Hollybollywood

Mumbai, Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra bagged the best actress award for Madhur Bhandarkar’s “Fashion” at the Apsara Film and Television Producers Guild Awards here Friday evening.

Priyanka’s father Ashok Chopra received the award on her behalf.

“Oh, I am so happy for her. She has done it again. And getting an award from the patriarch and creators of the film industry is a great thing,” Ashok Chopra told IANS.

Hrithik Roshan was presented the best actor award for Ashutosh Gowariker’s “Jodhaa Akbar”.

The fourth edition of the Apsara Film and Television Producers Guild Awards, which honour excellence in cinema and television was held at a five-star hotel here.

Aamir Khan won two awards – best film and best director – for his directorial debut “Taare Zameen Par”.

Actor Imran Khan, Anil Kapoor, Kangna Ranaut, director Yash Chopra, screenwriter Amole Gupte and Prasoon Joshi attended the event. Oscar-award wining actor Sir Ben Kingsley was also present.

The fourth edition was postponed last year as a mark of respect to the victims of the 26/11 tragedy. The awards for 2009 will be distributed by the Producers’ Guild of India Dec 20.

The Guild jury, including Ravi Chopra, Ketan Desai, and Vashu Bhagnani, had chosen the winners.

Patna, A lawsuit has been filed in a court here charging Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan with violating the disabilities act through his latest film “Paa” in which he plays a 13-year-old boy suffering from progeria, which accelerates the ageing process.

Big B has been accused of poking fun at people with disabilities.

The case has been filed by Patna High Court lawyer Shruti Singh in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate under The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. It has also been filed against “Paa” director R. Balkrishna.

“I filed a case in the court demanding a probe into whether ‘Paa’ violated the act or not,” Singh said Saturday.

“My stand is simple: If it violated the disability act, the authorities should act against the producer and actors of the film for making a joke of disabled people,” she added.

She said the court will hear the case next week.

According to Singh, the act is guided by the philosophy of empowering people with disabilities and their associates. The act endeavors to introduce an instrument for promoting equality and participation of people with disabilities on the one hand, and eliminating discrimination of all kinds on the other.

New Delhi, (BollywoodWorld.com) It seems that Shah Rukh Khan has buried the hatchet with Aamir Khan ever since the “Ghajini” star apologised to his children for making fun of him. Shah Rukh said he has no hard feelings for his colleague.

“We often visit each other’s home and we have love and respect for each other. I don’t think there was any need for him to apologise because it is not really a big thing for me. Both of us don’t take these things seriously but it is the media that exaggerates the whole situation,” Shah Rukh said via tele-conference here Thursday from Mumbai.

Aamir tendered an apology to Shah Rukh’s kids for hurting their sentiments before taking a pot shot at the latter when he mentioned his wife Kiran in an answer to a reporter as “Kkk… Kiran” – a dialogue made famous by Shah Rukh in his 1993 hit “Darr”.

“I’ve offered my heartfelt apologies to Shah Rukh’s kids, not to Shah Rukh but to his kids,” Aamir had recently said.

The two superstars have often taken digs at each other.

I'M A Celebrity star Katie Price is in for her biggest jungle shock yet - boyfriend Alex Reid is heading to Australia to PROPOSE.

Before the cross-dressing cage fighter flew out of Britain last night he told the News of the World: "I'm definitely asking her to marry me and I'm convinced she's going to say YES. I might pop the question on TV."

Katie's transvestite tough-guy boyfriend is making an extra marriage vow as he heads Down Under to propose - NEVER to dress up in girlie frocks again.

Pics: Katie Price gets a soaking

Cage fighter Alex flew out of London last night to pop the question to I'm A Celebrity star Katie - and exclusively told the News of the World he was confident of the answer.

"I'm definitely asking her to marry me," vowed 34-year-old Alex, as his lover ate kangaroo bum in a jungle trial. "And I'm convinced she's going to say YES."


Alex secretly hatched his plan after Jordan, ex-wife of singer Peter Andre - jetted to Australia to do her surprise TV stint in the programme.

And he will spend £20,000 on her dream engagement ring of pink diamonds.

Pics: Katie Price gets a soaking

"One idea is I make the proposal in front of cameras on the show," he said. "But whatever happens I know this is right. I've never felt this way before.

"I'm convinced Katie's going to feel the same way. I know what we're like when we're together. When I'm with Katie it's full-on 24/7.


GOOD CLEAN FUN - Jordan takes a dip
"She ended the Pete chapter of her life in that jungle. Now it's time for her to start a new fairy tale. But this time I think it it'll go the distance."

