Ram Charan Teja Gets Engaged Today

Ram Charan Teja, son of actor Chiranjeevi, who wowed K-Town with Mahaveeran, is all set to get engaged tonight. He gets married to his sweetheart for a long time, Upasana Kamineni.

The duo will be getting married in a simple ring ceremony at a friend's farmhouse (entrepreneur Pratap Reddy's farmhouse).

A friend of Charan's says, "This is a big event for all of us in Tollywood. It is a big vacation for us, where all of us are looking forward to catching up with each other and being part of the couple's big day."

The wedding is scheduled to be sometime in early next year and Upasana, we hear, has already shown a lot of interest in Charan's career and decisions. What's more, the actor too consults her for everything, it seems!

Haripriya Mobbed by Media

On Tuesday morning, Haripriya faced an uncomfortable situation at Tirupathi.

The Muran actress, who was making a short pilgrimage trip to the temple town from her residence in Bangalore, was flummoxed when she saw a barrage of local television channels awaiting her arrival.

Haripriya, who's enjoyed some successful releases in the recent past, including the Telugu film Pilla Zamindar, made a quick dash from the media and fans. "She was quite upset as the trip was a private affair and she's upset how the media wouldn't spare her even at such times," says a friend of the actor.

Meet Facebook Star Nisha Shetty

Music director turned director R P Patnaik won praises for his directorial venture, Broker.

Now, he focuses on the new age problem - cyber crime. His new film titled Facebook revolves around the fake identities on social network websites and deceit. Produced by Malla Vijay Prasad, the film has completed its shoot recently.

The film has Nischal, Uday, Surya Tej, Gemini Suresh, Archana Sharma, Nisha Shetty and Preeti as the lead cast.

'It is a new concept. We are talking about the habits of this generation and how some people are using social network websites in a wrong manner. Yet the film is told in an entertaining manner,' R P Patnaik said.

Porn Star Sunny Leone to Enter Bigg Boss House

Last year we had Pamela Anderson on Bigg Boss and the TRP soared through the roof.

And now the show's producers are flying in Sunny Leone from the US. No guessing what the TRPs will be like this time.

For those who are going 'Sunny who?', here's the dope.

Sunny Leone is a porn star! Yup, you got that right.

And for some reason, censorship rules that go 'uh-uh' over a kiss here or a short hemline there have no problems about an actress who deals in pornography being on our TV screens!

Of Indian descent - Sunny was born to Sikh parents - she grew up first in Canada and then later moved to the US.

Growing up, Sunny was quite the tomboy. She was athletic and liked nothing better than challenging the boys to a game of ice hockey.

Though she was raised a Sikh, Sunny was enrolled in a Catholic school because her parents didn't want her attending public school.

School girl gone bad - sounds like a storyline that many porn films favour.

On her website, Sunny describes her adolescent years and the time she spent in Catholic school. She claims she had her first kiss at 11, found out she was bisexual at 14, and lost her virginity to a basketball player at 16.

It's not like Sunny dived head first into the 'blue' side of entertainment. She tried her luck with other job options. For example, she worked in a German bakery, a Jiffy Lube - a company that offered automotive services - and also had a short stint with a tax and retirement firm.

She even thought about becoming a nurse! For real, and not dress up for a porn film.

But while studying nursing, a friend introduced her to an agent who put her in touch with Jay Allen, a photographer for Penthouse magazine.

Then followed a slew of magazine appearances, with labels like Penthouse, Hustler, High Society, Swank, Cheri and Mystique Magazine.

She was so good at what she did that she was named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003.

But pantyhose modelling and magazine spreads were getting too tame for Sunny.

She signed a 3-year contract with Vivid, and with that she moved into the world of hardcore porn - from which there was no return.

Today, Sunny has her own website, is one of the most searched porn stars on the internet, is a businesswoman and was named by Maxim as one of the 12 top porn stars of 2010!

Her entry into Bigg Boss is sure to ruffle feathers. It's already got Rakhi Sawant's goat.

'They [the channel and the production house] could have selected any other woman from India. There are so many controversial or bold girls like Sambhavna Seth, Kashmira Shah, Poonam Pandey to name a few,' she said.

'Why have they selected a sattebaaz who has ruined the name of her own country? Once was probably OK, but now they are doing it again and again. I strongly condemn this move,' added Rakhi.

Meanwhile, in the house, the housemates better get ready for a hurricane.

Pooja Misrra is going to get some competition, and the guys are going to have to watch themselves.

Bachchans Upset with Morphed Pictures of Newborn

Pictures of Aishwarya Rai and her newborn baby girl have been doing the rounds on the internet. However, Ash's father-in-law, megastar Amitabh Bachchan and her husband, Abhishek Bachchan have claimed the pictures to be fake.

'Many morphed pictures of the 'little one' with her mother in hospital doing the rounds on the net... all fake!!' -- Amitabh posted on his Twitter page.

