From Shah Rukh to King Khan

BollywoodHungamaNewsNetwork
Posted: Apr 14, 2009

This one is a voluminous book. A real voluminous one at that. If Shah Rukh Khan has been known for his non-stop talk then writer Mushtaq Sheikh too doesn't appear far behind when it comes to translating his thoughts into words. He writes, and writes and then further writes about Shah Rukh, something that makes one feel that more than a friend and a colleague, Mushtaq looks at Shah Rukh as a hero. Someone who is not just his hero but also an entire country's - correction, entire world's hero! It is this very 'fan factor' that makes 'Shah Rukh Can' a read that seems to be coming straight from an admirer's heart.

KEEP READING>>>>>

Source: http://www.screenindia.com

Drew Barrymore finds designer in her dog

Agencies
Posted: Apr 14, 2009

While other Hollywood celebrities splurge huge amounts for perfect pair of denims, actress Drew Barrymore saves money by letting her dog customise her jeans. The 34-old-year-old actress encourages her Labrador-Chow mix pet 'Flossie' to rip up her new pairs of denim trousers to give them a fashionably distressed appearance, ‘Femalefirst’ online reported 

"She lets Flossie chew on them and rip them up a bit and then she throws them in the washing machine. She thinks the look perfect! Not too calculated," a source said. 

The 'Charlie's Angels' star regularly speaks about her beloved pet dog and the special bond they share. "Flossie is like my little daughter. I can't wait to have kids," Drew said. 

Barrymore, who is said to have rekindled her romance with actor Justin Long, was saved by Flossie when a fire broke out in the USD 3 million mansion she shared with then-husband Tom Green in 2001. 

The actress claimed that she was woken in the wee hours when Flossie barked after smelling smoke and "literally banged on the bedroom door" to alert the couple of the fire.

Source: http://www.screenindia.com

DiCaprio to Efron: Don't do heroin

ANI
Posted: Apr 14, 2009

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has warned Zac Efron against the use of drugs if he wants a long lasting career in Hollywood. The ‘Titanic’ star met Efron at a Lakers game and advised him to avoid heroine. In an interview to ‘GQ’ magazine, the ‘High School Musical’ star revealed the advice. 

"He said, ''There's one way that you can really f--- this all up. Just do heroin.’ If you steer clear of that – the other obstacles you'll be able to navigate.'' And that makes sense, dude," ‘People’ magazine quoted Efron as saying. 

Although the 21-year-old heartthrob doesn't do heroin but says he does enjoy a few drinks with friends –only privately and "behind closed doors." 

"I wasn't programmed by Disney," he said of his decision to keep his private life out of the public eye. 

"It's common sense. If you're gonna be drunk with your friends, don't get wasted at the Chateau Marmont,” he added.

Source: http://www.screenindia.com

Stars on New Year

By Afruna Rahman Urmika

Dhaka, Tuesday, April 14, 2009

As we look forward to Pahela Baishakh, it is an opportune moment to check out what our celebrities have lined up to celebrate this joyous day: 

Fahmida Nabi
Fahmida has a busy schedule on Pahela Baishakh. To start with, she has to attend several Baishakhi programmes. Her new album "Shopnogolpo" too is set to be released that day. Fahmida will be featured on "Ekushey Shondhya" on ETV on April 14. In a departure from the usual red and white attire, she plans to don red and green. Fahmida is not too fond of 'panta,' but she goes for 'taki machh bhorta,' onion with red chili 'bhorta' and hilsha with coconut 'bhorta.' She advises people to stock lemon juice to beat the heat on this festive occasion.

Sharmin Lucky
Sharmin goes for 'jeera-pani' and green mango juice. On Pahela Baishakh she plans to make green mango juice and is confident that her guests will enjoy it. She plans to cook a spread of hilsha, prawn, 'bhorta' with plain rice and 'doi' (curd) as dessert. Sharmin will lay out clay plates with wooden spoons. She will don a deep red and white dress from Reeva's in the morning. She is also planning to wear a saree designed by Shahrukh in the day and an off-white saree with a red border in the latter part of the day. Her suggestion to beat the escalated demand for flowers on the festive occasion is that women should buy 'beli' flowers two days in advance and store them in the fridge. 

Mili
“Pori” of “Monpura” is not really ecstatic about the festival. Instead she plans a quiet day with her family at their new home in Pallabi. With her scheme of things is lending a helping hand to her mother when she is cooking. She looks forward to a delectable meal of 'hilsha, 'shutki' and 'panta.’

