Pics: What's been happening in tinseltown

Asin unveils her Filmfare cover, Vidya Balan at a musical concert and some more

I am Number One: That is what Asin seems to be saying


Too Much: That's Asin on the cover. We aren't fans. And her red and gold combination is a bit too shiny and loud. Tone it down, girl!


Bored: Vidya looks bored at a musical concert. And she shouldn't step out without her make up and hair done


Wah Ustaad Wah! That's the musical genius performing


Twosome: Kay Kay Menon and Rukhsar at a press meet for the Stoneman Murders


Grrr: Priyadarshan at the launch of horror film Grrr.

Vidya Balan gets chatty...

At the heart of a star resides a child that Vidya occasionally gets to nurture when she can free herself from the trappings of her profession, when she surprises morning-walkers at the Victoria Memorial lawns at the crack of dawn or has luchi sabji at Shri Hari before catching a morning flight to Mumbai.

Stardom doesn’t allow her indulgences, but Vidya isn’t complaining. Recollections of things past and an urge to experience some of what has been left far behind, even in small measures, doesn’t let her get blinded by the stardust.

“Nothing matches the innocence of a child. My mother’s name is Saraswati. Vidya is a very common name among Tamil Brahmins. Since education always takes a precedence over everything else, Vidya was a natural choice of name for us. We Tamil Brahmins celebrate Saraswati Puja on Vijaya Dashami. We’d offer books, pens and ghungroos at the deity’s feet. Trust me, that one day of being told not to study seemed like a huge loss just before the exams,” she says, recalling the compelling urge she’d invariably feel every Saraswati Puja to do her revision!

Conversation soon meanders towards the importance of education, especially when the success rate of drop-outs in the industry is pretty high. “I’m thankful to my parents for insisting that I give up Hum Paanch and complete my graduation. Education gives wings to broaden the horizons. I’d not judge the success stories of school drop-outs in the industry. I’d only say that one must not waste a chance to get educated, since there are so many others wanting and yet not being able to do so.

Recently, I ran the Mumbai Marathon for an NGO that supports the education of the girl child.” Yet, what Vidya doesn’t support, is how today’s children are being taught to only score the highest marks. “While it’s nice to see driven children, I wish they could fit into a system where education is an end in itself and not a means to an end. Today’s children have an instant reply to every question. In the name of professionalism, parents are often forcing child artistes to pick up the fine art of being battery-operated,” she says.

So, how is she as a student, when it comes to working with different directors with diametrically opposite working styles? “With Mani Ratnam, you will hardly get an okay when you expect one. It’s only when you are unsure, that he will say that the shot is okay. While Dada (Pradeep Sarkar) goes for multiple takes, Raju Hirani loves spontaneity.”

Challenging her skill with the constant process of learning and unlearning, has instilled in Vidya a renewed confidence in her strengths and an understanding that there is something about her vintage appeal that continues to mesmerise her audience, waiting to see her light up the screen again with Ishqiya and Pa this year.

Vidya Balan runs for Nanhi Kali with Verve Magazine at Mumbai Marathon

Vidya Balan pledged her support to Project Nanhi Kali, along with Verve magazine, at the recent Mumbai marathon. On the sunny morning of 18th January 09', Vidya ran alongside 35,000 Mumbaikars at the 6th Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, for Nanhi Kali.

Inspired by the projects outreach to over 48,000 underprivileged girl children in poor urban, and remote rural tribal communities, Vidya decided to come forward to support the cause and the project, along with Verve magazine. She also spent time interacting with 'nanhi kalis'. While the young girls were extremely happy to see their favourite star in person, Vidya too was very impressed by them.

The energy was palpable at the Marathon which showcased the spirit of Mumbai and Mumbaikars, who participated this year not only for their favourite charity but also to show solidarity post the 26/11 terror attacks.

In Pics: Stars support the Mumbai Marathon 2009

Bollywood A-listers turned up at the Mumbai Marathon to support the causes like a safer Mumbai, the fight against AIDS and uplifting the underprivileged. The marathon began in the wee hours of Sunday morning with Anil Ambani being the first marathon runner to arrive on the scene at 5 am.

