Vivek Oberoi’s new mystery girl!

Vivek Oberoi walked in with a mystery young woman at car designer Dilip Chhabria’s party on Friday night. But the hero who is said to be dating the girl in question tried his best to not get photographed with her.

“He walked in to the Taj Mahal hotel first and a couple of minutes later she walked in. Throughout the evening he avoided the cameras. Even when photographers asked them to pose together, Vivek declined. He in fact made sure he kept his distance from her all evening,” says a guest from the party.

Vivek was heard telling everyone that the two are just “good friends”.

“When they media asked him about her, he just smiled and refused to say anything. In fact he told the photographers don’t put anything out now. If you have to then do it a fortnight later… nothing now please,” said Oberoi.

So now the hunt is on to discover all about Vivek’s mystery friend of the evening. She reminded us a lot of Jaqueline Fernandes – the actress that Oberoi was linked to some time back as well.

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.

New 'Mission Istanbul' Trailer

First Look - Mission Istaanbul

VO replaces Harman

Vivek Oberoi has replaced newbie Harman Baweja in an upcoming unitled flick, produced by Kumar Taurani of Tips. It is being directed by Kuki Gulati, Tips’ in-house music video director.

Says a source, “Harman has no release to his credit yet he has been throwing his weight.

He turned down established actresses the producers got for him to star opposite him. Fed up of his dilly-dalling, he was shown the door.

Harman has three films on the floors right now. One is his acting debut Love Story 2050, directed by his father Harry Baweja.

The other being Ajit Pal’s Victory and lastly, Anees Bazmee’s untitled film being produced by Sanjay Kapoor.

The source adds, “Harman made too many unnecessary demands for the project. Kumar Taurani had already paid him a hefty signing amount.

He wanted to work only with young actresses and not with any established female stars, as he felt that the age difference between them would be evident on the screen. He also refused to work with Bipasha Basu citing the same reason.”

Adds the source, “Since the Bipasha episode, Taurani tried to reason with Harman. But now Kumar Taurani has dropped the idea to make the film with Harman and Vivek has been signed.

The actress opposite Vivek is being finalised.” The movie is slated to go on the floors later in the year.

Vivek Oberoi parts ways with dad

So it has finally happened. Actor Vivek Oberoi and father Suresh Oberoi have parted ways. The father will not be managing his son's career any more. He confirmed the news saying, "I am no long handling his work now."

Apparently Oberoi Sr hasn't taken rumours blaming him for his son's debacle too well. When we spoke to him, he said "I felt very sad when I learnt that people were commenting about me like that. So I decided to give the ropes to someone else."

Surge Management Company has replaced Suresh Oberoi.

Vivek's career, which seemed promising at the beginning, plummeted at some point and has never since recovered.

The actor started off with Ram Gopal Varma's Company and then went on to deliver another hit in Saathiya. At the time, he was being made out to be Hrithik Roshan's strongest competitor.

Trouble started after he got involved with Aishwarya Rai. Insiders insist that this was the beginning of the end. Then he did what many consider the most immature action of his life – called a press conference against Salman Khan.

The move cost him dear – Aishwarya Rai left him and he had made an enemy out of Salman.

Meanwhile he had also rubbed other biggies the wrong way. He turned down Yash Raj's Hum Tum and closed that door too. Others who wanted to work with him began to stay away after they learnt that Suresh Oberoi was making decisions for Vivek.

Slowly but steadily the actor's career went downward. His attempts at helping the Tsunami-affected people were seen as publicity stunts.

Recently he returned to the big screen with Shootout at Lokhandwala. But evidently that film too has done little or nothing to salvage his flagging career.

It remains to be seen now if Surge can give Vivek what he needs the most – a serious image makeover.

Jhonny Vaz

Vivek got slapped at a party

Last week, Vivek Oberoi got into trouble at a dinner party hosted at a friend’s home — by flirting with the host’s girlfriend!

Says an eyewitness present, “Last week, Vivek and his Mission Istanbul (MI) director Apoorva Lakhia were at a common friend’s party in Bandra. They’d been shooting continuously for MI for 10 days at Madhusudhan Mills and this was a welcome break.

After a few drinks, VO started flirting with the host’s girlfriend, a foreigner. At first, she politely ignored his overtures but then, he kissed her. She replied with a resounding slap.”

The shocked host pushed the actor. The source adds, “Apoorva tried to intervene but the duo got into a scuffle. It was some time before Apu grabbed Vivek’s arm, dragged him out of the host’s place and drove him home.”

The morning after, Vivek showed no repentance. The source says, “Everyone thought Vivek would apologise for his boorish behaviour.

Surprisingly, four days have passed and Vivek still behaves as if the incident wasn’t his fault. Apu has sworn not to go with Vivek to any party again.”

Apoorva Lakhia tries to laugh away the story. “I really do not understand where this news has come from but it’s totally ridiculous and untrue.