Alex also revealed how he is:

CERTAIN Jordan will stay faithful to him, inside the jungle AND out.
YEARNING to have THREE children with Jordan SOON.
PLEDGING to ditch his cross-dressing blonde alter-ego Roxanne and stick to men's clothes.
For the last month Alex has saved every penny he's earned for the extravagant ring he hopes will convince Jordan to embark on marriage No 2.

"I want the very best I can afford," he told us. "Katie has very delicate hands and very specific tastes. I've picked out a design of a pink diamond in an ornate setting. I'm going shopping in the next few days on the way to Australia. I already have one in mind but I'll have to see what takes my fancy when I go to the jewellers.

"It WILL be a ring fit for the princess she is. One she can love and cherish. Forever."


HANDFUL - Feisty Jordan
Alex won't even consider the possibility Jordan will reject his offer.

"I know what I want and I'm going to get it," he declared. "This love is worth fighting for. I'd do anything to make it happen.

"Everything that's happening right now is what I've always wanted. I've actually envisaged this for many years." And yesterday, in a jungle chat, Jordan hinted she WOULD be ready to tie the knot immediately.

When asked by campmate Sabrina Washington if she'd ever walk down the aisle again, Katie admitted: "I'd love to. I love that whole family unit. Love it. I'd absolutely 1,000 per cent get married again.

"I'd do it now. I'm not going to wait. If it feels right I'm going to marry straight away. I'm 31 and I want to get settled down. I WANT to be married." And she gave Alex's dream of fidelity a boost when she revealed how, although she likes her men experienced in the sack, she has had only ONE one-night stand - with Brazilian toyboy Andre Pinto, 25, as she partied in Ibiza weeks after splitting with hubby Peter.


SLIPPERY - Jordan poses before the show
She added: "I can guarantee I know exactly how many people I've slept with. And I haven't had that many - even though everyone thinks I have. But I'd rather a man slept around so then they're experienced.

"They've tried it, tested it and now they've got me. Been there, done it, worn the T-shirt!"

Pics: Katie Price gets a soaking

Lover Alex admitted he has been "sad" and "lonely" since Jordan went into the show. But he is convinced she won't strike up a romance in the jungle, even with ex-Hollyoaks hunk Stuart Manning prowling around.

"She's not going to touch another man," he said emphatically. "Of course I'm jealous, of course I'm green with envy that he gets to eye her up in her bikini all day long, but I really don't think she'd go there.

"She likes the attention, she likes being looked at, but that's because she's so used to it with her job. I haven't seen anything to worry me.

"It crosses my mind that something COULD happen, but that's human instinct. I do actually trust her fully. We both truly love each other. If she was going to cheat on me she would. She hasn't so far."

Ex-Hollyoaks actor Alex praised Jordan's courage in the Bushtucker Trials which - thanks to the mischievous public vote - she has faced EVERY day. "When she got nine stars on Friday night's show I swelled with pride," he said. "That's my girl. It's the real her. She's been very brave. It p***es me off when people go around saying those panic attacks are fake. I know for a fact she has problems with enclosed spaces and especially water, so she did the best she could.


COPING - Katie in the jungle
"I've also been so struck by her bravery in the challenges AND her intelligence. When she spelt kangaroo backwards so quickly I was so impressed.

"I knew I was madly in love with her before she went in there, but now I know this is the woman I HAVE to be with forever.

"People are starting to see she's not this home-wrecking nasty woman who's selfish and can't relate to anyone. She's dealing with the people in there really well." Aspiring actor Alex has always been coy about the prospect of starting a family with Jordan, but finally admitted they want THREE children of their own. They'd join seven-year-old Harvey, Jordan's son by footballer Dwight Yorke, and Pete's two - Junior, four, and two-year-old Princess.

Former paratrooper Alex said: "I want children and I don't want to wait too long. The more the merrier, but three would be good. I've made no secret about what I want with Katie."

And Jordan is expected to embrace Alex's decision to ditch his transvestite ways. "I've been there, done that, it's boring now," he said. "So I've crossdressed, big deal. I've done enough to last me a lifetime. I really don't feel the need to wear a dress. It's never on my mind now.

"I'm an actor and play roles. I haven't just got two sides, I have hudreds of different sides. I was just having a bit of fun."

Alex also admitted Jordan's fame IS one of the reasons he's so excited about the romance.

"There's a part of me that's attracted to the whole celebrity thing," he confessed. "In fact this is the first time I've acknowledged it. But I mean, why else would I let myself in for everything that's happened to me?"