Take a look.

Desi Boy: John Abraham showed off his hot bod in Dostana but he prefers to cover himself up with the Indian flag at the Marathon


Helping Hands: Arjun Rampal and wife Mehr run the Marathon with the physically disabled.


Sunshine Yellow: Vidya Balan looks good in this sporty avatar. We love the stylish glares. We hope she continues running to lose some weight!


Leggy Lads: Rahul Bose and Milind Soman show off their legs. Milind looks really tired


From Real Life to Reel Life: Anil Ambani sweats it out. Bikram Saluja's character's weight loss in 42 Kms is based on Anil Ambani


Not Without My Mother: Soha Ali Khan with mother Sharmila. We wonder where Saif is. Sharmila shows off her high fitness levels as she walks in the Marathon


Jai Ho: Tusshar Kapoor and Gulshan Grover wave flags to cheer the runners


Not Without My Husband: Politician and Sanjay Dutt's sister Priya Dutt-Roncon with hubby Owen Roncon


I'm Here Too: Media shy actor Om Puri turns up with his wife Nandita to support the Marathon.

Vidya Balan causes traffic jam

No, she’s not bad behind the wheel, it’s just that Vidya Balan’s enthusiastic ways can be a distraction for other motorists.

Recently, Vidya spotted director Raj Kumar Hirani at the Carter Road promenade in Bandra while she was in her car. The actress immediately rolled down the glass of her window and called out to the director. But Raju failed to notice her. Vidya then stopped her car and got down to meet him. And with that she brought the traffic to a
standstill too!

Vidya: Mean with men and machines!

Vids could well drive the boys crazy with her dusky beauty and sex-appeal (so what if she’s nowhere close to size zero, our desi men like all
kinds, no?).

But ask her to really drive, we mean drive a four-wheeler mean machine, and the gal pushes the panic button. The lovely Vids fears driving more than anything else. Apparently many years ago, while she was at the wheel, she crashed into a truck and narrowly escaped disaster. And for years nothing could bring her out of her ‘drive-o-phobia’; Vidya Balan would rather sit on KJo’s hot-seat everyday, than take charge of some swanky hot wheels. Such was her fear. Until now, of course. For her movie, Ishqiya, a scene demanded that she had to be on the driver’s seat; and no, she wasn’t allowed to ghumao the audiences with a body-double.

So Ms. V was left with no choice but to step on the gas
. Well, the director, Abhishek Chaubey, and the unit were very supportive. They had a van parked outside the sets throughout, so between her shots she could practice driving. Now the other question is — who will risk their life with her? Will it be Arshad? Or Naseer? Yep, they’re supposed to be in the car with this dangerously beautiful diva as she vrooms around town. Goodluck to the brave men, this is sure gonna be one helluva ride. As for Vids, we gotto tell you this babe, you’ve to be fast ‘n furious with both men and machines. Unless you know that already, of course.

Vidya Balan can’t grow up!

This actress never ceases to amuse us! Vidya Balan was in Wai and given a day off from shooting.

So what did Vids do? Well, she went into the hotel garden and flopped herself on a vacant swing. And every time she scaled a new height, Vidya would scream like a child – She even sat on the seesaw, and slides in the park. And there’s more. She enjoyed the merry-go-round more than a tiny tot would! She spent hours amusing herself... And while she went into ‘childhood mode’, the ‘adults’ were left thinking: Why some people just won't grow up! To this, Vidya has only one thing to say: Simple pleasures, ma friend!

Vidya Balan is the life of night schedules

"Parineeta" girl Vidya Balan not only stays in high spirits during late night shooting schedules, but also manages to keep everyone cheerful with her mimicry skills.

"Vidya is an excellent mimic and she imitates other actors with utmost ease. She is the life of our night schedules. She is high in spirits even at four in the morning. Neither does she feel sleepy nor does she let anyone get bogged down by work pressure," a unit member said.

"She always keeps smiling and cracking jokes," he added.

What's common between Vidya, Big B and SRK

Vidya is a night bird! Before coming to any wrong conclusions we need to clarify that Vidya just loves shooting for schedules kept during the night time.

