazy but if luck is not cooperating then she can never gain a foothold. And this is something the lusty eyed beauty Pranitha has been suffering. Though success has not been with her, luck has been favoring her in other ways.

Now, the Busy Call Sheets of top heroines has become a blessing for this sexy actress. The likes of Kajal Agarwal, Samantha, Ileana, Tamannah are on their toes with various projects and that too in the top league. And this has resulted in Pranitha being roped in for a new film wherein she would be pairing up with the natural talent Nani. Here is the best part. This would be for the remake of the Bollywood hit 'Band Baaja Baraat'.

The original had motormouth Ranveer Singh along with the long legged beauty Anushka Sharma. If one can recall, Anushka has an equal footing with Ranveer in the movie and has a strong character. So, at a time when Pranitha is rolling through flops, this sure is a golden chance for her to prove her mettle. Of course, she must be thankful to the 'Big 4' heroines for that.

Men's Talk about Sex Goddess Sunny Vs Sexy Sherlyn

There are beautiful actresses and then there are wild sex bombs. These are the two categories of ladies which the men admire the most. And usually a lot of discussions also keep happening. Right now, the talk is about two women who are known for their immense sex appeal and overflowing oomph factor.

They are the duo of Sunny Leone and Sherlyn Chopra and this is what the men have to say- "There is a chalk and cheese difference between Sunny and Sherlyn. Though Sunny has come from an adult film industry, she knows how to carry herself and has been very professional in her talk or actions."

They add "On the other hand, Sherlyn Chopra stunts for publicity looked cheap. The way she talks about her body the way she wants to sell herself and the unnecessary statements she passes actually degrades her. If it was not for the Playboy episode, Sherlyn can be graded as a third-rate girl. You might be the symbol of sex but there is an element of elegance which is required and that is something Sunny has and Sherlyn doesn't."

Actress happy with Wardrobe Malfunction

Who knows the art of staying always in limelight for all the wrong reasons other than Veena Malik? This bold actress is back again with a hot photoshoot to grab the attention.

Veena had an oops moment when she showed off her nipple while posing for the shutterbugs in this photoshoot meant for promoting her upcoming film 'Supermodel'. Although she had done it deliberately or the wardrobe malfunction happened without her knowledge hasn't been confirmed yet by anyone, given her track record there's no surprise if she used it as a publicity stunt.

Sources close to the actress say Veena is happy with the nip-slip as it is drawing more attention and giving more mileage than the raunchy photoshoots & films she has done in the past. 

Veena's affair with Pakistani bowler Asif, romance with Ashmit Patel in Big Boss, nude photoshoot for FHM magazine and playing the lead in Kannada version of the film 'Dirty Picture' which is a biopic of Silk Smitha made her hot favorite for Media. Now, the wardrobe malfunction will add to the list!

Sridevi busy with her Latest Project

She is called the 'Athiloka Sundari' by her admirers and though she has passed her prime, the title has not been passed to anyone. That is the grace and beauty of Sridevi who is an all time darling for many male audiences. Now, she is making her comeback after a gap of twelve long years and that is taking a toll.

Sridevi is currently busy with promotional activities. It is heard that Sridevi was sharing her thoughts with her close friends when she reportedly mentioned that promoting a film these days is hectic than shooting. The constant tours and long lineup of interviews is draining her.

There was a time when people used to rush to theatres just because Sridevi is there in the film. Today, things have changed. During her heydays, there was only Doordarshan and people had no choice. Today they have tons of channels for their entertainment so it is Sridevi's job to make some noise and get them to the theatres and watch her film.

Tollywood Spreads Negative Talk

It can be called as human psychology or the general mindset of the film industry people that they cannot bear to see someone hogging success for long. And this is one place where gossips and backbiting dominate more than facts and honesty. This is resulting in some negative impact for the recent release 'Life Is Beautiful'.

According to insiders, it is heard that few members of the Tollywood fraternity have been busy spreading a negative word of mouth regarding 'Life Is Beautiful'. They belong to a batch who is not too comfortable watching director Sekhar Kammula scoring hit after hit.

Well, that is the same approach towards any successful director. But due to this negative publicity and unwanted criticism, 'LIB' has suffered few blows from the audience as well. Kammula is a reclusive man when it comes to industry related activities but it is better he keeps a tab of these coup attempts on him.

