Many moons ago the entrepreneur in Suniel Shetty had surfaced with spectacular success in the garment industry when he launched a series of boutiques across Mumbai called Mischief.

Now Suniel is getting back into the garment business in a big way. “This isn’t to say that I’m no longer into Mischief,” Suniel clears the air from the jungles of Lonavla where he’s playing a naxalite in Anant Mahadevan’s Red Alert.

“The Mischief chain is still doing well for itself. But now I’ve tied up to be part of an exclusive lineup of garments known called Creative Crossover. It’s a company from Vancouver in Canada. When I came across their garments I saw a great potential for them to grow in these parts.”

Suniel doesn’t intend to be a sleeping partner. “I can never be inactive in any business association. Though I’ve made it clear that I won’t be taking part in their day-to-day activities I’ll be taking keen interest in the workings of this enterprise. I believe the clothes lineup from this group is going to create a lot of interest in the Indian market.” Creative Crossover has just opened a showroom at the Phoenix Mills in Mumbai.

“See the showroom,” commands Suniel. “It’s an indication where we intend to take this brand.”

While its common knowledge in Bollywood to get inspired from the West and flatly deny it, director Nagesh Kukunoor believes otherwise. In his forthcoming film Aashayein starring John Abraham in the lead role, the director has decided to incorporate a scene in which John would be seen dressed as the legendary Hollywood character, Indiana Jones.

Apparently, both Nagesh and John are big fans of the Indiana Jones series and hence the director thought this would be like an apt tribute to the fictitious character. The fact that John could pull it off with his Greek God looks surely proved to be the icing on the cake.

With the latest Indiana Jones film set to hit the screens next week, we are pretty sure that Kukunoor and John would be among the first to catch the flick. After all, as the director says it’s only after watching Indiana Jones- Raiders of the Lost Ark did he decide to pursue filmmaking as a career.

 Mumbai, May 24: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan and director Priyadarshan have hit it off big time, be it cinema or cricket. “After working with him I understand why he is who he is.

“No one can match his energy, enthusiasm and passion for cinema. I’m already planning many more films with him,” Priyadarshan told reporters.

Also, ever since Shah Rukh’s Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders won a Kolkata match last month that was attended by Priyadarshan, people have started calling him the actor’s lucky mascot.

“Yes, they’re saying I’m lucky for Shah Rukh. Thank god. Yes, Shah Rukh has asked me to attend more of his matches. But I’ve been shooting ‘Billo Barber’ whereas he has completed his work and has made time for the IPL,” Priyadarshan told reporters.

Many people who attended the match were surprised to see Priyadarshan sitting quietly in the audience.

“Even I was surprised to see myself there, but I went for Shah Rukh’s sake. Fortunately, the Knight Riders won the match that day when I was there in Kolkata.

“Or people would’ve said I’m unlucky for Shah Rukh. Can’t afford that image while I’ve cast him in the most unusual role of his career, and that too after four failed attempts to work with him.”

Incidentally, Kolkata Night Riders are out of IPL matches.

Recalling his own passion for cricket, Priyadarshan said: “I was a mad obsessive cricket player as a student. Then during one local match I nearly lost my eye.”

Recalling the harrowing incident, he shudders, “I can never forget that day. The ball just slammed against my eye. I had a hairline fracture and I couldn’t see. I thought I had lost my eye. Fortunately, the eye is intact. But the nerves on the eyelid were enfeebled. So one eye is half-closed all the time.”

So has that mishap put him off cricket for keeps?

“No way! I love cricket. Thankfully, I didn’t make a career out of it. Otherwise today I’d have been working in a bank. The only reason why I don’t play is because I’m making films round the clock. There’s no time for anything else,” said the director whose recent hit was “Bhool Bhulaiyaa”.

Mumbai, May 24: After Big B, Aamir and SRK, it’s the industry’s tough guy Salman Khan who has hopped on to the much talked about Bollywood blog brigade.
The actor in his first ever blog entry talks about his latest calling as a host of a small screen show that promises big bucks, ” Dus Ka Dum”.

Interestingly, Sallu reveals that he was not so impressed by the idea of the small screen when the show was offered to him; in fact the actor had even rejected the proposal.

“Hosting Dus Ka Dum sounded so impractical that I first rejected it even without giving it much thought.”

However, it was the advice of brother Sohail Khan coupled with the opportunity to have a tête-à-tête with the common man that got the star to don the host hat.

So, we wonder after Big B making tacky comparisons with SRK over Panchvi Pass, will Sallu too try to ridicule his colleagues?

“My contemporaries are highly educated and accomplished people and are very articulate. I am a simpleton in comparison.”

Salman who is much comfortable with his on screen and off screen image believes that his fans know him best and love him the way he is.

“I know masses love me for what I am and I need not project an image for establishing any rapport with them.”

But it’s not only the show that got Salman blogging, the actor who has often been misquoted and misunderstood has decided to use the tool for defending his otherwise blown out of context statements.