"Vidya feels that energy levels are high during the night rather than in the day. During the day the heat saps her making her energy levels go down. She likes shooting in the nights," said a close freind of the actress.

Being energetic, Vidya has the units in splits. "She keeps the unit awake with her sense of humour. It keeps them hooked to work. Vidya is her chirpiest in the night," said the friend.

Guess after Mr. Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan, Vidya is the next insomniac on the block!

Vidya Balan takes acting lessons from Naseeruddin

Vidya Balan is doing every bit that she can to deliver her best in Vishal Bharadwaj's "Ishqiya". For this, she even joined a 10-day workshop with her co-star Naseeruddin Shah.

"The character that Vidya is playing in 'Ishqiya' is very complex and difficult to enact. Vidya thought that the way to emote the character on screen was best learnt from Naseeruddin Shah because the veteran actor is a master at it," a source close to the actress said.

"She was ecstatic to be discussing cinema with the master himself. Though they ended up discussing the film and cinema at length instead of doing a serious workshop, Vidya treasures the experience and is looking forward to working with the actor in the film," added the source.

Vidya, who stars opposite Arshad Warsi in the film, is not only taking lessons from Naseer but also also underwent classes to speak the typical Uttar Pradesh dialect during those 10 days.

"Vidya was just not familiar with the native that kind of Hindi. She mastered it by getting a teacher," said the source.

Vidya was caught by the US cops

Just when we were wondering where Vidya Balan had disappeared, she emerged from her short hiatus and told us that she was holidaying in the US.

According to the actress, the holiday was a much needed break. And guess what she did there? She attended a fashion show to raise funds for a cause and also watched the musical The Spring Awakening .

“We went on a picnic and walked around the Central Park and visited an aquarium in Georgia,” says her friend who accompanied the actress.

“There were a few American officers who had overheard some Indians talk about Vidya and how she is a famous actress in Bollywood. The officers immediately stopped Vidya. Initially she was taken aback, but when the officers asked her to pose with them, she gladly did. The funniest thing was when the officers looked up on the net for her and felt proud that they had actually posed with a leading Bollywood actress,” said the friend. Now isn’t that sweet?

Priyanka, Kareena, Harman, Vidya, Vivek, Zayed to walk ramp

The International Indian Film Academy [IIFA] will be showcasing unique events in an attempt to enable Indian cinema aficionados experience stardom. The highpoint of this year's IIFA celebrations would be the glamorous IIFA Fashion Extravaganza with leading Indian and Thai designers presenting their fashion lines at this prestigious platform.

What makes the IIFA Fashion Extravaganza even more special is that the beneficiary is the IIFA Foundation, a charity organization set up by IIFA to support families of the film industry workers who have been adversely affected during the production of a film. .

Scheduled on the second day of the IIFA Weekend Bangkok, the IIFA Fashion Extravaganza, presented by alternative clothing brand Mufti and Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, will be held at one of Thailand 's most high-profile venues, the Siam Paragon Hall. .

The glitzy extravaganza, hosted by Karan Johar, will showcase designs by Alta Moda, Mufti, Sabyasachi, Rohit Bal, Manish Malhotra and Vikram Phadnis. Choreographed by Lubna Adams, it will feature 25 Thai models and 15 Indian models adorning jewelry from Gitanjali Lifestyle and Diamrusa. .

Leading Indian stars will walk the ramp as showstoppers for their favorite designers. While Vidya Balan will add elegance to Sabyasachi's line, Kareena Kapoor will up the glam quotient for Manish Malhotra's designs. The cast of the forthcoming film DE TAALI, Aftab Shivdasani, Riteish Deshmukh and Ayesha Takia, will walk the ramp for Vikram Phadnis and the LOVE STORY 2050 couple -- Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja -- will be showstoppers for Rohit Bal. .

The MISSION ISTANBUL cast -- Zayed Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Shriya Saran, Shabbir Ahluwalia, Nikitin Dheer, Shweta Bharadwaj -- also promise to set the ramp on fire, while showcasing the look of the film. ACID FACTORY, a film that has just begun production, will also share its first look with Dia Mirza, Fardeen Khan, Dino Morea and Aftab Shivdasani walking the ramp, partaking in the revelry.