Nirob
Nirob has no special plans for the day. He will be busy shooting for a film at FDC.

Mim 
With upcoming HSC exams, Mim could not plan for Pahela Baishakh. She says that she used to get together and have fun with her friends, while her mother cooked 'panta' with hilsha.

Bindu
Bindu has shooting in the morning on Pahela Baishakh. She will leave for USA a day after Pahela Baishakh to attend a show. So Pahela Baishakh will be a low-key affair for her this year.

Asif Azim
Model Asif Azim will celebrate the first day of Baishakh with friends -- complete with music and great food. He will don a white punjabi with motifs representing Baishakh and our culture. The plan is to go to Dubai for a show on April 17.

Prova
Prova will avoid the jam-packed Charukala and Ramna. She looks forward to the Baishakhi celebration at Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology (Prova studies there). She has designed her own saree as well as clothes for her cousins. But she plans to design on a larger scale once she has more breathing space. She will also get to see a TV play, directed by Chayanika, featuring her, which will be aired on ETV on the day. 

The writer is a freelance contributor

Source: http://www.thedailystar.net

Aamir offered to get toilets cleaned for industry's sake

BollywoodHungamaNewsNetwork

Posted: Apr 14, 2009

In demonstration of solidarity for the producers who are united in their battle with the multiplexes, Aamir Khan has now gone a step ahead. He has even offered to clean toilets in single screen theaters and make them hygienic enough for audiences to come in. This drastic step comes in the light of current situation in the industry where producers may well abandon multiplexes and release their films only in single screen properties if the stand off with multiplexes persists. 

"I was literally shocked when I heard that. For someone like Aamir Khan to make a statement like this is a big enough message for all of us out here", says Vashu Bhagnani with whom Aamir shared this idea of his. 

Aamir made this statement in light of Vashu's production Kal Kissne Dekha which has been postponed due to the ongoing tussle with the multiplexes. A launch pad of Jackky Bhagnani and Vaishali Desai, this was the only film that was all set to be released and it's promotion too had kick started before the strike was announced. 

"I had met Aamir Khan 10-12 years back and wasn't sure if he would really recognize me. I knew he would know me by my name but was doubtful if he would associate it with a face. This is why he coming to me and saying that he was behind my film is a huge thing for me", says Vashu who is sticking along with producers' decision of not releasing his film till there is clarity on the 50:50 revenue sharing issue. 

"Both Aamir Khan as well as Shah Rukh Khan have been pillars of support for my film", says an emotionally charged Vashu, "While Aamir said that for industry's sake, he would even be willing to clean toilets so that audiences could feel better about watching a film in the single screens, Shah Rukh said that he will publicly ask audience to show support for my film." 

Another producer who was with Shah Rukh, Aamir and Vashu when this conversation was in progress too nodded in agreement. "Aamir as well as Shah Rukh are very emotionally charged about this entire situation. They understand that so many of us out here have put crores on the backburner for the sake of the industry." 

"In reciprocation, they too are going all out in the middle of their hectic schedules and showing such great solidarity. Both of them are sure that if multiplexes do not relent, they will march towards single screen theaters and invite public to watch films there. No one is expected to hold on for long and if need arises, films would soon start releasing only in single screens," he concludes.

Source: http://www.screenindia.com

Hollywood celebrities feel the recession heat

Agencies
Posted: Apr 14, 2009 

While the recession has left the common man across the world with a pinched pocket, Hollywood celebrities, who are known for their extravagant lifestyle, are also adopting to cost cutting measures. 

Celebrities like actor Nicolas Cage, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone and many others have lost money due to the recession. Actor Nicolas Cage has sold his Bavarian castle Scholoss Neidstein to his lawyer for 100,000 pounds. Cage had bought the 28-room castle in 2006 for 1.6 million and had spent millions on renovation, the ‘Daily Mail’ reported. 

"Due to the difficult economic situation, unfortunately, I was no longer able to keep it," he said. The price of his mansion in Bel Air, which is on the market for a while, has also been reduced. The price which started at 23 million is now available for a moderate 12 million pounds. 

Similarly, 'Basic Instinct' star Sharon Stone put her five-bedroom, Mediterranean-style property in Beverly Hills on the market for USD 7.5 million. But due to the worsening market conditions, the star has been unable to sell despite reducing it to USD 6.8 million. It has now been rented out for 24,000 pounds a month. 