'To be my daughter in her mother's arms. Full points for creativity to the people who made them. Spent the morning with the girls and showing them some rather entertaining photos morphed by some very talented people of who is supposed...' Abhishek wrote with sarcasm.

Aishwarya gave birth to her first child Wednesday morning at a private hospital in Mumbai. Abhishek announced the news through the micro-blogging site.

The electronic media gave only limited footage to the news of Ash's delivery, following a reported 10-point directive from the Broadcast Editor's Association (BEA) warning news channels against excessive coverage on TV of her childbirth.

Thanking the media, the Bachchan senior tweeted: 'And once again a word of kindness to the electronic media for their non interference and dignified distance... thank you!!

'A word of appreciation too, to the print media for highlighting a few salient points... our joy in welcoming the girl child... and emphasising the commendable desire of Aishwarya in having a normal delivery without any epidural or pain killers. The often coined phrase 'too posh to push' was put to rest in her case... she was determined to do it the way she felt was correct!' he added.

The 69-year-old third-time grandfather is already receiving suggestion for the baby's name, though Abhishek has chosen to nickname her 'Beti B'.

'More time spent with the 'little one'... each and every movement sinking deep into our memory cells... to narrate to them when older! Thank you all for sending in suggestions for names for the baby... some of them really good... will run it by the parents!' he wrote.

Delhi Belly to be Remade in Tamil!

It's offical UTV's successful Hindi hit of the year Imran Khan's Delhi Belly is going to be remade in Tamil by director Kannan.

Kannan will be joining hands with director John Mahendran who will be writing dialogues for the film with an young rising star as the hero.

Kannan has made earlier Kanden Kathali the remake of Jab We Met. His last film as a director Vandhan Vendraan was a failure, so he is going back into the remake mode.

Delhi Belly remake will be shot with a Chennai milieu. Some hard Chennai swear words will be used in the film. As of now the producer of the film remains unknown and Kannan himself is not willing to talk.

Sonia Aggarwal’s Big Comeback Film

Actress Sonia Aggarwal's big comeback film, Oru Nadigayin Vakkumoolam, is nearing completion.

With the audio of the film being launched on November 28 and the film hitting the screens in the first week of December, looks like things are proving to be quite hectic for its director Rajkrishna.

He says, "This is a big project for me as my gurus, Vikraman, A Venkatesh, Rajkapoor and Manobala have acted in this film."

We hear Jithan Ramesh has also danced for a racy folk song for this film. "He comes as himself in this. For this song, I got in folk singers from Madurai, Karaikudi, Vathalagundu and Usilampatti to write the lyrics. It's a typical naatupura pattu and will be one of the highlights of the film," he insists.

Ritesh, Genelia to Enter Wedlock in 2012

Bollywood actors Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza have confirmed reports that they will be tying the knot next year.

"Its an exciting new chapter in our lives and all your wishes and blessings make it even more beautiful and special for Riteish and me," Genelia wrote on Twitter. Wishes started pouring in for the couple, since the time the news of their wedding started floating around. "Am thrilled to bits and excited about one of my closest friends upcoming wedding!!

@Riteishd is truly a special guy!! And he and @geneliad make an absolutely wonderful couple!! Big love to them!!," filmmaker Karan Johar had tweeted. "@Riteishd Congratulations 'Chupe Rustom' lol..time for celebrations. Love to G," actor Arjun Rampal said. "@Riteishd happy happy for u Rits and @ geneliad at the announcement, congrats, good luck and God bless," celebrity photographer Atul Kasbekar tweeted. "One of my closest friends just gave me the best news!

I am so happy. Good things happen to good people! Thats what makes every day worth it. Yes, the 'good things and good people' tweet was about @geneliad and @Riteishd. She is like family to me and he is a treasure! Thrilled," actor Siddharth said. "@Riteishd U & gene have balanced career & personal life with equal priority! Inspiring! My best wishes Ritz!," actress Amrita Rao said. "Thanking everyone for the best wishes..A big thank you for all your good wishes. Love you all," Riteish tweeted.

Riteish and Genelia began seeing each other on the sets of their Bollywood debut, 'Tujhe Meri Kasam' in 2003. Neither of them ever publicly acknowledged their relationship but Riteish, son of Congress minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, said in a media report recently that they will seal their relationship with a wedding in 2012.

Shriya's Puppy Love

Every dog has its day! Ask Shriya Saran! Apparently, the actress, while shooting for Rumi Jaffery's Galli Galli Main Chor Hain came across this abandoned stray puppy and took it under her wings.

A unit source revealed, "We were shooting in one of the roads in Bhopal when Shriya happened to spot this puppy struggling to remain afloat in an overflowing gutter. It was badly bruised and could barely manage to take care itself. Seeing it in a sorry state, Shriya gave it shelter. The first thing she did was got him cleaned and took him to a vet. She even named him Turu and became quite attached to him. Since she didn't have the heart to part with him, she decided to keep it with her."