Shahid & Vidya - The 'Konnection' is on!

After months of speculation around romantic rendezvous of Shahid Kapoor and Vidya Balan, audience would finally get a chance to see it all happening for real. Well, if not off screen then certainly on the screen. Their film KISMAT KONNECTION is now complete and is confirmed for release soon.

The promos of the film have begun and in word, the effect is simply SMASHING. With a young feel to it that goes perfectly with the contemporary times that project the sense and sensibilities of the urban youth, KISMAT KONNECTION turns out to be a refreshing tale. Why refreshing? Because at the helm of affairs is none other than Aziz Mirza, the director of films like CHALTE CHALTE, PHIR BHI DIL HAI HINDUSTANI, YES BOSS and RAJU BAN GAYA GENTLEMAN, who has indeed moved on with the times.

Produced by TIPS and acquired by UTV - the team which came together for this year's biggest success RACE - the film is anticipating a mega reception, especially so ever since it's promos hit the music channels in the weekend gone by.

Also starring Juhi Chawla, KISMAT KONNECTION is looking at a July arrival.

I am not single now, Vidya

Vidya Balan couldn’t be happier. “I must say I’m very content in the space I’m occupying right now,” she says, indulging in some frank speak. With a mysterious smile, Vidya suggests she is no longer single and is enjoying it.

Vidya says, “The other evening, I went to watch Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak perform Dear Liar at Prithvi theatre.” On being asked who accompanied her, she chuckles, “Ah, it was friend whose name begins with ‘S’. I'm not saying any more than that!”

All this forthright talk without us mentioning Shahid even once! She adds, “I don’t deny that Shahid is a very close friend. For the first time, I’ve worked with a co-star who’s actually closer to me by way of age, experience and temperament. We were together for two months in Toronto shooting Aziz Mirza’s Kismat Connection and we really got along well.

I found him very calm and intelligent. I think we’re alike in many ways. I really enjoyed working with him. And I would love to do more films with him.”

She adds, “I’m amazed by the range of men I’ve been linked with. From Pradeep Sarkar it went to Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, John Abraham and now Shahid. I seem to have been going down the generations until I’ve finally come to a guy who’s my age,” she says. Time to stop here then, Vidya?

The secret behind Vidya Balan-Madhavan's incredible chemistry

Now it can be told. The reason Maddy and Vidya look so much in love is Maddy's 2-year old son Vedant. The child bonded so beautifully with Vidya on the sets of Guru that she became a part of Madhavan and his wife Sarita's inner circle.

All said and done, it's just an ad. But the chemistry that Vidya Balan and Madhavan share in the ad for a mobile company has spurred movie makers to plan at least a couple of movies with them together.

In fact, the cell phone company has now decided to put out a series of ads featuring Madhavan and Vidya as a couple connecting emotionally on the phone. Madhavan has been running in and out of Mumbai to complete these ads.

Says the busy Southern star, "Initially, I was only the brand ambassador for Airtel's southern market. But now they've signed me on for the whole country. And we've shot a series of ads with Vidya and me. For the last one week I've been running in and out Mumbai and Chennai. During the day-time I'm in Chennai shooting for a Tamil film. Then I take a night flight to Mumbai to dub for the ads."

Curiously Maddy and Vidya have hardly shot together for these ads about love and togetherness. "We've just done one shot together. The rest has been shot with the two of us separately. It's strange; people have noticed so much chemistry between us when we aren't even together in the ad. My wife Sarita loves the ad. She thinks Vidya is better than me in the ad. But then she's my harshest critic. All three of us Sarita, Vedant and I adore Vidya."

Vidya has done ads prior to her acting career. This is her first ad post-stardom. She thoroughly enjoyed doing this new yet old experience. "Years ago, I was supposed to do Tamil film with Maddy. Then we were also supposed to do a Deepa Mehta film together. I think Maddy and I were destined to special things in limited space. Both of us had cameos in Mani Ratnam's Guru. People still talk about our romantic scene in the rain (including a kiss). Now the Airtel ads. It's unbelievable how much chemistry people have seen between us in those few seconds. I always say it's the moments that make a romance. "

Vidya avoids Bebo

Vidya Balan stayed put in her car for a considerable amount of time to avoid coming face-to-face with Kareena Kapoor. The incident happened in London recently when both the actresses were to rehearse at the same venue for the Zee Cine Awards.

