Q. How and when did you bag the role in Tere Bin Laden?

I was in Mumbai shooting a TV commercial, when Rashid, a common friend of the director Abhishek Sharma and me, told me about the project. I then met Abhishek and we discussed the film. Whenever somebody hears the name of Bin Laden, one is bound to be sceptical. I was too, initially. But once I heard the story I found it hilarious and decided to go ahead with it. You will relate to the funny circumstances when you watch it.

Q. Although it is a humorous take, weren’t you afraid of taking the plunge, since controversies regarding the film and the lead character might raise their head?

The story is basically about a Pakistani reporter who wishes to go to America and, in his pursuit, has to find Osama Bin Laden. Most South Asians have a very different take on the Bush era or Osama Bin Laden. We wanted to satirize these things. I did the film because it revolves around my character. Besides, I was keen on breaking the perceptions about the muslim community that have been formed in the last decade or so.

Q. As a citizen of your country, did you also feel responsible towards doing this film?

Because of a minority group, you cannot put everyone into trouble. Besides the humour, I believed the film had a very important message to send out.

Q. You started off as a singer in Pakistan. How did acting happen?

The acting profession isn’t alien to me. I have done a lot of TV and theatre in Pakistan.

Over the years, I have also acted in my music albums.

This time around when I got a chance to do a film, I found it to be a natural progression.

Q. You have come to India at a point when the relations between India and Pakistan are not at their cordial best.

I think both countries share a love-hate relationship. Art and culture is the only binding force. And I strongly believe love always wins. Also, I have been to Mumbai in the past for my albums and I love the warmth the city exudes. I feel very welcome here.

Q. Most artistes from neighbouring countries have complained about the difficulty in obtaining an Indian visa. Was it hard for you to get one?

Not at all. Each time I came for the shoot, I came on multiple entry visa. For the promotions too, I will be using the same kind of visa.

Q. Was Bollywood always of interest to you?

I think when you are living in the subcontinent, Bollywood is subconsciously a part of you. When you are a singer or an artiste, you do feel you want to be part of the industry some day.

Q. Pakistani actors have traditionally not done well in Bollywood. Do you wish to change the trend?

I hope that I have changed the trend. I cannot change things overnight, but with the kind of projects that I will work on, I hope to do well. I am in talks with a few producers for the same.

Q. Do you plan to release the film in Pakistan as well?

I have recently launched a production house called Alif Films through which I hope to release the film in Pakistan.

Q. Will you shift base to Mumbai?

Artistes are like vagabonds. Wherever your art takes you, you bound to travel there. Then be it Mumbai or New York, it doesn’t matter.

Catch the first look of Lafangey Parindey, directed by Pradeep Sarkar and produced by Aditya Chopra, is Yash Raj Films’ latest offering, casting Deepika Padukone as a ‘blind’ girl who is born to fly and Neil Nitin Mukesh a ‘wild man’ who is born to fight.

The film is set against the backdrop of the gritty streets of Mumbai and is learned to be about bike gangs. Neil and Deepika have done daring stunts in the film which is quite evident with its first look.

“LAFANGEY PARINDEY”, will release worldwide on 20th August 2010.

All you SRK fans, watch out for the speedster Shahrukh Khan as he gears up to drive one of the world’s fastest available supercars, the Volkswagen  Bugatti, in his film Ra.one. A team of techinicians from the Pirates of Caribbean will teach him to drive the car.

The title of the film Ra. One which is SRK’s most ambitious project till date is short for “Random Access Version One”. SRK plays a superhero named G.One, who drives a super fast car. He will have to perform different stunts while driving this vehicle.

A source from the crew confirmed that the decision to drive the Volkswagen Bugatti was Shahrukh’s. Says the source, “Shahrukh is taking most of the decisions on Ra.one, by himself and the decision to drive the Volkswagen Bugatti was also his.”

