Kareena tired of her demanding job

Her multiple brand endorsements and shooting schedules take so much of her time that Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor is homesick and wants to take a break.

"Kareena feels sad about staying away from her family for so long. She is a homely person and likes to be with the family. She is tired of her tight schedules and demanding job. She has now decided that she will chalk out some quality time for her family," said a source close to Kareena.

On a recent visit to her home, Kareena caught up with her sister Karisma and both of them apparently spoke about everything under the sun.

Hurman will bounce back...

Hurman S. Baweja's "Victory" may have fared poorly at the box office, but Annees Bazmi, the director of his next film "It's My Life", is unperturbed. He says the actor would come out trumps with the light-hearted romantic film, which is a remake of Telugu superhit "Bommarillu".

"Hurman is a hardworking boy and that is something we all would agree after both his films. They may not have worked, but in filmmaking there are so many factors that decide the fate of a movie at the box office. Hurman has done very well in 'It's My Life'. The audience will love his pairing with Genelia D' Souza," Bazmee told IANS.

Hurman's all three forthcoming projects are very high profile. While his immediate release is "It's My Life", it will be followed by Ashutosh Gowariker's "What's Your Rashee" where he is paired opposite Priyanka Chopra. His next would be a Sanjay Leela Bhansali project which is still untitled.

"It's My Life" is a critical project not only for Hurman, after a hat- trick of successes in the form of "Singh Is Kinng", "Welcome" and "No Entry", Bazmee too has to prove a point - that he can set the cash registers ringing even when it comes to romantic films.

"You are forgetting 'Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha'. It was a good success as well, but was there any comedy? It was a complete musical entertainer, something that I can vouch for 'It's My Life' as well. With the film, I am sure Hurman will bounce back."

Bazmee isn't too worried about recession either. According to him, it isn't really impacting the films being directed by him.

"The entire boom followed by burst was witnessed in last two-three years while I have been in the industry for 30 years. I think I can say that I have seen it all quite closely. This is why I have never been unreasonable when it comes to the budget of my films. It has always been set in a decent range; hence the price cut doesn't impact my films.

He argues that films are doing well even today.

"Look at the back-to-back success of 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' and 'Ghajini'. People did go to watch them in theatres, even when all thought that post- Mumbai terror attacks, no one would venture into theatres. This means that films are doing well even today. Even 'Chandni Chowk To China' did fetch in good numbers to begin with. It's just the price which is failing," said Bazmee.

Meanwhile, the shooting of "It's My Life" will soon enter its last leg with the final schedule in Delhi, which is expected to take place soon. Bazmee is confident that this film, which also stars Nana Patekar in a key role, would be ready for release in June-July.

The film is being produced by Sanjay Kapoor.

Abhi: Sonam was a revelation

After the runaway success of Dostana, Abhishek is back in one of the most anticipated releases of the year, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Delhi 6.

Although it’s set in Delhi, just as Rakeysh’s previous mega hit Rang De Basanti was, it’s not only about the city. “Delhi 6 is a story about India. If it was set in any other Indian city, it would have had the same charm. I play a guy from New York who comes to India and discovers it,” says Abhishek.

Starring opposite Abhishek is the still-new-on-the-scene Sonam Kapoor. “Sonam was a revelation,” says Abhishek, “She’s a wonderful person and actress. She brings a fresh feel to the film. I’ve known her for a long time. She’s a great co-artiste too.”

Abhishek says Rakeysh and he were always looking for an opportunity to work together. “We were waiting for the right script,” he adds.

Then there’s Mani Ratnam, with whom Abhishek has done two films — Yuva and Guru — and has another, Ravana, in the making. Does he like working with the director? “I don’t work with Mani Ratnam; Mani Ratnam works with me,” he says as a matter-of-fact.

Rumour has it that there will be a follow-up to Drona, but Abhishek clarifies, “There is no sequel.” But he won’t say as much about the Feroz Nadiadwala-Rob Cohen Hollywood venture that his father is supposed to be part of. “Talks are still on,” is all he’ll say.

What about Aishwarya’s role in Pink Panther 2? “She was fantastic. It wasn’t just about getting a Hollywood break but about doing a movie in another language,” he says. As for whether he’s looking to head to LA, he says, “I’m happy doing good movies here. If something comes along, I’ll do it.”

So, how big a fan or critic is Ash of his films? “I always ask my family for their opinion. They give their honest views and I take them,” says Abhishek.