PC approached to be the face of Forum

Even as Barfi! continues to enjoy its sweet run at the B.O., it seems to have done wonders to everyone associated with the film, especially Priyanka Chopra. The news is that after seeing her sensitive portrayal of an autistic person in the film, Priyanka has now been approached by FFA (The Forum For Autism- a support group for parents of autistic kids in the city) to become the face of their organization, as they believe she is the perfect ambassador for their cause.

Talking about this, Chitra Iyer (FFA's trustee) said that even though they knew that she was playing an autistic girl in the film, they were really surprised with what they saw on screen. She also added that Priyanka has done an extremely good job and that she played the part so well, keeping it very close to reality by not overdoing it. Explaining the reason as to why they were keen on having Priyanka on board, Chitra said that Priyanka has done a lot of groundwork to play this part and that she has a clear idea about the lives of autistic people. She also added that Priyanka an intelligent person and will be able to spread the message in the right manner.

And as far as Priyanka's answer to the offer is concerned, Chitra said that she has been very receptive and has promised to do whatever she can towards this cause. Not just that, FFA is also planning to honour Priyanka once she returns to the country from Los Angeles.

Lastly, Chitra added that the makers of the film Barfi! have spread an important message through the film, that autism is not an illness, it's a disorder.

Bipasha and Vikram Bhatt Coming again

Here's some news that should bring some respite to Bipasha Basu who was hospitalized on Wednesday. After the success of Raaz 3, Vikram Bhatt is writing another horror-thriller for Bipasha in the central role. This project would be launched as soon the scripting is done. In fact Vikram, who was supposed to next direct the true-life medical thriller entitled The Ankur Arora Murder Case, has handed over the directorial reins of that project to Suhail Tatari who is currently shooting the thriller with K. K. Menon, Tisca Chopra and Arjun Mathur in the lead.

The problem is how to take Bipasha's image of the demonical diva beyond Raaz 3? Says a source close to both Bipasha and Vikram Bhatt, "Vikram already has a germ of an idea which he will develop on his holiday with his daughter in London and Scotland next week. It will be an out-and-out grey role and will give Bipasha an even more shocking image than Raaz 3. But no, it isn't Raaz 4."

Confirming that Vikram Bhatt is indeed writing a film for her, Bipasha said, "To be called a 'Tigress' is an amazing compliment. I am out of the hospital. I am much better now. I was suffering from viral fever, exhaustion and had a blackout. Hopefully I'll be fully recovered soon."

Confirming his plans for Bipasha, Vikram Bhatt said, "I think I owe to myself and to her to do another film with Bipasha right away. It's amazing how hard she worked on the film and look at the end-results. Like they say, no pain no gain. Both of us have gone through our share of turmoil."

Vikram is a little baffled at the critical response to Raaz 3, "Horror is still regarded as somewhat chee-chee by the elite class. Never mind. Only I know how difficult it is to put together a massy film. Friends who read my blog and columns every week wonder how I could make such a lowbrow film. But believe me; it's far tougher to address yourself to the masses then to the intelligentsia. I am not the least apologetic about my partiality to horror, especially now when Raaz 3 is my producer Vishesh Films, my leading man Emraan Hashmi, my 'Tigress' heroine Bipasha and my biggest hit. We have a lot to be thankful for."

Rishi Kapoor Next Film with Maneesh Sharma

Rishi Kapoor is certainly enjoying this new phase of his acting career where he is getting to portray a wide variety of interesting character roles. After his menacing act as 'Rauf Lala' in Agneepath earlier this year, Rishi Kapoor would be seen next in Karan Johar's Student Of The Year (SOTY) which releases next month.

Meanwhile, the actor has also been signed by Yash Raj Films (YRF) for their forthcoming venture to be directed by Maneesh Sharma. Even though the lead actor (after Shahid Kapoor walked out of the project) hasn't yet been finalized, the makers have roped in Rishi Kapoor for a pivotal role. Unlike Agneepath however, Rishi Kapoor would be seen playing a positive character in this flick.

Besides this YRF flick, Rishi Kapoor would also be seen in 2 other YRF films namely Yash Chopra's Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Atul Sabharwal's Aurangzeb.

Mohanlal to play espionage accused ISRO scientist

He was the star-scientist at the Indian Space Research Space Organization (ISRO) at Thiruvnanthpuram. And then it all went poof! In 1994, Nambi Narayanan, to whom goes the credit for introducing the liquid-fuel rocket technology in India, was charged with leaking defense secrets to foreign countries.