Gritty

Nevertheless Alex has a busy career of his own - acting and producing movies. On his way to Australia he is stopping off in Dubai to plan his new film Cage Rage. Alex said: "I love acting and I love martial arts, so for the first time I get to do the two at once. I'll be playing a character like myself but with a few twists. It's a gritty, Rocky-style movie, with real fight footage but also a lot of humour. The script is great."


FILTHY - Jordan during her first challenge
Alex said he will also use his time Down Under to set up future cage fights. But he dismissed accusations that he was cashing in on Jordan.

"I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth and some of my relationship with Katie has seen me benefit," he admitted "But a lot of it has caused me grief from a business point of view.

"My sponsorship endorsements with certain companies have stopped because they see me as a negative influence on the sport.

"But ultimately this is not about business - this is about someone I love."

SHOULD Jordan marry Alex? Tell us below.

OK, SO they're no longer in the first flush of youth . . . but they're still hot enough to make plenty of youths flush!

Veteran supermodels Eva Herzigova, 36, Helena Christensen, 40, and Claudia Schiffer, 39, wore just leather thigh boots and a saucy wink for this naked mag shoot.

And the racy snaps prove that age is no object when it comes to looking stunning. Blonde Claudia said it was the chemistry of the three old-school catwalk queens that made the pictures, by photographer Kayt Jones, so sexy.

For more pictures see this month's i-D magazine or visit i-dmagazine.com

She purred: "A great photographer doesn't stop you or give you boundaries. It's about flow and chemistry - you just go together like a wave."

The trio, all with 1 Model Management, also posed for stunning individual pictures for contemporary style guide i-D - including one with just a handbag protecting Claudia's modesty.

An insider said: "These women are so universally beautiful that they can wear high fashion, arty wear or more commercial stuff.

"Or they can just go plain naked."

NEW YORK (Reuters) - News Corp, Time Warner Inc and Qualia Capital LLC are interested in buying Hollywood's Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio, home of the James Bond movies, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.

Citing people with knowledge of the situation, the report said the companies have not yet examined the studio's finances and their level of interest will depend on price.

Burdened by about $4 billion in debt, Los Angeles-based MGM said last week it was weighing options, including a possible sale of the company.

Creditors are hoping to get at least $2 billion, from a single buyer or by selling the assets separately, Bloomberg said.

Its sources also said Sony Corp may also be interested in all or part of the studio.

News Corp, MGM, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Time Warner and Qualia, a closely held media and entertainment investment company, all declined comment, the report said.

A week ago, MGM said it was exploring a potential sale of the company as lenders extended a forbearance until January 31. It said its other options include operating as a stand-alone entity or forming strategic partnerships.

A source familiar with the matter told Reuters the company was expected to open its books to interested parties in a process that could take months.

The studio, which has enlisted a restructuring specialist to help turn it around, faces debt obligations of $3.7 billion stemming from its 2005 buyout, plus payments on a $250 million revolving credit facility due April 2010.

It was purchased from majority owner Kirk Kerkorian for $2.85 billion by a group including private equity firms Providence Equity Partners; TPG; DLJ Merchant Banking Partners, a unit of Credit Suisse; and Quadrangle Group; and media firms Sony and Comcast Corp. The group also assumed a debt of $2 billion.

The recently held Cosmopolitan fearless female award was for women, but SRK completely bowled everyone over by bending over his knee to award the fearless females of India with a pretty shoe award.

Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone were also present at the event and charmed everybody.

CHICAGO -- Holding back tears, Oprah Winfrey told her studio audience Friday that she would end her show in 2011 after a quarter-century on the air, saying prayer and careful thought led her to her decision.

Winfrey told the audience that she loved "The Oprah Winfrey Show," that it had been her life and that she knew when it was time to say goodbye. "Twenty-five years feels right in my bones and feels right in my spirit," she said.

Winfrey talked about being nervous when the program began in 1986 and thanked audiences who had invited her into their homes and lives over the past two decades.

"I certainly never could have imagined the yellow brick road of blessings that have led me to this moment," she said.

The powerhouse show became the foundation for her multibillion-dollar media empire, but in the last year, has seen its ratings slip 7%. Winfrey, 55, is widely expected to start up a new talk show on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a much-delayed joint venture with Discovery Communications Inc. that is projected to debut in 2011. OWN is to replace the Discovery Health Channel and will debut in some 74 million homes.

Winfrey offered no specifics about her plans, except to say that she intended to produce the best possible shows during her last 18 months on the air.

