Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Aditya Chopra to cast Vaani Kapoor in his next production


By Jigar Shah Noticed for her debut performance in the Maneesh Sharma directed, Shuddh Desi Romance, Vaani Kapoor will also be seen in the Tamil version of YRF’s own hit film Band Baaja Baarat that starred Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma. Titled Aaha Kalyanam, she will be seen with Tamil actor Nani of Eega fame. The film is slated to release this year. Meanwhile, after her debut film, Kapoor who had been deluged with offers from producers, haven’t as yet given a nod to any of the projects. Though she is bound by a contract with Yash Raj Films, the production house has not held her back to act in other projects as well. According to recent developments, an insider revealed that, “Aditya Chopra has told Vaani that he has a big film for her, but till that happens, she is free to take any project that is offered to her.”
Preeti Desai’s multi-lingual character in One By Two
Preeti Desai who was first noticed for her role in Shor In The City, is waiting for the release of her second film, One By Two in which she stars opposite Abhay Deol. However, for Preeti, who hails from London, pursuing a career in Bollywood was a little difficult because of her foreign accent. Besides, she could speak in English and her mother tongue Gujarati. In One By Two, she had to work hard on her diction with Veena Mehta (Abbas Tyrewala’s mother-in-law). “The film was shot in sync sound, so I had to get my Hindi accent right, which I did with Veena Madam’s help. However, at times, traces of Gujarati would creep in during my dialogue delivery. The entire unit would break into laughter, and I would have to do the scene all over again. I have spoken all the lines and after my director, heard me talk to my mother in Gujarati, she decided to include some Gujarati dialogue in the film. So there is 65 per cent Hindi, 10 per cent English and 15 per cent Gujarati.” The film is directed by Devika Bhagat and will release on February 7. —JS
Umesh Shukla in talks with Ranveer Singh for a film 
By Ankita R Kanabar Umesh Shukla is not only busy shooting the Abhishek Bachchan starrer, All Is Well, he will begin work on the Amitabh Bachchan starrer, 102 Not Out, that shall go on the floors in August. Now, the buzz is that the OMG: Oh My God director has approached Ranveer Singh for a film. When contacted Shukla said, “No! Nothing has been finalised as of now. We are in talks, but those are only ground level talks. It’s just too early to talk about it.” The director refused to divulge details about the script, except for stating that if all goes well, he will start a film with Singh. Meanwhile, the director shall soon begin the next schedule of his Abhishek-Asin-Rishi Kapoor starrer. Singh, who is also busy with other projects like Shaad Ali’s Kil Dil, which has gone on floors some time ago, stars Parineeti Chopra, Govinda and Ali Zafar.
Homi Adajani’s next is a mature love story
After making films like Being Cyrus and the commercially successful Cocktail, director Homi Adajania is not only busy giving the finishing touches to his third film Finding Fanny, but is also working on his fourth film. Writers, Siddharth and Garima who worked with Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Goliyon Ki Raas Leela Ram-leela, are already working on a script with which Dinesh Vijan makes his directorial debut. They have also been asked by the production house to write another script that will be directed by Adajania.

Aishwarya Rai Bachahan to make a comeback with Mani Ratnam film



Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who has been on a sabbatical post the birth of her daughter Aaradhya two-years-ago, is all set to make a comeback on the big scrren in a film directed by her favourite filmmaker Mani Ratnam film.
According to reports, Aishwarya Rai has given her consent to the Mani Ratnam film. There has been much speculation as to when the former beauty will make a comeback on the silver screen, who was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Guzarish’. Even though Aishwarya has not been seen in films for the past three years, she has remained in limelight via her presence in various ad campaigns and international film festivals like Cannes.
Aishwarya Rai, who is very close to Mani Ratnam, has worked with him in ‘Iruvar’, ‘Guru’ and ‘Raavan’. Aishwarya was seen with hubby Abhishek in ‘Raavan’ but eports suggest that Mani Ratnam only wants only Aishwarya Rai for this movie.
A source said: “Mani Ratnam shares a fabulous equation with Abhishek and Ash. But this time he’s planning to direct a film which has a very strong female protagonist’s character. Mani feels there is little room for Abhishek in his next.”
The source further added: “Aishwarya was very clear about her priorities after she became a mother. She gave a hundred of her time and concentration to her daughter Aaradhya for two years. Now that Aaradhya is ready for play school, Aishwarya can start thinking of seriously coming back to acting.”
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was keen to return with a film directed by either of her two favourite directors, Sanjay Leela Bhansali or Mani Ratnam.
The source added: “She was all but finalised for the item song in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Ram-Leela’. But Aishwarya wanted some changes in the lyrics which Sanjay refused. While she’s looking forward to working with sanjay Leela Bhansali, she’s all set to return with Mani Ratnam’s next project.”
The director has been kept under wraps since his last two films ‘Raavan’ and ‘Kadal’ bombed and were panned by critics as well.