A charge that the distinguished scientist fought valiantly and won. Now the retired scientist is exonerated of all guilt. But at what cost!

Director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan who has completed two outstanding bio-pics about unsung heroes Sindhutai Sapkal and Gaur Hari Prasad, is all set tell the tale of the trauma and agony of a national hero who fell from grace, fought back and redeemed his tarnished reputation.

Last week, the Kerala High Court awarded Rs 10 lakhs as compensation to Prof Narayanan, a decision the aggrieved scientist applauded. But he also added that no money can bring back his tarnished image.

Three weeks ago Mahadevan secretly flew down to Trivandrum to spend four days with Nambi Narayanan. The director has returned laden with 8 hours of recorded interviews with the exiled scientist.

Impressed immensely, Mahadevan says, "What left a deep impact on me was this amazing genius' determination to win back his reputation. He did it. He brought his powerful adversaries to their knees. It is a truly inspiring story, and one that I am going to tell. Yes, I've spent ample time with Prof. Narayanan. I've come back with eight hours of recorded conversations that are stunning in their resonances regarding this nation's penchant for unmaking heroes whimsically."

Ananth found Nambi Narayanan to be, "a very venerable gentleman and thinker who looks like Sir Richard Attenborough." Prof Narayanan has not only agreed to let Mahadevan tell his story he has also consented to be an active part of the filmmaking process.

Says the excited director, "He was at first skeptical and almost dismissive. 'How can you bring together my life's stories without making the powers-that-be look compromised?' I assured him I could do it. He was only convinced after I showed him my two films Red Alert and Sidhubai Sapkal."

Happily, Malayali legend Mohanal has agreed to play Nambi Narayanan. "He heard the subject and said he's on. Now I am getting ready to shoot at some difficult locations," enthuses the director.

Apparently Ananth Mahadevan is keen to shoot at ISRO where the scientist was disgraced. The Organization has understandably demurred at the director's request.

The bio-pic entitled The Witch Hunt would be shot in Hindi and Malayalam.

Salman high tax payer

With his latest film Ek Tha Tiger touching a staggering Rs. 200 crores mark, Salman Khan has become the biggest star in Bollywood this year. While on the other hand, he has also emerged as the highest taxpayer in Bollywood, shelling out a whopping Rs. 8 crores for the September quarter.

The 46 year old actor surpassed the rest of the industry by paying a sum of Rs. 8 crores as advance tax in July-September this year, as compared to Rs 5. crores in the same period last year.

While compared to Salman, other celebs have been more modest (Katrina Kaif- Rs. 2.6 crores, SRK-5 crores, Akshay Kumar- Rs 7.5 crores), a marked increase from last year. However, Aamir Khan has notched a dip with just Rs 3.25 crores as compared to Rs 4.50 crores last year.

Heroine Coming this Month

It has become a routine feature to see two films releasing at a time on every Friday. Whether it is the increasing quantity of movies or poor planning in terms of release, the audience always has the choice of two films every weekend. But this weekend is going to be quite complex. The reason for that is, there are a cluster of releases hitting the screens in Tollywood on September 21st.

Notable among them are 'Vennela 1.5' directed by Vennela Kishore along with the horror treats 'Avunu' directed by Ravi Babu and 'Charulata' starring Priyamani. Amidst all this traffic jam, another big ticket flick is entering from Bollywood. This is the much talked about and rather controversial 'Heroine' starring Kareena Kapoor and directed by Madhur Bhandarkar.

According to sources, the demand for this film is also high among the south audience and this could pose some fight for the local flicks. Fortunately, none of the Telugu movies are big budget or big star movies. But still, the other challenge would be to see how many theatres each one will get. The focus will also be on how 'Heroine' will work at the south box office for remake reasons. This should be an interesting competition.

Trisha's Clarification

Sustaining in the film industry and that too as a A-listed heroine is not that easy. But then Trisha has done that comfortably and though she has passed her prime she is still in the race doing plum projects. It is heard that the secret of her success is her choice of roles.

Apparently, Trisha has got a strong pillar in the form of her mother Uma Krishnan and it is heard that their priority has been to go for only decent roles. Incidentally, Trisha once got an offer to work with Emraan Hashmi but then she is not keen on going the Bipasha or Mallika Sherawat way.

