V-Day Sp: Sizzling Couples in Love
'My Valentine Wish…!' - Bollywood gets Mushy on Valentine's Day
Preity Zinta: "To be able to balance out my crazy schedule so that I've time for those I love. What more can I want this Valentine's Day?"
Bipasha Basu: "Valentine's Day is special for all the people I love. I'll tell them how much I love them and prove my love for them with simple gestures. The ideal Valentine gift would be hundreds of red carnations. I know John will get them for me."
Kangna Ranaut: "Valentine's Day means pure selfless love from me to everyone I love. My ideal gift would be roses and candles."
Sammir Dattani: "My affair with the camera began on Valentine's Day. My first screen appearance was for a music video called 'Valentine's Day.' Since then I've made sure every Valentine's Day is special for me."
Manisha Koirala: "I'm spending Valentine's Day with family and friends. I would want everyone to experience love in any and every relationship."
Urmila Matondkar: "Valentine's Day is a time to show my friends and family how much they mean to me. The one gift I'm looking for is a gorgeous hunk. But the species seems extinct."
Shilpa Shetty: "I've got my Valentine's Day gift. The IPL and I've got the man who gifted it to me by my side. What more can I want?"
Riya Sen: "I want to spend quantity time with my loved ones. No matter where I am I want to be back in time for Valentine's Day to be with my loved ones. That's the greatest gift I can get. Other gifts are fun. But spending time with your loved one is the best gift. For Valentine's I'll be performing at a college festival in Ahmedabad before rushing home."
Neil Nitin Mukesh: "For me Valentine's is a day of love and friendship and a day of mending bridges. My ideal gift would be a collective hug from all those friends and family whom I love. And a million kisses from that someone special."
Dino Morea: "I want to spend Valentine's Day showing love to everyone who deserves it. We all are so caught up in our routine, this is the one day when we can devote to love."
Raima Sen: "I'm single, so the only Valentine gift I can give myself is time with the family."
Neetu Chandra: "This Valentine's Day means a lot to me as I'm partying with my school friends and meeting with my first ever crush, my schoolteacher. And I hope I find my permanent Valentine this year."
Mugdha Godse: "Valentine's Day is just another day for me. I'll be attending a beachside Catholic wedding of a very close friend on Goa's Morjim beach. Chalo apni Valentine nahin kisi aur ki sahi."
Minissha Lamba: "When you're in love it's Valentine's Day all year round. Am I in love? Who knows a woman's heart? Not even the woman herself."
Malaika Arora: "For me Valentine's Day means the freedom for people to express their love without worrying about self-appointed custodians of our precious moral values. The best gift I can think of is the right for us women to live our lives how we want without intolerant groups stopping us."
Celina Jaitly: "Valentine's Day is 'emotional atyachaar' for those who aren't in love. It will remind me that I've been unhappily single for the last three years. At the risk of sounding pompous I want a society rid of all intolerance and prejudice."
Tusshar Kapoor: "The day would again remind me I'm single. How about a love life for me this Valentine's Day?"
Amrita Arora: "Valentine's Day means nothing to me. Love should be celebrated everyday. Bring on the love!"
Chitrangda: "Sorry I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. I don't like the idea of being told when to celebrate love."
Ruslaan Mumtaz: "I just broke up with my girlfriend. So my ideal gift would be the sad songs of Himesh Reshammiya."
Koena Mitra: "Everyone loves to be loved. But being single gives me more room to love myself without sharing that space for love with someone else. All the eligible men have been taken away. The rest are not worth considering. I'm enjoying my single status and making the most of it."
Pooja Bedi: "It's horrible to be single on such a romantic day. But my brother Adam is getting married on Valentine's Day. So I'll be happy watching two people in love being united. Dreams do come true on this day. As for myself I'm a hopeless and a hopeful romantic. I'm even in love with the idea of love. The real thing may be around the corner."
Esha Deol: "I'm not answering this one."
