Andhranews

After her debut with Salman Khan in Lucky — No Time For Love actress Sneha Ullal was much talked about for her striking resemblance to Khan’s ex-girlfriend and actress Aishwarya Rai. But soon after that, Sneha seemed to have disappeared from the Bollywood scene. “I turned down a lot of offers after Lucky... because they were conventional Bollywood ventures in which I was expected to expose my body. This is something that is totally against my upbringing. I have no attitude problems, but I like to do what I feel is right,” she says.

The starlet will now be seen in music director Shravan Rathod’s film Kaash... Mere Hote, which is being directed by B.H. Tharun. She has been cast opposite newcomer Kumar Saahil. She says, “Sana Mirza plays the second lead. In the film, she plays a girl who believes in practicing black magic, while I am someone who doesn’t believe in it.”

When asked why she had accepted working with a newcomer after she has made a debut with a star like Salman, Sneha replies, “I was also new at some point in time and so there’s nothing wrong in working with a newcomer. I was lucky enough to debut with Salman but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be encouraging newcomers. I am here to do my job and as long as I am comfortable with people around me, I do not mind working with them.”

Insiders have it that actress Esha Deol has been confirmed to play the role of Basanti in Ram Gopal Varma’s Ram Gopal Varma Ki Sholay. For Esha, the role and the character is a dream come true because it was her mother Hema Malini who had enacted it in the original. Sholay is also remembered for the vivacious character of Basanti which Hema made unforgettable. Will Esha be able to live up to the character that Hema mastered with perfection? It may be known that the cast of Ram Gopal Varma Ki Sholay has been much discussed lately. The other actor to be signed on is Boman Irani for the role of the jailor, played by Asrani in the original.

As of now it is Amitabh Bachchan, Mohit Alawahat, Ajay Devgan, Esha Deol, Katrina Kaif and Boman Irani who are part of this film’s cast. Urmila Matondkar has been roped in for the Mehbooba Mehbooba number that the legendary actress Helen had performed in the original. Bachchan is to play the immortal Gabbar Singh, while Mohit Alawahat and Ajay Devgan will play the role essayed by Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra respectively.

Katrina Kaif plays the widowed daughter-in-law that was played by Jaya Bachchan. Malayalam actor Mohanlal will be the Thakur, earlier essayed by late Sanjeev Kumar. Interestingly, Ram Gopal Varma had considered Saif Ali Khan, Abhishek Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan for this magnum opus but things could not work out between the director and the stars.

Actor Abhay Deol, whose performance was appreciated by critics in Ahista Ahista, says he is not surprised that the film bombed.“It has not done as well as I wanted. I wasn’t surprised. The reason being the pre-release thing didn’t go well. It was done in a rush. If pre-release marketing is not executed properly, it affects a film’s fate,” Abhay said.

However, it hasn’t dampened his spirit because critics appreciated his work. “I got more appreciation for Ahista Ahista than Socha Naa Tha. People liked my work and they felt that I have done a wonderful job. Critics felt that I have the potential and that is definitely encouraging,” he added.He is trying to manoeuvre his career in the right direction and feels it is important to be associated with a big banner.

“I need to be associated with established banners. As soon as you get one big banner, half the battle is won. The film is marketed properly and the entire country sees it, that makes you public-friendly, which is very important to be successful. I have got offers but I can’t talk about them right now,” he says.In spite of two consecutive flops Abhay is not ready to compromise with creativity.

“I am an idealist. I chose roles that offer scope for performance and allow me to explore and be creative. I like to experiment. I like to be spontaneous. I don’t like to be told how to do a scene. I like to play around with scenes and characters. I like freedom especially in the beginning when there is no conformation on the character.” He says as long as he can strike a balance between commercialisation and creativity he will continue working. “It is true that I want my creative freedom. But at the same time I also want my producers to profit,” Abhay adds.

Jiah Khan, who is playing the lead opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Nishabd, has a fetish for men’s perfume. Jiah was so impressed by the perfumes that Amitabh prefers, that Jiah used to eagerly breathe in when he would walk past. Says Jiah, “I loved the perfumes that Amitji used. The first day of my shoot, he kept looking at me blankly when I went near him and he turned away. On the second day he got suspicious.

On the third day of the shoot, I went and peeped into his van and he scolded me for prying. Later, I’d just go near him and turn away. He never realised why I kept doing it.” Speaking about Big B, she says, “Working with him was an awesome experience. He’s one of the sexiest stars in the industry. I would probably say that if you don’t want to hug him after watching the film, you are probably cold blooded. At times he was like a little boy himself. Sometimes I wish I had a dad like him.”

