After the grandeur success of romantic comedy Partner Salman Khan seemed to have hiked his demand. It is heard that he is charging pretty good amount for his work. Recently it was heard that Salman hiked his bill for the upcoming movie Veer.

According to sources he is charging high for Veer not just for his popularity but the very special reason being the story of the film is penned by him. With this he graduates from an actor to writer. Who knows he might step his foot into direction also someday? But as of now he has roped in Apne fame Anil Sharma to direct the film. Both the actor and director had a long time wish to work with each other. And Veer seems to accomplish their wish.

It is also heard that Sallu is taking keen interest at every step on the way. He has been speaking with everyone from set design to clothes to action. He has begun his own practice and work out regime to get even fitter for the role. Many British actors have been finalized. Though all the details are being carefully worked out but the makers and especially Sallu is yet to finalize the leading lady for the film. Many top actresses have shown their keen interest to be part of this project.

According to the recent grapevine Katrina is trying hard to push her sibling sister Isabel to play the role. Since Isabel is keen to act in movies and also Sallu is on a look out for a fresh face for the movie. But nothing seems to be confirmed as yet.

Producer Vijay Galani’s Veer is a period film and it is likely to hit the floors in the first week of coming August.

The much talked about Bachchan versus Kapoor clash may not happen after all! Obviously we are talking about Independence Day and the simultaneous release of Abhishek Bachchan’s Goldie Behl directed Drona and Yash Raj’s Siddharth Anand directed Ranbir Kapoor starrer, Bachna Ae Haseeno. Thankfully, better sense seems to have prevailed and Drona has decided to pull out of the race

As per our trade and distribution sources, the makers of the Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra and Kay Kay Menon starrer, Drona, have decided to move ahead by a week and so the high budget SFX extravaganza will now hit the screens on 22nd August 2008, along with Sanjay Dutt’s Kidnap. No reason has been given for the same, but it now leaves an open field for the Ranbir-Deepika starrer, Bachna Ae Haseeno, on August 15.

Before we leave, the usual disclaimer- Release dates can change even at the eleventh hour!

Sameera Reddy is all set to prove herself as a versatile actress after recent glamorous roles in Race and One Two Three. She is again returning to the serious image with Star Entertainments Red Alert the War Within. Her first brush with alternate cinema was Kaalpurush with renowned Bengali film director Buddhadeb Dasgupta.

Q. What is Red Alert all about?
A. It’s a very serious film which talks about the Naxalite problem. We don’t try to blame either the government or the militants. Rather, we hope to find a solution to this major internal security issue.

Q. Were you aware of this problem before hand?
A. No, we people living in metros have no idea about the seriousness of this issue. Even I was equally clueless about this matter. We would read in the papers that there is some violence, but never really bothered to find out more. Red Alert wants the whole country to get up and face this growing menace.

Q. Something about your character…
A. I play Laxmi, a young girl, who goes to the police station and there the cops, instead of helping her, rape her. This trauma completely shatters her faith in the system. We aim to show that people who take up arms against the state sometime have no other option. They are in such a state of mind that when anybody gives them a gun and says kill, they just do it. But later on my character does realize the wrongness of her ways, but by then it’s too late.

Q. Does this mean you are just justifying violence?
A. No amount of provocation can just be violence. It’s just that we need to understand why they are doing it.

Q. You seem to be happy doing serious cinema.
A. Yes, Buddha Babu has opened a brand new door for me. Even in this movie, I will be totally glamorous, dressed like a man. This hard hitting film does not warrant any other element. The best part of the new actress in me is that I tried to think a lot as my dumb character in Race as well. Most other actresses would not have done that.

Q. What would the USP of Red Alert be?
A. We not only have well written characters but equally good actors like Suneil Shetty, Nassurdin Shah and Vinod Khanna. Many times a good film fails due to absence of good actors to enact them.