Dia Mirza: "Being single on Valentine's Day is the same as any other day. Love is a feeling that you can't miss. It's omnipresent."
Divya Dutta: "Do I miss love? Not really. Work is great healer of the heart. And I get lots of love and male attention. So what if I don't have a guy this Valentine's Day. I know he'll come."
Jiah Khan: "There's too much work. No time to think about love. I miss having my family with me on Valentine's. They're my only true love."
Tanushree Dutta: "It's fantastic being single on Valentine's Day. You can choose whom to love for that day."
Arjan Bajwa: "Being single is not a big deal. I'm shooting in Hyderabad so I've no time to miss love. Moreover, Valentine's Day is no reason to miss love. To be loved by family and friends all through the year is a blessing. And I've that blessing"
Vatsal Seth: "Who is one kidding by saying it's great to be single? Valentine's Day and single....man, it sucks! It's like no one being there to wish you on your birthday. Being in love is the most amazing feeling and I definitely miss it."
Adnan Sami: "What a Valentine's Day gift my wife has given me."
Preity, Juhi, Shilpa shine at the auction of IPL 2009
After a super successful inaugural edition, IPL is back again and this time, it only promises to be even bigger and better. The auctions took place at Goa yesterday and it was indeed a star studded high profile event which brought together the best from the world of sports, business and entertainment.
Shah Rukh Khan may not have been present at the auctions but his partner Juhi Chawla was very much there along with hubby Jai Mehta. SRK's team Kolkata Knight Riders' only major purchase of the day was Bangladeshi player Mashrafe Mortaza.
Preity Zinta's Kings XI Punjab may have made it to the Top 4 last year but this time Zinta babe surely wants no less than the top honor. Hence she, along with partner Ness Wadia, was seen aggressively bidding for their preferred players. In the end, they bagged English all-rounder Ravi Bopara and West Indian fast bowler Jerome Taylor.
The new entrant at this year's auctions was none other than Shilpa Shetty, who, along with beau Raj Kundra had recently acquired a stake in the victorious Rajasthan Royals team. Just like last year, even this year, Rajasthan Royals decided to go with lesser known players like Shaun Tait (Aus) and Tyron Henderson (SA).
The biggest catch of the day was bagged by the Vijay Mallya owned Bangalore Royal Challengers, who spent a staggering 1.55 million $ to get flamboyant England player Kevin Pietersen on board. Pietersen's team-mate Andrew Flintoff also fetched the same amount when he was picked by the Chennai Super Kings. The Mukesh Ambani owned Mumbai Indians was represented by Nita Ambani and she surely seemed to have made a right decision in picking up the promising South African all rounder J.P. Duminy.
The second season of the IPL kicks off on April 10th this year, and if yesterday was the beginning of things to come, one can only expect a cracker of a tournament this time too. We simply can't wait for that!!!
Preity Zinta's clarification...
It has been widely reported how the police subsequently turned up at her door, but could not do much to control the noise level as the music was temporarily turned down in the cops’ presence, only to go up once they left.
Infuriated by these reports, this is what Preity has to say: “I had a party and the police came and put the music off plus fined me, which I paid on the same night. I have the receipt for the same.
“The music did not come up again as mentioned on some sensational channels.
“Journalism is about investigation and reporting the facts. Things like I broke the law and no action was taken against me plus a rich versus poor story on TV channels is upsetting.
“There should be a law against sensational and false news being passed off on news channels as news. I am a law-abiding citizen so please check your facts before putting it on TV.”
Meanwhile, apart from throwing the ‘noisy’ party for her close friends from the Hindi film industry and sending her dog to a beauty parlour for grooming, Preity also did something more meaningful on her birthday.
To mark her 34th birthday, she adopted 34 orphan girls from Mother Miracle School in Hrishikesh. She will be taking care of their food, clothes and education. She has said she will try to visit them at least twice a year to see that they are taken care of properly.
Neighbours complain about Preity's party
They called the cops when the music became unbearably loud. The volume was turned down when the police arrived, but it didn't last for long.