Currently, the star is enjoying holidays with his kids and will take them to South Africa for the FIFA World Cup finals. After that he will be in London to resume the shooting of Ra.one, where he will learn to drive the Bugatti and will also shoot for the scenes with the car.

Kareena Kapoor has been chosen as India’s Most Beautiful Woman by People magazine, and we are all aware of that. She truly is beautiful. Now, the beauty queen feels she is strangely connected to Hollywood diva Julia Roberts, who is adjudged as the ‘Most Beautiful Woman In The World’.

Bebo is extremely delighted to be in the league of Julia Roberts.

Kareena said, “There`s a strange connect between us. It`s weird that I happened to be essaying Julia`s role at same time and we both feature as the most beautiful women together in a magazine. I have watched all of Julia`s films and it`s a big high to essay the same role that she did. I am inspired by her. I have always admired and tried to do the kind of woman-centric roles Julia essays like ‘Erin Brockovich’ and ‘Pretty Woman.’”

“I feel our personalities are also similar. She has a natural smile and the choices she makes, stand out. Juila is so happy and fulfilled that it shows. I am like that too,” Kareena said.

When asked as to who she thinks has the most beautiful face in the world, Kareena quipped, “My niece Samaira, sister Karisma and Juila Roberts.”

Talking about Julia, Kareena said that she admires the Hollywood actress for a lot many reasons,

“There is nothing contrived about Julia. She seems to have made peace with everything. It has everything to do with who she is. I want to be like her. I would have loved to meet her when she had come down last year to shoot in Pataudi but because I had work commitments, I couldn`t. I really feel bad about it.”

Raajneeti is a smashing hit. It enters its second week with a bang after collecting sum of Rs 54 crore approx from its first week and adding further Rs 16 crore in the second weekend.

Friday’s collection was approx Rs 3.75 crore, while on Saturday the collections rose to Rs 5.50 crore and on Sunday, another 7 crores added to it. Today the movie’s tenth day grand total is Rs 70 crore approx.

As per trade reports, Prakash Jha’s Raajneeti will end up in top five Hindi films of all time in terms of distributor share. The other top films in the list are Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Gadar, Ghajini and 3 Idiots.

This Friday your wait for Raavan gets over. Let’s see if it beats Raajneeti

He was so badly injured while shooting for Ashutosh Gowariker’s epic drama that he thought acting would not be his cup of tea anymore.

“Before beginning shooting for Kites, I was trying to get my knee treated and doctors said it will not be able to function. I was heartbroken and was even contemplating an alternative career in singing or direction,” Hrithik said.

The actor wondered how he could compromise with his work as an actor when he could not jump or dance.

“I was on crutches,” he said.

The actor had sustained knee injuries while shooting stunt sequences in Krrish and Dhoom 2. Even in Kites he suffered hand injuries after meeting with an accident while breaking the window in a scene.

“It was an emotional scene and I was engrossed in the character. The accident was a good reminder that you should be careful even during small stunts,” he said.

However, director Anurag Basu’s script was so strong that the actor got into the skin of the character which helped him forget his pains. “Within a week of shooting, my knee pain just disappeared,” he said.

Hrithik, who will be seen after a gap of two years in Kites releasing May 21, said he had not deliberately planned the break.

“I shot Kites for seven months. The English version of Kites is presented and reworked by the well known Hollywood director Brett Ratner. If he says that he wants five months to work on it, We cannot say no. Hence, Kites got delayed,” the actor said.

He completed Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzarish which also stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan during that period.

“I will have two releases this year and hopefully Zoya Akhtar’s film (Running with the Bulls) will also release in the first quarter of next year,” he said.

With so much of hardwork put in, I’m hoping that all his movies are gonna be a super hit at the box office.

Doctors have advised him to undergo a surgery, but he has been avoiding it due to his busy schedule.

Amitabh has already undergone three surgeries ever since he met with an accident on the sets of ‘Coolie’ in 1982.

“… A stomach surgery, indeed two in quick succession always have the possibility of hernia developing. And that is what is of concern now. There are now two urgent hernia in the lower abdomen which have swelled up dangerously and cause me problems,”
Big B revealed on his blog.