When asked what he feels about his marriage to Ash being followed so closely, he says, “We are public figures. It’s natural to be in the news and I’m okay with it.” Who is his fave B-town actress? “I’m married to my favourite actress,” he signs off.

Ash in Kolkata

It was during the latter half of 2003 that Mani Ratnam had gone to Kolkata to shoot for Yuva.

Five years later, the ace director is all set to shoot in Kolkata again. And the film in question this time is Raavana.

Having completed the shooting schedule in Kerala, MP and UP, the director reached Kolkata on Saturday. Shooting for Raavana will begin from February 18 and will continue till the end of this month.

Incidentally, both the Tamil and the Hindi versions of the film are being shot simultaneously. In the Hindi version, Abhishek plays the hero while Vikram plays the villain. In the Tamil version, Vikram plays the hero. Not much is known about the storyline though the buzz is that the film is a contemporary story that doesn’t have any obvious mythological connect to it.

Ash, who has been cast in both the Hindi and Tamil versions, will begin shooting in a jute mill in Agarpara. Vikram will also be shooting along with her from Wednesday. Big B will be joining the unit later this month. Apart from shooting in the jute mill and a bungalow, cinematographer Manikandan will also film certain portions on the streets of Kolkata that have a neutral character.

Recently, Raavana was in the news when Abhishek had shot for a song along with 500 dancers in Jhansi. The song, Kata Kata Mara Mara..., is reportedly the most lavish number that the director has ever shot in his career.

Shah Rukh’s home Mannat attacked with flaming bottle

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan said on Friday (Feb 13) he was worried for the safety of his wife and two children after his house Mannat was attacked by unknown people who had apparently misinterpreted the lyrics of a song in just-released "Billu" and reacted.

"I got scared. I got worried about my children and wife, but they are fine. I don't think there is any place safer than my home. I'm in London for a check up. I will be back home the day after tomorrow," Shah Rukh told a TV channel over phone from London.

Clarifying the confusion about the lyrics, the actor said: "They thought we are referring to the Prophet in the song. But it has been sorted out. They have seen the film and now it’s clear to them that the lyrics weren't referring to the Prophet."

A burning kerosene bottle had been thrown in the premises of his sea facing house Mannat early in the morning.

According to an officer of Bandra Police station, two men came to Shah Rukh's bungalow, at Bandra Bandstand around 2.30 a.m. They lit a bottle full of kerosene and flung it over the gates before fleeing. The security guards were caught unawares, the police said.

The police said a case was registered and they are searching for the culprits.

There was no damage to property as the flaming missile landed in the garden.

Meanwhile, Shah Rukh will ask you to "wish more" with Dish TV as the company has decided to retain the actor as its brand ambassador for another 18 months.

The company had first tied up with Shah Rukh in 2007.

"Shah Rukh is the undisputed king of Bollywood - the best in his field. He is someone who personifies style, entertainment and popularity and these values resonate perfectly with our brand attributes as well," said Salil Kapoor, COO, Dish TV.

While Dish TV, direct-to-home (DTH) service provider, has renewed its contract with the actor, media reports indicate that soft drink giant Pepsico has decided to drop him as their brand ambassador and find a new face.

Revealed: The plot of 8x10

After Chandni Chowk To China, Akshay Kumar will be seen next in Nagesh Kukunoor’s 8x10. The film, which was previously called Tasveer, stars Akki opposite Ayesha Takia, who plays his wife.

We spoke to our source from the Precept picture company and got the lowdown on the plot.

The source says, “8x10 is a story of a young man named Jai, played by Akshay Kumar, who has a supernatural power. Jai’s supernatural gift is the ability to go into the past of the deceased by touching objects that used to belong to them. His family and friends find this unbelievable and sometimes, even Jai doubts his abilities but later on he comes to know that it is real.”

More about the characters, the source adds, “Jai’s father Jatin, played by Girish Karnad, feels that his son is wasting his time and not taking enough interest in managing their business empire. This leads to the complete breakdown of their relationship. Jai’s mother is played by Sharmila Tagore. Jai is always supported by his wife Sheela (Ayesha Takia).”

The turning point in the story happens when Jatin is killed in a boating accident. The source says, “Jai goes through this personal tragedy and uses his unique power to solve the mystery of his father’s death. He sees photographs and comes to know that his father’s death was not accidently, he was murdered. That is when he starts investigating.”
8x10 is directed by Nagesh Kukunoor. Other cast members include Javed Jaffery, Girish Karnad, Anant Mahadevan, Benjiman Gilani, Rushad Rana and Utara Pawkar. The film is slated to release by mid 2009.