AAP protest turns violent after supporters-police clash; one cop injured

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is adamant on his stand to continue ‘dharna’ outside Rail Bhawan against Delhi police even as the protest enters the second day.
2.17 pm: Fresh scuffle has been reported between Aam Aadmi Party workers and Delhi police after they were stopped from heading towards Rail Bhawan.
TV reports say, the AAP protesters were lathicharged as they were trying to break the barricades on Dr Rajendra Prasad Road. The AAP workers, reports said, threw stones at policemen, who tried to stop them. A police officer was allegedly injured during stone pelting by AAP supporters
1.55 pm: BJP activists coming towards Rail Bhawan were detained by the Delhi Police near Akashvani Bhawan. They have been sent to the Parliament Street police station.
1.45 pm: Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia reiterates their stand of not moving from the protest venue. “We are here…we are not going  any where,” he says.
Earlier in the day, the Delhi CM also threatened to flood Rajpath with lakhs of supporters that can disrupt Republic Day celebrations.
With Kejriwal and his ministerial colleagues adamant on their stand, it is to seen on how the full dress rehearsals of the Republic Day take place since the venue of protest falls on the route of R-Day parade.
12.45 pm: Kejriwal appeals to the police to remove barricades.  As the skies opened up this morning, Kejriwal was forced to take refuge in his. However, the Delhi Chief Minister remained adamant as he said: “Halaat dekh ke bhagwan bhi ro raha hai, mausam kitna hi bigde hum nahi hatenge.”
12.10 pm: Commuters were hit hard with authorities shutting down four Metro stations and buses being diverted. Four Metro stations — Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhavan and Race Course — remained closed from 6 AM.
9. 45 am: Rains played spoilsport for the protesting Chief Minister as he had to sit in his car following the showers on Tuesday morning. As it rained, an umbrella has been made of ‘tirpal’ for those sitting at the protest venue. Kejriwal and his colleague Manish Sisodia have been forced to take refuge in his small blue car.
9.40 am: Arvind Kejriwal has yet again been requested to shift the venue of protest to Jantar Mantar in view of the Republic Day rehearsals.
9.35 am: Kejriwal rules out any negotiations to scale down the protest, saying the safety of women in the capital is not a matter of negotiation. “We will continue our protest. How can Home Minister (Sushilkumar) Shinde sleep when so many crimes are happening in Delhi? When women are unsafe in the city? We won’t negotiate,” Kejriwal says.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at the venue of protest outside Rail Bhawan. (IE Photo)
9.25 am: Kejriwal refuses to change the venue of protest and reiterates that Shinde is no one to tell him where to sit. “Who is Shinde to decide where we will protest? I am the CM of Delhi,” he tells reporters.
The Delhi CM also asks Shinde not to shut the metros. “The whole area has been cordoned off, tiolets in the buildings are closed. The protest venue has been transformed into a jail,” says Kejriwal as he appeals the people to Delhi to join him in large number.
9. 00 am: Chief Minister’s wife reach the protest venue to meet him.
7.30 am: Early morning slogans among the protesters: “Shinde hosh mein aao, Arvind tum sangharsh karo desh tumhare saath hai… Desh ka PM kaisa ho, Arvind jaisa ho… Takht badal do taaj badal do beimano ka raaj badal do.

Sunanda Pushkar's death caused by drug poisoning: Doctors



NEW DELHI: The forensic report of Sunanda Pushkar has revealed that her death was caused by drug poisoning. Doctors say that this means that Sunanda did not die because of an inadvertent drug overdose but by deliberate administration of drugs aimed to end life. Whether this was suicidal or homicidal, the doctors are unable to say, adding that was for the police to establish.

Sources at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), where the post-mortem was conducted on Saturday, said the forensic findings have been submitted in a sealed envelope to the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) who is holding the inquest proceedings under the provisions of the Criminal Procedural Code.

The forensic report gives a new turn to the investigations into the death. Police officials said the report will now require them to review all the video footages of the hotel lobby and check who all went to her room, including the hotel staff.

Alok Sharma, the SDM who is holding the inquest proceedings, refused to disclose the details of the report. He said he would examine it along with the statements of various people, including that of Tharoor and Sunanda's brother as well as other evidence. "I cannot say anything about the report," said Sharma, who was at AIIMS on Monday.

"The toxicology report of the sample of the viscera - internal organs of the body, for example, heart liver and intestines - has revealed that death has been caused due to poisoning. Whether Sunanda took the poison herself to commit suicide or somebody poisoned her to death is a matter of police investigation," said a source. He refused to disclose any details about the nature of the poison.

The source, who is conversant with the findings, ruled out any possibility of accidental death due to overdose of prescription medicines - a possibility suggested by some doctors since Sunanda was on anti-depressants and several other medicines.

Sunanda Pushkar, wife of union of Minister Shashi Tharoor, was found dead in suite 345 of Leela hotel on Friday evening. Her body was reportedly found by Tharoor at around 8 pm when he returned to the hotel after attending a meeting of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

The post-mortem report showed that Sunanda's death occurred at around 4-7 pm and by the time her body reached AIIMS - at around 2 am on Saturday - it had turned completely stiff. A medical board of forensic experts from AIIMS conducted the post-mortem, which was filmed and photographed. The post-mortem report states there were physical injuries in 'certain body parts'.

As for the injuries on her body, a doctor had said, "In medico-legal cases, the number of injuries does not matter. Whether the injuries are related with fatality or not, is what matters. So, before giving a medical opinion we need corroborate it with circumstantial evidence."