celebrity

ABC film critic Joel Siegel dead at age 63

Joel Siegel, the upbeat and often joyous film critic for ABC television's "Good Morning America" for 26 years, died on Friday at age 63 after a long battle against colon cancer, the network said.

Siegel, who was surrounded by family and friends when he died in New York, had stopped working just two weeks ago, and colleagues said he had maintained such a positive attitude that few people realized how sick he was, according to the network.

He had been a regular fixture on "Good Morning America" since joining the broadcast in 1981. He previously reviewed films for ABC affiliates and other networks.

His Friday movie reviews were a staple on "Good Morning America" and no matter how bad the film, it could not daunt Siegel's spirits.

He delivered his pans and plaudits in a terse but witty style. Reviewing one popular film last year, he said: "'The Pursuit of Happyness"' gets a C for spelling and an A for acting. It could also get an Oscar for Will Smith."

In a review of "Letters from Iwo Jima," he said the Japanese-language war drama was "the only contemporary film I've ever reviewed that I felt safe calling a masterpiece. It's not about the enemy, it's about humanity, and Clint Eastwood proves you don't have to understand the language to understand the heart."

Of Matthew McConaughey in "We Are Marshall," he said the performer's appeal "has long evaded me both as a pinup and as an actor. His constant ticks, bad hair and strained syntax as a coach fumble what should have been the tragic and inspirational story of the rebuilding of Marshall University's football team after a devastating plane crash."

"Joel was an important part of ABC News, and we will miss him," ABC News President David Westin said. "He was a brilliant reviewer and a great reporter. But much more, he was our dear friend and colleague. Our thoughts and prayers are with Joel's family."

Siegel was outspoken about his battle with cancer, reporting on his illness, writing a book about it and lobbying on Capitol Hill on behalf of others afflicted with cancer.

In 1991, Siegel and actor Gene Wilder founded Gilda's Club, named for Wilder's late wife, comedian Gilda Radner, a nonprofit organization offering emotional and social support for cancer patients and their families and friends.

Posted by fathima at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

Harry Potter Gets His First Kiss

First kisses can be tricky. Even for Harry Potter.

Daniel Radcliffe the star of the Harry Potter series said Friday while in Tokyo for the premiere of the latest installment that it took a few takes to get over the nerves of getting the young wizard through his first on-screen kiss.

And even then, he didn't really feel the magic.

"When we started it, we were both a bit nervous," Radcliffe said at a news conference. "But after the first few takes, it was sort of like any other scene, which is never really what people want to hear. It doesn't really feel any different, because you are still acting."

In "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the latest in the megahit series based on J.K. Rowling's books, Harry comes of age and has his first on-screen kiss, with longtime crush Cho Chang, played by Katie Leung.



It was a big moment for Harry if not for Radcliffe.

Producer David Heyman said director David Yates cleared the set to create more intimacy for the scene and the crew crowded around a monitor to watch.

"The makeup artist, who's known Daniel really well from the age of 10, she shed a tear," Heyman said. "For me, it was quite moving."

"Order of the Phoenix," a Warner Bros. Pictures release, opens in the United States on July 11 and in Britain the next day.

Radcliffe said Japan was a natural place for the world premiere probably half of their fan mail comes from Japan, he said, and the hundreds of thousands of letters they receive are "beautifully presented."

The next Harry-related frenzy will be the publication of the seventh and final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," on July 21.

The first Harry Potter movie was released in 2001. Radcliffe and co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who play Harry's friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, have been at the center of the Potter storm for almost half their lives.

All three stars have signed up for the final two Potter films.

The Harry Potter books have been translated into 65 languages and sold more than 325 million copies since the first volume, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," was published in 1997. The book was published in the United States with the title "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

Posted by fathima at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

Underwood, Eubanks : Sexiest vegetarians


Associated Press
NEW YORK - Carrie Underwood and Kevin Eubanks have been named the "world's sexiest vegetarians" in PETA's annual contest.

Results were released Tuesday by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Underwood, 24, a Grammy-winning country singer, won the title in 2005. Eubanks, 49, leader of NBC's "Tonight Show" band, is a newcomer to the winner's circle.

Eubanks leapt ahead of his competitors with help from Jay Leno , who encouraged viewers to vote for Eubanks and "bring honor" to the late-night NBC talk show.

"I'm gonna keep this campaign going," Leno said during a recent show after sharing a photo of a shirtless Eubanks with his audience. Leno said the shot, in which Eubanks is holding a backpack and posing against a woodsy backdrop, wasn't doctored.

Runners-up in the contest, which the animal rights group said drew more than 110,000 votes on its Web site, included Joaquin Phoenix , Milo Ventimiglia , Kristen Bell , Bryce Dallas Howard , Jared Leto and Lisa Edelstein.

Last year, Prince and Bell, who starred on the " Veronica Mars " TV series, were picked as the two sexiest vegetarians. Previous winners also include Natalie Portman , Andre 3000 , Coldplay 's Chris Martin , Shania Twain , Tobey Maguire , Lauren Bush, Josh Hartnett and Alicia Silverstone.

NBC is owned by the General Electric Co.

Posted by fathima at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments

Making Mallika look sexy!

It doesn't take much to make Mallika Sherawat look hot. The actress has always looked sexy in her movies, from Khwahish to Pyaar Ke Side Effects.

But her turn in Mehbooba, the song in Himesh Reshammiya's Aap Ka Suroor raises the notch even higher. Mallika looks stunning in her version of Helen's dance in Ramesh Sippy's Sholay (1975).

And it's all thanks to fashion designer Ashley Rebello.

Ashley has worked with many stars like Preity Zinta, Rani Mukerji, Priyanka Chopra, Karisma Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen, but he shares an especially good relationship with Mallika.

The duo have worked together in quite a few films.

Ashley tells us about his favourite Mallika designs. Have a look.

Aap Kaa Suroor: The Moviee: The Real Luv Story

Mallika's most-talked about outfit in Aap Kaa Suroor is the one she wears in the Mehbooba song.

The briefing given to me was that the outfits had to be similar to that worn by Helen in the original song. So I designed an outfit with the same colour combinations.

But after Mallika's dance around the campfire, the song shifts to a casino. The costume changes to a skin coloured gown, with embroidery at strategic places.

Mallika trusted me totally for these outfits, and did not give me much advice.


Dasavatharam

In Dasavatharam, Mallika plays an ultra-glamorous girl, and has to look hot and sexy.

Kamal Haasan, whom she is paired opposite, explained to me what kind of a look he wanted for the film, and for her. In a particular song where she plays a Las Vegas showgirl, she looks outstanding.

I still remember the last season of Koffee With Karan. Everyone critisied her; nobody wanted to come with her on the show. In the second season, she was invited with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. That was possible because of her sheer will power. She is a role model for women today.


Guru

Guru was a slightly period film. Mallika was briefed by Mani Ratnam about the outfit, and she told me. She wanted the costume to look like the era gone by - it should have a Marilyn Monroe look.

I decided on the colour, fabric, texture, and embroidery accordingly. She was terrific in the song, Maiya Maiya -- the way she swayed her body was awesome.

I don't accompany her on her outdoor shootings - actually, it depends on the film and the production house. Whenever she goes outdoors, I just send her the costumes. If there is a problem in the fitting, she manages on her own.

But during Guru, I had to send her new costumes when she faced a problem. Apart from the main costume for the song, I had to send her two tight-fighting dresses. She wears three outfits in the song.



Pyaar Ka Side Effects

PKSE gave her a lot of recognition. It was a change for both of us. She had to look glamorous and simple but at the same time. The role demanded that she looked sweet and vulnerable, and glamorous at the same time. She carried off the costumes fabulously well.

Rongita Nandy briefed me and said that I should use dresses that weren't too short. Long skirts would look cool because she was shown working in an ad agency as an executive.