She also clarified about her lip lock with Pawan Kalyan in the movie 'Teen Maar' and reportedly clarified that it was actually a peck and not a lip-lock. Well, all this is fine but the cine folks say Trisha is a wild thing off-screen, especially when she is partying or hanging out with friends.

Pawan's Rambabu not arriving on Oct

The latest buzz in the film industry is about the postponement of Pawan Kalyan's much-awaited film Cameraman Gangatho Rambabu release by a week.

While announcing the project with Pawan in the lead, Puri made it clear that the film will be out in theaters on October 18. As the shooting of Rambabu has progressed at a brisk pace, the director anticipated that the final copy would be readied much earlier. So, he advanced the release by a week (Oct 11). However, now the release of the film on the scheduled date looks uncertain. The sudden change in the release date of Damarukam and the postponement of CGR audio launch is giving strength to these reports.

As the makers of Damarukam advanced the release by a week (from Oct 18 to 11), Rambabu is likely to hit the screens only on October 18th. Even the audio launch which was planned to held on September 24 is now pushed to some other date. Although the reasons behind the delay in unknown, these last minute changes is making the Mega fans go restless. When can they see Pawan on silver screen again? Oct 11 or Oct 18 or a new date? Puriji- Are you listening!

Reason Behind Movie Directors

 

Creative people say that directing a movie is pretty easier than handling an ad film. Because in movies we got 2 hours to tell our point, but in ad only 30 seconds should do the job.

Off late, more and more movie directors are getting involved into ad-direction say it Rajamouli, Krishna Vamsi and Puri. Now, Trivikram joined them once again by directing Mahesh Babu for Mahindra Ad after his stint with ThumsUp ads earlier. An ad-film maker revealed that for big-brands, who directs the final film never matters as the total concept and storyboards are pre-locked by the ad-agency itself. So, any guy directing it would be following the story-board but no scope to induce their own creativity except some liberty in shot-selection, he says. But adding a big movie director will get publicity to the brand but nothing else, another ad-maker stressed.

Huma Qureshi's FHM Hot Still

Huma Qureshi (Gangs Of Wasseypur fame), the latest sensation in Bollywood, is creating ripples with her bold photo shoots.  With this pic, she is all set to grab all the eyeballs with her alluring beauty, tempting pose, attractive eyes and teasing expression. To say the least, the open top will drive men crazy.

Huma has already made a mark of her own in the Industry with her acting skills in her debut film and her beauty is just like icing on the cake which could take her to the big league.

Tamanna's Hot Look

When a heroine wears sari she becomes an aunty according to our folks. So, even if she is a debutante or a budding heroine, her wearing a sari means she can be labeled into the aunty bracket. And the same funda has been applied to the milky white beauty Tamanna.

It is heard that Tammu has worn a lot of sarees in her new movie 'Rebel' and sources say she wants to entertain all in her sari look. But those who saw few stills and heard this news are calling her names as hot aunty, sexy aunty etc. However, there is one fact which none of them can deny.

Given her following and the craze, this is nothing. Tamanna is still superb in sarees and there is no problem. In fact, whenever she wore a sari she has developed an additional sex appeal making her more desirable and attractive. 'Rebel' is hitting the screens on September 28th so just hang on and wait for the feast.

ANR Birthday Celebrations for 10 Days

Usually birthdays are meant to be celebrated on that very day and that's the fun of it. But when you are a celebrity having a large following it is obvious that you cannot oblige everyone on the same day. And that is the reason why legend actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao is reportedly celebrating his birthday for ten days.

Apparently, ANR's birthday falls on September 20th and it is heard that various organizations are keen to honour him on that day. So, it is heard that celebrations have started from Dallas in USA a few days back. Many organizations are coming forward like this and one day is not sufficient.

In order to oblige all the organizations, it is heard that Akkineni would be taking part in various celebrations everyday and this would go up to September 26, 27. Despite the fact that he has been staying away from acting, the demand and impact that ANR has is still unfazed and quite strong.

Allu Sirish Rejects Intelligent Hero Tag

Whenever an young hero is debuting and that too from a top-celebrity family, he will be tagged with superlative immediately. Right now, one hero is given a 'macho hero' and 'intelligent hero' tag, and he is rejecting it.