I have been shooting 6 am-7 pm shifts with Vivek and Zayed (Khan) at Madhusudhan Mills since March 28 for Mission Istanbul so that pretty much sums it up.

I guess for some very secure people it’s cool to kick a guy when he’s down but it’s getting a bit boring, don’t you think?”

Vivek’s publicist said there was no truth to the story, “Nothing of this sort happened.”

Upala KBR, Mid-Day

A sneak peek into Dabboo Ratnani's 2008 Calendar

“I didn’t want it to be glamorous. The 2007 Calendar was mostly of bright happy day light pictures. Here we kept it little more dark, warm and with high density,” said celebrated photographer Dabboo Ratnani about his superlative 2008 Calendar featuring 24 hottest Bollywood hunks like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Rampal, Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan, Bobby Deol, Vivek Oberoi, Shahid Kapoor etc. We at Bollywood Hungama have chosen eight out of these twenty four brilliantly artistic pictures in this exclusive photo feature. Hope you have a great time shining with the stars.



Shahrukh Khan

Dabboo-Speak: I reached the location and saw the bright blue sky behind me. I placed the mirror and said I want Shahrukh to wear blue & white because there is a white wall and there is blue sky so we will stick to blue & white in this picture.

What-We-Feel: SRK is the flying eagle who knows his destination. There’s style in that flowing white shirt and denims are always in fashion. The stretched hands say…Only I can touch myself, no one can come close to where I am…perched right at the Top.



Neil Mukesh

Dabboo-Speak: It’s a John Woo meets James Bond kind of look. John Woo often uses two guns in most of his action sequences and the look, the styling was very James Bond. I just gave this idea to Neil. He has got an international look about him. I thought he fitted the concept beautifully.

What-We-Feel: The killer cool dude attitude rests lightly on Neil’s shapely shoulders. There’s panache, poise and determination in those hungry eyes. Bollywood…here I came…(by the way…I don’t mind digging into some Hollywood stew either!)



Ranbir Kapoor

Dabboo-Speak: The look is from the movie Cobra starring Sylvester Stallone. We had decided a very very cinematic kind of picture. I told him just imagine that you are in a middle of a chase sequence and you know you leave the steering and you get out of the window and you are trying to fire at the people who are following you. He followed the theme completely. We put up lamp posts, we put up traffic signal, we had car zooming by so we got all the sticks of the lights in the car, the reflection of the car. It was pretty much the largest set up ever done for my calendar pictures. We’ve only seen him in Saawariya. He is one film old. He was a complete lover boy and I thought he could pull of an action sequence really well.

What-We-Feel: We’ve seen him drop (almost) that famous white towel. Now, it’s the turn to see the grungy dirty white vest with a heavy gun resting on that power chest. Rambo-Shades, worker’s faded jeans and a hard, two-day-stubble, in short this fierce look gives Ranbir Kapoor the perfect makeover that the prospective filmmakers would love to latch on to. Now….taste my fire!



Hrithik Roshan

Dabboo-Speak: We used his shoulder, the blades of his shoulders and shoulder balls where he is on the ground, his head is closed. It’s an unusual angle for Hrithik. We’ve never done this before and the whole cracked look in the fore ground and the whole make up was very gold. It’s a January page so when you open, it’s like a warm nice picture and it hits you in Jan.

What-We-Feel: Chiseled in Gold, this emblem of perfection shocks you with sheer intensity and handsomeness. Laidback seductive eyes are smouldering with ambition and intensity. This one’s a precious metal…And maybe you can’t fix a price on extra special entities. Isn’t it?




Salman Khan

Dabboo-Speak: With Salman we shot in a farm house. The thought was exactly Marlboro country. Even the treatment of tones that we have used is very warm gold and he is sitting on his own. It’s like a cow boy kind of a setting Marlboro country. Salman fits it beautifully because the whole check shirt, that cowboy hat, that attitude, Salman has it all.

What-We-Feel: While the others try too hard to get noticed by doing something sizzling-n-flashy, this superbly good looking dude can find priceless treasure in a haystack. It’s time he is offered something radically different for this look is worth preserving on celluloid. For the time being he is in a mood-to-chill while the laidback wind sings….Country roads take me home…



Shahid Kapoor

Dabboo-Speak: People have always used him like a chocolate boy kind of look. I didn’t want to do what people expect so I didn’t want to do like a happy smiley picture. I wanted to do a little more rugged look with him where he is in this whole setting of the painter. He has painted the room black & white and he has got a moment off and he is looking down roller in his hand, the painter’s brush all around him. So the idea was to make him look tough, make him look cool. It has a very grungy element to it.

What-We-Feel: It’s a hard life and one need not always have the brightest of shades to paint emotions. The boy in Shahid has matured into an impressive young man who has that impish boyish charm and yet has a tinge of sublime sensibility way beyond his age. Sometimes I find Mauja hi Mauja in doing quiet things under the confines of closed walls.