Paris Hilton has been caught “making out” with former Blink 182 rocker Travis Barker. The pair were first spotted getting intimate at New York’s lavish Butter club recently, but carried on their canoodling on at celebrity hangout Marquee, in Manhattan. An onlooker said, “They were all over each other.” Paris’ spokesperson has not denied she is dating Travis, saying, “Paris is single. You may in the future see her in the company of other men.”

The House of Wax actress recently revealed she had broken her vow of celibacy, after less than a month. The hotel heiress had a bet with a group of friends, nicknamed the “single girls club”, to see who could last the longest without sex. She lost the wager after reportedly spending the night with Travis earlier this month.

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline are rumoured to be calling their son Sutton Pierce Federline. The Toxic singer delivered her second son at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in Los Angeles recently. According to gossip website perezhilton.com, Britney wants to give the tot, who weighed in at a healthy 6lb 11oz, the name that will have the same initials as his older brother Sean Preston Federline who turned one today.

It is believed Britney wanted to have her Caesarean section on September 14, so that her children would share the same birthday, but husband Kevin insisted she bring it forward. Meanwhile, it has been claimed that Britney gave birth in the same room as her hero, Madonna. A source from inside the hospital says the Caesarean section took place in the same VIP suite in which Madonna gave birth to son Rocco.

The 25-year-old pop beauty has always named Madonna as her musical inspiration. The pair dueted on the hit single Me Against the Music and also shared a lesbian kiss at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards.

Jennifer Aniston has topped People magazine’s “best-dressed” list. The US magazine gave the annual accolade to the former Friends star for her “natural fashion sense.” Elizabeth Sporkin, People’s executive editor, said, “She has a fashion sense that is very accessible. She wears jeans and t-shirts and blazers. She dresses like a regular person, and her evening wear, if you were going to an event, you would think you could really dress like her.”

Jennifer, who is dating her The Break-Up co-star Vince Vaughn, beat off stiff competition knocking Halle Berry into second place and Jessica Alba into third.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ wedding will reportedly take place within the next six weeks. After a 15 month engagement with much speculation as to whether their will tie the knot in a Scientologist or Catholic ceremony, Tom and his fiancée have finally agreed on the nuptials. Katie’s close friend, Andrea Bernholtz, the president of the Rock and Republic fashion line, told Us Weekly magazine, “All I really know is that the wedding is soon. They will surprise us all.”
Another source close to the couple said, “It’s going to happen in the next three to six weeks.” Tom and Katie’s representative Arnold Robinson has confirmed they are planning to tie the knot this autumn.

Jennifer Lopez has revealed that the secret to her stunning looks and beauty: sleep. The actress-turned-singer, who is married to Latin star Marc Anthony, makes sure she gets at least 8 hours slumber a night to ensure she stays looking great. She revealed to Top of the Pops magazine, “Sleep is my weapon. I try to get eight hours a night. I think sleep, water and a good cleanser works best.”

Despite being considered one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, J.Lo insists that she can’t always look fantastic, no matter how hard she tries. She added, “I’m only human. I can’t always look my best.” Meanwhile, Lopez’s former fiancée, Ben Affleck, has claimed that breaking up from her improved his career. The actor, who starred with J.Lo in box office flops Jersey Girl and Gigli, says during his highly publicised relationship with his ex-love he became “cynical” about his career.

He said, “I did popcorn stuff. But I didn’t realise that there are good popcorn movies and bad popcorn movies. Ultimately, I found myself with the horrible feeling of being trapped inside this tabloid situation where my personal life was all out there. I kind of made a decision to just do the kind of movies I want and that I could be proud of being in, and not work for money or work to be famous.”

Lindsay Lohan has told her mother that she is getting married. The Mean Girls star reportedly rang mum Dina Lohan recently to tell her the exciting news. A source close to Lindsay, who is said to be engaged to millionaire heir Harry Morton, claims the actress said, “Mom, I’m getting married.” The source added to America’s Star magazine, “Lindsay explained that Harry gave her a gorgeous ring and that he asked her to marry him.”

Some friends of the couple believe they might have tied the knot already. The rumours come just days after Dina dismissed reports her daughter is engaged. Speculation was sparked after Harry, the heir to the Hard Rock Café chain, was spotted buying a diamond ring at Cartier, in Beverly Hills, last month. Although Dina described Lindsay’s boyfriend as “an angel” she insisted “it’s not an engagement ring, but a very sweet gift.”