Aishwarya rocks on US showbiz TV

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan may not have made a mark as a Hollywood star but still manages to be a part of American showbiz.

After the Oprah Winfrey Show and the David Letterman shows, she's appearing on the popular Martha Stewart Show this week.

The buzz is that Ash has been a part of the Valentine's Day line-up at the day-time show, and she featured in a segment that had Martha Stewart teaching her and audiences how to make candy treat cups.

Ash appeared while she was in New York for the premiere of her Hollywood flick 'The Pink Panther 2′.

However there's been some controversy around Ash's involvement with the movie as she reportedly has a very small role. She didn't even feature in the posters and other publicity material of the film. The producers said that she had been left out of mainstream Hollywood publicity because her appeal was 'limited to Asia'.

When Ash was irked and asked for better treatment, there was a little understanding and she was invited to be a part of the promotional events.

After bad responses to 'Bride and Prejudice', 'The Mistress Of Spices' and 'The Last Legion', it was hoped that 'Pink Panther 2′ would give Ash the required international publicity. This movie has got bad reviews as of now. We just hope it's not another all hype- no show' thing for Ash.

What next Ash? An international film maybe with Will Smith which you've been supposedly declining for so long

Deepika to be face of Mallya's Formula One Team

Industrialist Vijay Mallya, chairman of Force India Formula Team, has roped in actress Deepika Padukone to be the face of his team.

Deepika said, if she could manage time from her busy Bollywood schedule, she would love to be one of the team's 'speed divas' and travel around the world for the Formula One Grand Prix event 2009.

"I may make brief appearances during MTV's reality show, 'The Fast and the Gorgeous' and I'm looking forward to it," said Deepika as she sat on a McLaren-Mercedes-powered Formula One car to unveil MTV-Force India's The Fast and the Gorgeous hunt for the 'speed divas' in Mumbai on Tuesday (Feb 10).

Following a countrywide hunt four 'speed divas' will be chosen from 20 contestants to be the cheer girls/pit girls.

Deepika, daughter of badminton champion Prakash Padukone, loves sports and excelled in badminton in school.

Asked what is common between badminton and car racing, she said: "Speed".

Force India Formula One Team's maiden performance on the international race track last year was not up to the mark. "But to be qualified to take part in Formula One Grand Prix itself was no mean achievement," said Mallya.

Mallya, however, warned the Indian car race lovers not to expect "miracles" from the Force India Formula One Team during the prelims.

"The Grand Prix event from Barcelona onwards will be the real test for all the teams," he said.

Mallya, who took the initiative to put India on the international car racing track, said he will be a proud man when Force India Formula One Team will host the first Indian Grand Prix in 2011.

Ashish Patil, MTV India general manager and vice president (creative ad content), informed the media that the channel, which has always identified itself with the youth, is the right platform to popularise Formula One sport in India through its partnership with Force India Formula One Team for the reality show, "The Fast and the Gorgeous".

Bachchan in his most autobiographical film to date

Amitabh Bachchan is set to play a superstar named Ashmit Bhargava in Kushan Nandy's "The Actor", which incorporates many incidents from the Big B's life, making it his most autobiographical film to date.

"Yes, I wrote 'The Actor' for Mr. Bachchan, along with two writer-friends Kiran Shyam Shroff and Ghalib Asad," Kushan told IANS.

Confirming the news, Amitabh said: "Yes, I'm doing a film for Pritish Nandy (Kushan's father). The details you'll have to get from him."

The film is being produced by Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC) and will go on floors in the next few months.

Nandy and Amitabh got together for director Sanjay Gupta's "Kaante" in 2002, but after that there were reports of a rift created between them by a third party that didn't want the two to work together.

"I wouldn't like to go into the past, or comment on our relationship. Amitabh and I go back a long, long way. I've known him from long before the troublemakers were born. It was just a matter of the right vehicle for the amazing actor. When my son came up with 'The Actor', I knew this was it. I immediately approached Amitabh. We met several times and he agreed."

The rest of the cast is now being finalised.

"But getting the principal part right was imperative," said Nandy. "I don't think anyone else could've played Ashmit Bhargava the way Kushan wrote the character. The protagonist has to be an icon who's about 55-60 years old, portraying what's according to the script the greatest actor playing the biggest role of his life."

