Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor’s next project “Chance Pe Dance” has a slice of his own life as the film traces the journey of a struggler till he tastes success.

“Yes, there are many scenes in the movie that are similar to my life, but it’s not intentional, they have just turned out this way,” Shahid said in a press release.

The movie is based on a dancer’s life who enters a reality show after being rejected many times. Shahid, who plays the lead in the film, too had to give a lot of screen tests and auditions before he bagged the lead role in director Ken Ghosh’s 2003 movie “Ishq Vishk”.

According to a unit source, there’s another scene in the film where Shahid’s character is left with no option but to buy a second hand car due to his hardships, just like he had to in his own life.

Ghosh is directing “Chance Pe Dance”, and it also stars Genelia D’Souza. The film is being produced by UTV Motion Pictures and will release Jan 15 next year.

Mouthing expletives for her role in “Ishqiya” embarrassed Vidya Balan as she says she never uses foul language in real life.

“Oh! I was very apprehensive while using those slangs. I have never used them in my real life but I had to because the script demanded. When you will see this movie, you will understand that it is justified. The movie belongs to a certain terrain where slangs are part of their lingo,” Vidya told IANS in an interview.

The actress also revealed that she never rehearsed on the sets because of the heavy dose of slangs in the dialogue.

“I never rehearsed on the sets as I used to feel awkward. So I used to come prepared on the sets and once the director used to say action, I used to forget everything and everyone.

“All my inhibitions used to go away and I used to deliver my dialogues perfectly. This is what happens to me when the camera starts rolling,” said Vidya, who was in the capital for the launch of designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s first store here.

Set in eastern Uttar Pradesh, “Ishqiya” is a tale of romance between individuals caught in a web of crime, suspense, passion and deceit. Directed by first time director Abhishek Chaubhey and produced by Vishal Bharadwaj, the film also stars Arshad Warsi and Naseeruddin Shah.

In “Ishqiya”, Vidya is paired with Arshad and plays a village woman.

“As I am playing a rural girl, my look is very much deglamourised so that I look like my character Krishna. It is an interesting role with many shades,” said Vidya.

Dismissing rumours that some parts of “Ishqiya” are being re-shot, she said: “I don’t understand where people get these baseless news. It is complete nonsense.”

Shimla, After Bollywood actress Kangna Ranaut’s name surfaced in connection with the probe into David Coleman Headley — a man suspected of involvement in the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai — Kangna’s father Thursday strongly denied any link.

Pakistani-origin US citizen Headley was recently arrested by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and charged with plotting terror attacks in Denmark. After his arrest, FBI officials have also alleged that he was involved in last year’s 26/11 attack, and was planning more attacks in India at the behest of the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba.

“My daughter (Kangna) has no links with Lashkar aide David Headley. She never met nor spoke to Headley. We are really disturbed after such allegations were levelled against her,” her father Amardeep Ranaut told IANS over phone.

The family of Kangna is settled at Bhambla village near Hamirpur town of Himachal Pradesh, some 200 km from state capital Shimla.

“We are consulting lawyers in this regard. We will take legal action against those who are spreading rumours (about her link with Headley),” he said.

Asked about Kangna’s acquaintance with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt’s son Rahul, Amardeep said: “She has worked in some of Mahesh Bhatt’s films, but she has never met Rahul.”

Rahul has been questioned as a witness in the Headley investigation, as Headley used Rahul’s south Mumbai gym during his stay in the city a few days before the 26/11 attack.

Headley had befriended Rahul and there have been rumours — denied by the Bhats — that Rahul introduced Headley to Bollywood stars Emraan Hashmi, Aarti Chhabria and Kangna Ranaut.

“She will meet reporters at the appropriate time,” Kangna’s father said.

Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra will move into a new place in a high-rise in front of the Bachchans’ residence Jalsa in Juhu after their marriage Nov 22.

The apartment, owned by filmmaker Vashu Bhagnani, is a temporary arrangement as the couple’s dream nest isn’t ready yet. Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan’s interior designer wife Sussanne is busy doing up their house in Juhu; they will shift into their own home in February or March.

The actress is happy that Raj has decided to move his base from London to Mumbai.