The pup had a whale of a time playing inside Shriya's vanity van while the actress shot for the film. "Those few days that Turu was on the sets, it had practically become a part of the unit." After she finished her schedule, she wanted to leave him in safe hands. She advertised on her micro-blogging page, and soon, a die-hard fan of hers came forward to adopt Turu.

India can Host the F1 World Championship: Akshay Kumar

India's first Formula One race at the Buddh International Circuit made heads turn as thousands of people turned up to catch the action live and besides sport lovers, a host of Bollywood celebrities descended on the venue.

Though actor Akshay Kumar was busy shooting for Housefull 2, he praised India's endeavor to host the international sport in Delhi. Akshay was unable to attend the Formula One event in the capital but the actor had something to say. "I really wanted to attend the F1 race but since I was busy shooting, I saw the race on television and I must say that the track was great," Akshay told us adding, "This was an important moment for the country and a huge step in the field of sports." And with a dash of optimism, he said, "Though it is too early to say but I feel that India has the potential to host the Formula One world championship soon."

Dhanush's Kolaveri a Rage!

The Superstar's son-in-law is proving his mettle as a singer as well.

The single from the movie 3 first made headlines because it was leaked online. Then actor Dhanush clarified saying that the song that was leaked was only two per cent of the original song. It was tweaked by young music director Anirudh and finally released as single a few days back. And no sooner had it been released it is already a rage among the youth in the city. Says youngster Ajay S, "The song is fab. Dhanush sure knows how to give youth songs that they like."

The National Award winning actor has also sung some songs in Mayakkam Enna, a movie directed by his brother Selvaraghavan, that will be released next week. Looks like the Superstar's son-in-law is now turning ac singer as well!

Kajal Bags the Lead in Vijay’s Next

Post his successful outing with Velayudham, Vijay is all geared up to start working on his next project with 7aum Arivu director A R Murugadoss.

According to an industry source, the heroine has been finalized and it's none other than Kajal Aggarwal! This will be the first time that the three will get together to work on a film. The actress has already proved her mettle in Kollywood and even in Bollywood with the success of Singham, the remake of the Tamil flick.

There was a buzz initially in Kollywood that Priyanka Chopra had been approached to play the lead in this movie which will be shot extensively in Mumbai. Vijay, who will also be working with the Ghajini director for the first time, is excited about this actionadventure flick.

Now with the cast settled, it looks like the movie will take off as planned at the earliest. It's rumoured that the movie will start off in Tiruchendur in Thoothukudi and then move along the coast to Mumbai.

Sonakshi Comfortable with Indian Look

Sonakshi Sinha shot to fame with her rustic village belle look in 'Dabangg', and the actress is still in love with her desi avatar. She says she wouldn't mind playing a simpleton again.

'Why not? You know, I am an Indian, I am a Hindi film heroine, and I am getting roles. There is no dearth of work and all the roles coming my way have been Indian. I am definitely open to doing western roles but if people see me fit enough to play that Indian heroine, I am absolutely okay with that,' Sonakshi said during the launch of her film 'Lootera'.

Sonakshi, who plays the role of a traditional Bengali woman in 'Lootera', has a lot of meaty projects in hand like 'Rowdy Rathore' and 'Joker'. However, she is upset about losing out on 'Race 2', which she had to forgo for 'Dabangg 2'.

'It was unfortunate because I was looking forward to it and I had signed on the film because I had felt it would be great to be a part of that film. But the dates were shifted forward and I couldn't accommodate the film as 'Dabangg 2' is starting in March,' she said.

'Lootera' is a love story set in the 1950s and stars Ranveer Singh opposite Sonakshi and is written and directed by Vikramaditya Motwane of 'Udaan' fame.

No Bans Issued Against Me: Genelia

Actress Genelia D'souza has rubbished reports that she has been banned from the southern film industry due to her non-cooperative attitude.

A media report said that the Movie Artistes' Association (MAA) of Andhra Pradesh announced that the actress, who has been working in the southern industry for the past eight years, hasn't sought a lifetime membership with the association despite repeated reminders from the association.

Reacting to this on Twitter page, she wrote: 'It's not nice when people make u a target only because ur strong enough to take it. With no bans or notices issued against me, there's no reason why there should be this hoopla created.'

'I have been travelling constantly over d last few months n hence have informed some1 from my production 2 hand over all d papers w d required amount. When I signed up 4d south Indian association 4 movie artists I was promised that it would cover all 4 industries n that is also what d body states (sic),' she further posted.

Down south, the actress featured in movies like 'Boys', 'Bommarillu', 'Santosh Subramaniam' and in Bollywood she made it big with 'Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na'. After that she did Hindi films like 'Life Partner', 'Chance Pe Dance' and 'Force'.

The 24-year-old hopes people would understand her side of the story.