Another hero from Mega camp, Allu Sirish is debuting with 'Gowravam' and is labelled as a 'macho hero' after his recent pics are revealed to public. And our heroine Priya Anand is busy praising this hero as 'Intelligent Hero' on social networks. But Sirish maintained simplicity by rejecting both these tags and mentioned that he likes to be called only 'Sirish'. Being a hero from Mega camp, rejecting a superlative tag from fans is something very new and maybe Sirish is trying to project him unique in this way.

From the family of only star-mass-action-commercial heroes, Sirish looks like a hope for art movies that are on a rage in India now, which will hit Tollywood anytime. Already 'Gowravam' is a semi art kind of movie and let us see how Sirish woos Mega fans.

Parineeti endorse Spinz Talc

She is someone who never wanted to be an actor. Professionally, she used to co-ordinate interviews for stars like Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, Shahid Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. She was their manager, bodyguard, assistant and even PR person. She studied finance and was a topper; she even went abroad to study further but returned during the recession. We are indeed referring to Parineeti Chopra, one of the most promising actresses of recent times.

After having taken the whole of Bollywood by storm, it seems that she is now all ready to create a whirlpool even in the FMCG sectors. Reliable sources say that Parineeti Chopra is now all set to be the brand ambassador or Spinz Talc, which was previously being endorsed by the bubblicious Genelia D'souza.

Uday Chopra injured

Last week, we reported that stuntmen were injured while filming a car chase sequence for the YRF's upcoming action flick Dhoom 3. Now we hear that Uday Chopra who plays Ali, the bike mechanic who assists Abhishek Bachchan's character Jai in the film, has been injured.

Uday was apparently shooting for a stunt sequence when things went wrong and he ended up hurting his foot. The actor sustained hairline fractures on his toes and has been treated for the same with his leg in a partial cast.

Confirming this YRS spokesperson says, "Yes Uday had an accident during the shooting of an action sequence. His foot is temporarily in a cast. Uday has however been shooting even after the accident."

Sonakshi to do item number

Last week we reported that Sonakshi Sinha was roped in to play the lead opposite Saif in the film Bullet Raja. Now we have confirmed news that Sonakshi who is playing a modern, educated and independent Bengali girl in this film, will also be doing an item number in the film.

In fact the film will feature two item numbers of which Sonakshi and Saif will be part of one, while the details of the other are yet to be revealed. Bullet Raja which is being directed by much acclaimed director Tigmanshu Dhulia is scheduled to go on floors in November this year.

Yukta Mookhey lodges police complaint

Former Miss World Yukta Mookhey's marital life seems to be in a mess. The model turned actress has now filed a police complaint against her husband Prince Tuli at the Amboli Police Station accusing him of domestic violence.

Yukta has alleged that she has often been beaten and harassed by her husband and when it crossed all limits, she decided to lodge a police complaint. She is even contemplating taking legal action against him.

Yukta and Prince have been married since November 2008.

Priyanka hits back

Kareena Kapoor has been all over promoting her upcoming film Heroine. While doing so, she commented that Heroine would be better than director Madhur Bhandarkar's National award winning film Fashion. Though it sounded harmless, the seemingly mundane statement looked more like a pot shot at Priyanka whose performance in Fashion had earned her a National Award.

On the other hand, on the recent NDTV show 'Your Call', Priyanka hit back at Kareena's comment with an equally jovial demeanor saying, "Well I guess if you don't have one (National Award) then, it's just sour grapes, you know. What do I say?"

Whether Heroine beats Fashion is yet to be seen but the game of snide remarks between the two actresses seems have just begun.

Salman in Facebook

 

After entertaining us with his tweets on Twitter, Salman Khan has now joined one of the most popular social networking sites- Facebook. The actor launched his official Facebook page and would be using this medium as his preferred platform to connect. Salman treated his fans to exclusive personal pictures and a preview of his much-awaited upcoming chain of 'Being Human' clothing stores.

Commenting on the launch of his official Facebook page, Salman Khan said, "To the many who asked me to join Facebook, lo main aa gaya. And to the few running fake sites, the party's over."

Salman's Facebook page will give his loyal fans a chance to view his exclusive movie content, behind the scenes footage, personal passions, as well as a flashback to Salman's childhood from his private collection. His page will be the ultimate destination for fans to connect, interact and engage with the megastar.

Salman's fans who are on Facebook can now join in the conversation with the actor at his Facebook page which is http://www.facebook.com/BeingSalmanKhan

Taaha Shah in Dharma Productions

Taaha Shah, who made a rather impressive debut in YRF's Luv Ka The End, will be now seen in Dharma Productions' Gippy.