“Some people think that I am too moody and cynical… Believe me, I have been guided by my instincts and my heart all my life! I do not depend too much on intelligence, analysis and calculations.”

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Mumbai, May 24: Item numbers are in vogue but Yash Raj Films` blue-eyed director Kunal Kohli doesn`t approve of them and says using the term `item` for an actress is derogatory.

I don`t believe in item numbers. Neither do I believe in item girls. How can you call a girl `item`? It sounds so cheap. It is humiliating,` said Kohli.

`I am not against the performance, but the term used for it. Let people use the term, but I will never call any song in my film an item number,` he added.

After carving a niche for himself with his previous films `Hum Tum` and `Fanaa`, the director returns to the marquee with `Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic`.

Starring Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji, the film`s story revolves around four orphaned children and has elements of magic, love and fun, but no item songs.

Although Kohli has roped in Amisha Patel for a song, he says it is not an item number.

`My film doesn`t have item numbers. It has special performance by Amisha Patel, but she is not just doing a song, she also has a very important role in the film.`

New York, May 24: Actress Lindsay Lohan’s dad Michael Lohan has filed legal papers to reopen his divorce with ex-wife Dina Lohan.

Michael has claimed that his ex wife was reneging on the divorce deal to let him meet his two minor kids Ali, 14 and Cody, 11.

“I gave her the house, the furniture, the dogs, the bank accounts, the USD 200,000 she owed me, just to see my kids,” the New York Daily News quoted him as saying.

“She doesn’t bring them to see me. I haven’t seen my kids in two months. She brought them to Vegas for her reality show, then to California. Before that, she missed 15 out of 29 appointments. She breached the contract.

London, May 24: She will be turning 50 soon, but that is not making Madonna feel `low`, for the stunner has said that she will be marking her half-century this August - by saying: “F*** you, I`m 50.”

The Material Girl star insisted she “felt good” at her age.

“I`m not thinking about my birthday, I`m thinking about what I will eat for dinner tonight,” The Sun quoted her, as saying.

Recently, during the press conference about her new documentary `I Am Because We Are` - which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21, the `Material Girl` poured her heart out about her “painful” struggle to adopt Malawian child David Banda - comparing it with the suffering women go through in natural childbirth.

The 49-year-old pop superstar talked openly about her and husband Guy Ritchie`s controversial battle to adopt the two-year-old at the press conference

Mumbai, May 24: Producer-director-actor Rajat Kapoor has hit the gym with a vengeance to tone up his body for a towel-dropping scene in ‘Raat Gayi Baat Gayi’.

The scene will also have glamorous Neha Dhupia, and Rajat wants to look equally attractive.

‘Well, even I am conscious about my looks. Jokes apart, I want to look as lean as possible. I am in the same frame as Neha Dhupia,’ he said.

Apart from taking up a special diet and physical training, Rajat, who was seen in films like ‘Monsoon Wedding’ and ‘Bheja Fry’, has also been practising dropping the towel with flair.

‘The truth is that I have never gone to gym in my life, but for the first time I am going through such a tough workout session,’ he added.

As the title suggests, ‘Raat Gayi Baat Gayi’ is a humorous take on one-night stands. The comedy revolves around a married couple, their friends and one night of passion that turns their lives topsy-turvy.

The film also has Vinay Pathak in the pivotal role.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali picturised something similar on Ranbir Kapoor in ‘Saawariya’, but it was edited out from the film.

New Delhi, May 24: After winning the hearts of the likes of Brett Lee and Shaun Marsh off the cricket field, the zingy Zinta babe is at it again! The actress-turned-businesswoman is yet again trying her hands at something new, this time it being posing for the cover of the fashion magazine Vogue.

The pretty lass- no surprise here- has been caught candid on camera holding a cricket bat.

Don?t we already know of Preity?s cricket connection? Yeah we do, but guess the pretty woman doesn?t want to leave a single stone unturned to profess her love for the gentlemen?s game.

According to reports, the magazine in question wanted to cash upon the new sporty wave that Preity has touched on. Looking at the shots it seems that the actress just loved every minute of the photo-op she got, so do we call it business, pleasure or both?

You see him in the stands for every match of the Kolkata Knight Riders .
Arjun Rampal, dressed in the team’s black and gold jersey, cheering for his good friend Shah Rukh’s team, with his other buddies Karan Johar, Farah Khan and Sajid Khan. For Arjun, the reasons are simple: one, SRK is a good friend and second, “I see where Shah Rukh has taken the IPL — his contribution has been great and we must support him.”

Arjun has been a cricketer since school. What then is his view that T20 is ‘not quite cricket?’ “It’s a sport,” he says,
“The change in the format is what’s making it exciting. And a lot more people are watching cricket because of this. Women, normally not cricket viewers, are now fascinated by it.” Arjun’s wife, former supermodel Mehr Jesia is one. “My wife couldn’t stand me watching cricket earlier. Today, she not only watches but calculates run rates and knows the rules,” he says.