So are the identical initials of the superstar in "The Actor" and the one playing the role more than a mere coincidence?

"I think so," laughed Nandy. "I think the initials for Amitabh Bachchan and Ashmit Bhargava say it all."

Miss India Worldwide 2009 contestants watch 'Billu'

Priyadarshan's comedy "Billu", which features a large number of top-notch Bollywood actresses, saw bevy of Indian origin beauties from 25 countries at its premiere in Durban, South Africa.

The 25 young women have assembled here to vie for the Miss India Worldwide 2009 title at the Suncoast Entertainment resort on Saturday (Feb 14) night. And they were excited to take a break from rehearsals on Tuesday (Feb 10) evening to join local celebrities at the premiere of "Billu", hosted by young South African Indian cinema magnate Abie Moosa.

While Lara Dutta is cast opposite Irrfan, who plays the title role, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone feature with Shah Rukh Khan in three different item numbers in the comedy.

"It will be delightful to have a complement of such lovely Indian ladies from across the globe to complement the Indian beauties on the screen," Moosa told IANS.

In keeping with the traditions of the Miss India Worldwide Pageant, started by Dharmatma Saran of the US nearly two decades ago, the contestants have been engaged in a series of visits to local communities and welfare projects for several days now.

On Monday, they were shown the massive Hare Krishna Temple in the huge Indian township of Chatsworth, which has become a popular tourist attraction.

Many of them expressed surprise that there were so many Indians in South Africa, and even that they had been here for nearly 150 years. "It is also wonderful to see the huge cultural diversity in South Africa," said Miss India Australia, Kanchan Verma, a health professional.

Miss India Oman, geneticist Shruti Dilip, said she had watched an impressive Indian dance by "a pint-sized" Indian dancer when they visited historic Gandhian sites in Pietermaritzburg, where the young lawyer Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi started his path to becoming the Mahatma after being kicked off a train by a white conductor.

Miss India Singapore, Asmaa Pandit, a business development consultant, and Miss India India Deepthi Varughese said that Durban with its large Indian population felt "just like being in India".

This is the second consecutive year that South Africa is hosting the Miss India Worldwide Pageant after Shagun Sarabhai of India was crowned the winner in Lenasia, the huge Indian township south of Johannesburg, at a gala event last year. Sarabhai will hand over the crown to her successor on Valentine's Day as another former winner from India, Fareisa Joemmanbaks of Suriname, looks on.

Saran said that he definitely had a soft spot for South Africa: "I have been coming here since 1991, when South Africa was just beginning to regain its international stature ahead of the first democratic elections, and the local franchisee for the Miss India Worldwide Pageant, Farook Khan, started it off here."

Saran said from just 12 countries participating in the initial event, this has now more than doubled, and the high standard of entries was most gratifying as young women in the Diaspora gained the international recognition denied to so many of their forebears.

Katrina's role has nothing to do with Sonia Gandhi

Film director Prakash Jha on Tuesday (Feb 10) denied that the role played by Katrina Kaif in his "Rajneeti" was based on Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political career.

"It (Katrina's character) has nothing to do with either the life or political career of Sonia Gandhi", Jha said in Bhopal, where he is shooting “Rajneeti”.

There have been media reports that the movie was based on the life and career of Sonia Gandhi and that the character played by Katrina bears an uncanny resemblance to her.

Meanwhile, Prakash Jha also said on Tuesday that he would contest the Lok Sabha elections from Bettiah constituency in West Champaran district of Bihar.
Talking to reporters, Jha said this time he would not contest as an independent candidate but in all probability for some political party.

"I contested the previous Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate but now I will be in fray as a candidate of some political party," he said.

On which party he would contest from, Jha said that he enjoyed good relations with everyone in Bihar, be it Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) supremo Ram Vilas Paswan, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as well as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s L.K. Advani and it is yet to be decided for which party he would contest.

"I am in constant touch with my people in Bihar for the past five years and regularly serving them. As such, the party for which I contest is immaterial. However, it is certain that I will contest for that party which will talk about development and serving people in the real sense", he said.

Billu is a brand new movie

The buzz is that Shah Rukh Khan's "Billu Barber", now renamed "Billu", is inspired by Malayalam hit "Katha Parayumbol" (2007), which was later made in Tamil as "Kuselan" (2008). But the film's writer denies any similarity between the movies.

"'Billu' is a completely different film," said Mushtaq Sheikh, co-writer of "Billu" along with director Priyadarshan.