Q. But you will continue to do glam roles?
A. Yes, why not!

Q. But which do you prefer?
A. Does a mother distinguish between her 2 children?

Q. Which yesteryear actress do you take inspiration from?
A. I really look up to Smita Patil. She never did much glamorous roles but yet I saw the oomph element in her. Even Sridevi played both serious and commercial roles quite well.

Q. After Kalpurush, what is next in regional cinema?
A. Yes, this national award winning film has finally released. Now I am doing one more Bong film titled Voyeur. It shows how much the camera has invaded our lives, not only of the celebs but targeting lay people as well. We need to work out a line between public and private life. I am also doing a Tamil film. My next Hindi project would be an animation film Mahayodha Ram. But among all these, Red Alert will be the first to be released.

The last time that Salman Khan and producer Boney Kapoor joined hands, the result was in the form of No Entry, the biggest hit of 2005. And that after the disadvantage of prints’ delivery problem, resulting in the loss of a day’s revenue at many centres!

So, it is but natural that the trade and the industry is very excited and upbeat about their next project together, the remake of the South blockbuster, Pokkiri, with a working title, Wanted Dead And Alive. One may ask - Why such a strange working title? Well, there is a very valid reason for the seemingly odd title.

However, before we answer the question, let us clarify that it is Wanted Dead And Alive and not Wanted Dead And Alive, as many have been confusing! Coming back to the reason for the strange working title for the Pokkiri remake, in the film, Salman Khan is wanted dead by a group of people. However, the same Salman is also wanted alive by another group of people in the movie. Revealing who wants him dead (also who wants him alive!) and why would not be fair to the action thriller. A better idea would be to catch the movie, when it releases on the 2nd of October.

Its time for some action and stunts in Pari hoon Main!! In the film which is being shot on the show, the sequence that is being performed is the one where fire has broken out in the heroine’s house and she is trying to stop it. Nikki who plays the heroine in the film gets carried away in the sequence as it reminds her of the actual fire that had broken in her workshop in the past. She gets caught in the fire and Karan goes to help her. He rescues her from the fire.

This has been quite a daring act for the protagonist Rashami Desai who ended up hurting herself during the act. In spite of taking all the necessary precautions as advised by the stunt coordinators, she injured herself within the billowing flames and is diagnosed to be having a hairline fracture in her arm. She has been witnessed attending the shoot thereafter with a bandaged arm. After all, Karan Mehra’s salvaging act only became more realistic after this unfortunate incident alarmed the production people.

Don’t miss this spectacular episode on Thursday, May 22nd, 9pm only on Star One!!

Monalaizza is yet another gorgeous actress imported hot from Pakistan all the way to make the land of Bollywood little more sizzling with increasing mercury of gaudy screens. Known to be Smriti Irani of Pakistani television, the lass has really created a khalbali amongst Bollywood producers with her fresh bud image.

The actress, a beautiful gift to the tinsel town, is thought to be a search by music mogul Bhushan Kumar. Director Pooja Bhatt seems to be very excited with her debut movie Kajraare where Monalaizza is starring opposite Himesh Reshammiya. Monalaizza would be seen portraying the character of a nymphet in distress. “The character is just fabulous and I am very lucky to be making a debut in Bollywood with Kajraare. The emotions which my character has to essay are immense,” speaks elated Monaliazza.

Kajraare is also going to be the first film as a director for Pooja Bhatt outside her own production house.

Bhushan Kumar has been so impressed with Monalaizza that he has already signed a combo pack contract of three films with her. Seemingly, Monalaizza will soon be the darling Mona of Bollywood but who, amongst producers, will play the role of Loin is all that matters. 

Bipasha Basu has been named the sexiest Asian woman in the world for year 2007.

Bollywood Star Priyanka Chopra launced Spice Telecom’s new service, Spice Local Lingo, at an event held in Bangalore. The new service will allowsusers to send SMS in 12 Indian languages. The service offers the following languages: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marati, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. While in Mumbai, Spice Telecom (Punjab) launched “Spice TV”, which will give Spice subscribers in Punjab an opportunity to watch live Cricket on their mobiles.