“Shilpa is really, really happy about that Raj Kundra is shifting permanently to Mumbai after marriage. The thought of a long-distance marriage was killing Shilpa. She knew it would be impractical. At the same time she would’ve been left with no choice if Raj had insisted on being Britain based,” said Shilpa’s friend.

Soon after the wedding, Shilpa and Raj will leave for the Lord Venkateshwara temple in Tirupati and then to the Oneness University in Chennai to take the blessings of Shilpa’s spiritual guru Sri Amma.

“It was Sri Amma who had predicted that Shilpa will get married this year. She almost did earlier this year. Now it’s finally happening,” said the friend.

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan says it is “ridiculous” to think that his mother and censor board chief Sharmila Tagore gave an ‘adult’ rating to “Kaminey” because it starred Shahid Kapoor.

“It is ridiculous to state that anyone had any personal bias against ‘Kaminey’,” Saif told IANS even as his own movie “Kurbaan” is about to release Friday with an A certificate.

“I know for sure that my mother is a great authority when it comes to the censors. My own ‘Kurbaan’ has got an ‘A’ certificate and I know where she is coming from.”

It was insinuated that Vishal Bharadwaj’s “Kaminey” was given an A rating – restricting viewership – as its lead actor Shahid was once in a relationship with Saif’s girlfriend Kareena Kapoor.

But Saif said: “Any talk of personal enmity are completely fictional. I don’t even know the actual people involved who spread such rumours and frankly I don’t care. Such things don’t even enter my radar.”

“It’s really rubbish if some people feel so. ‘Kurbaan’ getting an ‘A’ certificate is hardly a fitting reply. It’s a sad state of affairs when people start speculating about everything and anything. As someone who has been part of the industry for long, I don’t take such things seriously,” Saif told IANS.

As for “Kaminey”, he said: “I think Vishal (Bharadwaj) is a wonderful filmmaker and I liked everyone’s performance in the film.” Saif himself came up with an award-winning act of Langda Tyagi in Bharadwaj’s “Omkara”.

Is it really easy to be oblivious to all talk that his mother may have shown bias?

“I hear a lot of things in the 24 hours that I have in a day. This is why I just chuck out whatever is irrelevant. I don’t quite get into the ‘why’ and ‘where’ of affairs till it is absolutely warranted.

“I know one has to live with all the negativity around; after all it’s human nature to gossip and speculate. Guess what? Some people think that even Elvis (Presley) is alive today. So conspiracy theories will always remain,” he said.

“Kurbaan” has been given an ‘A’ certificate owing to its violent content and also because of erotic scenes picturised on Saif and Kareena. “Kurbaan”, about global terrorism, stars Saif, Kareena and Vivek Oberoi in lead roles.

Bollywood star Govinda’s daughter Narmmadaa Ahuja seems to have set her preferences even before her first movie. The 21-year-old says she would like to make her debut with an actor who has at least one film to his credit rather than a newcomer.

“There’s no particular actor that I would like to make my debut with. But I won’t like to debut with someone very new. I’ll prefer my co-star to have done at least one film…He could be a fresh face, but not really a debutant or newcomer,” Narmmadaa told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

“A lot depends on the demand of the script…so until and unless that is ready, there’s no point thinking about the co-actor,” added the youngster who created a buzz when she made her first public appearance with Bollyood star and her dad’s friend Salman Khan at the IIFA awards in 2007.

Though Narmmadaa has no personal favourites among the young male actors, she says her father keeps praising a whole lot of them.

“I have no preferences for any actor. But my dad sees all the new movies with new boys and says – ‘Wah! Kamaal ka actor hai! (Wow! He is a fantastic actor)’. So he has his own favourites,” she said.

Asked about her own debut film, she said: “We have just started scripting so it’s a little too early to talk about it.”

Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi is going to enter a new phase in his life when his first child arrives early next year and he says that he is eagerly waiting for this new role.

“The baby is due in February. People say it’s a completely different dimension and I am eagerly waiting for this new change. I dont know what it is. But it’s supposedly tough being a dad so let’s see,” said Emraan on a visit to the Capital to promote his film “Tum Mile”.