"When you will see 'Billu', you will know what I mean. The screenplay of 'Billu' does not follow the route followed by the predecessors," said Sheikh, who was also the co-writer of Shah Rukh's blockbuster "Om Shanti Om".

While Mammootty played a superstar in "Katha Parayumbol", its Tamil version starred Rajnikant in the same role.

So has the screenplay of "Billu" been tweaked to make it more suitable for an all-India audience?

"One did not have to tweak it, one had to change it completely. I repeat - this film is a re-birth of 'Billu' (the character in the film). It's a brand new film with no connection with any other film," Sheikh told IANS.

Unlike "Katha Parayumbol", "Kuselan" had bombed in spite of Rajnikant's presence.

"How does that affect our film?" asks Sheikh. "There wasn't any doubt or fear in us when we were working on 'Billu'. 'Kuselan' working or not working was never going to hamper the flow of 'Billu'."

Sheikh added that he and Priyadarshan had sat down to give the film a new "touch and feel".

"This movie was made before and here we wanted to make a brand new film keeping the ingrained soul intact. Also, making a Hindi film is a totally different ball game than the ones that are made in the south. The people, the emotions, the landscape, the conflict - everything changes when we make Hindi movies. We knew it was never going to be easy," he makes a candid confession.

He is particularly ecstatic about the fact that with 'Billu', he could work with his real-life friend Shah Rukh yet again.

"For me Shah Rukh is like a beacon of light that guides me and inspires me. He is like family. He brings in a certain strength to my presence," he said fondly.

Featuring Lara Dutta in the lead with special appearances by Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone, "Billu" also stars Priyadarshan regulars like Asrani, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav, Manoj Joshi and Rasika Joshi. With music by Pritam, "Billu" is all set to arrive on Feb 13.

Shilpa Shetty adopts four villages

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is an avid green activist. She was the highest individual donor for a green campaign overtaking fellow actors Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Preity Zinta.

Shilpa donated Rs.1.2 million for NDTV's Greenathon, a campaign initiated by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). The actress has adopted four villages - each costing Rs.300,000 - in support of TERI's 'Lighting a Billion Lives' project that aims at solar powering villages across the country.

Apart from Shilpa, other generous donors for the campaign included Shah Rukh Khan who has donated Rs.1.5 million along with the "Billu" team.

While Shah Rukh and the "Billu" team together adopted five villages, Akshay Kumar's son Aarav became the youngest donor of the campaign by adopting one village.

The 24-hour non-stop 'Greenathon' managed to generate over Rs.24 million through corporates, Bollywood stars, musicians, environmentalists, NGOs and educational institutions, said a press release.

Sanjay Dutt and family, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Vivek Oberoi, Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi, cricketer Yuvraj Singh, Nokia and Coca-Cola too have donated for the cause.

Greenathon was a TV campaign and included on-the-ground activities such as clean up drives in Mumbai and Delhi, a 24-hour marathon run by model-actor Milind Soman, and a musical extravaganza by Bollywood stars.

Katrina Kaif to talk in Hindi

It’s going to be fun to watch Katrina Kaif in Prakash Jha’s Rajniti.

We hear, Katrina’s role in this movie has been inspired by Sonia Gandhi, while Ranbir Kapoor’s role seems to be inspired by Rajiv Gandhi. Now, if Kat is going to be a political personality, too, she obviously is required to deliver long speeches to crowds, and that’s going to pose a great challenge to the actress.

For this, we are told, Kaif has been attending voice modulation classes. Let’s hope she can get rid of that English twang soon.

Bebo as bridesmaid

Amrita Arora is getting married on March 6, and Kareena Kapoor’s all set for her best friend’s wedding.

Why not? We heard Bebo will be Ammu’s bridesmaid. Kareena is trying to take out time from her tight schedule to help the bride. Not just that. Bebo herself has made the rounds to the best stores in town and
co-ordinated with the best fashion designers to design her gown. Although, Amrita will be the maiden of the night, we are eager to watch Kareena in her ‘gown’ing glory!

"SRK is planning a premiere for barber's associations" - Priyadarshan

It's final. Billu Barber will now be called Billu. And the director Priyadarshan seems resigned to the title's fate. "I'm in Chennai. Mr. Producer Shah Rukh tells me all the posters hoarding with credits will blacken out the word 'Barber'. If it was hurting anyone's sentiments I'm okay by it."

In a flash move to appease the hairdressers' associations of Mumbai, the premiere of Billu in Mumbai later this week will exclusively invite members of various barbers' and hairstylists' associations.