Bachke Rehna Re Baba

In BRRB, she had to look extremely sexy. She plays a con woman, with a clean heart. For her, love was an important factor.

We had use sexy costumes like swimsuits and baby-doll like costumes. The costumes here are perfect - the design, colours, fabric, and style gelled well.

Mallika contributes a lot to her costumes. She tells me her opinions about the costume, and her do's and don'ts. But all said and done, she trusts me completely.

Posted by fathima at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

REVIEW: NY Bids Adieu to Star Ballerinas

Alessandra Ferri and Kyra Nichols, beloved ballerinas with more than a half-century of performing between them, are as different in style and temperament as they come.

But over the weekend, they were linked forever by a quirk of circumstance: They ended their storied New York careers in emotional performances one day apart. It was a weekend ballet fans some maybe a little hoarse from cheering will likely remember for a long time.

On Saturday evening, it was Ferri petite, passionate and dramatic performing her signature role, Juliet, in her last appearance with American Ballet Theatre after a 22-year run.

And the previous night it was Nichols, a precise and thoughtful technician, dancing her favorite George Balanchine works to end a 33-year career with New York City Ballet.

Fans could only marvel at how both dancers managed to go out on such a high note, still in command of many of the powers that kept them going for so long.

Ferri, an incredibly youthful 44, seemed to both laugh and cry as gold confetti shot across the stage and the crowd at the Metropolitan Opera House showered her with flowers and cheers for 20 minutes of curtain calls.

For this last night as Juliet, and performances of "Manon" this season, she'd chosen as her guest partner a talented fellow Italian, La Scala's Roberto Bolle, famous at home but unknown here until now. Bolle so impossibly tall and handsome it makes you blink may not have been equal to his celebrated partner in terms of acting, but his Romeo made up for it in charisma.

Still, the night belonged to Ferri, with her famously supple back, her distinctively curved feet and that petite physique that somehow made her Juliet seem younger than those of dancers a decade her junior.

Ferri has been playing the role since she was a teenager. Born in Milan, she joined the Royal Ballet in London in 1980 and five years later joined ABT, already an established star. As the years went by she became most famous for her dramatic portrayals in story ballets, and through her travels became a truly global star.

Known for her fearlessness onstage, she threw herself with typical abandon Saturday into the beautiful backward lifts in the famous balcony duet. And in the final scene in the Capulet crypt, she let Bolle's grief-stricken Romeo toss her seemingly lifeless body around as if it were an indestructible rag doll.

Ferri ended her ABT career with the familiar yet unforgettable tableau of Juliet's dead body draped backward over the cold stone slab, reaching out to her dead lover.

Though she's had many partners, none has been more important to Ferri than Julio Bocca, the Argentine whose passion onstage matched her own until his retirement from ABT last year. Fittingly, he returned to congratulate her Saturday, along with a stream of dance luminaries onstage and in the audience.

But her very last curtain call was saved for her two young daughters, ages 9 and 5, dressed in their finest. In another parallel, Nichols' two young boys of almost exactly the same ages joined their mother onstage Friday evening at the New York State Theater.

Over more than three decades at NYCB, Nichols, now 48, became known as a quintessential Balanchine ballerina, never letting the dancer outshine the music or the choreography, but blending the elements into a perfectly balanced mix.

For her farewell performance, she chose all Balanchine, beginning with the soulful "Serenade." The 1948 classic ended with Nichols towering over her partners, held aloft by the ankles, as she reached her arms to the heavens and slowly arched backward.

Then came Robert Schumann's "Davidsbundlertanze," an elegant romp for four couples, in which a pensive Nichols brushed her hands across her face toward the end, perhaps a little more poignantly this time.

The curtain closer was "Vienna Waltzes," in which the entire cast seemed to dress up for a fitting final farewell, the men in tuxes and the women in satiny white gowns with tiaras.

Many in the audience had grown up with Nichols, remembering her as a regal Sugarplum Fairy or a quicksilver Dewdrop in "The Nutcracker," or glittering in "Jewels." It wasn't just Balanchine's work on which she made her mark: Jerome Robbins, the other key creative force at NYCB for many years, recognized her special talents and featured her in "I'm Old-Fashioned," "Antique Epigraphs," "The Four Seasons" and "Other Dances."

She was known as a generous collaborator, the opposite of a prima donna, supporting partners as much as they supported her. Perhaps that was why Philip Neal, her main partner in recent years, seemed to be fighting back tears as he presented her with a bouquet Friday night.

But the most poignant moment came when her sons delivered their bouquets. As the curtain rose and fell, Nichols gave one last piece of instruction to a partner on the City Ballet stage, whispering to 5-year-old Cameron: "Bow." He obliged.

Posted by fathima at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments

The Rise and Fall of Item Girls

Does only Sex and SRK sell in this sex starved nation of 1 billon people? While we are still figuring out about SRK, one thing is for sure, sex definitely sells here. It's on everyman's mind, cutting across caste, creed and religion.

And with it came a whiff of change and brought in a whole new bunch of erotica brigade starting from Mallika Sherawat, Rakhi Sawant, Sheryl Chopra, to Celina Jaitley and Koena Mitra. But the heat wave didn't last long and their ticket to sexy, titillating item numbers seems to have expired. And today they are on the look out for a deglamorised role, where they can show their talent and histrionics, and not just a mere titillating number. Here we take a look at the last brigade of Bollywood's item girls and the bold statements they made when they entered Bollywood's hall of fame..


Mallika Sherawat: Men talk to my b**bs

She is controversy’s favorite child and every man’s dream. This Jat from a small town in Haryana took sex from the confines of the bedroom out in open.

She became the talk of the town with her much hyped and talked about 17 smooching scenes in ‘Khwahish’.

Mallika Sherawat

She announced her own arrival as Bollywood’s newest sex symbol and she declared.

“These 17 kisses will land me in the Guinness Book, in an industry full of nepotism. I have made a mark I feel sad for actresses who are not sexy. Poor things, yaar! I am happy to be a sex symbol”

Rakhi Sawant: Cleavage and culture are in vogue

The voluptuous babe shot into limelight with her Pardesiya remix music video and item number Chura Liya Hai Tumne.

She had no qualms about doing a dare to bare shower scene in Deepak Tijori's ‘Khamosh’.

The shot showed her from behind a glass door with her clad only in transparent underwear.


Rakhi Sawant

According to her, cleavage and culture are in vogue now-a-days.

And that’s why she is a rage when it comes to raunchy music videos, shows and events.

She says she has no issues about using her sexuality to work her way up the ladder of Bollywood. “There can be no other Rakhi Sawant,” she says.

Sherlyn Chopra: It’s orgasm that sells

With this bold and sensational statement, another dare to bare glam sex kitten announced her arrival in Bollywood. She has nicknamed herself the Outrageous Babe and when we asked her, does sex sell? The reply with a mischievous grin, "No, it doesn’t. Whoever said SRK and sex sells is ignorant of facts. The fact is that it's the orgasm that sells. Today viewers across the nation want satisfaction and fulfillment.

Sherlyn Chopra

And only conviction and believable performances can lead to true satisfaction. And guess what her mantra in life is? “If you want sex, just go ahead have it. Don't sit at home and crib about it. Don't curse your fate or destiny. Don't curse God. If you want to look hot, then make an effort to look hot. You shouldn't be committing a murder, a rape. Those are the dos and don'ts. I mean there is nothing wrong in wanting to be sexual. It's not a crime.

Koena Mitra: I enjoyed the steamy shower shot

That’s how she reacted when the infamous MMS clip of her and Fardeen Khan in a steamy shower was circulated as part of publicity of the forthcoming film Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena.

She said she loved doing the shot.

