Actor Udita Goswami speaks about her Hollywood experience, moving bag and baggage to Los Angeles, Mohit Suri and much more

Now that you are back from Los Angeles, tell us how was the experience? 
It’s been two days since I’m in India and trust me I already want to go back there. I had a wonderful time.


So was the trip productive in anyway? Absolutely. I was supposed to be there for 21 days but I ended up staying for two months. I had a lot of work lined up for me in India. But when I was invited to the Oscar week festivities, which is a big deal there, I decided to stay on. Honestly, I thought it is a once in a lifetime chance and I shouldn’t miss it. Thanks to my stay there, I met a lot of people from Hollywood, hired a manager, publicist and lawyer. So it was extremely productive. 


So are you planning to shift base now? Yes. I have plans of going back there in August or September. I have done my groundwork. I’ve looked at places I could shift to and plan to take driving lessons. My secretary here almost wanted to kill me when I was delaying my return to Mumbai because I was having so much fun there. The only reason that I’m back in India is to work on my American accent. 


Considering most of our top actors have failed to make a splash in Hollywood films, why are you willing to take such a risk? 
For someone like me, who hardly does any work here, I think it’s a good idea to move to LA. The thing that works for me there is that I don’t look Indian. Here, this was my biggest disadvantage because my looks didn’t fall in the Vidya, Rani and Konkona bracket. The kind of roles that I have been offered in Hollywood is of the exotic variety. I could pass off as a Spanish woman according to them. Plus there aren’t many Indian roles happening in English movies. Since I don’t have the typical‘Indian beauty’ look and don’t have much work here, I don’t see the reason why I shouldn’t move there. 


Back home, reportedly your ex Mohit Suri and Vishal Mahadkar came to blows over you. Mohit has blamed Vishal for his split with you. It’s very strange. I just got back two days ago and here I am reading about this in the papers. It is interesting to know that two men are fighting over me. But let anyone fight, I don’t care anymore. 


Buzz has it that you have become very pally with actor Gerard Butler, who was rumored to be dating Priyanka Chopra? Why just Gerard? I’ve made friends with a lot of folks from Hollywood. I’m in touch with them constantly. I discovered that they are a lot sweeter and simpler than many of our B-Town people. Plus, I’m not into the name dropping game. You don’t go to a private party and micro-blog your pictures from there — with Gerard or any other celeb. It’s cheap and tacky.
Source:TOI

Ash, Kareena, Priyanka in run for fun, fearless award

Hi-Fi (Hindi Film Industry) beauties Aishwarya Rai, Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra are in the run for Cosmopolitan Magazine's fun, fearless awards, to be held in Mumbai. The three actresses are competing in Fun, Fearless Female All Time Reader's Choice Award this year.

Other categories include - Fun, Fearless Power Couple award, for which the nominees are - Kareena Kapoor-Saif Ali Khan; Hrithik Roshan-Sussanne Khan and Arbaaz Khan-Malaika Arora Khan. There is also a Fun, Fearless Male 2010 Reader's Choice Award, and Ranbir Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Salman Khan, and Arjun Rampal are competing for the title in this category.

The event, in its third edition now, takes place annually in India, Britain and the US. 'The Fun, Fearless Female Awards is a cult, one-of-its-kind event that celebrates all that's iconic of the Cosmo woman - her attitude, drive, and the never-say-never spirit,' Nandini Bhalla, editor of Cosmopolitan, said in a press statement.

The organisers are expecting a star-studded turnout at the event at the Taj Land's End, Mumbai. 'The response has been tremendous - from readers, Hi-Fi favourites, and the industry. The Fun Fearless Awards are a pat on the back to women (and some special men) from different areas of life-acting, music, theatre, and more.

'Last year's awards saw a great turnout - Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, and more. And this year's awards promise to be bigger, better, and more Cosmo than ever,' said Mala Sekhri, chief operating officer, Lifestyle Magazines, India Today Group.
Source:IANS

Where are the cat fights?