After Kareena broke-off with Shahid Kapur, B-Town buzz had Vidya being linked with Bebo’s ex and, at one time, she was even blamed for their parting of ways.

Says an onlooker, “It is clear that there is no love lost between Vidya and Kareena. As soon as Vidya reached the venue for the dance rehearsals, she enquired which stars were practising at the same time.

When Kareena and Saif’s names popped up, Vidya did a turnaround and went off outside. Despite the chill outside, Vidya preferred to brave the weather, rather than Bebo’s icy stares.”

So was the Parineeta actresses’ gesture just a way to avoid any confrontation?

Adds the onlooker, “It was clear that Vidya did not want to be in Kareena’s path. Being at the same spot would have been uncomfortable for her.”

Numerology plays an important part in Vidya Balan’s life. When she was put up in a suite at Hotel Crown Plaza at St James Court in London, the actress was extremely happy with the arrangements but the only hitch was that her suite number 1169 did not add up to a favourable number so it would prove unlucky to her. As a result, the actress asked for a change in room with a number that was numerologically correct and lucky for her.

Vidya Balan to star opposite Abhishek Bachchan in Pa

The ad maverick Balki's first feature film Cheeni Kum made a dynamic dent in audience's minds. It also made him a lifelong Amitabh Bachchan fan. Having gotten masterly performances out of Tabu and the Big B in Cheeni Kum, you'd expect him to recreate the same magic in his next feature film.

But no. Balki is on to a different route for his second film. His next film entitled Pa which begins at the end of the year features real-life father-son Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan. And no Tabu! This, in spite of her brilliant performance. "But that's because Pa has no room for Tabu at all. This time the story is a father-son one. Amitabh has no love interest in the film. And sorry about that. Abhishek does have a girl though." And for the first time Junior is being paired with the petite and lately out-of-sight Vidya Balan.

Says Balki, "We've already approached Vidya and she's more-or-less agreed. I can see her as a pair with Abhishek, can't you?" Vidya comes into the picture through her sister Priya who works with Balki at Lintas. "In fact, it's Priya I know well. I got to know Vidya only when we started talking for Pa," says Balki.

After repeated pairing with Preity, Rani and Priyanka, Abhishek is on the look-out for fresh collaborative opportunities. Vidya Balan is someone the Bachchans have admired from the time the Big B saw her in Parineeta and then worked with her in Eklavya. The Big B had compared Vidya with his favourite actress Waheeda Rehman. Both father and son adore Waheedaji.

So is Balki looking at the prospect of directing a new pair? "I don't look at it that way. Vidya suits the role. I've known her from her ad days. Though we haven't done any ad together, she has done ads for my company Lintas."

One questions remains. Why don't encore- projects happen with Tabu even after powerhouse performances the first time? Madhur Bhandarkar's Chandni Bar and Balki's Cheeni Kum led to no second project. In fact the only directors whom Tabu has worked with more than once are Priyadarshan and Gulzar.

Subash K. Jha

BHOOL BHULAIYAA completes 200 days

The excitement that surrounds BHOOL BHULAIYAA simply refuses to die. One of the biggest blockbusters last year, the film completes 200 days on April 28, 2008. Directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Bhushan Kumar of T-Series, BHOOL BHULAIYAA opened to a gratifying response and had a stupendous run at theatres all over India and even abroad. The film was truly admired by the cine-goers for its mild comedy and psychological suspense. Apart from Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Shiney Ahuja and Amisha Patel, the film also stars the comic jodi of Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav along with the veterans Asrani, Vikram Gokhale and Manoj Joshi who come together to complete the team.

BHOOL BHULAIYAA is a remake of a Malyalam hit, which was also remade as CHANDRAMUKHI in Tamil. While this film was predominantly a dramatic film with strong angles of myth and horror, BHOOL BHULAIYAA suggests a comedy, though myth is an underlying force. It successfully grips the audiences' interest by mysterious turn of events and is a perfect blend of thrill and humor revealing undiscovered dimensions of human psychology.