After starting off with a bang, Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders has turned into a nightmare for the superstar. Last night’s defeat on their home ground seems to have laid to rest any doubts about Kolkata Knight Rider’s exit from the race for the DLF IPL trophy. It is now becoming clear that the real reason for the team’s losing streak is the differences between the Bengal Tiger Sourav Ganguly, the Kolkata Knight Riders’ skipper and Shah Rukh Khan, arguably Bollywood’s biggest star and the owner of Kolkata Knight Riders. The duo have differences over various aspects of the game including team selection, team combination and player selection. Shah Rukh Khan has also been trying to have a say in whether his team should bat or bowl first.

Reports indicate that the differences sprung in the initial stages itself. While Sourav wanted more batsmen to strengthen the team’s batting line-up, Shah Rukh Khan was keen on more bowlers. Both had differences of opinion about which players to acquire for the team. Shah Rukh Khan and the team coach John Buchanan have been overruling Sourav Ganguly’s judgement in several areas. Ganguly wanted Adam Gilchrist to be part of his team as wicket-keeper and opening batsman while coach John Buchanan talked Shah Rukh Khan into bidding for Brendon McCullum instead. This made a big difference as McCullum had to return on national duty after the initial matches. His departure has further weakened the already weak batting line up.

Not being able to acquire as many batsmen as he would have liked to has made it difficult for Sourav Ganguly. Speaking about the team losing to Rajasthan has admitted that his team’s batting was unimpressive. He said his bowlers have had to deal with smaller totals of their own team all through this tournament.

Shah Rukh Khan has been grappling with the entertainment tax in Kolkata. The local Bengal government levies this tax which has been exempt in all other states. The actor wanted Sourav Ganguly to speak to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and get the tax waived. Ganguly is known to be close to Buddhadeb Bhattacharya but has refused to intervene.

Shoaib Akhtar has been another point of disagreement for Shah Rukh Khan, Ganguly and Buchanan. While Buchanan was insistent that Shoaib Akhtar has yet to regain his form and should be kept out, Sourav Ganguly wanted Shoaib to play in the Rajasthan game. The coach prevailed and Shoaib AKhtar spent the evening in the dugout, biting his nails, watching his team go down.

Shah Rukh Khan is very keen that Kolkata Knight Riders should bounce back and is said to be very unhappy with the current state. The drubbing which his team got in the match against Mumbai Indians, when they were all bowled out for 67 has specially annoyed him. Shah Rukh Khan has indicated that the coach will have greater powers from the next season to decide the team strategy as he is clearly more experienced than the players and can increase the team’s chances of winning.

Shah Rukh Khan has attended all the matches played by Kolkata Knight Riders on their home ground barring yesterday’s match giving further rise to the speculation that he has fallen out with Ganguly.

After making waves with music of ‘Dil Dosti Etc’, the Dino Morea-Sheetal Menon-Milind Soman starrer ‘Bhram’, and signing up for the Kay Kay Menon starrer ‘Stoneman’, music directors Siddhartth Suhas made the great Indian wrestling champion Khali sing and dance to their tunes!Khali sang a song for the duo and danced as well for their music video for a film titled ‘Rama The Saviour’, directed by Hadi Ali Abrar and produced by Abdul Aziz Baroodgar and starring Tanushree Dutta and Sahil Khan.

Siddhartth Suhas, who have given the music for the film made Khali sing a few pieces for their song “We Don’t Need” and also Khali grooved and rocked in the music video for the same song.

Well, looks like we have a new singing and dancing talent in our midst!