Koena Mitra

The sexy Bong shot into the limelight with her sizzling number Saaqi in Musafir, “I think it was a great idea. There’s nothing wrong in showing what I have done in the film. It's better to talk about sex rather than suppress it. I think today's kids need to be more educated about TV and the internet exposures rather than be restrained from accessing the new electronic medium,” she says and adds “I have no problem if more people wanted to watch my steamy shots.


Celina Jaitley: I'm just using my hot and sexy body

After Zeenat Aman, she tried to recreate the 70’s Zeenat Aman era by making her debut in a bikini in Feroz Khan’s ‘Janasheen’ “I'm hot, sexy and beautiful. So, I want to expose my glamorous side through cinema. I want to make use of my sexy looks as long as its possible. I haven't yet reached the age of doing offbeat films. The day I feel that my fans don't want to see me in bare-dare roles anymore, I will think of playing offbeat characters onscreen,” she adds “Today I'm using hot and sexy body as a stepping-stone to the next genre of movies.

Celina Jaitley

But is she open to do items numbers?

“I have no qualms doing them. It depends on how they are shot. But I hate the term 'item number'. It sounds so derogatory. It's a performance of a different type,” she defends.

Payal Rohatgi: I have a great body

Another item girl turned actress Payal Rohatgi says she “I fail to understand why people make so much ‘hulla’ about sex? It is a reality in life, she says and everybody talks about it.

The bold actress who didn’t shy away from exposing on the screen says she’s not scared of being typecast in the role of a sex-kitten.

Payal Rohatgi

She says that almost all top heroines have exposed in the beginning of their careers.

Be it Zeenat Aman in Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Madhuri Dixit in Dayavan or Mandakini in Ram Teri Ganga Maili.

If they didn't get typecast, why would she? Point to be noted.

Tanushree Dutta: I was forced to kiss

This former Miss India says she forced into doing the hot kissing scenes in Chocolate, but then it’s too late, since it already made her the next sex symbol, a tag she’s trying to shrug off.

“Though I have a few kisses in my debut film, I have decided not to do it anymore,” she adds “I come from a small town and my parents were shocked to see me in those clothes.”

Tanushree Dutta

But admits she would stick to her glamorous roles till she dies and glamour according to her is the skin show but the appeal.

“I think my sex appeal lies in the eyes,” she smiles.

Sameera Reddy: I'm proud to be a sex symbol

From appearing in item numbers to being an actress, this vivacious beauty oozes raw sex appeal and confidence on the screen.

But today she’s made the transformation with ease, she says she is proud of her past sexy image and says “A majority of my roles in films are glamour oriented. I don't deny that. I'm also proud of myself for acquiring the sex symbol image.”

Posted by fathima at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

John having sleepless nights!

Our very own Johnny boy has given professionalism a new definition playing a stress puppet at the hand s of his director.

The director in question, namely Anurag Kashyap made Abraham work for 48 hours non-stop to make john look weary and exhausted for a particular scene. John Abraham might just find a place in the Limca Book Of World Records thanks to his new film, No Smoking.

To achieve such a tired look from a fresh faced actor Kashyap to ensure he overworked John!

Everyone in the unit thought this was impossible for an actor to do, but Anurag didn’t want to give up so he went up to John and told him that he needed to finish a couple of scenes within the schedule and it would be great if he could work non-stop.

The shoot went on for over 24 hours getting John curious to know whether Anurag even planned to wind up the shoot. John didn’t complain even once.Finally, after 48 hours of non-stop shooting, John become really tired and it showed on his face. That’s when Anurag decided to shoot the scene he’d been overworking John for.

John has two days off after that.

Kashyap admits he was a bit inhuman with John but was also cared as he had heard all sorts of scary stories where stars refuse to work beyond eight hours.

Produced under the banner Big Screen Entertainment banner and Vishal Bhardwaj Pictures, No Smoking also stars Ayesha Takia, Paresh Rawal, Ranvir Shorey and Sanjay Singh. Vishal Bhardwaj has composed the film’s music with lyrics by Gulzar.

Posted by fathima at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments

Making debut as an Item girl

After Maushumi Chatterjee years in the filmdom, it’s the turn of daughter Megha Mukherjee to debut in her first Hindi film with Sanjay Sharma called Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron.

A trained classical and western dancer Megha is doing an item number in the film grooving to the tunes of Bappi Lahiri.

She was initially very skeptical because she didn’t want to start her career as an item girl but when she later came to know that the song is a tribute to Parveen Babi, she readily agreed.

Megha had heard a lot about Parveen from her mom who used to be very fond of Parveen. She was the ultimate heroine of Bollywood according to her.

Director Sanjay Sharma spotted Megha at the birthday party of the film’s lead actor Kapil Sharma (producer Anil Sharma’s bro) and as soon as he saw her he wanted her to do the item number.

Momma Chatterjee is apparently cool about the whole thing, and is giving all the support needed to her now grown up and sensible daughter Megha when she needs it.

A year ago, Megha made her film debut in Tarun Majumdar’s Bengali film with Maushumi. Inspite of the movie being a debacle at the box office, her role was appreciated with Rituparno Ghosh personally calling Maushumi Chatterjee to say that he loved Megha in the film,” she says.

Megha remains tightlipped about the song, only divulging that it is a remix of two Parveen Babi hits compiled by Bappida.

Posted by fathima at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

Neetu missed being SRK’s gal

This is how small banes cross you at times.

Garam Masala actress Neetu Chandra was supposed to star opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Yash Raj Films’ upcoming venture, Chak De India, but Yash Raj Films and director Shimit Amin decided to cast Vidya Malavade. Neetu was the first choice for the role.

Shah Rukh plays an ageing hockey coach in the film, who takes a group of girls to the heights of world hockey.

Neetu was supposed to be a girl keen to play with the hockey team but not getting the approval of her parents.

Everything seemed to be going well when Neetu met Shimit a couple of times, but then out of nowhere one day she was told that she was being replaced by Vidya.”

Neetu admits that she had auditioned for Chak De and Shimit was considering her for the role but apparently after the release of Traffic Signal, the makers felt that she deserved a bigger role. All the eleven girls in the film have an equal role. Also Shimit required a fresh face and she respected his requirement.

Chandra is not feeling bad at missing a chace to cast opposite Shah Rukh but she is optimistic to wotk with SRK in the future!

Meanwhile, Neetu has signed a three-film contract with Ashtavinayak Films.

Posted by fathima at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments

Making love for three days!

Gul Panag and Sharman Joshi have been diligently been making love for three days and have been very professional about it.

Now don’t get any wrong ideas. What we here are talking about the three day long love making shoot for Director Atul Agnihotri’s Hello! His second film Hello is sure to hit the jackpot considering the amount of work being put in by the Director.

Anyways the steamy scenes in question show Gul and Sharman making love in a car. The scenes were shot at Mehboob Studios for three consecutive days.

Sources say both Gul and Sharman were thoroughly professional and did not create a fuss or even giggle. Irrespective of the retakes there were other problems cropping up all the time elongating the shoot.

It took three days to shoot the scenes because they had to work to make the set resemble the interiors of a car inclusive of the making of the backdrop. The lovemaking scene is totally contextual and is in flashback when Gul and Sharman are on the verge of a break-up.

It is also exactly in tandem with the portion in the book One Night at a Call Center, where Priyanka and Shyam make love.

The film, stars Sohail Khan, Sharman Joshi, Gul Panag, Amrita Arora and Ishaa Koppikar with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif making special appearances.

Hello is an adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s bestseller, One Night at a Call Centre.

Posted by fathima at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments

Making love for three days!

Gul Panag and Sharman Joshi have been diligently been making love for three days and have been very professional about it.

Now don’t get any wrong ideas. What we here are talking about the three day long love making shoot for Director Atul Agnihotri’s Hello! His second film Hello is sure to hit the jackpot considering the amount of work being put in by the Director.