Gippy , directed by debutant Sonam Nair, is a kiddie flick that focuses on the life of a 13 year old girl played by Delhi based Riya Vij. Taaha, who has a pivotal role in the film, is excited about being a part of a big banner like Dharma Productions. The actor confesses, "YRF gave me the right break and working with Dharma gave me the opportunity to learn a lot as an actor. It helped me realize my potential and work on my acting skills. We attended various workshops which helped me grow tremendously as an actor and improve my performance."

Chiru's Mother sees God

The film Shirdi Sai is making the woman who haven't come out in the past decade or so to throng the theaters. Producer Maheswara Reddy has arranged a special screening of the film to Megastar Chiranjeevi's family. Along with Chiru, his wife Surekha, mother Anjana Devi, brother-in-law Allu Aravind, Aravind's mother and the rest of family have attended the special show.

Chiru's mother is full of praise for the devotional film and the mesmerizing performance of Nagarjuna. "I got involved so much so that, nothing came to mind while watching this film. The film is very good and Nagarjuna Garu did a worderfull job. I couldn't describe how good he was in the role of Sai Baba," commented Anjana Devi after the screening.

Nag is lucky enough to be part of films like Annamayya, Sriramadasu and Shridi Sai. Good to see devotional films getting the acceptance of the audience and especially a film on Sai, an enlightened man, working big time commercially too. The openings were impressive despite the fact that it's not an commercial entertainer and the positive word of mouth assures a  long run at the Box Office.

Srimannarayana Producer hungama at Damarukam launch

Call it the destiny or something else, we can't stop few things to happen. Here is another such case! Srimannarayana Producer Ramesh Puppala who created a scene by staging a protest before Arjun theatre in KPHB for replacing his film with Shiridi Sai within one week of it's run has graced the audio launch of Nagarjuna's upcoming film Damarukam.

RR Movie Makers Venkat, the producer of Damarukam, is associated with Ramesh Puppala's banner 'Yellow Flowers'. In fact, the film Srimannarayana was presented by Venkat himself. So, this is the main reason behind Ramesh's presence at Nag's function.

Anchor Suma invited Ramesh Puppala on to the stage at the audio launch to release the song 'Reppala Pi Reppala Pi' from Damarukam. Initially, no one recognized him but when Suma mentioned that he is the producer of Srimannarayana, Akkineni fans have roared and passed few comments.

With these developments, Ramesh Puppala came to know that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Incidents like these will develops hatred between the fans of heroes and lands the people associated with their films in embarrassment situation. So, better settle the issues in closed doors!

Nayanatara stays away

Nayanatara, who is back in business after breaking up with Prabhu Deva, is riding high in Telugu and Tamil film industries. She has six films on hand and many more offers are coming in. Nayanatara is one of the few heroines that struck a balance between old and new generations by acting with all age groups of heroes.

She didn't look odd opposite Balakrishna and Jr. NTR, which is a rarity these days. However, Nayanatara has decided to stay away from the old heroes in order to have a prolonged career. Doing films opposite senior stars like Nagarjuna and Balakrishna at this point are not fetching her roles opposite actors like Mahesh, Charan etc.

Nayan is currently doing Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum with Rana and Love Story with Nagarjuna. After she is done with Love Story, Nayan will only be available for heroes who are still young. So she may not be seen again with Nag, Balayya and Venky etc. We have to wait and see if this is a clever decision or not.

Allu Arjun's 'True' feelings

 

Allu Arjun is undoubtedly the most out spoken guy who never mince words to speak out his heart. The actor who is basking on the success of Julayi revealed that he was under pressure to deliver a hit as both Racha and Gabbar Singh turned out to be profit grossers.

The most shocking aspect is the revelation of Allu Arjun's low-expectation on Racha. "I hadn't expected Racha to be a hit. I used to tell everyone that even if it collects at least one rupee more than its production cost, I will be happy. Surprisingly, It became a super-hit. Gabbar Singh was a sensational hit. So, I want to complete the 'Mega' year in Tollywood and has successfully done it," speaks out Bunny.

Despite average content and mixed reviews, Racha collected a good share and stood as one of the top grossers in the Industry. With Bunny's words, it's now clear that the success of the film not only surprised the trade analysts and Industry, but also the Mega family. Ram Charan is lucky enough to score such big success in an Industry which has less than 10 percent success rate!