According to sources, “As soon as the police left, the music was as loud as it was before.”
Preity had invited all her close pals like Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, Farhan Akhtar and Chunky Pandey among others.
Preity's thinking of children
It’s Bollywood cutie Preity Zinta’s birthday today.
But you needn’t worry about a present. For, the bubbly, 34-year-old actress has got a bagful of gifts that she wants to distribute after a “small get-together with friends”. Talking to BT yesterday, Preity said, “I want to do something more meaningful. I feel like it’s my new beginning and I want to do something completely different. I’m going to be a part of this campaign called Light a Billion Lights where you sponsor electricity to a complete village which works on solar technology. That is something I’m going to do.”
Then, Preity also intends to sponsor the education of underprivileged children. “I feel the only difference between a rich and a poor kid is that the former has the resources to get proper education whereas the poor kid doesn’t. I feel if a poor kid is given the same, he will do much better than the rich kid,” said the actress who is hell-bent on making a difference in whatever capacity that she can. “God has given me so much so now I feel it’s my turn to give back,” explained Preity. And what will she gift herself today?
“I was thinking of buying myself a luxury car but then everytime I drive on bumpy Mumbai’s roads, I get disappointed and change my mind!” But if there is one wish she has for herself this year, then Preity wants her IPL team to lift the trophy this year. “It has these little diamonds on it and diamonds are a girl’s best friend — so you know what I mean, don’t you,” smiled the pert actress saucily.
Preity to replace Farhan Akhtar
He has been a successful director, actor and even singer, but it seems Farhan Akhtar couldn’t quite make it as a TV chat show host.
After his show “Oye! It’s Friday” on NDTV Imagine refused to take off, despite featuring A-list celebrities such as Shah Rukh, Aamir, Hrithik and Priyanka, Farhan is likely to be ousted from the talk show and will most likely be replaced by Preity Zinta.
Karan Johar is said to have been the desired replacement but as he is busy with the shooting of “My Name is Khan”, the filmmaker could not commit to the talk show.
So Preity now is one of the favourite contenders and the second in line is Anupam Kher, although nothing has yet been finalised.
When the channel was contacted about whether it is going to take the show off air, it was said there is no such plan. They also said they are happy with the show even though it does not fetch the desired TRPs.
Meanwhile let’s have a look at the statistics. Star Plus serial “Bidaai” is highest on TRP with 8.54%, “Balika Vadhu” on Colors with 8.28%, while “Oye! It’s Friday” has only 0.82%. Did the channel see these ratings before being happy about the show?
New TV show promises fun, comedy and dance
The show will be called "India's Got Talent" and be telecast on entertainment channel Colors.
"Yes, this will be on Colors, and is a breakthrough in terms of genre, as it is a search for India's most entertaining act, whatever the kind of performance, and not just limited to individuals or a particular age group. It's a true variety show, a multi-talent hunt which promises to enthral," Basu told IANS.
The show is about finding the best talent act and will feature singers, dancers, comedians, variety acts, and other talents of all ages. It is being licensed from international production company FremantleMedia.
According to Basu, "India's Got Talent" will be about "masti, mazaak, naach, gana (singing), hasna (laughter), rona (crying) and a whole lot more".
There have been rumours that Bollywood actress Preity Zinta has been roped in as one of the three judges on the show and that Bhojpuri star Ravi Kissen will host the show, but Basu refused to disclose details.
"Discussions are on to get an entertaining and credible set of hosts and judges, but I'm not in a position to comment on any names at this stage," he said.
The promos of the show are already on air. However, the launch date is still not fixed.
Preity Zinta to hold a Kings XI Punjab Cup
And Preity now wants to attempt to give chance to budding cricketers to showcase their skills.
Her Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) will hold a cricket seminar and tournament in Chandigarh and Mohali. The aim of the seminar and tournament will be to conduct a T-20 tournament between the teams of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and J&K. It is also a platform for the states to connect with different communities of the nation.