Shahid and Vidya were spotted at a restaurant

Are Shahid Kapoor, Bollywood’s new Prince Charming, and the pretty Vidya Balan an item? It would seem so going by earlier rumours and the more recent sighting of the couple enjoying a quiet little dinner at a suburban restaurant.

The two were accompanied by a friend who looked lost in her world, while Vidya and Shahid chatted and laughed in gay abandon. She was dressed in a knee-length black dress held in place by a big belt while he, well, had on his usual charming smile! The meal over, the couple got into a fight over who’s treat was it! “Let me pay. If you don’t allow me, next time I’ll never come out with you again,” said Vidya snatching the bill.

It is good to see Shahid happy and smiling since his break-up with long-time girlfriend Kareena Kapoor. Vidya and he grew fond of each other then, though she denied an involvement, and the two maintained that they were just good friends. Later Shahid was linked to tennis star Sania Mirza. Apparently, he visits her whenever she’s in town or whenever he goes to Hyderabad.

Professionally, several top Bollywood actresses are wanting to work with him, starting with Katrina Kaif in the face of reported strong opposition from Salman Khan. Jiah Khan, too, was supposedly doing everything possible to adjust her dates for Ghajini to act opposite Shahid in Star. Fortune, it seems, is returning his smile for smile.

Sharin Wader

I’d like love to happen:Vidya

With two hits – Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Heyy Babyy – in her kitty, Vidya Balan's career is going great guns and she believes the industry has started offering meaty roles to actresses.

"I'm lucky to be a part of the movie industry when leading ladies are no longer decorative. It's providential that I started with a good film. From the very start when dada (Pradeep Sarkar) showed so much faith in me by giving me Parineeta, the industry has made substantial space for me."
So is she doing her Heyy Babyy director Sajid Khan's next film? "There's been no formal talk on this. Sajid hasn't offered me the role. I've been reading reports that I'm doing the film. Right now he's writing his next film."

Vidya had five releases last year – besides the two hits mentioned she's done Eklavya: The Royal Guard, Salaam-E-Ishq and Guru. She also made a brief appearance in the title song of Om Shanti Om.

“I was very happy about all my five releases in 2007, though some of them didn't do well. By the grace of God, there're lots of interesting roles happening. I'm in the process of signing some more. Since I came to cinema, my criteria for signing a role remain unchanged. I've never been in a hurry to get anywhere. Things are happening at a pace I'm enjoying. And I'm not insecure."

The actress, who was seen in Rajkumar Santoshi's Halla Bol along with Ajay Devgan this year, has no regrets."I don't regret anything. I'm a hopeless optimist. I feel what I've to go through will happen regardless of how much I fight it."
The industry is looking at Akshay Kumar and Vidya as a hit pair after Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa. "I'd love for us to be seen that way. Even Katrina Kaif-Akshay look great together. I'd love to work with Akshay again. Yes, we have offers together. He's a great co-star. The icing on the cake is our films together have worked."

In Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Vidya had a tough role to play. "Yes, it was a frightening experience. My director Priyadarshan handled very intelligently the last 20 minutes of the story when I get into a supernatural rage while dancing. I love Priyan. He's a man of few words. We even converse in Malayalam."

This year Vidya was supposed to do another film with Priyadarshan. "But there's a problem with the leading man. I'd love to work with Priyan again. I've been fortunate that directors have signed me more than once."

Any hopes for 2008? "Add some spice to my own life and not wait for others to do it for me. I would like love to happen. But I'm not holding my breath for it. Yes, there are times when I get lonely. But most of the time I'm quite happy being with my family and myself."

Unlike Preity Zinta, Vidya has made no pledge to stay away from actors in her personal life. "Some people are doctors, others are actors. My companion can be from any walk of life. If he's an actor we can both carry our own mirrors to the sets and be narcissistic individually. And we can have mirrors all over the house. Instead of looking into each other's eyes, we can look into the mirrors," Vidya joked.