 

Balaji enters real estate

Films and Television may by far be the most profitable business for Balaji with a slew of hits to its title and also multiple prime time TV slots, but Balaji seems to be eyeing for something more. In fact Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Group has now entered Mumbai's real estate market.

While this may make a few sit up and take notice, the decision comes despite the downturn that has stalled many construction projects and ventures. Already in the pipeline are two projects, a commercial complex in Chandivli, Andheri East, and a residential one in Mira Road - both handled by yesteryear actor Jeetandra under the name of Balaji Developers and JK Developers.

The project in Andheri is being executed through a joint venture with Hiranandani, comprises of two towers that stand on land partly owned by Jeetendra. While the project in Mira Road, is still in the planning process.

Heroine wins smoking battle

A few days back we heard reports that Madhur Bhandarkar's upcoming film Heroine had run into trouble with the censor board on the issue of onscreen smoking. Apparently, the censor board wasn't too pleased with the 35-37 frames that featured the actress blowing smoke.

Following it up, the board asked the makers to run an anti-smoking ticker in each of the scenes. None too happy with the decision, the makers of the film approached the Delhi High Court appealing this decision claiming that it was illogical to add the ticker now that the film is complete.

However, now we hear that the High Court has ruled in favour of Heroine's makers. A spokesperson from UTV issued a statement saying, "We are happy that the High Court has seen the merit in our case and upheld our appeal. We respect the guidelines issued by the Ministry but our request was that they should be made applicable to films that are now going into production and not to films like Heroine that had already completed production when the new guidelines were issued."

Rakeysh leaves Ladakh to Farhan

The untimely demise of filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's mother on Saturday evening could have brought to a halt the shooting schedule of Mehra's Bhaag Milkha Bhaag in Ladakh. Precious time that would have been hard to retrieve, were it not for Mehra's leading man Farhan Akhtar, who promised to keep the shooting going on uninterrupted in Mehra's absence.

Says a source close to the unit, "In terms of working hours and days, the Ladakh schedule of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has been compactly clocked. Every minute lost is precious time gone. But alas, time and tragedy don't follow schedules. On Sunday morning, Rakeysh had to fly back to Delhi from Ladakh after hearing of his mother's death. The good thing about casting a director as your leading man is that the double-role as hero and director comes in handy during such eventualities."

Rakeysh flew in to Delhi on Sunday morning and flew back on Monday evening. But the shooting continued in Ladakh uninterrupted.

Prakash Jha asks for 'claimer'

So far, whether it is to do with a warning about smoking or an assurance that no character in a film replicates any person from real life, the Censor Board Of Film Certification has always asked and got a disclaimer at the beginning of a film.

Prakash Jha would now like to change that rule. Before his new film Chakravyuh goes to the censors, the filmmaker has requested them for consent to display a claimer at the beginning of the film, owning up to responsibility of having borrowed characters and situations from real life.

In other words, instead of the usual announcement we see at the beginning that says, 'Resemblances to any character or incident, living or dead are purely coincidental', Jha wishes to declare, 'Resemblances to real-life characters and incidents are intentional'.

A far cry from Jha's vehement efforts to distance himself from all reports of real-life resemblances when his Raajneeti released and was alleged to have been inspired by Sonia Gandhi's life.

Says Prakash Jha, "Yes, I don't wish to deny the historical perspective in Chakravyuh and have asked for an announcement, a 'claimer' as opposed to a 'disclaimer', because it is important to let the audience know that the political references in this film are not artificial."

The CBFC is apparently apprehensive of declaring real-life claims in films, as these almost invariably spark off controversies.

But Jha is adamant, "Chakravyuh works within the given framework of real life. I want audiences to know that."

Big Relief for Samantha

Samantha who took two months break from film shootings due to skin ailment has finally breathed a sigh of relief as the confusion regarding the release dates of her much-awaited film 'Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu' has been cleared now.

As per Sri Venkateswara Creations sources, the entire talkie part of SVSC will be wrapped up by October end. Plans were made by producer Dil Raju to held the audio launch in the third week of November and release it in the second half of December as a Chirstmas gift.