"My aim is to promote cricket at the grass root level and to nurture new talent. I also want everyone involved to have fun," says Priety.
The tournament is being conducted in conjunction with the state associations and in particular the PCA. KXIP Cup matches would be played in a league format among five teams i.e. two from Punjab and one each from the other three states. Each team will comprise of 14 players and two officials. A total of 11 matches will be played in the tournament.
Preity Zinta's British connection
However, the actress doesn’t mind when people are confused about her identity.
"Some people think that I am a South Indian, while some feel that I am a Muslim. There have also been fans who have asked if I hail from Himachal Pradesh," she laughed.
"In the early 18th century, when the Rajputs had earned a reputation for 'killing for their honour', marital alliances between the two races became quite common. Thus was born the Zinta clan, a mix of British and Rajput blood. I am that rare combination," says Preity.
Preity looking a million bucks!
Preity Zinta is having the time of her life.
The actress rang in the New Year with beau Ness Wadia in Canada. “Besides ringing in a romantic New Year, Preity and Ness also did some skiing there,” said a friend of Preity’s. We hear, Preity has lost oodles of weight and is looking like a million bucks. “She has got herself a trainer recently. She has also begun to keep a watch on her diet. She’s looking absolutely stunning. Also, Preity is now looking to be part of films that she believes in,” adds her friend. Well the fitness bug seems to have bit Bollywood’s original Miss Bubbly too!
Dil chahta hai, again
While Preity has taken the signing amount from the Yash Raj camp, Aamir is in advanced talks with YRF.
Our source from YRF said, “The script penned down by Yash Chopra is ready. And like all Chopra films, this one promises to be a romance as well. And as seen in earlier films directed by Yash Chopra, it is the heroine who plays a crucial role in it. The story demanded a heroine exuding absolute purity and innocence and Yash Chopra has roped in Preity for it. The story encapsulates the journey of two strangers who meet and share deep love in old age too.”
Our source added, “Preity has already marked out dates for this yet-untitled film. Yash Chopra plans to start shooting in July and finish shooting in one schedule. The film is expected to hit the theatres in December.”
Yash Chopra has Aamir Khan in mind for the male lead. Our source said, “There are talks on with Aamir currently. Yash Chopra was impressed with the magic that Aamir and Preity had created in Dil Chahta Hai. Therefore he is keen to have the two in this film.”
Preity Zinta: Moving on and around!
Preity Zinta made her way to the Dubai Film Festival only recently...
After all her film Heaven On Earth was being screened there na. Anyway, with the kind of films she is taking up these days — The Last Lear and now Heaven on Earth types, PZ has become rather arty-sharty! But then she’s making her mark globally, too. And it’s such a pleasant change to see her do different things and be a part of different films. We mean we were quite bored seeing the typical Preity-Rani-SRK-Karan clique come together again and again...
Maybe she is learning from contemporary Rani Mukerji’s mistakes... The once-upon-a-time Queen Bee has been buzzing only around one hive. But Preity is at least buzzing around the globe, attending these international festivals and all. Smart move, honey!
Preity Zinta is no quitter
Preity Zinta is definitely around.
So contemporaries who have written her off need to realise that she’s more than just an actress now. When PZ got into cricket and even owned a team of 11 handsome guys, there were whispers about how the girl has quit Bollywood. And after a few months a few films of hers — Heroes — for example, saw light of day. Then there’s also Heaven On Earth, Har Pal and a couple of other projects that will release soon. “They said I had quit Bollywood, eh? I was busy with cricket. But now that I am busy with Bollywood, I hope they don’t think I’ve quite cricket,” laughs Bollywood’s original ‘bubbly’!
Preity Zinta describes Dubai Film Fest experience as 'Heaven on Earth'
About the reaction of the audiences there, Preity Zinta said it was 'encouraging'. "You get to meet people who are crazy about films. And it's great to talk films with them. Festivals give you a chance to be exposed to different cultures, and different forms of filmmaking," she said.