'I hope people would understand the truth and stop making this an unnecessary battle. I'm very happy n proud that I belong to five industries and hope people understand that,' she tweeted.

Miley naa Miley hum (2011) - Hindi Movie Review

Cast :

• Kangna Ranaut
• Neeru Bajwa
• Sagarika Ghatge
• Chirag Paswan

Directed by : Tanveer Khan
Produced by : Maverick Productions Pvt Ltd
Music by : Sajid-Wajid
Cinematography : Baba Azmi

How many times must a debutant hero emerge from the same screen, to repeatedly announce his arrival: The one here first gets out in slo-mo from a BMW (first shot), then out of a chopper (to meet his mother), on a Lexus convertible (that his mother gifts him), bang in the middle of a wedding dance party (in a village), into the tennis stadium (where he plays the National finals)….

The boy is called Chirag – in life, as in this movie. “Chirag baba” is the oddly uncomfortable, untrained performer, casually low on body movements, high on screen time; he plays a quiet young heir, given to monosyllables and mono-expressions. His father (jaded Kabir Bedi) orders him around in his vineyard. Old man looks like the hammy old-world zamindar.

For the obedient son, the nights belong to floodlit tennis courts, where he practices whacking the tennis racket like a ping pong bat, only backhands, so he can become India No 1 some day: that’s his father’s dream, and his mother’s nightmare.

Excellence at sports is measured on more real, tangible achievements. It’s easy to tell why Sachin Tendulkar is a superstar. He takes care of runs; the runs take care of everything else. Stardom acquired from Indian politics, and cinema (as the hero here seems to be seeking), work differently. Though, in construct, they’re probably both similar to each other.

Firstly, they’re not always based on performance. You could be the world's best actor and yet not make it as a star; most well meaning visionaries may fail at politics. People directly elect their stars, who in turn, play themselves round-the-clock, protecting or perpetuating a particular public image of themselves.

Actor Chirag, I’m told, is the blue-eyed boy of a popular Bihari politician (Ramvilas Paswan). Literally. Unless those are blue contact lenses in his eyes. You can tell why his father must think he could succeed at show business. He has experience at winning elections.

The boy signs land deals, tenders, contracts, in the film. He comes from a super-rich, separated family. The mom (Poonam Dhillon) wants him to date her London buddy's daughter. Their nights out make for lead story on front page of The Times of India. As is everything else they do. Divorced dad wants his boy to marry a pretty Punjabi girl from the pind. That, by the way, is the central conflict in a film also about sport.

Tennis champ “Chirag baba” claims to be in love with a fashion model instead. He’s never quite met her. Daddy, mommy are after this girl. He pays her Rs 20 lakh a day, for 20 days, to carry on with the pretense of being in love with him. That model's Kangna Ranaut. Reports in trade circles suggest she was paid Rs 5 crore to do this movie. Anybody should be.

Bollywood is Fickle: Sameera Reddy

Actress Sameera Reddy, who's balancing work in the south and north, feels that Bollywood is 'fickle'. Ask her why and she reasons, "It just moves. Today you're there, tomorrow you're not. South is also like that, but to a lesser extent in comparison with Bollywood. People really stick to you. Even if you go up or down this Friday or the next, they still really support you. People in Bollywood shift like the wind."

However, that's not the case with people down south, in her opinion. "The most important thing is they're time bound, they don't waste your dates, they're God-fearing, they take care of you, if they love you, they make sure you don't leave, they make sure you're happy," she says.

The actress, whose last release in Tamil was Prabhu Deva's Vedi, is currently doing the lead role and an item number in Priyadarshan's Hindi flick, Tezz. About the item number, she says, "It's quite a pressure today, and producers understand the importance of it. At one point, an item girl was frowned upon but today, she can actually rule the show business. I salute every item girl out there."

Raveena Tandon’s Narrow Escape

This is one experience that will be etched in Raveena Tandon Thadani's mind for long. The actor had gone for her second jatra performance to Malda on Thursday but when she boarded the Mumbai flight on Friday, there were bitter-sweet memories of the day gone by.

Blame it on a humongous crowd of nearly 40,000, the producer of the show was left with destroyed equipment, a torn-down stage and a few "injured" unit members.

An unit member recounted, "From Behrampore, where there was a show on Wednesday, the journey to Malda on Thursday took a good six hours by car. The jatra location was 70-75 kms further in a remote village. The show sarted at around 9.30 pm. Surprisingly, there was a huge turnout of nearly 40,000 people, much beyond the capacity of 15,000."

Said an eyewitness, "There were scenes ahead of Raveena's but the crowd started chanting her name. At one point, they even started pelting stuff on stage. The scenes eventually had to be cut short and Raveena made her entry. When she started her "Mast mast" number, the crowd at the back started forcing their way forward." By the time she was through with it, the first barricade gave away. Raveena requested and pleaded with the crowd. "She requested with 'Apnara boshun, please" and then urged them in Hindi telling them that she had come all the way from Mumbai to perform. In fact, the jatra had to be stopped mid-way and lights were switched on. But her words fell on deaf ears. By this time, the second barricade too came apart. She was advised to go to the greenroom but soon after, the crowd barged in there too," added the unit member.