It seems that the troubled times for the premier production house Yash Raj Films are continuing! After the recent failure of their mult-starrer ‘Tashan’, the Bombay High Court has restrained Yash Raj Films from creating third-party rights in its forthcoming Kunal Kohli directed film, ‘Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic’.It specially restrained YRF from “directly and indirectly giving any permission or licence for use, display or access to the content or publicity material in respect of all its movies , present and future , and in particular the movie ‘Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic’.”

The high court order was in response to a suit filed by Rajan Patel’s Onyx music portal, with which Yash Raj Films had earlier terminated a contract.

Mumbai, May 19: A gym owner here has filed a defamation case against model and former Miss World Natasha Suri in connection with a copyright dispute over her photographs, which he had clicked at his own expense and compensated her for it by paying money.

Suri, who won the Femina Miss India-World 2006, had sent a legal notice to Nitin Gupta, owner of SYKZ Gym, and Haider Khan, a private fashion photographer, alleging they had misused her photographs in a hoarding that was used to promote weight loss programme of the gym.

She had alleged that the words accompanying the ad, “May every loser Win”, depicted her in bad light and portrayed her as a loser. Natasha had objected to the advertisement put up by the gym at prominent locations here and claimed Rs one crore as damages and professional fees.

However, Gupta and Khan`s advocate, Rizwan Siddiquee, in a reply to the notice, said, “Nitin Gupta legally holds perpetual and complete rights over Natasha Suri`s photographs that were taken entirely at his cost and expenses to promote the services offered by his organisation.”

Section 17 of Indian Copyright Act 1957 further confirms the rights of my client, he said.

Section 17 says that in case of a photograph taken, or a painting or portrait drawn, or an engraving or a cinematograph film made, for valuable consideration at the instance of any person, such person shall, in the absence of any agreement to the contrary, be the first owner of the copyright.

Bureau Report

Mumbai, May 21: Aamir Khan known for his penchant for making meaningful cinema released the music of his forthcoming production ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’ along with legendary actor Shammi Kapoor on Tuesday, May 20 in Mumbai.

Contrary to Bollywood extravaganza and showbiz, the music was released in a very subtle manner at Kapoor’s residence.

India’s ace music director A R Rahman has directed the music of the latest flick

Mumbai, May 21: After flaunting his long silky hair in Dard-e-Disco to sporting a pony tail for Krazzy 4, Shah Rukh is back to basics. This time round he has chosen for himself the in-thing - a trendy spike cut.

Going by the looks, it seems out to have worked out fine as King Khan has never looked sexier and the new look is for sure going well with his ultra stylish image.

The first movie in which SRK is going to appear with his spiky hair cut would be Aditya Chopra’s next flick Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

But it’s not just us who felt that SRK is looking at his best. His hair stylist Dilshad also seems happy with his work. Speaking to a newspaper, Dilshad said, “When I started out I had a different look for him in my mind but when I finished I felt amazed and as he looked stunning and trendy.”

All those od you who thought that Aamir is the only actor who loves to experiment with his look would now have one more Khan to watch out for!

And for Shahrukh, he certainly knows how to go that extra mile for friends. His ‘six packs’ super makeover for good friend Farah’s Om Shanti Om and now a new look for Aditya - King Khan and his friends…the story goes on.

Washington, May 21: Britney Spears has become a full-time priority for her dad Jamie Spears, for he has now quit his catering job and is devoting all his time to look after his daughter’s affairs, court papers have revealed.

Thus, Spears senior was handed over a sum of 10,000 dollars as back pay for covering up the month of his co-conservatorship of her estate, which started on Feb 1.

He even started getting a 2,500-dollar weekly salary beginning in March.

“The responsibilities he has assumed as conservator … have required [his] full-time attention,” a magazine quoted the request for “replacement compensation,” as saying.

It further read: “As a result, he has been unable to continue to his prior employment and he has lost his source of income which he needs to pay his living expenses.”

Ever since her father has become the co-conservator of the 26-year-old popstar’s estate, she has been granted expanded visitation with her two sons, who live with her ex-husband Kevin Federline.

Bureau Report