Apparently, Deepa Mehta gave Zinta very short notice, and was surprised that her actress even made it there. Mehta said, "I didn't expect to see Preity in Dubai at such a short notice. It was very sweet of her to come since Heaven On Earth is as much her film as mine." The Dubai Film Fest was a double celebration of sorts for Deepa, as her brother, Dilip Mehta's film The Forgotten Woman was also screened there.
Attended by the likes of Salma Hayek, Goldie Hawn, Nicolas Cage... this fest proved to a Heaven on Earth experience for all those who attended it!
Bachchans, Hrithik, Preity & 'Rock On' team at Live Earth India concert
On July 7, 2007 (07/07/07), Live Earth, the concert for the crisis in the world climate, became the largest global entertainment event in the history, with simultaneous concerts being conducted in New York, London, Sydney, Tokyo, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg and Hamburg, and reaching an estimated audience of 2 billion people worldwide. This year the Live Earth India concert is expected to see a star-studded line up of the best performers from India and abroad.
Live Earth organizers announced an extensive list of superstars who will be participants during the upcoming Live Earth India concert scheduled to take place in Mumbai on December 7, 2008. Joining Live Earth India spokesperson, Amitabh Bachchan, and American rockstar Bon Jovi are the global list of superstars that includes Roger Waters, Will.i.am, Anoushka Shankar, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta, Bipasha Basu, Shiamak Davar, Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli, Hard Kaur, Vishal-Shekhar, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Nigam and Shaan.
Globally produced by Control Room and in partnership with India promoter and producers, Wizcraft International Entertainment, the concert will feature never-seen-before collaboration of western and Indian artists, a variety of musical genres from Indian to hip-hop to American rock. Appearances and messages from former U.S Vice President, Al Gore, IPCC Chairman and Director General TERI India, Rajendra K Pachauri, environmental advocates and celebrities are expected as well. Live Earth India will highlight personal and policy solutions to the climate crisis, offer support for India's more important environmental issues and causes, and provide a platform for India to consolidate its leadership role on climate issues.
"Live Earth's mission is to leverage the power of music and entertainment to focus the world's attention on the most pressing environmental issues of our time and then actively affect change. The addition of these celebrated and influential artists will increase the force of our event and shine a spotlight on the challenges and opportunities surrounding climate change issues in India. This is why Live Earth India is supporting TERI's 'Light a Billion Lives' campaign to provide solar lighting to millions of rural households and The Climate Project India's educational campaigns," said Kevin Wall, Live Earth founder.
The Live Earth India concert will reach millions of viewers worldwide through a simulcast on three channels of Star TV: Star Plus, Star World and Channel V.
Preity Zinta modelled her character in Heroes on her mother
Even as Preity Zinta's character in Samir Karnik's Heroes garners rave reviews it comes as a surprise to know that the role of the brave and dignified war widow is modelled on Preity's mother, Neelu Zinta.
Not only that, once Preity signed on, she worked for days on her character, language and body language with her director Karnik.
Says Preity, "The minute I read the script I knew I wanted to do it. You've no idea how many people discouraged me from doing Heroes. 'Arrey why do you want to play the mother of a growing child?; Tujhko log buddhi kahenge''. But I was adamant. I fell in love with my character. She reminded me of my mother. So many people have told me I look like her, especially in my shaadi ka joda.''
In Heroes, Preity plays a rustic Punjabi woman thrown into a crisis. ''It was easy for me to identify with the Punjabi woman in Heroes whose husband has died in the war. I come from an army background and I know what it is like to lose someone at the battlefront."
Preity unabashedly modelled the war widow's role in Heroes on her own mother. ''I always thought I looked like my father. But as I grow older, I think I've begun to resemble my mom. The other Punjabi woman I play in Heaven On Earth was much harder to play. I had no reference points except my director who held my hand as I suffered with my character for all the physical abuse she has to face."
Preity Zinta Gets A Slap
"When we were shooting the film, there was a scene where my co-star had to slap me and, of course, it was a mistake as he took one step forward and actually went smack across my face. It was the most humiliating experience of my life because everyone saw me getting slapped," Preity told IANS.