Anyways the steamy scenes in question show Gul and Sharman making love in a car. The scenes were shot at Mehboob Studios for three consecutive days.

Sources say both Gul and Sharman were thoroughly professional and did not create a fuss or even giggle. Irrespective of the retakes there were other problems cropping up all the time elongating the shoot.

It took three days to shoot the scenes because they had to work to make the set resemble the interiors of a car inclusive of the making of the backdrop. The lovemaking scene is totally contextual and is in flashback when Gul and Sharman are on the verge of a break-up.

It is also exactly in tandem with the portion in the book One Night at a Call Center, where Priyanka and Shyam make love.

The film, stars Sohail Khan, Sharman Joshi, Gul Panag, Amrita Arora and Ishaa Koppikar with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif making special appearances.

Hello is an adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s bestseller, One Night at a Call Centre.

Posted by fathima at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments

Shilpa Shetty Harassed again

Here is another case of our poor little Shilpa Shetty being harrased, but this time by the authorities at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport sometime back on her way to the IIFA function. The emigration authorities refused to let her head for London saying that a `look-out' notice had been issued in her name.

A look-out notice is issued in criminal cases and is served at exit points of a country, alerting security agencies to stop the person, in whose name the notice is, from moving out of the country.

In Shilpa's case, a court in Rajasthan had issued a look-out notice on the actor in an obscenity case. Shilpa had appeared along with Hollywood actor Richard Gere at a charity function in Delhi some months ago, and TV channels blew it out of proportion when Gere kissed Shetty in a public.

The actress apparently had moved to the Supreme Court and got a relief against the lookout notice, this had obviously not been communicated to the security agencies at the airport. Recently, director Anurag Kashyap made Abraham work for 48 hours non-stop because he wanted the actor to look weary and exhausted for a particular scene.

According to sources, when Shilpa reached the CSI airport, she was stopped at the emigration check desk. "We had a look-out notice in Shilpa's name, and there was nothing wrong if the men on duty stopped her," said a senior Mumbai Police official, who did not wish to be named.

Shilpa had to produce a copy of the SC directive, but Shilpa was not carrying it with her.

So after two hours of harrasment. her father and got a copy of the SC directive following which emigration authorities allowed Shilpa to proceed to UK.

Posted by fathima at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments

Tabu and Upen Patel seen Kissing

Now this one is an unlikely pair if not seen as an odd and strange and that to a romantic one.

So did Tabu and Upen Patel were really get cosy at the Bandra club Poison on Wednesday night. Apparently Upen had come in with his friends and soon hit the bar enjoying some drinks. However, in sometime he noticed Tabu, chilling out with her friends there too.

So he went up to her and they started chatting.

This must have been the first time that they were hanging out together but the chemistry was so visible and you could make out from the body language that they were loving each other’s company. Tabu seemed to be in high spirits and was overwhelmingly happy.

So what do we see next? Upen kissing Tabu.

And that too not a random kiss but quite a mutual one, if you understand what we mean. They were even kissing on their way out of the club.

What a love story brewing this is! Keep it up Dahlings we don’t wanna miss out much on this one. Upen refused to comment on the story!

Posted by fathima at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments

Koena: I can take care of myself!

It’s not easy for a single girl in Mumbai. Especially in the film industry, which has a reputation for being a big bad world when it comes to innocent aspiring actresses. From lecherous filmmakers to lewd SMSers to pawing fans, they have to go through it all. But women can take care of themselves. Be it Bipasha Basu, Kareena Kapoor, Celina Jaitley or Rakhi Sawant - they’ve all been through hell and back when it came to misbehaving fans. While these actresses can take care of themselves, there are a hundred others who aren’t able to. Luckily Koena Mitra falls into the former category - she can definitely take care of herself. Koena Mitra lets us in on the difficulties she faced when she first stepped into Mumbai’s dangerous world.


“It was a tough decision for me to give up studies for my career,” says Koena Mitra. “I was still in college when I won a prestigious personality contest. When I came to Mumbai after that to pursue a career in modelling, things weren’t smooth sailing.

I was completely ignored by the snobbish models from Mumbai. I was looked down on and virtually ostracised by them - their feelings were fuelled by the fact that I was demanding and getting a high price for my assignment because of my title. Of course, when I did become successful, they attributed it to luck, which they’re still doing. Obviously, the ‘luck’ factor hasn’t worked for them yet.”


“Setting myself up in Mumbai was tough, as any single working girl in Mumbai will tell you. You have to manage your house, as well as your career. I have been lucky because I have been independent right from my childhood. I used to go and fetch my younger sister from school even when I was in school myself.

Though I wasn’t quite the tom-boy, I could always take care of myself. My parents knew that and they weren’t worried about whether I could make it on my own in Mumbai. Touchwood, they have always been very supportive towards me.”


“When I became an actress, I never had any godfather to guide me on my path to stardom. I had to make my own decisions.

''I am not saying a star son or daughter has it easier - they too are weighed down by expectations, but at least they have someone to guide them and show them the right path. I was starting from scratch.”


“Thankfully, I got it right. I think it is better to start off slowly when it comes to fame. If you start off with a huge banner and a superb role, it will become difficult for you when you try to sign your next film. You will have already set a certain level for yourself, and you cannot sign roles with say a newcomer director or filmmaker. You have to wait for yet another big banner. On the other hand, the way my career started off slowly with an item number in Road, was just right. From there I took up multi-starrer roles, and then I did my solo lead film with Fardeen Khan. Even today, I don’t feel I only need solo heroine films. I am quite happy signing films which have two heroines. In fact, today so many new filmmakers are making exciting films, and I can pick and choose the best. And every other film has two heroines today, so there’s nothing wrong in that. I am not in a hurry to sign solo films.”


“On the personal front, too, there has been no stress. My parents have never pressurized me to get married, because they know that when the time is right, I will do that.”

“When my house in Bandra was gutted by a fire, I was seriously in a mess. I was virtually living in a suitcase. I used to buy clothes every time I had to go on an outdoor shoot. But my friends stood by me during that trying phase in my life. They called me up, even my co-stars and directors, and told me that all I had to do was give them a call if I needed anything. I lived with my friends until I bought a place for myself again. I thank god for such lovely friends!”

Posted by fathima at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments

Fans Flock to 'Sopranos' Jersey Haunts

Fade to black? Not a chance for fans of "The Sopranos." Almost two weeks after the series finale, the addiction to the show seems stronger than ever, with legions of fans making a journey to Jersey to see real-life remnants of the hit TV mob drama.

For many, their obsession starts at the place where the series ended: Business is booming at the diner where lead character Tony Soprano sat with his family in the controversial series finale.

Fans not only want to eat at Holsten's (actually an ice cream parlor in Bloomfield), they want to sit in the same booth where Tony, the fictional New Jersey mob boss, played the Journey song, "Don't Stop Believin'."

"The phone just rings constantly all day from people wanting to make reservations," said co-owner Chris Carley. "They ask `Can we reserve the booth? Can we get a T-shirt?'"

Carley, who watched the final scenes filmed there over two days, fields calls from fans wanting to talk about the ending. Customers who want to relive Tony's last meal can buy some of the onion rings he raved about(for $2.50), but they cannot listen to the juke box, which was a prop for the show.

"It's just so funny that people want to sit in that booth," Carley said. "A lot of people are taking pictures."

The Emmy-winning HBO show explored the life of the fictional Jersey mob boss and his family, and scores of scenes have been shot across the Garden State since it debuted in 1999.

The series buzz-inducing final scene ended abruptly with the screen suddenly going black as Tony and his family sit down to dinner at Holsten's, leaving fans guessing about what happens next.

Part of "The Sopranos" fascination is fueled by the lack of a real ending, said Roland T. Rust, chairman of the marketing department at the University of Maryland.