The actor, who has done films like “Kalyug”, “Murder” and “Jannat”, among others, married long-time girlfriend Parveen Shahani in 2006.

Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan are leaving no stone unturned to promote their upcoming films ‘Paa’ and ‘3 Idiots’ respectively - the two are meeting Sunday to discuss marketing gimmicks for both the films.‘Paa’ is releasing Dec 4, while ‘3 Idiots’ hits the screens Dec 25.

‘Aamir comes over Sunday at my initiative to discuss a few promotional points for our respective films. It is always a joy to meet him… We have always spent time together discussing various topics of common interest and yes films is one of them. Lets see how things go,’ Amitabh posted on his blog www.bigb.bigadda.com Saturday.

Aamir, who excels at promotional gimmicks for his movies, has so far had live chat with fans on the Internet, reportedly got in touch with them through social-networking websites and even launched the music of the film online.

Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, ‘3 Idiots’ has been produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Based on Chetan Bhagat’s bestseller ‘Five Point Someone’, it stars R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi and Kareena Kapoor apart from Aamir.

Big B too is promoting ‘Paa’, in which he plays a 13-year-old suffering from the disease progeria that causes premature ageing. He says his fans often come to visit him on Sundays and that he plans to ‘give hand outs autographed by me or maybe by Auro’.

‘There is a unique way in which the promotion for ‘Paa’ is scheduled over the radio and soon you shall all be in a position to witness it…,’ he wrote.

‘Talks have now been initiated for the premiere to be held in not one, not two, but three centres. And we are diligently working on a London-Dubai-Mumbai destination… The logistics and the mechanics are being worked out and hopefully there will be some news soon,’ he added.

Directed by R. Balakrishnan, ‘Paa’ stars Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan as Amitabh’s parents.

What strikes the most in Tum Mile is the way in which a love story is told against the backdrop of a natural calamity. What fails to cut an edge, however, is how the calamity itself, the 26/7 deluge of Mumbai in 2005, has been depicted. The fateful day when the maximum city sank under waist-deep water, when thousands of aam Mumbaikars were stranded between hell and high water, has not been recreated to the most bone-chilling effect. But then, ‘Tum Mile’ never claimed to document the calamity. At its core, the film is a love story, and at that level it surely does work.
The film tells the story of two estranged lovers who meet again after a gap of six years amidst a natural disaster. Sanjana (Soha Ali Khan) and Akshay (Emraan Hashmi) bump into each other on a plane to Mumbai. The two share a past which neither seems to have forgotten and as the evening ticks on they find themselves stuck in the middle of a flooded Mumbai.
The narrative keeps slipping into flashbacks to create a parallel track of how the two fell in love and then fell apart.
In Cape Town, Akshay, an art student living hand to mouth, fell for a rich girl, Sanjana. The yawning gap between their social standing didn’t prevent the two from falling in love and living in together. But soon the cracks in the relationship began to appear as Sanjana foot the basic bills of the house, while an out-of-work Akshay twiddled his thumbs and grappled with his male abhimaan of being a liability on Sanjana. A separation inevitably follows. Six years later, as the two stick together to navigate a flooded city, will they rediscover their lost love?

Vidya Balan, who plays Amitabh Bachchan’s mother in “Paa”, was so impressed by Abhishek’s caring behaviour towards his father during the shooting that she confesses she would like to have a son like Abhishek in real life.

“I would prefer a son like Abhishek. I have seen him with his father on the sets… he was so nice to his father that I was touched,” Vidya told reporters here Saturday.

Director R. Balakrishnan’s “Paa” is an emotional story of a father-son relationship and Amitabh will be seen as Abhishek’s 13-year-old son Auro who is suffering from a rare disease progeria, that accelerates ageing. The film releases Dec 4.

“The film is all about Auro and all through the film there is a certain sensibility about Auro, but no sympathy is shown towards the 13-year-old progeric child in the film,” said Vidya.

When the director approached her for the role, she wasn’t sure about playing the mother of a progeric child. “Initially, I wondered how to do the role as I didn’t have that motherly instinct. But while working on the film I realised what motherhood is,” said Vidya.