"Over this holiday break, my team and I will be brainstorming new ways that we can entertain you and inform you and uplift you when we return here in January," she said. "And then, season 25 -- we are going to knock your socks off."

CBS Television Distribution, which distributes the show to more than 200 U.S. markets, held out hope it could continue doing business with Winfrey, perhaps producing a new show out of its studios in Los Angeles.

"We know that anything she turns her hand to will be a great success," the CBS Corp. unit said in a statement. "We look forward to working with her for the next several years, and hopefully afterwards as well."

Many fans heading into Harpo Studios on Friday morning seemed to support Winfrey's decision.

"It's time to elevate to something new," said Sandra Donaldson, 59, of Indianapolis. "Whatever she does is going to be a blessing. It's going to be rewarding and eye-opening. Her name alone opens doors."

Once a local Chicago morning program, the production evolved into television's top-rated talk show for more than two decades, airing in 145 countries worldwide and watched by an estimated 42 million viewers a week in the U.S. alone.

Audience members described the atmosphere inside the studio Friday as tense and emotional, with some reaching for tissues as Winfrey announced her decision. "The whole audience was very quiet and she kept saying, 'You can breathe,' " said Jennifer Aguilera, 32, of Joliet, Ill.

Fans expressed hope that Winfrey would soon announce another project.

"Oprah, she impacts everybody, her life, the way she gives," said Shawana Fletcher, 29, of Chicago. "I hope she's not totally done. That's what we're praying."

Winfrey's 24th season opened this year with a bang, as she drew more than 20,000 fans to Chicago's Magnificent Mile for a block party with the Black Eyed Peas. She followed with a series of blockbuster interviews -- Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, Whitney Houston and ESPN's Erin Andrews, and just this week, former Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

As a newcomer, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" chipped away at talk-show king Phil Donahue's dominance. Later, it turned to inspiration. The show's coverage ranged from interviews with the world's celebrities to an honest discussion about Winfrey's weight struggles.

In 1986, pianist-showman Liberace gave his final TV interview to Winfrey, just six weeks before he died. In a 1993 prime-time special, Michael Jackson revealed he suffered from a skin condition that produces depigmentation. Tom Cruise enthusiastically declared his affection for the much-younger Katie Holmes on the program in 2005 -- and jumped on the couch to prove it.

In 2004, Winfrey unveiled her most famous giveaway, when nearly 300 members of the studio audience opened a gift box to find the keys to a new car inside. The stunt became a classic show moment as much for Winfrey's reaction -- "You get a car! You get a car! You get a car! Everybody gets a car!" -- as its $7 million price tag.

The show also became a launching pad for Oprah's Book Club, which then launched best-sellers. The titles ranged from "Song of Solomon" and "Paradise" by Toni Morrison to Wally Lamb's "She's Come Undone" and Elie Wiesel's "Night."

For others, the selection backfired. "A Million Little Pieces" exploded in sales after Winfrey chose the James Frey memoir in fall 2005. Soon after, it was revealed as a fabricated tale of addiction and recovery, and Winfrey later chewed out Frey on her show.

The loss of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" would be a blow to CBS Corp., which earns a percentage of hefty licensing fees from TV stations that use it -- largely ABC affiliates. CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves told analysts two weeks ago that the contract with the show runs through most of 2011 and "if there's a negative impact, it wouldn't hit us until '12."

"Oprah's been a force of media and there's really no person you can look to out there who you could say, 'That's the heir apparent,'" said Larry Gerbrandt, an analyst for Media Valuation Partners in Los Angeles. Gerbrandt noted many stations build their schedules around Winfrey's show.

"It's a big loss, but not as huge as it would have been 10 years ago," he said. "However, it still commands the biggest audience and ABC station competitors are licking their chops."
Talk of the show's end often has accompanied Winfrey's contract negotiations. Before signing her current contract in 2004, she talked about quitting after the 2005-2006 season. As far back as 1995, she called continuing "a difficult and important decision."

Winfrey started her broadcasting career in Nashville, Tenn., and Baltimore, Md., before relocating to Chicago in 1984 to host WLS-TV's morning talk show "A.M. Chicago" -- which became "The Oprah Winfrey Show" one year later. She set up Harpo the following year and her talk show went into syndication.

Powered by the show's staggering success, Winfrey built a media empire. Harpo Studios produces shows hosted by Dr. Phil McGraw and celebrity chef Rachael Ray. O, The Oprah Magazine was the nation's 7th most popular magazine in the first half of 2009.