The ordeal did not end there. "Seeing the crowd go beserk, I ran for cover and barged into a house. Thankfully, Raveena had parked her car nearby and got inside it asking her driver to speed away. She had to lie low in the car till the time she left the village behind. I shudder to think what might have happened had she stayed back for things to be brought under control," recounted the unit member adding that police had to resort to tear gas and fire a few rounds in the air to control the crowd.

When CT got in touch with the actor she said that "it was quite an experience!" and added on a lighter note, "In fact, the seriousness of it all set in only the day after. The first thing I did was call up my husband and he asked me, 'You are coming back in one piece, right?'" So, will she be interested in more jatra outings? "Honestly, I would because I loved my stage experience. But this time around, I will make sure that the security arrangements are foolproof," she signs off

Karthika Nair is Annakodi!

Veteran filmmaker Bharathiraja has chosen his protege Radha's daughter, Karthika, in his next titled Annakodiyum Kodiveeranum.

While Karthika, who is currently in Kerala, could not be reached, Radha confirmed the news and said, "Yes, Karthika is doing my guru's film. She will play the titular role." Apparently, the director was impressed with the young actress' performance in her debut film, K V Anand's Ko and decided that she would be apt for the lead role in his film.

"During a special screening of Ko for Bharathiraja sir, he appreciated Karthika for her matured performance. He could not believe that it was the same little girl he had seen 10 years ago. Karthika was shooting in Hyderabad for Dammu (starring NTR Jr and Trisha), when Sir called to tell me that he felt she would be apt for the role. So, I met him in Chennai and heard the story," says an overjoyed Radha, who was introduced by the filmmaker in Alaigal Oyvathillai.

Not revealing the exact nature of the role, the actress adds, "For a beginner like my daughter, the character offers a lot of scope for performance. It is a beautiful role with variations."

The film stars Parthepan and also has Iniya of Vaagai Sooda Vaa fame and actress Eswari Rao in a crucial role. G V Prakash is the composer for the film. While there were reports that actor Vinay has been signed, Bharathiraj's manager clarified that the actor had not even been approached.

"The director is looking at dusky people who will look the parts. He has cast newcomers Acchan and Nakshatra, who are the children of his friend. The plot is a period romance and will talk about how life was in an earlier era and how it is now. We will be officially starting the project on November 17 in Theni in a grand manner. Around 150 people from Kollywood including Mani Ratnam, K Balachander and Balu Mahendra are expected to attend the puja. The first schedule will go on for 20 days after which there will be a break as Parthepan requires two months to get lean and prepare for his role," he said.

Madhuri Dixit's Secret Revealed

The Dhak Dhak girl is back and set to win hearts once again. It may be a while since Madhuri Dixit lit up the big screen, but the diva looks just as radiant as before.

She says, "I'm so glad that Olay Regenerist has finally launched in India. It's something I have used, and can personally recommend to anyone who wants to challenge what's possible with their skin."After winning recommendations and awards from beauty magazines across the globe, Olay Regenerist, a premium anti-ageing skin care range is now available here. More than 11, 000 women have joined the waiting list for Madhuri's favourite anti-ageing skin care range.

Dr Rodney Sinclair, founding member of the Australasian Society for Dermatology Research, dermatologist and panel member of the Olay ACRC, says that the ingredients used in the range help achieve younger looking skin. The products have innovative cellular technologies making them an option for cosmetic treatments, according to the Olay Asia Cell Technology Research Centre. So go ahead, take Madhuri's word and achieve visible results.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Takes on Her Role as Bachchan Bahu

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – beautiful, successful and wealthy is the epitome of the perfect Indian bahu. Aishwarya, like all Indian bahu has tried hard to live up to the expectations that comes from being a Bachchan bahu.

Speaking to the Times of India, a source revealed that Aishwarya was very active at the last two functions at the Bachchan residence – Amitabh Bachchan’s birthday and the mehendi function before karva chauth. Ash was also very active at the godh bharai function which took place at Jalsa.

If sources are to be believed, Aishwarya along with her mother-in-law Jaya Bachchan made the guest list for the godh bharai function. Ash was also seen interacting with each and every guest in the house and took special care to ensure that all arrangements were well taken care of. It was apparently Aishwarya’s decision to gift every guest a designer dupatta at the godh bharai.

As Aishwarya gets ready for the ultimate role in her life – of being a mother, let’s wish good luck for the mother-to-be. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is expected to deliver in the second week of November.

Engaeyum Eppothum is Aiming for a Century

Engaeyum Eppothum, which marks the entry of the production giant Fox Star, into Kollywood has successfully completed 50 days at the BO.