"The fact you don't have that resolution makes it more difficult for people to let go," Rust said.

Some fans are flocking to a "Sopranos"-themed bus tour. With 47 sites, it's one way fans can still connect with the show. The cost is $42 per person, which includes a cannoli (a nod to "The Godfather"). Afternoon tours for the next two weekends are already sold out.

The tour begins in Midtown Manhattan and transports up to 54 people through the Lincoln Tunnel into Jersey (the start of Tony's journey in the opening credits). Fans see the fictional Satriale's pork store in Kearny and the diner under the Pulaski Skyway in Jersey City where Tony's nephew, Christopher, got shot.

For many the highlight is Satin Dolls, a strip club that fronts for the "Bada Bing," on Route 17 in Lodi.

"People are really in withdrawal," says Georgette Blau, president of On Location Tours. A third tour has been added, and a fourth is likely to begin next month, Blau said.

Satriale's, which is one of the most popular stops, is slated to be whacked come August or September.

Manny Costeira, the owner of the building who leased it to HBO, is demolishing it to make way for nine condos and a garage, aptly named "Soprano Court."

Costeira said construction will begin in the fall or spring and fans can buy a piece of the building.

"We'll be salvaging the stones off the building for those people who are totally heartbroken about the pork store going down," he said.

The obsession with "The Sopranos" doesn't just include New Jersey.

Music downloads of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" jumped 371 percent in the week after it played in the show's final scene, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign borrowed from the series ending when it unveiled its new campaign song with a Web video spoof of the "Sopranos" exit.

Even Pizzaland, a shack that zips by in the show's opening credits, has seen a huge spike in business from fans trying to still starving for the show.

The store got so busy fielding requests for custom pizzas from across the country the pies are sent by mail in dry ice that it had to shut its doors to walk-in customers five days before the final episode aired.

"We had to stop answering the phones," said owner Todd Maino.

His employees worked for 48 hours straight to accommodate 800 to 1,000 orders before the finale, and they're still taking 300 to 400 weekly orders for the thin-crust pizza.

Pizzaland shipped two pies to Jeri Hershberger last week in Spokane, Wash. The 56-year-old is still looking for a connection to the show.

"It never was finalized," she said. "It keeps people's imaginations going."

Posted by fathima at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments

An ongoing theme throughout the top 10 Hottest women in the world is their public desire to shed their sex appeal to develop their “talents.” While Jessica Alba has stated this on numerous occasions, it still generates buzz all over the world. Arena Magazine Singapore is the proof.

What’s with the pretty girls not wanting to be pretty? There’s women starving themselves and spending thousands of dollars on plastic surgery to look half as good as Jessica Alba and this ungrateful brat doesn’t want it. I wake up everyday and thank whoever was responsible for my chiseled features and nice ass because without them I would just be “that guy with a blog.”

Labels: Jessica Alba

Posted by fathima at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments

It seems that singer Christina Aguilera is set to enter the mommyhood world soon.

The Dirrty singer is rumoured to be pregnant with hubby Jordan Bratman’s child.

Rumours of Aguilera’s pregnancy fuelled after she visited to a maternity doctor recently.

She also looked to be donning a small bump while shopping in Soho, New York.

"Christina and Jordan adore each other and have tried for a baby for a while to complete the family,” the News of the World quoted a pal, as saying.

Labels: Christina Aguilera

Posted by fathima at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments

MADRID, Spain - David Beckham was minutes away from a perfect Hollywood ending.

The 32-year-old soccer star-pop icon, who likely played his last game for a European club, was taken off the field moments before Real Madrid rallied to win the Spanish league title for the first time in Beckham's four years with the team.

The England midfielder was replaced in the 66th minute with what appeared to be a recurrence of an ankle injury. But he still managed to limp around the field in celebration — in front of a huge crowd that included his wife, Victoria, and friends Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes — after his team beat Mallorca 3-1 to win its 30th league title.

"I couldn't have dreamt it any better," Beckham said Sunday. "It's been about winning the title for the last six months and we've deserved it tonight."

It was the culmination of a season that can easily be called the most difficult of his life. But even being shunned by both Madrid coach Fabio Capello and England coach Steve McClaren over the last year didn't keep Beckham from proving he still has the skills to compete at the highest level.

"It's been an incredible experience but all I remember now is the great things. Winning this tonight now puts to bed everything else," said Beckham, who was dropped from the Madrid lineup in January after signing a five-year, $32.5 million contract to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS.

But with Madrid again eliminated early from the Champions League and the team in fourth place in the league — six points behind leader FC Barcelona — Capello begrudgingly recalled the former England captain.

"A major fault of mine this season was not recognizing Beckham's potential," Capello said Sunday.

Beckham's good looks and pop star wife Victoria have made him an international marketing magnet.

After the game, he did a lap of honor with an England flag draped across his back, soaking in the atmosphere at the famous Santiago Bernabeu stadium for one last time.

Instead of playing in front of 90,000 fans at Madrid and Barcelona, Beckham will turn out in front of about 8,000 people at some Major League Soccer games, even though his presence will inevitably boost attendance.

"David Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally," Timothy J. Leiweke, president and CEO of AEG and owner of the Galaxy, said after the signing.

Posted by fathima at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments

Shah Rukh Khan does nothing in half measures. It’s all or nothing for this type-A personality. He works 18 hour days ... and then some! And when he works, its all work. And when he’s on vacation (like currently in London with family) he says ‘No work meetings please!’ When SRK ‘goes to the mattresses’ it’s indeed war and when he calls someone a friend he supports them through anything. He was the first Indian actor to model for a Lux bar (second in the world after Paul Newman) and now he’ll be the first Indian star to model for a fairness cream. Talk about ‘achievers’. He’s the first to rope in 30 top stars for one song in his Om Shanti Om ; And he stays first among equals to date. Why not? After all, one of Shah Rukh’s favourite role models is Genghis Khan! We caught him in a casual mood, inspite of his rushed schedule, on the eve of his departure to London for a holiday – and even then he was doing two shifts!


Hey Shah Rukh, now that the so-called ‘war of the wordsworths’ between you and Mr Bachchan seems to have lost some simmer, next season, are you planning on inviting him as a celeb guest on your show’s second edition, the way he invited you?


“You know, I don’t invite anybody. I don’t get to invite anybody. The producers do. Whoever they feel they should, they invite. Once the invitation goes out; and if they happen to be from the same fraternity and I know them, then, out of courtesy, I make a call to welcome them. But I don’t invite anyone.”

Just curiosity, but what had sparked the speculation? Your doing Don first or KBC ?
“I do lots of films. I don’t do it for speculation. I did Don for Farhan. I did it because I wanted to do it. There are many remakes done, except that they’re not ‘legal’ remakes. I don’t know why this speculation. I guess it’s just an interesting episode for everyone to write on. It’s an episode being made into a story – so be it. I’ve done it and I’ll continue to do so. If there’s some other remake of a film, I’ll do it. I don’t do a film for any other reason other than to entertain people.”



Meaning it’s true that you’re going to produce Don 2 as well?
“No! I don’t know whether I’ll be acting in it. We don’t have a story for it. Farhan is going to work out something. We’re in no hurry and it will take a long time even if we decide on doing it. So we’ll have to wait.”

More buzz. We hear that you may be doing Dhoom 3 with Aishwarya?
“No I’ve not been offered Dhoom 3 by Adi (Aditya Chopra) ... and I meet Adi every third day. And I don’t think he would mention it to anyone else before mentioning it to me. I don’t even know whether it’s been made.”