Priyadarshan reveals Billu's premiere plans. "As far as I know, Shah Rukh is planning a premiere for the various barbers and hairdressers' associations, so they'd see and know that the film doesn't ridicule them in any way. In fact Billu is homage to the hair-cutting technique. I can't understand how there can be a protest about the film or its title without anyone seeing the film."

The premiere, according to Priyan, won't invite Shah Rukh's friends from the industry, only members of the hair-cutting community. Priyadarshan wonders how the word 'Barber' could be okay in other languages and not in Hindi. "Does it mean half the Indian population is not put off by the title and the other half is upset about it? I don't understand the controversy. And I've left it entirely to my producer Shah Rukh Khan to deal with it."

Priyan has no plans of being in Mumbai for the release of Billu. "I've done my best. And Irrfan Khan in the title role is the best homage that can be paid to any profession." Priyan does wonder, and so do we, if we as a collective nation protest too much.

Salman mourns the death of Myson

Everyone knows how close Salman Khan has been to his pet dogs Myjaan and Myson.

“They are my life and I am passionate about them…. They are a part of me, my family and they share my every joy and sorrow. They understand me completely and there is such a big bond I share with them that it moves me beyond words,” he once wrote on his blog.

On Sunday (Feb 8) Salman, who was in Karjat shooting for his upcoming movie “London Dreams”, got a call from home conveying the news of Myson’s death.

The dog had been suffering from a heart ailment and Salman knew that he only had a few months to live. However, he broke down when he hard the news. He sat alone on the sets for sometime and then requested director Vipul Shah to allow him to go home.

Salman went home and buried Myson at his farmhouse in Panvel at night. He then went back to Karjat in the morning and started shooting for the movie.

Even though it was a personal loss for him, Salman decided be a thorough professional and not cancel the shoot.

Jab we meet… on Facebook

Priyanka Chopra is back with a bang, not just on professional front but on the personal as well.

After her break up with Harman, there seems to be a love story developing between her and Shahid Kapur.

The two are co-starring in the film “Kaminey” and live in the same building in Versova. But there’s more that the two seem to be sharing – chats on the phone and messages via the popular social networking site Facebook.

Priyanka, who is presently in Chicago shooting for “What’s Your Rashee”, is said to be a Facebook addict and has been seen off late exchanging messages with Shahid. They have been writing on each other’s walls and poking each other virtually.

However, in order to avoid being recognised, both have reportedly taken on different names. Priyanka calls herself Sir Pranks-A-Lot and Shaks is her name for Shahid, who in turn refers to Priyanka as Peefee!

Priyanka most wanted actress for endorsements

Priyanka Chopra, who gave two big hits last year - "Fashion" and "Dostana", is one of the most sought after actresses for brand endorsements, according to a survey.

A study by media monitoring company Adex India revealed that Priyanka is the queen of endorsements and is ranked second on the list of top-notch brand ambassadors of 2008 only after Shah Rukh Khan.

She leads the youth brigade as the face of brands like Lux, Ponds, Sunsilk, Hero Honda, Nokia, Tag Heuer, J. Hampsted and Virgin Comic.

As far as her film assignments go, the actress has a busy year ahead with two big movies in her kitty - Vishal Bharadwaj's "Kaminay" and Ashutosh Gowariker's "What's Your Rashee?", among others.

Dutts celebrate one year of togetherness

It’s been an eventful year for Sanjay and Manyata Dutt, who got married as per Hindu customs on Feb 11, 2008.

In the past one year they have steadily remained in news for both personal and professional reasons. The validity of their court marriage was questioned; Sanjay’s family’s refusal to accept Manyata caused a rift between him and his sisters while Manyata tried to win over his daughter Trishala. Professionally, Sanjay launched his production company and his political career.

Now, the couple is capping their eventful one year of togetherness with a big bash at their home in Mumbai. Their first wedding anniversary party is to be held on Feb 10, as Sanjay is to travel to Bangkok the following day.
The preparations for the party have been personally supervised by Manyata and the who’s who of Bollywood is expected to attend.

Meanwhile, Sanjay faced flak from some quarters as earlier this week on his way back from Cape Town he headed to Delhi, at the cost of some appointments in Mumbai, to meet the ailing former Prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Was there a political motive behind this trip? No, says Sanjay. He claims it was just out of respect for Atal ji, whose constituency, Lucknow, is being eyed by Sanjay as the launch pad for his political career.