It is interesting to note that the film, with its simple story and star cast, has stuck to its guns, in spite of the arrival of a slew of Deepavali releases, not just in Tamil, but in other languages like Hindi and Tamil too.

The film has reportedly received excellent reviews from both critics and audiences alike, thanks to its impressive screenplay and director Saravanans story. A hit among the masses, the film continues to shine at the box office.

The cast and crew of the film Engeyum Eppothum, including director AR Murugadoss, who co-produced the film with Hollywood production house Fox Star, director Saravanan, lead stars Jai, Anjali, Sarva, and Ananya are happy over the film reaching the 50th day which is continues to remain a landmark in the films journey.

According to trade sources, the film has grossed about 17 crores since its release. Looks like the film is all set to bat for a century now.

Velayudham Surpasses 7aam Arivu at UK Box Office

Vijay's Velayudham might be still lagging behind 7aam Arivu at the domestic Box Office but it has already beaten Surya's prestigious film at the UK Box Office. Jayam Raja directorial movie has collected £66,843 (Approximately Rs 52 lakhs), whereas AR Murugadoss' film raked in £55,602 (Rs 43 lakhs) in its first weekend.

While Velayudham features in 21st position at the UK Box Office, 7aam Arivu is at 23rd. Vijay starrer movie was released in 17 screens by Ayngaran International and Surya's multilingual film was released in 19 screens in the UK. However, good reviews and word-of-mouth have helped Jayam Raja's movie to surpass AR Murugadoss' movie, claims a trade source.

Velayudham, which stars Vijay, Genelia D'Souza and Hansika Motwani and 7aam Arivu featuring Surya and Shruti Hassan have reportedly crossed the Rs 40 crore mark at the worldwide Box Office in its five-day weekend.

Priyanka Chopra, A Threat to the Bollywood Hotties?

Priyanka Chopra has turned out to be a threat for all those Bollywood hotties, who were approached back-to-back to play the second female lead in Krissh sequel. Actresses like Katrina Kaif, Chitrangada Singh and Jacqueline Fernandez have refused to stand in PC's shadow.

But how did Priyanka become the reason for the drop-outs? Few sources informed Mid Day, Priyanka Chopra being the resident heroine of the franchise, is also known to be very close to the Roshans. So it's obvious that the other heroines would feel insecure who followed their step out.

The other very crucial reason that compelled the actresses to opt out of the film is excessive time allotment and rigorous physical preparation that the ladies have to sacrifice for the film.

But finally papa Rakesh and beta Hrithik Roshan have taken a deep breath after signing the bold Kangna Ranaut for the second female lead.

7aam Arivu Gets Massive Response in AP

Despite getting mixed response in Tamil Nadu, Surya's 7th Sense, a dubbed version of Tamil movie 7aam Arivu, has got a massive response in Andhra Pradesh. The movie, which was released on October 26, has been well-accepted by the fans of Ghajini star.

According to trade reports, 7th Sense was released in 400 screens. In Nizam region alone, it hit with 150 plus screens that comprises 55 prints in Hyderabad. It is said that the actor and director AR Murgadoss' brand worked big time. The multilingual movie had 70-80 percent occupancy in most of the screens in metros. Especially, multiplexes were running into packed houses during weekends.

Trade analysts claim that as there were no big releases during Diwali, 7th Sense was able to encash on the long weekend. Though, Mahesh Babu's Dookudu and Junior NTR's Ooseravalli are still doing good business at the Box Office, Surya and Shruti Hassan starrer movie did not face any competition, as the above mentioned straight Telugu movies were released several weeks ago and most of the audience have already seen it, traders conclude.

Vijay Turns Spy for Gautham Menon's Yohan

Vijay was seen in the role of milkman-turned-vigilante in recently released Velayudham. The actor, who has received a good response from the critics as well as audience, is gearing up to don yet another new avatar. The Gilli star, who signed Gautham Menon's Yohan: Adhyayam Ondru a few months ago, will be enacting the role of James Bond in the forthcoming Tamil movie.

According to sources, Yohan is inspired by James Bond films. Vijay will be performing the role of a spy, says a source. It is reported that the movie is a remake of French movie Largo Winch and the first look of the film gave a clear indication about the upcoming movie being a copy of the 2008 film. It is also said that the Tamil movie will be shot in New York and Chennai.

Gautham Menon directorial Yohan has AR Rahman's music and Manoj Paramahamsa's cinematography. The forthcoming Tamil movie will hit the floors in mid-2012.

Ra.One Slows Down at Box Office Due to Velayudham, 7aam Arivu

The dubbed version of Shahrukh Khan's biggest-ever film, Ra.One got a decent opening at the Tamil Box Office. The collections of the multilingual film was slowed down due to other Kollywood releases like Vijay starrer Velayudham and Surya's 7aam Arivu.