Guess who's actor Shilpa Shetty's new fan? Well, believe it or not, it is actor Katrina Kaif. Kat recently said that according to her, nobody in contemporary Hi-Fi (Hindi Film Industry) can beat Shilpa when it comes to dancing. The actor was recently fielding questions about who she thought was the best dancer in Hi-Fi. She replied, "In my opinion, Shilpa Shetty is the best dancer in Hi-Fi and when it comes to the heroes, I think it is undoubtedly Hrithik Roshan."

Later Katrina said that she's no match for Shilpa who, she says, can match any step that is given to her by the choreographer. "I don't consider myself a great dancer. I am okay (as a dancer). But if you ask me who's the greatest dancer in Hi-Fi then it has to be Helen aunty. She is extremely versatile and whenever I watch her dance I want the time to freeze," says Katrina.

Shilpa apparently even texted Katrina thanking her for her compliments. However, Shilpa has reserved her best compliments for actors Priyanka Chopra and R Madhavan. Never mind the poor box office verdict for PC's latest release, Shilpa recently saw the film and felt that PC has excelled in all departments. "Watched 7 Khoon Maaf last night. Well directed. Priyanka Chopra rocked. (It was) really complex role but you (Priyanka) did a great job effortlessly. You go girl. All the best," Shilpa tweeted.

However, actor Kangna Ranaut never found a mention when Shilpa tweeted about another recent release in which she stars. In her tweet Shilpa only mentions R Madhavan and the director. "She doesn't know Kangana that well. Maybe that is why she didn't mention her in her tweet," says a friend of Shilpa. But is it because of the cold vibes the two actors shared recently where Kangna didn't even come up and say a 'hi' to Shilpa? Well, no one can know for sure… 
Source:DNA

'Yes,I have ten flats.So?':Priyanka Chopra on the recent income tax raid at her house

Priyanka Chopra refuses to accept that the year started on an unpleasant note for her because of the income tax raid at her residence this January. She says that contrary to stories, there were no men who came upstairs to her house and no “gaddiyan of money” recovered. In fact, she claims that she still will be one of the highest tax payers this season. But it is still a “no comments” stance when you ask the actress whether it’s true that once the raid was over, the I-T officials asked her for pictures and autographs! 


“The raid is something that happened and there’s no denying it. But, the I-T department is a hugely responsible part of the government and whatever investigations they are doing, we are fully cooperating with them – my family, my lawyers, my CA. It wasn’t an unpleasant experience at all. You’d expect it to be a bad experience based on what you hear, but they were very well behaved, very courteous,” Priyanka tells us. She also vehemently denies any money being found at her place. Says Priyanka, “There wasn’t much found, contrary to reports. They said six crores of cash was found,

Actress Madhuri Dixit talks about her favourite Hi-Fi girls and why she agreed to coming on the telly tube

Hi-Fi (Hindi Film Industry) actor Madhuri Dixit, who is enjoying her stint on television, is likely to appear in the fifth season of the dance reality show she is currently judging, even though she finds her present role even tougher than acting. In a chat with After Hrs she speaks about dance, her favourite Hi-Fi beauties and more...

Dance, says Madhuri, is very close to her heart. "Yes, it is and and the show is on a grand scale too. Judging is a bit more difficult than acting. I knew that being a judge on the show is a huge responsibility because the audience has a lot of faith in my judgement. This means that I have to be very clear in my mind in regards to my comments because they can influence voting. So it's like an added pressure on me to be fair and accurate all the time. But I am enjoying the progression — the participants are fabulous and have taken the show in the right spirit and have great potential," says Madhuri about her current stint.

So what was it that attracted her to TV — the money or like other stars, the reach of the small screen? "Money is one of the aspects, but primarily it was the wider audience reach that lured me to TV. You are there with your fans, in their houses, and TV reaches even the remotest villages where your film might not release. So it's more important than just getting paid more."