Earlier this year, Forbes scored Winfrey's net worth at $2.7 billion.

Bollywood super stars are all scrambling for a share of the lucrative IPL (Indian Premier League) pie as after Salman Khan, its Sanjay Dutt now who had expressed interest in buying an IPL team of his own. Salman made headlines last week by having a meeting with IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi. The media went tizzy, pitting him against his current arch-rival Shahrukh Khan, the owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders team
This Bollywood power play is sure to hot up the IPL scene this year which is a heady concoction of cricket, money and glamour. With SRK,Juhi Chawla, Preity Zinta, Shilpa Shetty already in the fray, the joining of two heavyweights like Salman and Sanjay will definitely set the cash registers ringing for all parties associated with IPL.
Apparently Sanjay Dutt, an ardent cricket fan himself met Modi to understand the procedures of acquiring an IPL team, the cost factor and whether his ongoing criminal cases would have any bearing on the same. If everything goes well, Sanjay has his eyes set upon the two new teams Ahmedabad and Nagpur that are going to come under the IPL fold.
It will not be surprising if more and more stars start getting into the IPL arena. A perfect platform for minting money through a slew of brand endorsements, hogging the limelights of international media as well as an opportunity to connect with their fans on a more personal level will spur more celebrities to join the IPL bandwagon.

Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Preity Zinta & Shilpa Shetty

NEW YORK -- According to a report, the Who will perform at Super Bowl XLIV, marking their first performance in North America since 2008.

SI.com reports that the veteran U.K. band will take the stage during the halftime show of the 2010 NFL championship game, scheduled for Feb. 7 in Miami.

The NFL has yet to officially confirm the report, saying, "When we have something to announce, we'll announce it."

During a recent stop on his "Use It or Lose It" solo tour, frontman Roger Daltrey told Billboard.com that he and bandmate/composer Pete Townshend were working on new material for the Who's followup to 2006's "Endless Wire."

"Hopefully if this tour has done it's job, I'll be in really good form as a vocalist," said Daltrey. "And who knows, we might make our best work."

Townshend has also acknowledged working on two projects -- a new musical called "Floss" and the Who's next album, which he has said will include some pieces from the "Floss" project.

NEW YORK -- Online content can be "much better" and will be the focus of the next development stage of the Internet, AOL chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong said here Friday.

"That's why we are making such a big bet there," he said during a keynote appearance at the annual Media and Money conference, hosted by The Hollywood Reporter parent The Nielsen Co. and Dow Jones.

He argued that the first wave of Internet development focused on access, then platforms -- from Facebook to iTunes -- were in focus. But the next step will be content, which hasn't seen as much innovation by online firms, he argued.

Online video will be a key part of that, according to Armstrong. Already, AOL is doing six times as much video as a few months ago, he said.

"We're excited about video," the AOL boss told the conference. "You're going to see us do much more in the future."

That includes original video content. Projects with the likes of Warren Buffett and Martha Stewart have already been announced here, with more to come.

The growth of social media, such as AOL's Bebo, but also outside firms such as Twitter and others, plays a key role in AOL's content strategy as well. "We see social as a great way to distribute content" and share it, Armstrong said.

Asked about advertising sales strategies around content, he said the company likes bundling audience segments together across various Web sites. "Building niche properties is valuable," he explained.

The AOL CEO didn't comment in detail on reports of possible hundreds of additional layoffs at the firm, but said it is in the process of reengineering the organization based on its strategies and staff ideas right now. The process should be completed in the coming weeks.

Earlier this week, AOL laid off about 100 employees, reducing its staff to about 6,900. But a regulatory filing also mentioned restructuring charges of up to $200 million to be taken by mid-2010 for further streamlining. Media reports said hundreds could be cut, with some citing as many as 1,000 possible staff reductions.

"I hope to get the layoffs out of the way, but I'm excited about the future," Armstrong said Friday, arguing morale at AOL is better than when he took over. "The energy is back."

AOL is set to be separated from Time Warner and become an independent company again next month.

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The sudden end to a legal battle between dethroned Miss California USA Carrie Prejean and pageant officials was prompted by the revelation of a "sex tape," according to a source familiar with the lawsuits' settlement.

Prejean was fired in June after lingerie-modeling photos of her emerged that pageant officials said were a breach of her contract. Prejean sued the pageant in August, arguing her firing was religious discrimination because of her opposition to same-sex marriage.

Pageant officials countersued last month, demanding their former beauty queen repay $5,200 in pageant money spent for her breast implants and give them all proceeds from a book she's written.