The South Indian versions comprising Tamil and Telugu were released on October 26 with 250 prints. On its opening day, Ra.One approximately collected Rs 2 to 2.5 crore and fetched four crore in next 2 days totalling its net to Rs 6 crore in South India. The movie was largely affected by Velayudham and 7aam Arivu, as they occupied 400 screens in Tamil Nadu.

Trade analysts claim that the collections of the dubbed versions of Ra.One seem to be good, as it faced tough competitions from Vijay and Surya starrer films. They further added that Rajinikanth's cameo in the movie has become a major attraction for the South audience to watch the film.

However, Vijay's Velayudham is said to be topping the Tamil Box Office chart even after getting released in less number of theatres comparatively with 7aam Arivu.

Metallica live was magnificent: Sanjana

She may be shuttling between shoots wrapping up the last leg of shooting of her Malayalam debut "Casanova" but actress Sanjjanna took time off on Sunday evening to catch her childhood rock idol band, Metallica, perform live in Bangalore.

The actress was ecstatic as she caught the "very powerful performance" from the VVVIP stands along with her friends. "After quite a while did I let my hair loose and have some fun. Initially, I was quite hesitant to go but my friends managed to convince me. I've heard Metallica's songs while growing up and their track "Nothing Else Matters" is one of my all-time favorites! Hearing the track just make me feel nostalgic every time I listen to it. It was the urge to watch them play this song that made me drag myself to the concert and lucky for me, they played it live!," quips Sanjjanna.

Recalling the experience of catching the performance with 30,000-odd fellow spectators, she says, "Watching them perform to a 30,000-strong crowd was crazy! I've myself performed live and even performing to a crowd of 2,000 people is such a high. One can only imagine how they felt performing to the humongous crowd! I think this kind of high is every rockstar's biggest high!"

Saif Ali Khan Turns Nawab of Pataudi

Saif Ali Khan is no longer just a star. As of Monday, the actor has become the official Nawab of Pataudi.

In the presence of his mother, Sharmila, two sisters, Soha and Saba and daughter Sara, Saif was anointed the 10th Nawab of Pataudi in a ceremony at the family's Ibrahim Palace.

The heads of various villages gathered for the ceremony to tie a white turban (pagri) around Saif's head, symbolic of his Nawab title. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was also present at the ceremony.

Saif's late father, Mansoor Ali Khan, who captained the Indian cricket team at the age of 21, was the last Nawab of Pataudi state. He held the title till 1971, when the central government abolished the princely system.

People Think I'm a Malayali: Vimala

Very often, people assume actor Vimala Raman is a Malayali because of her name.

"But I'm a Tamilian, born and brought up in Australia" she says. Vimala likes Malayalam movies as they are performance oriented and are the most productive in terms of budget and the time spent on making them. "Things are much more planned here, and everyone including the technicians are very talented," says the actor who has acted in movies like Nasrani, College Kumaranand Calcutta News.

When the actor made her entry into filmdom she was asked my many to change her name. However, the actor was firm in her decision to stick to her own name. "My name is my identity. It is what my parents gave me and I can't change it as an adult," she says.

Ra.One (2011) - Hindi Movie Review

Cast :

• Shahrukh Khan as G.One / Shekhar Subramanium
• Kareena Kapoor as Sonia Shekhar Subramanium
• Arjun Rampal as Ra.One
• Armaan Verma as Prateek Subramanium a.k.a. Lucifer
• Shahana Goswami as Jenny Nayar
• Tom Wu as Akashi
• Dalip Tahil as Barron
• Suresh Menon as Taxi Driver
• Satish Shah as Iyer
• Rajinikanth as Chitti (Guest appearance)
• Sanjay Dutt as Khalnayak (Guest appearance)
• Priyanka Chopra as The Damsel in Distress (Guest appearance)
• Amitabh Bachchan (Voice-over)

Directed by : Anubhav Sinha
Produced by : Gauri Khan
Written by : Anubhav Sinha
Screenplay by : Anubhav Sinha, Kanika Dhillon, Mushtaq Sheikh, David Benullo
Story by : Anubhav Sinha
Singers : Shafqat Amanat Ali, Vishal Dadlani, Shekhar Ravjiani, Clinton Cerejo, Akon, Hamsika Iyer, Shruti Pathak, Nandini Shrikar, Siddharth Coutto, Sukhwinder Singh
Lyricist : Atahar Panchi, Vishal Dadlani, Kumaar
Music by : Vishal-Shekhar
Cinematography : Nicola Pecorini, V. Manikandan
Editing by : Sanjay Sharma, Martin Walsh
Distributed by : Eros International Ltd., Red Chillies Entertainment

For almost a year ahead of tonight's official release of Shah Rukh Khan's sci-fi/superhero event film, Ra.One, the man himself has been working his fingers to the bone building up this night to be a game changer for Hindi cinema. Ra.One is the most expensive Indian film to date, much of the budget put forward by SRK's own production house, Red Chillies. The film was initially slated to release in early June, but massive post-production demands pushed the release back four months, well into October and the heart of the Diwali season, Indian film's equivalent of Memorial Day weekend. All of this hype started to feel a little bit overwhelming as scores of people like me began to wonder if perhaps Ra.One could ever live up to the massive expectations it had created. I'm happy to say, though, that the film largely lives up to the hype and is a rousing and often breathtaking spectacle that not only marks a high water mark for Hindi film, but also for contemporary international action film.