Arjun has made many new cricketer friends. “They’re all great guys,” he says, “It’s great to see our Indian cricketers learning and interacting with international cricketers. Ishant is a really nice guy, Dada (Sourav) is great for the team: he looks after the youngsters, so does coach John Buchanan. The team was different with Ricky Ponting, Brendan McCallum and Chris Gayle there, it’s pity they had to leave. And Shoaib’s a huge influence — he’s quite a character, enjoys his game and has great energy.”

Wasn’t he worried about rooting for the Knight Riders over the Mumbai Indians with the recent controversy? “It’s not that I dislike the Mumbai Indians. I like Delhi too — I’m from there, after all. But it’s the Indian Premier League and we’re Indians first. See the EPL — you can support Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool and still be British. Next year, if players are traded, Sachin might play for Kolkata or Sourav for Mumbai! Soon the club culture that exists abroad will also catch on here.”

As for why SRK is such a popular team owner, the reason’s simple, says Arjun: “He’s a team player, whether in films, shows or cricket. He’s patient and caring. He looks at this as a sport — some days you win, others you lose. His leadership is great. Take Shah Rukh out of the IPL and it’ll be a great loss for them.”

The elusive and enigmatic Tabu is living life queen-size in Hyderabad.
Far from the Bollywood bustle, the choosy actress has been turning down offers from topnotch banners, opposite the likes of Amitabh Bachchan and Rahul Bose.
Tabu refused Shoojit Sircar’s Shoebite and Sanjay Chhel’s Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam. But it doesn’t mean that she is saying no to every offer that comes her way.

Tabu will soon be seen in a comedy film, Seasons Greetings. It’s a segmented multi-story film. Although Seasons Greetings is light and frothy it also takes a deep look at the nature of suburban relationships. The film will be directed by Fight Club director Vicky Chopra.
According to those close to Tabu, she is now deliberately seeking roles that bring out the lighter side of her personality. “Enough of those rona dhona and stern roles for Tabu. She now wants to have fun,” says a source.
 

Alanis Morissette attacks ex-boyfriend Ryan Reynolds on her new album. The Canadian singer has revealed various tracks on her upcoming LP Flavors of Entanglement were inspired by her then-disintegrating relationship with the Smokin’ Aces actor. She said, “This album was like a life raft. I wanted my own personal story to unfold as it was happening.” One lyric from track Straightjacket is, “I don’t know who you are, talking to me with such f***ing disrespect.” While lines from Underneath include, “Look at us break our bonds in this kitchen/ Look at us rallying our defences/ Look at us waging war in our bedroom.” Alanis and Ryan dated between 2004 and 2007, and were engaged. Ryan is now set to marry The Other Boleyn Girl actress Scarlett Johansson. Although she is still hurt by the split, the Ironic singer believes the experience has made her a better artist.

Eva Mendes rehab time in January was to prepare for a new movie, in which she plays a Spanish drug lord. The 30-year-old actress entered Utah’s Cirque Lodge to “proactively” attend “to some personal issues”, her representative explained at the time. The move shocked Hollywood, until Mendes landed a role alongside Josh Hartnett and Sir Ben Kingsley in Queen of the South, which follows her character Teresa Mendoza, who flees Mexico for Spain when her drug-runner boyfriend is murdered. Gossips are speculating she may have been researching the role in rehab - a theory backed by leading acting coach John Kirby. He tells Star magazine, “It’s not unusual at all for an actor or actress to go to the extreme of checking into rehab to prepare for a character. “In fact, I would encourage that for my students, because you want to fully immerse yourself in the role”.

Rihanna likes to wear her sexy stage outfits in the bedroom.

The Umbrella singer, who is rumoured to be dating R‘n’B star Chris Brown, admits she enjoys spicing up her sex life by wearing her often revealing and provocative costumes at home.

She said, “It depends on the mood and the occasion.

It’s always fun to take some home.” The singer also revealed she is a big fan of British music, and particularly loves Mark Ronson, Duffy and Estelle.

“I think the UK is taking over. I would love to work with Mark Ronson.

And I like Duffy. She has an incredible voice. But Duffy has more of an edge,” she is reported to have said.

Ben Affleck’s new movie features several of his friends and acquaintances from his hometown.

The actor is directing Gone Baby Gone, which is set in his hometown of Boston and his brother Casey, who has the lead role in the movie, revealed many of their friends feature in the movie.

Casey said, “There are many friends sprinkled through the movie, people with one line here and there. Some of the scenes literally have people who were standing around on that day.

That is a dangerous game to play, but Ben rolled the dice and I think it paid off.” Ben was excited to bring across an ‘authentic’ portrayal of Boston. He added, “I was really excited.

For a long time I had this idea. I wanted to do something more honest and consistent with a realistic view of the city.”