Meera Syal to play doctor in medical drama Holby City

October 12th, 2009 LONDON - Buckingham Palace is to swing to the hefty rhythms of Bollywood music and dance Tuesday in what promises to be a boisterous celebration in anticipation of a coming visit by President Pratibha Patil. British Asian dance group Nutkhut is to stage its massive dance, Bollywood Steps, inside Buckingham Palace Tuesday in a reception in advance of Patils Oct 24-27 visit - a first for the 172-year-old royal residence.

October 8th, 2009 LONDON - A banker, who fantasised about becoming a surgeon, is said to have worked 14 months in a major hospital, and taken part in 190 operations before he was discovered. Christian Eberhard, 30, forged medical papers and wrote out his own degree with a fountain pen, claiming to have qualified at Oxford University.

May 1st, 2009 NBC Universal programming exec Nora O'Brien diesNEW YORK — NBC Universal says Nora O'Brien, its executive in charge of drama programming, has died. Spokesman Curt King says O'Brien died Wednesday after collapsing in Sausalito, Calif., on the set of a TV series in development for NBC.

April 30th, 2009 LONDON - 'Sex and the City' star Sarah Jessica Parker is looking forward to do an elaborate period drama in her career. The 44-year-old actress who played style icon Carrie Bradshaw in the hit show from 1998 until 2004, and later reprised the role for the 2008 movie is now harbouring dreams of starring in a more straight-laced project, reports contacmtusic.com.

April 28th, 2009 '9 to 5' snags a record 15 Drama Desk nominationsNEW YORK — "9 to 5" has set a Drama Desk record and it hasn't even won any awards yet. The Broadway musical based on the 1980 hit movie received 15 Drama Desk nominations Monday, breaking the old record of 14 nominations, held by five other shows including "The Producers" and "Hairspray." "9 to 5" features a score by Dolly Parton, who received two nominations — one for her music and one for the lyrics of the show.

April 26th, 2009 Film: 'Mariyathai'; Director: Vikraman; Cast: Vijaykant, Meena, Meera Jasmine; Music Director: Vijay Anthony; Cinematography: O Andrew; Rating: ** Plagued by repeated delays, 'Mariyathai' released just in time for the elections to boost its actor-turned-politician hero Vijaykant's image. As expected, the film is full of political innuendo.

April 23rd, 2009 LONDON - X-Files star Gillian Anderson is being considered to appear in a forthcoming episode of Dr Who, it has emerged. The 40-year-old actress, who's known for her role as FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the sci-fi drama, is likely to be cast opposite the new Doctor Matt Smith.

April 3rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Megan Fox is all set to play Mickey Rourke's angel in a new period drama. According to Hollywood Reporter, the two of them will be seen together for the first time in new movie 'Passion Plays'.

March 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Troubled rocker Pete Doherty is reportedly in talks to write a TV drama. According to reports, producers at the BBC are certain that Babyshambles hitmaker would be able to use his experience with substance abuse, and battle with addictions to heroin and cocaine, in writing the drama.

March 20th, 2009 LONDON - After starring in the multiple Oscar winning 'Slumdog Millionaire', Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor will play an anti-terrorist cop in hit American TV action drama '24'. Contactmusic.com reports that Anil will play an Indian counter-terrorist cop who teams up with Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland in the eighth season of the long-running programme.

March 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Sienna Miller has revealed that she and Keira Knightley bonded on the set of their 2008 movie 'The Edge Of Love' by evoting hours to their mutual love of 'nerdy' pastimes. Miller and Knightley play two lovers of poet Dylan Thomas in the period drama, but Miller insists they were anything but rivals off set.

March 7th, 2009 LONDON - 'Harry Potter' star Helena Bonham Carter will play children's author Enid Blyton in a TV drama. The film is made by BBC4 and is about Enid Blyton, who wrote such loved books as 'The Famous Five', 'The Secret Seven', 'Malory Towers' and 'Noddy', reports thesun.co.uk.

January 30th, 2009 LONDON - 'James Bond' actor Daniel Craig will play Red Rackham and English actor Jamie Bell the young reporter Tintin in a largely British cast in an animated film version of one of the 'Tintin' adventures. Bell, who shot to fame as a teenage ballet dancer in 'Billy Elliot', will take the lead in 'The Adventures Of Tintin: Secret Of The Unicorn', directed by Steven Spielberg, reports mirror.co.uk.

January 21st, 2009 BHOPAL - Bollywood director Prakash Jha is set to shoot his next political drama 'Rajniti' that blends contemporary Indian politics with chapters from the epic 'Mahabharata' here from Jan 28. Moving away from his favourite shooting spot, Satara in Maharashtra, the director will be stationed here till March end.

December 26th, 2008 LONDON - British playwright and Nobel laureate Harold Pinter, who died this week, said in his last interview he thought cricket was better than sex. 'I tend to think that cricket is the greatest thing that god created on earth - certainly greater than sex, although sex isn't too bad either,' he said in the interview, published by the Guardian newspaper Saturday.