A settlement of both lawsuits was signed in New York Tuesday, but no details were made public. Lawyers and parties for each side were bound by a confidentiality pledge, according to the source.

The veil of secrecy was partially lifted Wednesday after celebrity gossip Web site TMZ reported the deal was sealed after pageant lawyers presented an "extremely graphic" home video involving Prejean.

TMZ Managing Editor Harvey Levin said during a webcast Wednesday that he obtained the Prejean video during the summer, but found it "too racy" to post on his site. He indicated Prejean was alone in the video.

The source with knowledge of the settlement talks told CNN those details were accurate.

Prejean's lawyer, Charles LiMandri, responded with a short statement issued through an employee at his law office. "It's a confidential settlement, and he can't discuss it," the statement said.

Several calls and e-mail to Prejean's publicist were not returned Wednesday.

Prejean's tell-all book hits bookstores next week, and she is scheduled for media interviews to promote it.

Pageant spokesman Kenn Henman said Tuesday the settlement means all lawsuit demands are dropped.

The pageant had claimed that the contract she signed when she entered their competition last year gave the pageant the rights to anything she wrote. The settlement ended that claim.

Pageant officials also dropped their attempt to be repaid for her breast enhancement, which was done before she represented California in the Miss USA competition, according to Henman.

Prejean, in exchange, withdrew her suit accusing the pageant of violating her privacy by confirming to reporters that her breasts were enhanced, Henman said.

"We are moving forward from the past and looking towards the crowning of two winners and the new look of the upcoming Miss California USA pageant, telecast live on November 22," pageant Executive Director Keith Lewis said Tuesday.

"We're back in the business of beauty," he told CNN.

There was nothing pretty about the public fight that began in April when Prejean, 22, stepped into controversy by declaring her opposition to same-sex marriage while answering a judge's question at the Miss USA pageant. Prejean finished as first runner-up.

While state and national pageant officials publicly supported her initially, their opinions eventually changed after she continued to make public statements about same-sex marriage.

She held onto her crown through May, despite a series of questionable photos that emerged on gossip Web sites. Those images showed a topless Prejean, photographed from behind.

She was dethroned in June by Miss USA pageant owner Donald Trump amid growing complaints by state officials that she was uncooperative and not meeting her contractual obligations.

Prejean filed her lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court in August, claiming that her firing was religious discrimination because of her stand against same-sex marriage.

The pageant's countercomplaint said what it called Prejean's belligerent behavior, lack of cooperation and contract breaches caused her firing, not her opposition to same-sex marriage.

It's so hard to capture the very essence of what makes Goa irresistible, we all know the beaches, the fenny, the laid back lifestyle, but it's the romance, the charisma, the intoxicating feeling of this exotic locale that Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani tries to build into its story line. The Rajkumar Santoshi film, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif is all about fun, romance and feeling good- same things that Goa stands for.

So what's the couple doing in Goa? We heard that Ranbir plays the knight in shining armour as he heads down to Goa to save his lady love Katrina, in the film, who is being held captive there. In his true superman avatar (Prem from the film posters), Ranbir goes in for some must watch action moves and rescues the damsel in distress and rides away on, no not a stallion, but a Enfield Bullet.

This shot, as we are further told, is a prelude to the action and song sequences, while the rest of the film is shot in the quaint town of Ooty, the lovely songs in the film are shot in mystic Turkey. With a striking star cast and picturesque sites, it's definitely one film worth the watch.

So the boxoffice for “This Is It” is stupendous, but this time of year, it’s always fair to ask about a different kind of gold.

Since bowing Tuesday night, Kenny Ortega’s pic about the elaborate Michael Jackson concert rehearsals has been drawing highly favorable critical response in addition to a solid commercial reaction ($2.2m domestically on Tuesday). Critics have praised the pop icon’s dedication and artistry as well as the film’s stylishly executed musical numbers.

Those endorsements have encouraged Sony to consider an awards play, while a number of commentators have painted a what-if scenario on its chances for an Oscar best picture nomination.

The studio is submitting the film for Academy Awards consideration, as all studios do for pretty much any film that opens during the course of the year. While the best picture talk is quiet so far, the field’s expansion to 10 pics and the hybrid film’s clear eligibility in the category could land it in the mix with other dark-horse titles like “The Hangover” — especially if voters are swayed by its phenom status.

The movie’s tech aspects also could put in contention for several below-the-line categories, while some are not counting out Ortega himself on the director front given how his skills are visible more prominently than in most films as we see him choreograph the Jackson concerts.