Rumouredly, on the sets of your show, many women had proposed to you, saying that your religion allows you to remarry? Post KANK, were you tempted?
“Look, the whole idea of hosting the show was fun and jokes; and I allowed everyone to have fun at my expense. I’m open enough to let girls of 21, 22, propose to me – it’s where they want to say something and they get a chance. So they joke and fool and I go along. They don’t mean that seriously. And I know that because I have a sense of humour.”



Your focus has been your home (production) with Om Shanti Om ; familiar faces – Farah, Arjun. A more comfortable zone?
“Frankly, I’m comfortable making a film wherever I am. Om Shanti Om is a big production and Farah is at the helm. In any case, I don’t like working in isolation. For me, I get comfortable with everyone on all my sets. Most directors are like family to me. It was as cool for me working in KANK as in Don and the rest of my films. In India we are like that only. For us our work environment is like family. Otherwise, a film is a film and you have to go and make it. If the environment is light it’s very good. I normally don’t work in films where the environment is not light. There’s nothing different with Om Shanti Om as far as my work is concerned.”

Your new heroine Deepika Padukone is ready for a big arrival and is already being touted as the next Aishwarya Rai?
“I don’t know whether she’ll be Aishwarya Rai; but Deepika is a very talented actor. Very hardworking, very beautiful. I hope she does well because she’s doing her very first film with us, so we feel extra responsible - myself, Farah and the entire production. Especially since she’s ace badminton champion Prakash Padukone’s daughter; someone I’ve been a huge fan of. Oh yes, she dances well too. She’ll have a good experience working with us. She’s very professional - as all models are.”

Is it true that Om Shanti Om is a spin-off on Karz ? Aren’t you worried that Subhash Ghai will ‘re-incarnate’ himself to stop that? “You know, we have Subhash Ghai in the film. Because as a tribute we start the film like that; but it’s not a spin-off from Karz .”

So what happens to Happy New Year - which Farah was to direct for you earlier? “The climax was something we couldn’t work out intelligently enough. We worked for about six months but we couldn’t come to a great ending. Also, the casting hadn’t taken place and it was supposed to be shot in America for six months; so I wasn’t very keen to go and spend that much time there at one go. However, we’ll definitely work on it - maybe later.”

At one time there was this intense rivalry with Hrithik but today you are the best of friends? “I never have intense rivalry with anyone. I have healthy rivalry. I am Shah Rukh Khan. I run my own ways, do things on my terms and live the way I want to; seeking blessings only from Allah. I’m a middle class boy who made it on his own and will keep making it on my own. I have love for everyone. These rivalries are media fads. Sometimes, for 6 to 8 months people write about Salman or Hrithik or Mr Bachchan or Aamir. I wish it were true at times the way it’s made to sound, so exciting. But we continue being boringly good to each other.”

Posted by fathima at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments

Bhubaneswar: Police are investigating a complaint that the designs on two saris created for Aishwarya Rai's wedding were plagiarised from a previous work of art, police said.

The two intricately woven garments were made by award-winning craftsman Chaturbhuja Meher.

Amitabh Bachchan had purchased the saris for the wedding of Aishwarya and Abishek Bachchan.

The saris, like the wedding, made a splash and now Meher's cousin, Kailash Meher, has filed charges alleging that the designs were taken from his painting The Tree of Life, N P Nayak, a police officer in Orissa said on Wednesday.

The two artists live in Orissa.

Nayak said the sari maker was being investigated for fraud.

“The charges are serious in nature,” he said.

Chaturbhuja Meher denied the allegations, saying his creation was substantially different from the painting.

“All the charges made against me are false. I am contemplating a defamation suit”, the master weaver told a local television channel.

Posted by fathima at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments

The World’s hottest Beautiful People are Indians!

People magazine is in a dilemma. No longer can Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, Michelle Pfeiffer and co, be called the ‘sexiest people alive’. The world focus is changing to the dark haired, fair, olive tanned beauties of South East Asia. The magic of Aishwarya, the sexuality of Mallika and allure of SRK, Hrithik, Salman- indeed, the sexiest people alive are Indian tinsels’ gods and goddesses. Indiatimes Movies says so! We did our own special research and online polling, and have decided that the world’s ‘hottest’ come from the land of the Himalayas and the Ganges. If Aishwarya has already been introduced to the world by Oprah and Letterman as the worlds most beautiful- then the world still has to see our Rani and Bispasha. If SRK has been called ‘Brad Pitt’ of India by the Time magazine, then the voltage of Hrithik still has to be felt- Read on and see -the world’s sexiest stars alive and decide…


Hrithik Roshan

The Greek god of Bollywood, Hrithik can easily match any international standard with a lethal combination of physique, looks and sex appeal. The Mirror has rated him 9 out of 10.

Our rating: 10/10

Salman Khan

The only star who can match up to Hrithik in terms of sex appeal, looks and physique is the bratty Khan.

Our rating: 9/10

John Abraham

Closely following Hrithik and Salman is biker boy John Abraham. His ever increasing female fan following makes him at par with his Hollywood counterparts.

Our rating: 8/10

Shah Rukh Khan

After Amitabh and Aishwarya, the only Indian to have his statue at Madame Tussad’s museum. Time magazine calls him the Brad Pitt of India. Though he doesn’t have any of those killer looks and bulging muscles of Hrithik and Salman, there is no denying that he is the reigning King Khan. He has the right blend of an urban -sexual and metro-sexual man.

Our rating: 8/10

Saif Ali Khan

The newest Khan on the block is slowly and steadily making his inroads and riding high on the popularity wave. And like other contemporary Khans, Saif is here to rule

Our rating: 7/10

Akshay Kumar

Cook turned action hero tuned versatile actor, this- Khiladi has come a long way and has emerged as a knight in shining armour.

Our rating: 6/10

Abhishek Bachchan

The scion of the famous Indian alive Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek was one of India’s leading eligible bachelors, but marriage to Aishwarya Rai seems to have diminished some of his popularity, but he still remains one of Bollywood’s hottest simply because of his famous surname.

Our rating: 7/10

Sanjay Dutt

He is Bollywood’s original style icon. Every look of his was considered as a fashion statement, before Khans made their foray. But time and again he has reinvented himself.

Our rating: 7/10

Amitabh Bachchan

The grand old superstar still remains the overpowering symbol of Hindi films today. He has slipped to No 8 in the trade’s reckoning, perhaps because of a combination of overexposure (he did nine films last year and was seen in a series of ads as well) and some

Our rating: 6/10

Aishwarya Rai

Oprah Winfrey and Julia Roberts call her "the world's most beautiful woman". Abhishek Bachchan may be everyman’s envy, but that didn’t stop him from bagging the world’s most beautiful woman as his wife.

Our rating: 9/10

Shilpa Shetty

She’s been a darling of the masses, but ever since she won UK’s leading reality show Big Brother, her popularity has soared many folds.

Our rating; 7/10

Sushmita Sen

World had its first glimpse of the Indian beauty and brain when Sushmita was crowned Miss Universe. And ever since her beauty and charm has been talked about worldwide.

Our rating; 8/10

Bipasha Basu

Brown tanned look is in and that’s what makes this dusky beauty desirable and everyman’s dream.

Our rating; 6/10

Deepika Padukone

Supermodel turned actress, she is the new entrant to this elite list of beautiful Indian women.

Our rating; 6/10

Kareena Kapoor

The girl from the illustrious Kapoor khandaan made many heads turn when she made her debut. With a lethal combination of beauty and talent by her side, she is a natural and a strong contender for being in the elite list.

Our rating; 7/10

Preity Zinta

The former 'liril,' girl with her dimpled smile has become a fashion icon and leading actress and easily one of India’s leading beautiful ladies.
Our rating: 7/10

Mallika Sherawat

Nothing sells better than sex and that’s what the sexy Sherewat girl has branded herself as- Bollywood’s newest sex symbol.

Our rating; 6/10

Rani Mukherjee

She may have the image of a girl next door, but this dusky bong beauty is still in the race as a rare Indian beauty.

