Anil Kapoor keen to get ‘Slumdog’ kid’s sale story clear

ANI
Posted: Apr 23, 2009

Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor is desperate to get back to India to investigate reports that his young Slumdog Millionaire co-star Rubina Ali's father tried to sell her. 

The 49-year-old actor is currently in Hollywood to receive an honour at the seventh annual Indian Film Festival. Kapoor admits he always feared that the child stars of the Oscar winning film would be exploited upon their return to India after a trip to the Oscars in February (09). 

"That's the worry we always had. We all discussed that... When they're exposed to this kind of limelight this is what is going to be the disadvantages (sic)," ‘Contactmusic’ quoted him as saying. Kapoor said he couldn’t believe the British tabloid reports that Ali's father tried to sell her to a bogus Middle Eastern couple. 

Meanwhile, Indian police have failed to find any evidence to prove Rafiq Qureshi attempted to sell his young daughter for 200,000 pounds to a wealthy Arab Sheikh.

Source: http://www.screenindia.com

Salma Hayek to renew wedding vows in Italy

Agencies
Posted: Apr 23, 2009

Actress Salma Hayek is all set to marry husband Francois-Henri Pinault for the second time in Italy. 

The 'Frida' star and Pinault had tied the knot on the Valentine's Day this year. The couple decided to renew their vows this weekend in Venice where they met first in 2006, ‘Us’ magazine online reported. 

"They are being very hush hush about it," a source told the magazine. 

Another source said Hayek, 42, and Pinault, 46, the chief executive of PPR, which owns Louis Vuitton, are flying their friends to Venice to celebrate for the entire weekend. Their friend Ashley Judd arrived today to be a part of the celebrations, the source added.

The couple who are parents to 19-months-old daughter Valentina, first became engaged in March 2007, but split on July 18, 2008, before secretly tying the knot in Paris earlier this year.

Source: http://www.news.google.com

Britney Spears is not pregnant: Manager

Agencies
Posted: Apr 23, 2009

Quashing reports that the pop star Britney Spears is pregnant, singer's manager has blasted 'American Idol' host Ryan Seacrest for sparking the rumour. 

Seacrest is said to have announced Spear's pregnancy on his Los Angeles radio show yesterday, insisting the that the news came from "reliable source", Contactmusic reported. 

However Spear's manager Adam Leber squashed the rumours, saying "She's absolutely not pregnant. I have no idea where this ridiculous rumour came from. Ryan has communication with our camp and could have checked this before saying it."

Source: http://www.news.google.com

'Slumdog' actress defends her father

UPI

MUMBAI, April 23, 2009

Rubina Ali, a 9-year-old Mumbai girl who appeared in the Oscar-winning movie "Slumdog Millionaire," denies her father tried to sell her. "Access Hollywood" said Rubina and her father, Rafiq Qureshi, have spoken out together and denied a British tabloid's claims that Qureshi sought hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation for the adoption of his daughter."I talked to them in the room," Rubina told CNN of the meeting with supposed representatives of a wealthy family from Dubai, who turned out to be imposters hired by the newspaper for the story."My dad said I could meet people if I want to, 'But I will never give my daughter away for any amount of money,'" Rubina quoted him as saying.While some reports have claimed Qureshi misunderstood the purpose of the meeting because he doesn't speak English well, "Access Hollywood" said undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood defended his story on "Larry King Live.""It's completely untrue… We have seven hours of tape," Mahmood told King. "It's indisputable. Nothing gets in the News of the World newspaper unless it is 100 percent (true) and this is."Mahmood said he set the meeting up with Rubina's dad after receiving information about a month ago from someone close to Qureshi who said "that he was interested in selling his child.""All we did was investigate that and the allegations that were made to me," Mahmood said.However, police said there is "no evidence of any offense" and declined to arrest Qureshi after questioning him, "Access Hollywood" reported.

Source: http://www.upi.com

Dev Patel, Freida Pinto caught kissing in Israel

ANI
Posted: Apr 23, 2009

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ stars Dev Patel and Freida Pinto have been caught kissing during a romantic night out in Israel. 

Rumours that the actors, who played childhood sweethearts in the Oscar-winning movie, are dating for real began circulating after Slumdog co-star Anil Kapoor hinted they were an item, reports ‘Contactmusic’. Kapoor said, "When I meet them I feel there is something happening. (I think) this is the beginning of something exciting happening. They definitely make a great pair. Both of them look very good together." 

However, Patel and Pinto have frequently dismissed rumours they are dating. Pinto said: "We're not dating," while 18-year-old Patel added, "No, we're not seeing each other." 

However, the British teenager recently visited Israel to see Pinto on the set of her new movie ‘Miral’, and the pair was later spotted enjoying a few tender moments during a romantic dinner.

Source: http://www.screenindia.com

Ninja Turtle movie 'to be made'

Comic book characters The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are to return to the big screen in a live action movie, according to reports.

BBC

Thursday, 23 April 2009

Trade magazine Variety said the film, which is expected to be released in 2011, will focus on the origins of the crime-fighting heroes. 