“This Is It” is not, however, eligible to enter one of the most obvious fields: the Academy Award for best documentary. AMPAS rules state that a pic must conclude weeklong qualifying runs in both New York and Los Angeles before Aug. 31 of the year for which it seeks to be nominated.

The rule is designed to promote theatrical exposure of pics that normally might go quickly to television or DVD, which would present a particular irony, what with the Jackson pic poised to be one of the most successful nonfiction films in recent history.

Careful AMPAS wording is likely to thwart chances of the title track from “This Is It” competing for best original song, with rules stating that songs are “original and written specifically for the motion picture.” Even if Sony could bypass concerns about Paul Anka’s involvement on the song — the studio recently acknowledged the musician would be credited in liner notes for the soundtrack — it would be hard-pressed to argue that a song written for a concert whose rehearsals just happened to be filmed was in fact written “specifically” for a motion picture.

The Golden Globes chances for “This Is it” are dicier.

Sony is thought to be deterred from making a push, as consultants say a bid for the best comedy/musical category could run afoul of several Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. rules.

The group’s bylaws are written to preclude the nomination of docs; indeed, efforts to nominate pics from the likes of Michael Moore have in the past caused a rift in the group and resulted in such plans being shelved.

And the HFPA also has taken a restrictive definition of musicals, saying that the songs have to propel a story forward to qualify. It would take a bit of selective reasoning to argue that the songs in “This Is It” do that.

Most important, the HFPA generally wants to keep the field of films it screens at a manageable level given time constraints and the hew and cry that could come from competitors. “Almost every awards consultant I know who ever had a doc or concert movie and couldn’t get the HFPA to go along with it would scream bloody murder if they qualified this as a musical,” one consultant said.

The Globes board is scheduled to meet in mid-November for the final meeting in which it could conceivably revise the rules for this year.

Maybe the bigger factor is that when it comes to knowing the awards prospects for a concert-rehearsal pic, nobody knows anything. “It’s such an unusual movie, it’s hard to know what the hell awards groups are going to do,” said one industry veteran.

Jessica Biel has signed up for some hard-core premarital nookie.

The actress is attached to star in and produce rookie screenwriter Julia Brownell's original screenplay "F***ing Engaged," a raunchy comedy about a couple who make a pact to have sex every day leading to their wedding so they don't turn into their crusty old parents.

Glen Basner and Aaron Ryder of sales-rep company FilmNation Entertainment ("The Road") are financing and producing.

Brownell developed the script with producers Dan Halsted ("Garden State") and Cameron Bunce, who got Biel and her Iron Ocean Films producing partner Michelle Purple interested. Halsted, Bunce and Purple also will produce.

It is the first script sale for Brownell, who is repped by CAA and Manage-Ment. A playwright from the MFA theater program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, she has written "Smart Cookie" and "Fantasy Baseball" for the stage and made the short films "Pizza Boy" and "The Assistant." She also has performed in improv and sketch-comedy groups.

Biel, repped by CAA and Management 360, most recently starred in "Powder Blue," "Easy Virtue" and "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry." She next appears in "Nailed" and "Valentine's Day," hitting theaters in February.

Iron Ocean also is developing "The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" and "How to Cook Your Daughter."

It's a known fact that when it comes to Salman Khan, he is good when he wants to be good and comes across as plain lazy when he opts to do so. We saw his former self in Wanted where he ate up the screen with his performance. On the other hand, audiences had the misfortune of seeing his opposite persona in Main Aurr Mrs Khanna. So what kind of Salman did Vipul get in London Dreams? After all, for the filmmaker who has only worked with Akshay Kumar as the leading man in each of his films in the past, it was a matter of creating a tuning with someone who is known for his performance varying as per his liking of the project.

Well, if Vipul Shah is to be believed, Salman Khan wanted him to drive the entire show and followed his vision while coming up with his own interpretation, as required. Joginder Tuteja catches up with the man who is riding high on the success of four back to back hits - Aankhen, Waqt - Race Against Time, Namastey London, Singh Is Kinng - and is now opening a new chapter in his life with a dramatic romantic musical London Dreams with Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn and Asin.

Did you ever worry that from which side of the bed would Salman wake up on the first day of the shoot of London Dreams?
[Laughs] There wasn't anything like that. Once you sign an actor, you know what to expect and how to get that. Also, the fate of any film can be known in the first few hours of the first day of shooting itself. My experience tells me that. You get to know if an actor is trying to be dominating. Or if he doesn't quite turn out to be the person that you were expecting. You also start getting worried about the fact that whether your decision has backfired. Both an actor as well as the director may not be able to pinpoint the exact pain area but yes, the first few hours are very crucial in a relationship.