Our rating; 6/10

Katrina Kaif

A near perfect face and a flawless skin, she has the right mixture of Indian beauty and westernized look

Our rating; 8/10

Posted by fathima at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments

Elizabeth Hurley Turns 42 In Style

It’s gotta be great being a celebrity and having ultra-rich celebrity friends. Just ask Elizabeth Hurley. She’s a beautiful actress/model, and she has friends like Sir Elton John to throw her ridiculous birthday parties.

John served up birthday wishes for Hurley in lavish form. Elizabeth’s husband, Arun Nayar, seemed stunned by the festivities, and by his wife’s beautiful white knee-length frock and sparkly shoes. Not bad for 42, eh?

Even Elton and his husband David Furnish took their cues from Hurley, both donning silver shoes to match hers. Fabulous!

It’s no secret that Sir Elton and Elizabeth are bff. Earlier this year at her wedding, Elton delivered a touching speech in which he called the Austin Powers beauty his “daughter.” He’s had nothing but kind words best wishes for her during their longtime friendship.

Hurley told Hello! Magazine, “I cried in the church, during Elton’s speech. I’m afraid my stiff upper lip deserted me.”

Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

Posted by fathima at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments

LONDON (AFP) - Beatles music legend John Lennon was shot dead after deciding to return home from the studio to see his young son Sean rather than go to dinner, his widow Yoko Ono said in an interview broadcast Sunday.

The megastar musician's last words in December 1980 were about his wish to see the couple's only child before he fell asleep, she told BBC radio.

Lennon was killed by deranged fan Mark Chapman outside the former Beatle's New York home nearly 27 years ago.

"We were returning from the studio, and I said, 'Should we go and have dinner before we go home?'," Ono recounted.

"John was saying, 'No, let's go home because I want to see Sean before he goes to sleep,' and it was like he wasn't sure if we would get home before he went to sleep and he was concerned about that.

"That was the last thing he said, that he wanted to see Sean."

Japanese artist Ono, 74, spoke of her upbringing in war-torn Japan, her career and her life with British rock music star Lennon, including how their relationship developed.

"I think that in 1967 when we started, I felt scared about getting involved -- that he was a Beatle -- it dawned on me that it would be a different situation and I might lose my freedom, and everybody was so upset with us that they made up stories."

Ono was vilified by many Beatles fans who blamed the band's break-up on her influence on Lennon.

"It was hurtful in a way, it helped that I had John by my side," she said.

"It did seem that those things were happening in the distance. What was said out there didn't hurt so much."

Ono said the pair were "narcissistic" about their honeymoon Vietnam War protest, when the newlyweds stayed in bed to promote peace.

She revealed her unhappiness when she found out she was pregnant with Sean after the couple reunited following a two-year split. Sean, today a musician, was born in 1975.

"I thought that I should let John decide whether to keep it or not. We'd just got back together and I became pregnant very soon, and I didn't know if it was the right moment to have a child. I just didn't want to burden him with something he didn't want."

Ono has another child by her first husband Anthony Cox, an American jazz musician. Daughter Kyoko Chan Cox was born in 1963.

"I just want to say to my two children 'not to defend me'," Ono said.

"I don't want them to waste their time defending me. Don't even think about the past or your mother, because your mother had a great life and you should know that."

Posted by fathima at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

It’s no secret that Keira Knightley is a fan of being less than proper. But the English lady may have gone a bit overboard in a recent interview with Elle magazine.

In a recent interview, she told of her desire to just enjoy life. She said that life was too important to worry about her weight or anything else for that matter. “I’m not one of those people who’s going to jog five miles every morning.”

"I’m trying to go ‘F*** it’ and have bowls of pasta or whatever makes me happy. I haven’t been to the gym since January and I’m drinking about half a bottle of wine a night. F*** it, you’ve got one life - live it.”

She was open about her admiration for people such as Scarlett Johansson and her beautiful curves. “That kind of decadent flesh is absolutely beautiful. How sexy is that on a woman?”

Knightley was candid about her hang time with Johansson. “We had such a laugh. Scarlett’s a sweetheart. I’m not completely comfortable with my body but I just thought, ‘F*** it’.”

While her vernacular may leave something to be desired, one must admire her footloose and fancy free perspective.

Labels: Keira Knightley

Posted by fathima at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

VENICE, Italy (Reuters) - Move over Hillary.

Sharon Stone is the only woman running in the 2008 U.S. presidential elections, at least as far as the Venice Biennale art festival is concerned.

Stone appears in a mock TV campaign ad dreamt up by Italian artist Francesco Vezzoli and crafted by the same media guru who once advised U.S.President George W. Bush.

Stone's pseudo-opponent in the art installation is French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, who has the benefit of Bill Clinton's former consultant in his corner.

Their dueling, 60-second advertisements play simultaneously on video screens directly across from each other at the Venice Biennale, sometimes called the "Oscars" of the art world, which opened for a press preview on Thursday.

"I wanted somebody from Hollywood, which is the place where people search for the ultimate fiction. And I wanted somebody from the world of philosophy, which is the search for the ultimate truth," Vezzoli said.

"These would be in obvious conflict, one with the other."

Stone spits out sound bites such as "peace is not just the end of the war in Iraq." She receives a glowing recommendation from the supposed mother of a U.S. soldier, who assures that Stone "is going to do right by our men and women in service."

Political media adviser Mark McKinnon, who engineered the ad, said it took him four months of production -- all free of charge because of how "taken" he was by Vezzoli.

"I think politics is a lot about positioning and creating a credible persona ... and I think this is what Francesco was trying to do," said McKinnon, who is currently working with Senator John McCain's real-life campaign.

Vezzoli said his goal was also "to do a deconstruction of the role of media manipulation." The title of his exhibition is called "Democrazy" and opens to the public starting on Sunday.

Vezzoli is no stranger to the world of celebrity art. His past videos have included the likes of French actress Catherine Deneuve and Brazilian actress Sonia Braga.

His last work at the Biennale was a fake trailer for a fake remake of the film "Caligula," which included Benicio Del Toro and Courtney Love.

But Vezzoli said some critics, including people who stripped the "Caligula" trailer off the Web site YouTube, thought that his video short was too pornographic.

"Maybe they'll find politics too pornographic as well," Vezzoli said.

Labels: Sharon Stone

Posted by fathima at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments

Courteney Cox has seen enough people worry about her friend Jennifer Aniston that she’s finally telling them to just plain stop.

Saying the her “Friends” co-star and BFF has been doing great ever since her break-up with Brad Pitt, Courteney doesn’t know why the media insists on portraying Aniston as a lonely, heartbroken woman.

"I think it might be getting a little better now, but for a while her life was expected to be everyone’s life,” Cox said.

When further questions persisted, Courteney added, “Look, I don’t want to be rude or anything, but I usually don’t talk about Jennifer in interviews. People should stop worrying about her life.”

“I could talk about just how great she is doing at the moment, but then it’s just an interview about her. I understand your position because her world is so public, but, well, I can tell you we’re both very fortunate to have each other.”

While it sounds as if Courteney’s a little cranky over being a mere “spokesperson” for Jen, we know that she has her girl’s best interests at heart.

Labels: Jennifer Aniston’s

Posted by fathima at 9:46 AM | Permalink | Comments

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Several cable networks were blessed Sunday night with strong ratings from a range of high-profile shows, including Lifetime Television's "Army Wives."

The female-targeted network recruited 3.5 million total viewers to the premiere of its 10 p.m. drama series, according to Nielsen Media Research. That figure makes "Wives" the most-watched series premiere in the network's 23-year history and its biggest total-viewer delivery in the time slot since December.