But this mishap, Preity says, has brought her closer to her role in the film, that bagged her the prestigious Silver Hugo Award for best actress in the Feature Film Competition section at the 44th Chicago International Film Festival.
"It changed my whole perception towards my role and I realised that it's so terrible to strip a woman of her spirit. It's better to die than to let your spirit die. This film took me to another zone; it just shattered me because I am someone who would immediately stand up for myself," she said.
Guess that slap was lucky for Preity because it not just improved her performance but also got her an International Award.
Heroes - Movie Review
Before we delve any further, let's clear a few misconceptions pertaining to this film. Just because the promos highlight the men in uniform, it doesn't mean HEROES is a 'war film'. Sure, it talks about love for the nation, but HEROES is not anti-Pakistan, is not jingoistic either, is nowhere close to BORDER, LOC and the likes, in terms of content.
HEROES talks about a journey undertaken by two boys and the three letters they've to deliver to the families of the deceased. HEROES is more of an emotional experience, how each family copes with life after their beloved has become a martyr.
Besides evoking strong emotions, HEROES also arouses strong patriotic feelings. There're moments in the film that compel you to salute those who guard our nation, so that we can sleep in peace. At the end, the message it delivers is simple -- You don't have to be a soldier to love your country.
Back to the two pertinent questions we raised at the outset. Question 1, Does Samir deliver? HEROES is a revelation. Cinema is all about narrating stories and Samir proves that he's a proficient storyteller. Question 2, will he prove lucky this time? Well, HEROES has all it takes to strike a chord, with family audiences mainly. The moments linger in your memory much after the show has concluded.
HEROES is the story Sammy [Sohail Khan] and Ali [Vatsal Sheth] who travel a thousand miles to deliver three letters as a part of their film school assignment. But little do they know that the journey they have embarked upon will give a new meaning to their life.
HEORES unfolds in three chapters. But before that you get to see the wild side of two misled youth who don't take life seriously. The first chapter, Salman-Preity, is the highpoint of the film. The emotional moments in this chapter are worth applauding. Note the moments between Salman-Preity and also between the kid [Dwij Yadav] and the two youth. The scene at the Indo-Pak border -- the fence dividing the two nations -- is amazing. Watch Preity missing her husband and also embracing his uniform. Another brilliant stroke! This chapter deserves a 10 on 10 for its high emotional quotient and captivating performances.
Chapter 2 is slightly less impactful than Chapter 1. The portions between Sunny and Bobby are well executed, but the writing isn't as compelling. Yet, the fight sequence -- when a group of hooligans act smart with Sunny's girlfriend [Hrishitaa Bhatt] -- is superb. Sunny's 'dhai kilo ka haath' and the way it shatters the tiles on the floor leaves a strong impact. Watch this sequence with the masses and you'd only hear whistles and claps. Another scene from this chapter -- Sunny paying his last respects to Bobby -- is moving.
The third chapter [Mithun, Dino] is the softest link. Nothing wrong with the writing or its execution, but something is missing, the pace suddenly dips. The match in the end works mainly because it has been edited well.
The ones who leave the maximum impression in this multi-starrer are, in this order, Salman [superb; one of his finest works], Preity [outstanding; has spoken Punjabi so fluently], Sohail [pleasant surprise; evolving into a very fine actor], Sunny [very likeable] and Mithun Chakraborty [mature]. Bobby is effective in a cameo. Wish he would've got more footage. Vatsal Seth is decent. Dino is just about okay. Dwij Yadav is first-rate. Prateeksha Lonkar is fair. Amrita Arora and Ria Sen are passable.
On the whole, HEROES is a genuinely well-made film with strong emotions as its trump card. At the box-office, the pre-Diwali dull phase notwithstanding, it has the merits to climb the ladder with a strong word of mouth. The film deserves to be tax-exempted for its noble theme and noble intentions.