At its core, Ra.One is a story about a father and his son. The father, played by SRK in a ridiculous looking curly wig, is Shekhar Subramanium, a video game designer in London who is a lovable geek. The son, Prateek, is played by newcomer Aman Verma. Prateek is a typical pre-teen who wants nothing to do with his geeky Dad, and he escapes by jumping into the world of online gaming under the handle Lucifer. Shekhar does everything he can to win Prateek's affection, but it isn't until he takes his son's suggestion of creating a game with an unbeatable villain, that Shekhar finally becomes cool in his son's eyes. This being a sci-fi film, this unbeatable villain, named RA.One (short for Random Access Version One and a play on Ravaan, the demon lord of the Ramayana), breaks out of the mainframe and comes looking for the last person to defeat him online. Who could that be? Why, it's Lucifer of course, and the chase is on.

The first half of the film faces occasional hiccups in the form of some overly broad acting from SRK's nerdy Tamilian, Shekhar. However, this is all in the service of rendering Shekhar a sympathetic character, and is well within the bounds of typical Bollywood masala. SRK does overly broad well, his character of Suri in 2008's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi was similar in many ways to Shekhar, and it was one of his more successful performances. However, for the uninitiated, Shekhar's bumbling may be a bit off-putting. He is balanced well by an uncharacteristically good performance from Kareena Kapoor, of whom I'm usually not a huge fan. Kapoor plays Shekhar's wife, Sonia, and her performance contains all of the subtlety required to keep SRK from spinning out of control. They have good and palpable chemistry on screen, and Ra.One definitely benefits from that.

As the film nears it's intermission around 90 minutes in, the real fireworks begin. A first half bombshell drops that lands the Subramanium family in a heap of trouble, and as Ra.One attempts to find and destroy 'Lucifer', G.One makes the leap into the real world to act as their protector. For the next 90 minutes or so, the action comes hot and heavy and it is quite impressive to say the least. Right before the intermission, we get a little taste of what a Ra.One/G.One showdown would look like, and it made me a bit giddy. Cars fly all over the place and to call the action ambitious would be an understatement.

The temptation with a film like this is to call it a benchmark for Indian action cinema, which is certainly is, but the fact is that the film and its effects are effective regardless of their origins. Ra.One is a stunning action film, with stunts that would hold up with the best of any Hollywood action film. They did things to the streets of London that would have never imagined I'd see in a Bollywood film, but here they are, and they look good! There is major devastation in every corner of the frame, and the CG is light years ahead of anything to come out of India so far, and on par with anything I've seen anywhere, save Hollywood.

Last night in my review of 7aam Arivu, I lamented the inclusion of a romance in a film that didn't require one. Tonight, with Ra.One, all of the emotion that the film delivers serves the story both in terms of plot development and theme, and it is very seldom gratuitous. Major action films with heart are few and far between, and Ra.One delivered beyond my expectations in that department. Apart from the explosions, superhero stunt work, and computer generated fireballs, there is feeling here, and characters that elicit sympathy. Yes, it is goofy at times, but it never tipped over the line to ridiculousness for me.

Ra.One takes all of the tropes of Bollywood and meshes them into a modern story in a way that is engaging and propulsive. There are several uptempo songs, and yes, even a couple of spontaneously choreographed dances, but they are well integrated into the narrative. There is a particularly awful mangling of Stand By Me in the form of the song Dildaara, but even it manages to deliver an emotional punch potent enough to be forgivable. The film casually veers back and forth from comedy to action to sci-fi, but it does so in a way that is entertaining and never too jarring. They even manage to squeeze in a cameo from Superstar Rajnikanth himself playing Chitti, the robot from Enthiran, following a south Indian styled brawl in an airport parking lot. You know what? It worked!

There was a fear that writer/director Anubhav Sinha had bitten off more than he could chew with Ra.One. Sinha is a director with a couple of minor successes and a couple of flops on his record, so taking on a project of this magnitude was a big risk for everyone involved. I'm happy to say that in my eyes, he's succeeded in a grand and captivating way. Ra.One contains just enough Bollywood that it may have newbies scratching their heads a few times, but for the brave ones who stick it out, I think there is a lot of fun that can be had with this film. I was starting to fear that the marketing would be a poison pill for this film, rendering the expectations unattainable. Is this film the best ever made? Certainly not. What it is, though, is a supremely entertaining action adventure that should be able to cross language lines and find fans in any community.