The series, an ensemble drama starring Kim Delaney and Catherine Bell, also won its time slot in the key female demographic group of viewers age 18-49 (1.2 million viewers and a 2.1 rating, Lifetime's highest in the time period in more than three years). Among women 18-34, "Wives" gave Lifetime its biggest rating (1.8, 502,000) in the time period in five years.

"Wives" also built on its lead-in, the two-hour original movie "Write & Wrong," starring Kirstie Alley, which averaged 2.6 million viewers.

Previously, the most-watched series premieres on Lifetime were the dramas "Missing" (3.3 million viewers in 2003) and "The Division" (3.2 million in 2001).

Lifetime Networks president of entertainment Susanne Daniels was hesitant to speculate whether she thinks this bodes well for two other new drama series also debuting on a Sunday night (July 15) -- "Side Order of Life" (8 p.m.) and "State of Mind" (9 p.m.) -- as part of an ambitious summer programming strategy.

'SOPRANOS' HITS HIGH NOTE

In other cable ratings news, the penultimate episode of HBO's "The Sopranos" at 9 p.m. Sunday averaged 8 million total viewers, up from the previous week's 7.7 million. The episode viewership ranks as the second-most-watched of the year behind the premiere episode of the second half of the series' sixth and final season, which drew 8.2 million on April 8.

Factoring in multiple runs, "Sopranos" is averaging 11.7 million weekly viewers this year, off from the average 13 million viewers for the first half of the season.

Following "Sopranos," the third-season finale of HBO's "Entourage" averaged 3.4 million at 10 p.m., on par with its previous performance for the year. (Fans won't have to wait long for new episodes of the show; the fourth season kicks off June 17.)

Meanwhile, the 2007 MTV Movie Awards, airing live for the first time at 8-10 p.m. Sunday, showed growth in total viewers and the network's key demo of persons 12-34 over last year's telecast. The ceremony, hosted by Sarah Silverman, averaged 3.6 million total viewers, up 13 percent from last year. In 12-34, an average of 2.6 million viewers tuned in, up 10 percent over the 2006 show and topping all broadcast and cable programming for the night.

At FX, recently renewed drama series "The Riches" had its first-season finale at 10 p.m. Monday. The episode averaged 1.8 million total viewers, which marks a steep drop of 54 percent from the series' premiere (3.8 million). In adults 18-49, "Riches" averaged 1 million viewers, less than half of the premiere (2.5 million). But it should be noted that FX puts an emphasis on the cumulative numbers garnered over its series' multiple plays rather than single-episode figures.

'STAR' SHINES

Meanwhile, Food Network saw strong numbers Sunday for the third-season premiere of "The Next Food Network Star," which became the most-watched series premiere ever for the channel with an average of 4.7 million viewers, up 21 percent over Season 2's debut. The 9 p.m. episode also posted a 0.8 rating in adults 25-54, a 33 percent increase over the Season 2 premiere and a 100 percent increase over the year-ago time period.

At Oxygen, the network's longest-running original series, "Snapped," received its highest season-to-date ratings with its 10 p.m. episode Sunday. The episode of the show, now in its fifth season, garnered a 0.5 among women 18-49. The series also tied its season-to-date high in women 25-54 with a 0.5 rating.

At Disney Channel, "Hannah Montana" ranked as the No. 1 telecast of the week ending Sunday in its target demos of kids 6-11 and tweens 9-14. The 7 p.m. episode Wednesday averaged 1.4 million viewers and a 5.8 rating in 9-14 and 1.6 million and a 6.5 in 6-11.

Posted by fathima at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments

LOS ANGELES - Hours after strolling the red carpet in a strapless black dress, Paris Hilton traded her designer duds for a jail-issued jumpsuit.

The 26-year-old heiress checked into the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood just after 11:30 p.m. Sunday. She's expected to serve three-weeks for violating her probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.

Hilton surrendered to sheriff's deputies after making a surprise visit to the MTV Movie Awards in the afternoon.

"I am trying to be strong right now," she told reporters on the red carpet. "I'm ready to face my sentence. Even though this is a really hard time, I have my family, my friends and my fans to support me, and that's really helpful."

Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Hilton was easy to work with.

"Her demeanor was helpful. She was focused, she was cooperative," he said.

Hilton turned herself in at the Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles just after 10:30 p.m., then was escorted to the all women's facility in Lynwood, where she was booked, fingerprinted and issued a jail uniform, Whitmore said.

She also was given her first meal: cereal, bread and juice.

So far, Hilton does not have a cellmate, Whitmore said.

The "Simple Life" star will be housed in the "special needs" unit of the 13-year-old jail, separate from most of its 2,200 inmates. The unit contains 12 two-person cells reserved for police officers, public officials, celebrities and other high-profile inmates.

Like other inmates in that unit, Hilton will take her meals in her cell and will be allowed outside the 12-foot-by-8-foot space for at least an hour each day to shower, watch TV in the day room, participate in outdoor recreation or talk on the telephone. No cell phones or BlackBerrys are permitted in the facility, even for visitors.

The jail, a two-story concrete building next to train tracks and beneath a bustling freeway, has been an all-female facility since March 2006. It's located in an industrial area about five miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

"I did have a choice to go to a pay jail," Hilton said Sunday, without giving details. "But I declined because I feel like the media portrays me in a way that I'm not and that's why I wanted to go to county, to show that I can do it and I'm going to be treated like everyone else. I'm going to do the time, I'm going to do it the right way."

When she was sentenced May 4, Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer ruled that she would not be allowed any work release, furloughs or use of an alternative jail or electronic monitoring in lieu of jail.

Sometimes stars are allowed to do their time in a jail of their choosing. In such cases they pay a daily room-and-board fee to the smaller jails, which afford them more privacy and comfort.

Cop-slapping actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, for example, served three days behind bars in 1990 at the El Segundo jail near the Los Angeles International Airport. She paid $85 a day.

On Saturday, about 15 photographers, reporters and television crews staked out the entrances to the jail waiting for the celebutante's arrival. Authorities had also cordoned off a grassy area outside the facility for the media. She had until Tuesday to report.

On Sunday, about a dozen photographers and television crews were at the Lynwood facility when she arrived in an unmarked SUV. Video captured by celebrity news site TMZ.com showed Hilton inside the vehicle with her mother, Kathy.

Hilton's publicist, Elliot Mintz, said he spoke with Kathy Hilton after she returned from the jail.

"She told me it was very emotional," Mintz said. "She also said that she feels this will be a time when Paris will be able to think and reflect and to spend time alone to learn from the experience because in Paris' life she's never alone — there's always a constant chatter around her."

Officers arrested Hilton in Hollywood on Sept. 7. In January, she pleaded no contest to the reckless-driving charge and was sentenced to 36 months' probation, alcohol education and $1,500 in fines.

She was pulled over by California Highway Patrol on Jan. 15. Officers informed Hilton she was driving on a suspended license and she signed a document acknowledging she was not to drive. She then was pulled over by sheriff's deputies on Feb. 27, at which time she was charged with violating her probation.

Posted by fathima at 9:41 AM | Permalink | Comments

London: Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova have become the latest celeb couple whose relationship has bitten the dust.

The Spanish heartthrob admitted that he and lady-love of five years Anna had decided to end their relationship. “We’ve split. I’m single now and it’s OK. I don’t mind being single,” The Sun quoted him, as saying.

As to what caused the rift between the two, well it seems that children were the deciding factor – she wanted them, and he wasn’t ready to be a father as yet. “I’m not ready for children,” Enrique said.

However, he insisted that not wanting kids at present didn’t mean that he didn’t want children at all. “I don’t feel like taking on such a responsibility yet. But in the future I’d like two children,” the singer said.

Enrique and Anna had been dating since the Russian tennis star starred in the video for his No3 hit Escape in 2002.

Labels: Anna Kournikova

Posted by fathima at 5:28 AM | Permalink | Comments