“Sharp pains when I stand for too long or walk too much. During dance and action scenes there is huge pain and I counter that with a hernia belt which is temporary and not really a cure.So the doctors have been after me for a surgery, well two actually on either side of the abdomen and I have been avoiding it because of my busy schedule. But I shall have to take care of it now,” he wrote.

Now there is a third hernia developing, he writes.

“And now after my third surgery of the stomach a few years back, when I was diagnosed for diverticulitis, there is another hernia that is developing. Of that later, say doctors. Because of the several times that the stomach has been opened up, there are lesions, and they at times stick and cause problems,” posted the 67-year-old who is also “asthmatic”.

Amitabh says he has been operated upon so many times that he has developed a slack shoulder muscle now — the reason why his left shoulder droops, believed to be a style. He has revealed that due to this his “left arm has become longer than the right”.

We pray that you get well soon.

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Vir Das

Producers: Yash Raj Films

Director: Parmeet Sethi

Banner: Yash Raj Films

Music Director: Pritam

Remember Shahid Kapoor doing con jobs in Vishal Bhardwaj’s hit “Kaminey”? The actor does the same, but in a more sophisticated avatar, in “Badmaash Company” releasing Friday.

Produced and distributed by Yash Raj Films, the movie is actor Parmeet Sethi’s directorial debut. Shahid has teamed up with Anushka Sharma in the film that also stars comedian Vir Das and reality show star Chang.

Describing the film, Shahid said: “There are very interesting characters, extremely fresh dialogues, con jobs which I have not seen in any other film, but yet very easy to understand. It’s not complicated at all. It’s a very fun film and there was no reason why I shouldn’t be doing it.”

Set in the Bombay of 1990s, “Badmaash Company” is about four youngsters who come together to start a business.

What makes their venture a stupendous success is that they find a way to beat the system and soon become the undisputed kings in their business. Living the life of champagne wishes and caviar dreams, the four realise that to make a business successful they don’t need big money but a big idea.

With their larger than life schemes, Karan, Bulbul, Zing and Chandu go on a wild roller-coaster ride into the world of sheer glitz and glamour where the stakes are high and risks even higher. They succeed in making quick money by doing all the wrong things… but the right way.

All is hunky dory till the four entrepreneurs are forced to shut shop. They come up with yet another perfect plan to beat the system for the last time.

Shahid said a lot of research went into their looks as the film is set in the 1990s.

Other than that, Bollywood actors Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif were voted as the hottest couple of the decade.

Shah Rukh topped the poll with 29 percent votes followed by Aamir Khan with 26 percent and Amitabh Bachchan with 16 percent votes.

For the couple of the decade, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif out beat couples like Abhishek Bachchan-Aishwarya Rai, Bipasha Basu-John Abraham and Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor.

Of the 38,648 readers who responded for ‘Hottest couple of the Decade’ category, 36 percent opined that Salman and Katrina made for a greater couple than Abhishek-Aishwarya who got 27 percent votes, followed by Bipasha and John with 13 percent votes while Kareena and Saif got only six percent votes.

Katrina also topped the ‘Hottest Body of the Decade’ poll with 33 percent votes and proved that her curves are more attractive than Bipasha, who got 13 percent votes, Aishwarya Rai Bachcan (10 percent) and Priyanka Chopra (9 percent).

Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Aag’ was voted ‘Flop of the Decade’ and it won hands down with 48 percent votes followed by ‘Drona’, ‘Love Story 2050′ and ‘Tashan’.

For the ‘Hottest Lip Lock of the Decade’ poll 39 percent thought that Emraan Hashmi and Mallika Sherawat’s kissing in “Murder” was more sincere than Hrithik-Aishwarya in “Dhoom 2″ (21 percent). It was followed by Saif-Kareena in “Kurbaan” (16 percent) and R. Madhavan-Vidya Balan in “Guru” (7 percent).