The project will be the fifth big screen outing for the characters - the last movie, TMNT, came out in 2007. The announcement comes 25 years after the characters first appeared. 

Comeback 

To mark the occasion, the first Turtle film was due to be shown at the New York Tribeca Film on Thursday and there were plans for the iconic Empire State Building to be lit green. 

The Manhattan-based characters first appeared in comic books in 1984 before spawning a lucrative line of toys and a TV series. Three films were released in the early 1990s and, in 2003, the turtles made a comeback with another TV series. Scott Mednick has signed up to produce the movie alongside Galen Walker, producer of the 2007 computer-animated film, according to Variety. 

"The original dozen comics created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman are some of the best source material one could hope for," Mednick told Variety.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk

I don' smoke pot anymore: Mayer

ANI
Posted: Apr 22, 2009

John Mayer has confessed he is no longer a slave to smoking marijuana. 

The singer, who ended his romance with Jennifer Aniston this year, revealed he had dropped the habit, reports the ‘China Daily’. He wrote on his Twitter account: "Any time I feel like smoking pot I just book myself a life insurance exam. 

"I don't smoke pot anymore. I just pay a dude 50 bucks to come over, press lightly on my chest and tell me all my ideas are awesome."

Source: http://www.news.google.com

Kids to shoot documentaries in order to raise awareness

IANS

New Delhi, April 22, 2009

Ever wondered how issues like climate change or environment conservation would be perceived by a child? PVR cinemas' 'Cineart' initiative launched Wednesday will provide for just that, by giving four kids a chance to film issues they believe are 'important.'

At a function to celebrate Earth Day (observed April 22), PVR Nest, the corporate social responsibility wing of the multiplex chain PVR Limited in association with Moser Baer, unveiled the 'Cineart' project for children. The aim of PVR Nest is to converge cinema and art.

"Movies are our passion and if we can teach the art to kids, then what better than this. Being a mother myself, I want my kids to feel free to express themselves and films are a great medium," Selena Bijli, trustee of PVR Nest and a mother of three told IANS.

Around 500 children aged 10-14 years from over 20 schools of Delhi participated at the event held Wednesday. After watching two special screenings, 'Nanook of the North' and 'Jeeyo Aur Jeene Do' at PVR Priya, Basant Lok in south Delhi, the kids were made to fill out feedback forms.
Four children will now be selected based on the forms to assess their creativity and line of thought, a PVR representative said.They will then be given training in film-making after which the kids will get a chance to get behind the camera and shoot their very own documentary film. Once made, these two-three minute films will be screened at PVR and in schools to raise awareness.

Besides the various public schools of the capital that participated, socially underprivileged children also took part in the celebration.Thirteen-year-old Gulaab Kumar was a rag picker till he joined NGO Katha's Katha Khajana school. Kumar was all for film-making but said he wanted to be in front of the camera rather than behind it.

"I want to become an actor once I grow up," he said with a grin.

Mahendra, 13, a resident of Vikaspuri, west Delhi was very enthusiastic after watching the screenings.

"I was very impressed with the film on global warming. It enhanced my knowledge and I really liked it. If I get the opportunity I want to make a film on global warming or water conservation," said Mahendra.

Source: http://www.bollywood.com

Lindsay ‘spending every night with different man’

ANI
Posted: Apr 22, 2009

Lindsay Lohan has been spending time with ‘a different man every night’ following her break-up with Samantha Ronson, according to a friend. 

Friends of the ‘Mean Girls’ star say that the actress has been "a complete and utter wreck" since Ronson broke it off with her two weeks ago, and is drowning her sorrows in a sea of men, reports the ‘New York Post’. 

One friend said that some of the guys include ‘90210’ star Kellan Lutz -- who "has been out of town this week, but they are in constant contact” as well as British paparazzo Chris Jepson. 
According to a source, on April 15, Lohan and Jepson were inseparable at a Hollywood Hills house party.

They even went into a bathroom together and didn't come out for quite some time, the source added.Friends are terrified that Lohan is in a ‘meltdown’ situation and has no career to fall back on.

Source: http://www.news.google.com

Filmmaker Mani Kaul is Osian's new festival director

IANS

New Delhi, April 22, 2009

Filmmaker Mani Kaul, who has made movies like "Uski Roti" (1970), "Duvidha" (1973), has taken over as the new director general of the Osian's-Cinefan Film Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema.

Kaul succeeds film historian Aruna Vasudev, who retired after the 10th edition of the fest last year.

"Irrespective of its independent or mainstream origin, we will strive for a dispassionate portrayal of new and bold cinema. Our programme will range from uncompromising experimentation in films, to an archival kind of cross reference between cinemas of the world, to an articulation of an emerging, thinking new stream cinema in India," Kaul said on the 11th edition of the fest in a statement released here Wednesday.

Kaul has also made critically-acclaimed films "Ashad Ka Ek Din" (1971) and "Idiot" (1992), among others.The 11th edition of the gala will be held July 17-26 at the Siri Fort Complex in the capital.

Source: http://www.bollywood.com