The 'Titanic' star Leonardo DiCaprio is also facing a similar fate with his Malibu home, which he bought for 4.3 million pounds two years ago. The actor had put it back on the market for 6 million but had to reduce the price to 5.3 million pounds. But no one has shown any interest in buying it.

Source: http://news.google.com

Aamir - SRK solidarity: This was no tamasha!

BollywoodHungamaNewsNetwork
Posted: Apr 14, 2009

I am shocked at the kind of stories a section of the film media cooks up to attract eyeballs, at times. Everyone knows that Aamir and Shah Rukh lent their complete and absolute support to the producers/distributors on the multiplex issue. But a section of the media has been discussing: [i] Who delivered a 'better speech', [ii] Who 'looked better', while a few others decided to call it a ‘publicity stunt' [!!!]. It's disgusting! 

Aamir and SRK have never stooped so low ever, even when they needed hits to cement their status as superstars. One can vouch for Aamir, SRK, even Hrithik, Saif and Shahid; they'd never pull a stunt to stay in limelight or plug their new release. You can accuse a few top actors of doing so, not them. Also, why are we forgetting that both Aamir and SRK are producers as well and this solidarity was a step in the right direction? 

A section of the media loves to hallucinate at times. Had Aamir and SRK stayed away from this issue, the same media would've flogged them for not siding with their brethren. Now that they've rightfully stood by the producers/distributors, it's being described as a 'publicity stunt'. 

A few people also feel that the actors haven't buried their differences, despite the show of solidarity last week. Chalo, maan lo, even if they do have differences over certain issues, when did they ever proclaim that they would swear by each other henceforth? The fact is, they came together for a cause and we should genuinely appreciate the effort. 

It's about time the media gets its act right!

Source: http://www.screenindia.com

Leo DiCaprio's career advice to Zac Efron: Don't do heroin

By latimes blogs

April 14, 2009

Leonardo DiCaprio gave Zac Efron some very good career advice. 

"He said, 'There's one way that you can really f--- this all up. Just do heroin,' " Efron, 21, tells GQ in the May issue on newsstands April 21, recalling his conversation with the actor at a Lakers basketball game.'If you steer clear of that – the other obstacles you'll be able to navigate.The "17 Again" star says doesn't do drugs but admits he does drink "behind closed doors."
"I wasn't programmed by Disney," he tells GQ. "It's common sense. If you're gonna be drunk with your friends, don't get wasted at the Chateau Marmont and hook up with some famous chick. 

He adds: "It's not rocket science."

Maybe Zac should explain all this to Lindsay Lohan. She just can't seem to figure it out.

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com

Michael Jackson Auction

By Shaan Kokin/Julien's Auctions (AP)

April 14, 2009

The "King of Pop" is set to auction off more than 2,000 of his personal items April 22 - 25 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. This undated photo released by Julien's Auctions shows the gates to Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch in Santa Maria, Calif. The gates feature parcel gilt and black iron, crested with a red and gilded crown and a gilded "Michael Jackson," banner with British Coat of Arms in the center. Julien's Auction estimate: $20,000 - $30,000.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com

Television Sole Bright Spot in Area Filming

By Mark R. Madler

Posted date: 4/14/2009

Television made up more than half of the on-location filming in the City and County of Los Angeles in the first quarter, according to recent figures released by FilmLA.

Feature film production, however, took a steep dive dropping by more than 50 percent compared to the first quarter of 2008.

“Most big budget feature films are not shot locally, and even independent filmmakers are shooting fewer days in our area,” said FilmLA President Paul Adley.

FilmLA is a not for profit agency that coordinates on-location film, television and commercial production in the city and county of Los Angeles, the cities of Palmdale and Lancaster, and certain non-municipal clients including the Burbank school district. The agency’s production numbers do not include filming on studio soundstages.Overall on-location for January through March stayed flat when compared to a year ago, with 11,431 permits issued. 

The agency issued 6,274 permits for television production, an increase of 76 percent from the 3,557 permits issued in the same period in 2008. Television production had been down in early 2008 due to the Hollywood writer strike.Reality programming continues to lead the television sub-categories, with 3,407 permits issued in the first quarter.FilmLA issued only 903 on-location permits for feature film production. In the first quarter of 2008, more than 2,000 permits had been issued.

Commercial filming also declined, an indicator that advertising is down due to the poor economy. FilmLA issued 1,266 on-location permits, a drop of 34 percent from the 1,925 issued in the first quarter of 2008.

Source: http://www.sfvbj.com