Ask Madhuri who her favourite from the current crop of actors is and she says, "I like Kajol and Rani (Mukherjee) and amongst the newer lot, it is Priyanka (Chopra). She was fabulous in Fashion and I'm looking forward to watching her new film. Anushka (Sharma) is also very promising. Sonakshi (Sinha) emoted beautifully despite it being her debut film. And also I like Vidya (Balan) especially in Paa and Ishqiya." And who does she think could fit into her shoes? "I don't think anyone can fit in to anyone's shoes. They all have an individual style. I can't fit into Madhubala's shoes or Meena Kumari's. They had a distinct character that made them stand out," she concludes. 
Source:DNA

Priyanka-Irrfan get into a slap-fight!

Actors are known to go to great lengths to lend a feel of realism to their roles on screen. But it can also backfire badly and actor Priyanka Chopra learnt that while she was shooting for Vishal Bhardwaj's film. Apparently, a scene required PC to slap co-star Irrfan Khan. Knowing Irrfan's professionalism, everyone on the sets goaded the pretty actor to slap him for real, to make it look convincing.


A source reveals, "PC initially kept slapping Irrfan lightly, but it just didn't come out right. So, the crew egged on Priyanka to slap him a little harder. Finally, she mustered a lot of courage and gave Irrfan a tight slap. Before she could recover from the shock of hitting Irrfan for real, she got another shock, as Irrfan slapped her right back." Though it was part of the sequence, what Priyanka had not anticipated was that Irrfan would also slap her back so hard for real. The entire crew was visibly shocked and didn't know what to say.

The source added, "Priyanka was extremely upset, but later resumed shooting. The two stars however maintained a safe distance after that." Seems like actor Annu Kapoor is not the only husband who's upset with PC as his screen wife.
Source:DNA

"I find myself drawn to dark roles", says actor Neil Nitin Mukesh

Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh may be extremely choosy when it comes to picking up roles, but the young star insists that he's never afraid to experiment. "I like to surprise both the audiences and myself as an actor," he explains, adding, "I don't see myself ever doing the run-of-the-mill stuff or roles that are easily predictable." That also explains why despite his chocolate-boy looks, Neil is yet to play the conventional romantic hero on the big screen - a genre that he's consciously tried to avoid so far. "When I stepped into Hi-Fi (Hindi Film Industry), playing the romantic hero was the easiest thing to do and also what everyone expected of me given my looks. In fact, those are the roles I was offered the most too, but I didn't want to take the easy way into Hi-Fi and waited until Johnny Gadar came along. Since then, every film has been an experiment in itself," says Neil, whose next two onscreen outings too see him play rather unconventional roles. "Yes, being killed by your wife is pretty unconventional here," he says referring to his upcoming Vishal Bhardwaj film with Priyanka Chopra. "To be honest, I find myself drawn to dark roles. 


I find realism more challenging to depict on screen. As an actor that's more interesting too," adds Neil. Talking about playing Priyanka's husband, he says that working with both - Priyanka and Bhardwaj - is a sheer delight. "There's no other director who could've helmed it better than Vishal or an actor who could've pulled off the role like Priyanka has. She's such a live-wire on sets. And working with Vishal is definitely a dream come true," shares Neil.

Though the actor is currently shooting for an action thriller, Neil says that comedy is one genre that he's really looking forward to doing. "I'd pick comedy over a romantic role any day too," he says. "But I'm not really a slap-stick humour kind of person. What I'd really like to do is a situational comedy. But I think that in this too, a dark comedy would be just perfect," he smiles.
Source:DNA

SRK mobbed at Kuala Lumpur airpot

Hi-Fi (Hindi Film Industry) superstar Shah Rukh Khan has a huge fan following in Malaysia and the adoration was visible for all when he landed here to shoot his much awaited film 'Don 2' with Priyanka Chopra.

The two actors were mobbed at the Kuala Lumpur international airport by fans who pushed and shoved to get an autograph of their idols.

The 45-year-old actor and Priyanka did not disappoint them and signed autographs, posed for pictures, before being escorted to their vehicle.

The Hi-Fi duo, accompanied by a 60-member crew are here to shoot the sequel to their hit 2006 thriller and will begin shooting in the historical city of Malacca, about two hours from here. Local sensation Ady Putra, known for his bad boy roles in hit Malay movies like 'Anak Halal' and 'Histeria', will also star alongside Khan in the film.