Given the fact that Salman is going all out for the promotion of London Dreams as well, just as was the case with Wanted, I guess it can be safely assumed that it was a good beginning after all for your relationship with him.
[Smiles] That's true, both of us cracked the essence, spirit and treatment of London Dreams in first 20 minutes itself. I remember the scene that was required to be shot. It featured Salman and Asin in front of a lit up Eiffel Tower. While I was reading the scene to him, he was quietly listening to me. Once I was through, he just said one thing to me which gave me quite a high. Something like this coming from a man who has been a leading man for 20 years now was wonderful.

And what exactly did he say?
He said - 'Vipul, I always believe that if the director can read the scene with absolutely correct pitch and intensity, the actor finds it good to go from there on. So this is the way we would go from here. You read every scene to me and tell me how you want it to be performed. I would then further interpret it and take it on from there.' He was all for the movie from there on.

How did the scene eventually go?
He did it in absolutely the same manner as I had envisaged and came up with a bang-on performance. From there on, we didn't have to discuss anything other than the scenes to follow. The entire shooting from there on went smoothly.

Vipul Shah How about Ajay? He is also quite intense once the camera starts rolling. Do we get to see trademark Ajay intensity?
That's right, you will actually get to see Ajay in the kind of performance for which he was roped in. I also have to highlight another facet of his acting. Since he is also a director, he is very clear about what a filmmaker would be expecting from him. Also, he is technically one of the strongest people I have come across. He knows everything about filmmaking and that reflects in his act. He is very knowledgeable and visualises everything about the scene before coming up with his take. Since I had such experienced men on board, I didn't have to do much explanation for him on a scene to scene basis.

You aren't coming alone though. There is Aladin along with you and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Jail, Aao Wish Karein, Tum Mile, Kurbaan and De Dana Dan following in weeks to come. Isn't that scary?
As I said earlier, it's an unfortunate clogging of films. I still wish to see a silver lining though. See, if there are back to back four-five good films then it only gives audiences some enthusiasm to see more films. They start feeling that since this week's movie was good, let me check out the release of next week. It makes him gain confidence about quality of cinema. However, the moment he catches a bad film, he starts wondering if shelling out money again would be a good idea. This is why I sincerely hope that all the newer movies are good films and they perform well. When Wanted, in spite of being in the running for so many weeks now, is still going strong despite competition, then why can't others too follow suit?

Noida, July 13 (IANS) For Bollywood's original 'dreamgirl' Hema Malini, beauty queen-turned-actress Aishwarya Rai is the only one who deserves the 'dreamgirl' tag among all the new age actresses.

'Whoever is on top is the dreamgirl. I feel it is Aishwarya Rai,' Hema told reporters on being asked who, according to her, deserves to be called the 'dreamgirl' nowadays.

Taking about the hardships an actress has to face, she said: 'An actress' life is the same - nothing has changed. It is what it was even 20 years back. They have to work very hard, make themselves look beautiful and need a lot of dedication to remain at the top,' said Hema, who was in this suburb of the national capital Monday to felicitate winners of supermarket Big Bazaar's 'Meet The Dreamgirl' contest.

Snubbing the whole idea of having a size zero figure, Hema said: 'There's no need (for a size zero figure). I was not a size zero. You must have a flat stomach - not a pot belly - and a nice and beautiful face - at least a tolerable face - and you can be an actress.'

Dressed in a pale yellow, elegant sari, the 60-year-old actress was at her forthright best when asked about her future projects.

'I've signed one or two (films) which are held up because of the financial problems in the whole world. Otherwise I would have finished those two and they would have released by now.'

'One is with Nana Patekar which Deepa Sahi is directing, and the other is with another producer. It is not right to expose everything about a film,' she said.

Another film that Hema is working on is 'Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi' - in which she will play a role based on the life of prominent political figure Vijayaraje Scindia.

Hema, who has delivered hits like 'Seeta Aur Geeta', 'Satte Pe Satta', and 'Sholay' in the past, is also toying with the idea of getting into production and returning to direction after almost 17 years.

'I'm planning to start production. I don't want to say much about it because every time I talk about these things, they never happen. It's my desire to make lovely films because I am an artist and a very creative person,' she said.

'But filmmaking is not a joke...so many things are involved,' she added.

The actress, who had her first stint with direction in 1992 with Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Dil Aashna Hai', says she would want to be a liberal producer and not want to impose her ideas on the youth.