Rahul Bose

Dabboo-Speak: I was shooting with Saif and I saw a room where there was a bulb. I looked at the bulb and said I could use this in a different way. People use bulb in picture but I wanna use it like you know the burning filming the tungsten showing and some one’s face really close to it, something really intense. Rahul was my choice because he is unusual for a calendar. You never see Rahul Bose in a calendar. I got him really close to the light bulb. He said should I just lick it? I said great idea let’s try it and he put his tongue on a hot bulb. When I clicked I knew this is the frame and I knew I don’t want any other picture.

What-We-Feel: Rahul Bose dares to be different. When you look at the picture its not as if he is licking danger, rather it seems he is licking Pleasure. The picture has an astoundingly erotic quality to it and that earthy rawness gives it a startling Real feel. Let the ‘fire’works begin…



Vivek Oberoi

Dabboo-Speak: It’s after a fight club kind of scene where Vivek has been through his street fight. He has got blood, grease, it’s dirty all over but he doesn’t care. He just picks up a cigarette, lights it up there. I prefer him with his whole grungy rugged beard long hair. Vivek was one of my first shoots that I did for the calendar because he was traveling to Turkey for his film shoot for three months. When I did the shoot of Vivek, I pretty much was clear that ok this is what I wanted to do and I am going to take this root for the calendar and I wanted it to be dark.

What-We-Feel: Vivek loves to live-on-the-edge. Blood rests easy on his chest-n-shoulders while the unkempt smoke flakes scatter ceaselessly. Somehow he looks best in this grungy, masculine look rather than the clean-shaven mould. These eyes-of-the-tiger are only gunning for success….romance can wait!

Faridoon Shahryar For Bollywood Hungama

Vivek Oberoi in Istanbul

Meanwhile far away from all filmli jhamelas of break ups and hook ups of tinsel town, Vivek Oberoi is leading a quite life in faraway Istanbul, Turkey.

No he isn’t on vacation, but shooting for Apoorva Lakhia’s Mission Istanbul, where we heard he’s playing a Turkish commando.

It’s been months since Vivek is shooting for the film,” says one of his friends. Anyway for Vivek staying away from tinsel town means staying out of controversies as well, what say!

TNN

Vivek Oberoi left Gurpreet Gill for greener pastures

Vivek Oberoi left Gurpreet Gill for greener pastures. "But now my pasture couldn't get any greener than this," says Oberoi's former flame.

Besides Viveik Oberoi, Gurpeet dated Timmy Narang. "One of these two went well as long as it lasted. As for the other one….how the mighty have fallen from his heights. I feel sorry for the guy," she says.

Gurpreet has returned to Mumbai with marriage on the cards. She says, "I was out of the country for nearly six months. I was trying to keep my love life under wraps because I didn't want anyone to cast an evil eye. But now that I'm getting married on November 6 and 7 (we'll have a Sikh and a catholic wedding), there's no way I can hide it…I don't even want to hide it. I want to shout out my love from the rooftops."

Gurpreet's fiance is a Swiss banker named Daniel. "We met at a bank event in Mumbai exactly fourteen months ago. There was instant chemistry. But I was cautious. I didn't want my heart to be broken again," she says.

Gurpreet will have a Sikh and a Catholic wedding. She says, "The cosmpolitan union suits both Daniel and me. I'm Sikh. His mother is Swiss and his dad is Spanish. You can imagine what our kids' passports will look like."

After marriage Gurpreet will move to Dubai where her husband has some work to attend to. "Then we'll settle down in Singapore…We're planning to honeymoon in a chain of Caribbean islands called the Turks & The Caicos.

But wasn't she linked with small-time actor Saahil Khan recently? Gurpreet says, "Are you kidding? Saahil was training me in the gym. He has got a great body. But I don't need anybody else."

Watchout for Vivek's performance in SHOOT OUT...

His role in NAKSHA, may not have found the desired appeal with Sunny Deol holding center stage but Viveik Oberoi's performance in SHOOT OUT AT LOKHANDWALA, will be something to watch out for according to director, Apoorva Lakhia. The film is based on a series of events that happened in 1991 when gangster, Maya Dolas had spread a reign of terror. Viveik's character is loosely inspired by Maya Dolas' character and Lakhia specially chose him to play the role after seeing his performance in COMPANY. "The role is tailor-made for him and his was the first name that came to my mind when I started casting for the film. He was fantastic in both COMPANY and SAATHIYA, two of his films that I had seen before," Apoorva reveals.

He is all praise for Viveik's performance in the film. "He is an intense performer but I think his performance in my film is just above the ordinary. Moreover, Viveik is an involved actor, who takes his role to a very different level," Apoorva adds. According to him, Viveik has had a rough patch in his career like most other actors do, but he feels that Viveik has a great future ahead.