Just like the original, 'Don 2' will be filmed on locations in Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi and Khan will be in the country for about a month. Though Malaysia has a large ethnic Indian population, most of the actor's fans are Malays who love watching Hindi language films and Khan was awarded the title 'Datuk' by the Malaysian government three years ago. 
Source:NDTV

Imran-Avantika Reception Pics

Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Jackie Shroff and Vidya Balan

Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan

Manish Malhotra, Preity Zinta, Karan Johar and Kareena Kapoor 

Tusshar, Jeetendra and Shobha Kapoor with Shammi Kapoor, Aditya Raj Kapoor and Neela Devi

Hrithik and Sussanne Roshan

Nita and Mukesh Ambani 

Book on 7 Khoon Maaf out soon

Penguin is set to launch a book on Ruskin Bond’s short story Susanna’s Seven Husbands, which Hi-Fi (Hindi Film Industry) filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj has adapted into a movie and titled 7 Khoon Maaf.

“Penguin will release the book on February 19. This will help readers know our journey the film,” says Bhardwaj. 7 Khoon Maaf stars Priyanka Chopra as the protagonist who kills her seven husbands.

Source:HT

Why make an issue of it? ...asks actor Shahid Kapoor about his presence in Priyanka's house during the IT raids

Actor Shahid Kapoor's presence at actor Priyanka Chopra's residence at the time of the recently conducted IT raids have only added fuel to the speculations surrounding their relationship status. Reports claim that the actor had rushed to PC's home as soon as the IT officers walked in.

However, in an exclusive chat with After Hrs, the actor insists that he would have done that for any friend. "We stay a few floors away, so I was over in a few minutes. Besides, I don't see why such an issue is being made out of this. I only did what any friend would have done," he said. Probe further about their relationship status and Shahid maintains a stoic silence. "Let's not get into that, please," he says, adding, "People will anyways write, think and make it out according to what they feel, but I don't want to talk about it. I wish people would respect our need for privacy in this matter."

Interestingly, the actor had called off all other commitments for the day to be by the side of his 'good friend'. "Like I've said, I would have done this for any other friend too!"

Shahid does admit though, that being in constant media and public glare takes a toll on personal relationships. "But I guess, it's a part and parcel of our jobs and we'll just have to take it in our stride," he ends.

Source:DNA

"Shahid was at my apartment", finally admits actor Priyanka Chopra, following the IT raids at her Yari Road residence in Versova

Priyanka Chopra has hitherto maintained a studied silence when it comes to her reported relationship with actor Shahid Kapoor. In most interviews, she has reiterated that she doesn't like to talk about her personal life (read Shahid). But, on Monday evening at the music launch of her forthcoming movie, the actor finally decided to break her silence on the ceaselessly speculated issue.

"Yes, Shahid was there at my apartment when it (the income tax raids) happened. He lives just three minutes away from my home and it was but natural for me to give him a call when all that was happening. My mother was also supposed to be there but she couldn't make it. So I gave him a call and he rushed to my apartment just as he was (reportedly in shorts)," says Priyanka, talking for the first time about the "traumatic" IT raids at her Yari Road residence in Versova.

The actor doesn't even bat an eyelid when asked if any black money was recovered from her apartment. "I initially thought that I would not speak about it at all. But then I issued a statement through my spokesperson and my chartered accountants. Do you want to know if I had kept Rs 6 crore hidden under the mattress of my bed? No, that's not true at all. I have never seen such kind of money. I didn't keep that kind of money at my apartment. I have told everybody (through her earlier official statement) and have even given a complete breakdown (of the money) that was there. I don't think I would need to reiterate that again. I am cooperating with the investigations like a good citizen of the country," she asserts.

Priyanka, who had earlier been listed as one of the highest tax-payers, admits that the journey from being the highest tax-payer to being investigated for tax evasion has left her shocked. "I have never faced such a thing in my whole career, but I am told that it has happened to everybody who's famous. I guess I have become famous now. That's not what has upset me. I am deeply hurt and shocked to see how unsubstantiated reports kept on appearing about the raids and they continued to appear even when I went ahead and issued a clarification," rues Priyanka.

Source:DNA