Southern cinema scored big at the 55th National Awards

NEW DELHI - Tamil film “Kanchivaram” won the best feature film award at the 55th National Film Awards 2007, while Adoor Gopalakrishnan got the best director award for Malayalam film “Naalu Pennungal” at a glittering ceremony here Wednesday evening.

Sonam accepts National Award on behalf of dad, Yash Chopra for son

NEW DELHI - It was an evening for daughters and fathers with young actress Sonam Kapoor accepting the award on behalf of dad Anil Kapoor and veteran filmmaker Yash Chopra stepping up to receive the prize for his son Aditya at the 55th National Award ceremony Wednesday.

President to give away National Film Awards Wednesday

NEW DELHI - President Pratibha Patil will Wednesday give away the National Film Awards for 2007 at a function at Vigyan Bhawan here. Legendary singer Manna Dey will be conferred with the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for 2007 during the event.

Salman Khans trainer turns to acting!

They say that the company you spend time with changes you after a while. That seems to be the case with Salman Khan’s fitness trainer, Abbas Aly. He is now eyeing acting as a career.

Jane Austen’s Emma incarnated in Bollywood

Bollywood is trying its hand on bringing back Jane Austen’s Emma on the big screen in the incarnation of ‘Aisha’.

Slumdog Story: Loveleen Tandon To Meet The Queen On October 13

By Subhash K Jha

Loveleen Tandon on Variety achievers’ list, set to meet British queen

MUMBAI - Loveleen Tandon, casting director of Oscar winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire”, has made it to the prestigious Women’s Impact Report 2009 of Variety magazine, which lists 50 women who experienced an extraordinary year.

Sonam Kapoor tops Bollywood’s best dressed celebrities list

NEW DELHI - Two film-old actress Sonam Kapoor has beaten the likes of Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif to emerge as the best dressed celebrity in India, according to People magazine.

Anil, Sonam team for television commercial

NEW DELHI - Actor-producer Anil Kapoor teams up for the first time with his actress daughther Sonam. The father-daughter duo will be seen together on the small screen for a commercial for German luxury brand Montblanc.

Salman returns to action with ‘Wanted’ (IANS Preview)

NEW DELHI - Known for his macho image, Salman Khan is back with a full-on actioner with “Wanted - Dead or Alive” releasing Friday. The actor promises “mind-blowing” fight sequences in the thriller directed by ace choreographer Prabhudheva.

N Chandra plans to play with Fire and Ice

By Subhash K Jha

National award recipients honoured, ecstatic

NEW DELHI - Feroz Abbas Khan, Shankar Mahadevan and Bhawna Talwar, among the recipients of the 55th National Film Awards for 2007, are feeling ecstatic as well as humbled at the recognition that they have got for their contribution to Indian cinema.

55th National Awards announced: Gandhi, My Father wins two

NEW DELHI - The Anil Kapoor produced film ‘Gandhi, My Father’ has won two National Awards while the Shahrukh-starrer ‘Om Shanti Om’ has won in the Best Art Direction category, and Shahid Kapur-starrer ‘Jab We Met’ won the award in Best Choreography category in the 55th National Awards that were announced on Monday.

WANTED: Salman, Govinda and Anil dance on Jalwa!

The whole video of Salman’s Ganpati song in Wanted, Jalwa, was kept secret from audiences for very long. But the cat is out of the bag now. The promos have shown Salman dancing away, but the video also features his close friends, Govinda and Anil Kapoor. The actors have shot for each paragraph of the song.

Anil Kapoor ropes in award-winning writer for daughter

NEW DELHI - When it comes to his daughter, Bollywood actor-producer Anil Kapoor wants the best. He has roped in award-winning writer Manu Rishi to pen dialogues for Sonam’s next film “Ayesha”.

FEATURE: Hero is dead: Actors turn to Multi Starrers to save career

Bolly world has recently seen a flood of multi-starrer films. But the biggest and not-so-surprising thing is the inclination of main-lead heroes to multi-starrer roles. Recent years have seen a sea of change in the thinking of actors, especially male actors, when it comes to choosing a film. The war for main-lead roles takes a backseat, as more and more star power is roped into films to add to its box-office value.

Saloni has No Problem

As we reported earlier, the most successful chhota baccha on television is doing Aneez Bazmee’s next film. Super talent Saloni will now be seen in an out-and-out comedy film ‘No problem’.

Kangana goes light-hearted for ‘Tanu Weds Manu’

MUMBAI - Kangana Ranaut is known for playing heavy duty roles in films like “Gangster” and “Fashion”, but the actress has now signed on her second light-hearted movie “Tanu Weds Manu”.

Decade later, Salman Khan the singer returns

MUMBAI - A decade after he was last heard as a singer, Salman Khan is back behind the mike for his upcoming release “Wanted”. Composer duo Sajid-Wajid say the song titled “Most Wanted Track” is true to the mood and theme of the film.

Suniel Shetty’s costumes stolen in South Africa, officials perturbed

JOHANNESBURG - Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty has claimed that costumes for a film he is currently shooting in Durban were stolen and hinted that it could be an organised crime in connivance with airport luggage handlers — an allegation that has perturbed the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA).

Actors turning producers - more stars join in

NEW DELHI - Saif Ali Khan will be the latest to “own the work” he does by joining the bandwagon of actors turning producers with the release of “Love Aaj Kal” on July 31 - a trend that is once again catching on among heroes of the Hindi film industry.

Dev Patel, Frieda Pinto trying their best to remain ‘undercover couple’

NEW YORK - ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ couple Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto recently played hide and seek with paparazzi in New York to avoid getting photographed together.

Dev Patel, Freida duck papparazi

LONDON - Multiple Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire” couple Dev Patel and Freida Pinto are avoiding being photographed together.

‘Short Kut’ not funny enough (IANS Film Review; Rating: *)

Film: “Short Kut - The Con Is On”; Director: Neeraj Vora; Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Arshad Warsi, Amrita Rao; Rating: *

‘Short Kut…’ a fun hare and tortoise story: Neeraj Vora

NEW DELHI - “Short Kut - The Con Is On” is a fun-filled “hare and tortoise story” that has Akshaye Khanna and Arshad Warsi playing a “lethal combination”, says writer-director Neeraj Vora, who adds that it has no semblance to his last film “Phir Hera Pheri”.

No ‘Short Kut’ to success for Amrita Rao (Film Snippets)

MUMBAI - She has been hogging the limelight for her dare to bare act in “Short Kut: The Con Is On” that releases Friday. But Amrita Rao says she believes in hardwork and not taking shortcuts to achieve success in life.

Only Anil Kapoor can repeat ‘Mr. India’ : Shekhar Kapur

NEW DELHI - Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur says if there is anyone who can reprise the protagonist’s role in the remake of his 1987 hit “Mr.India”, it is the original hero Anil Kapoor.