Although SVSC was scheduled for September release, unfortunately it got pushed due to health issues of Samantha. She has received a lot of criticism for not turning up for the shoots which resulted in the clash of artists dates and the increase in production production cost. But as soon as she recovered, the actress surprised the critics by completing the shooting schedules at a brisk pace. The talkie part of Autonagar Surya and Yeto Vellipoyindi Manasu were almost wrapped up, completed a major schedule for Siddharth-Nandini Reddy film and currently participating in the shooting of SVSC. Any career is a series of ups and downs, of comebacks. Sam sets an example!

Richa Chadda signed for Fukrey

Richa Chadda is riding high these days. After her power packed performance in Anurag Kashyap's Gangs Of Wasseypur, she has now been signed for Excel Entertainment's Fukrey.

Richa plays a very significant role in the film. She will be seen playing a mafia don, and her character will be called as Boli Punjaban. Confirming the same, producer Ritesh Sidhwani said, "Yes Richa Chadda has been signed for Fukrey."

Popular T.V. actor Pulkit Samrat, who made his film debut with Bittoo Boss, will be playing the lead role in the film; however Richa is not paired opposite Pulkit. The makers are yet to finalize some more actors for the film.

Fukrey is a mad cap comedy coming from the ingenious Ritesh Sidhwani- Farhan Akhtar production team 'Excel Entertainment'. The title comes from a Delhi slang, where 'Fukrey' means good-for-nothing. Directed by Mrigdeep Singh Lamba, the film is a buddy movie and will revolve around Delhi-based youngsters and their life in high school and later college.

Alisha to play lead in Deepak Tijori's Film

Debutant Alisha has been signed to play the lead role in Deepak Tijori's suspense thriller Dare You. The film traces the journey of Rani Diwan from being an innocent college kid to turning into an iconic personality. The basic premise of the film is summed by these lines - 'My Life, My Rules, My Attitude!'

Dare You is produced by Blueberry Films (a production house started by Mehul Simaria and Denis Selarka). The makers did an audition of 800 plus girls since January to play the lead role of Rani Diwan. Since they were very particular about the main protagonist, they wanted a fresh face and someone very talented as the film rests on her shoulders. After an extensive marathon audition, they selected Alisha to play Rani Diwan. Alisha has already signed a 3 film contract with Blueberry Films.

Blueberry films will launch the first look poster and teaser of Dare You on Sept 18th in Mumbai.

Saif questioned by E D

Saif Ali Khan was questioned by officials of Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a car that he had imported way back in 2004. The ED is probing the possibility of a hawala transaction having been made for the payment of the said car.

The case goes back to 2004 when the actor had allegedly purchased a Toyota Land Cruiser from Dubai. The car was however, imported to India under the transfer of residence rules by a Kerala resident named Kolangara Mohammad. Soon after the transaction, the special investigation and intelligence brand of the Customs department initiated an inquiry into the import as they felt that Mr. Mohammad couldn't have afforded to pay for such a big transaction as he was just an ordinary labourer. Further inquiries revealed that large sums of money had been withdrawn from an account in Mumbai which allegedly belonged to Saif Ali Khan.

Saif was questioned for nearly 3 hours last Saturday over details of the payment made to acquire the car post which he was allowed to leave.

Big B, Ajay, Arjun, Kareena, Manoj in Satyagraha

Even before his Chakravyuh has hit theatres, Prakash Jha is already busy planning his next biggie titled Satyagraha. For the film that deals with the movement of the middle-class to re-negotiate democracy, Jha has managed a casting coup of sorts getting together Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor and Manoj Bajpayee on board.

While all the above mentioned names have worked with Jha earlier, it's the first time Kareena Kapoor would be working with the veteran filmmaker. Bachchan would be seen playing a man who is a firm believer of truth a la new age Gandhi while Ajay plays an ambitious entrepreneur who represents the modern India shining philosophy. Arjun Rampal plays a social activist who aims to be a politician while Kareena's character is that of a journalist with a strong ideology someone like popular journalist Chirstiane Amanpour of CNN. Bajpayee plays the role of a wily politician who uses every means to break the system.

Sarah Jane Dias in Atul Agnihotri's Film

Sarah Jane Dias, who was last seen in the sex-comedy Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum, will now be seen in Atul Agnihotri's home production. The yet-untitled film is a young-at-heart and naughty love story directed by Umesh Bhisht.

Confirming the same, Sarah tweeted, "Just landed in #Delhi, super excited to start my new film with Umesh Bhisht and Atul Agnihotri."