Kardashian "shocked" by nude photoshoot

Kim Kardashian has admitted that she was initially "shocked" when she saw the results of a recent nude photoshoot.

This week's episode of Kourtney & Kim Take New York! saw the star breaking down on seeing her finished shoot for an art publication.

"I was naked but fully covered in silver paint," she explained to Kourtney during the episode. "This artist will put images of architecture and buildings and stuff on top of me so you will see my body shape and the outline but not actually my boobs or anything."

However, when the pictures arrived she broke down in tears at how much nudity was on display, crying: "I'm more naked here than I was in my Playboy."

During an appearance on Ryan Seacrest's radio show, which airs mornings on KIIS-FM, she explained that although she now "loved" the images, she had initially been surprised at how different they were to what she had expected.

"I love it now and I'm glad that I did it, but when you are told something and it's not what you think it's going to be, I was so shocked," she said. "I felt like I'd been here and done this and kind of wanted to move on from that.

"At the end of the day they are gorgeous photos and I'm glad I did it and I love them, but at the time I was shocked about how they weren't how I thought they would be."

However, she admitted that she could not complain about the finished feature because she had been aware she was posing nude. "I knew what I was doing," she added. "I took my clothes off, I did a nude shoot but it wasn't supposed to be that way so I was upset."

The star's new reality series Kourtney & Kim Take New York! kicked off to record ratings on E! last week. It follows Kim and Kourtney as they relocate to Manhattan from Los Angeles to launch a third branch of their Dash boutique.

Adnan creates history

For the live recording of a song to be done in participation with online listeners on two popular microblogs, singer Adnan Sami garnered a whopping 475,000 participants.

The huge number of participants for Adnan’s tribute to his father that he recorded January 21 at the Yash Raj Studios, has encouraged the composer-singer to attempt a whole album with live participants pitching in with their suggestions. The proposed album will have tracks dedicated to Adnan’s fans who would be contributing actively to every composition.

“When I recorded Main tere paas hoon for my father last Friday, I thought I would give my fans and listeners a chance to share a very precious recording moment with me.”

“We expected around 65,000 participants. We got 475,000 very active, very vocal and excitable people coming online with their ideas and suggestions,” said Adnan, who is of Pakistani descent but born and brought up in Britain, and has been living in Mumbai for quite some time. Many people who listened in made suggestions and corrections in the music.

“I was taken aback by their inner understanding of a song composition. I was on my laptop. I’d do a line and then a number of people with some very interesting usernames would pipe in. There were people who actually made suggestions that improved the quality of my number. I incorporated these suggestions,” said the 37-year-old singer.

The entire process of recording live at Yash Raj with massive online participation will be shown on television.

“It was history. No song in any part of the world has been recorded in this way,” said Adnan who intends to carry the online recording session even further. The only drawback is that the fans tend to get too close for comfort. “Some of them have embarrassing usernames like ‘hard-on’ and ‘dickhead’. It sounds really weird to call them out online by such names. We’ve to find a way out of this. Also some of them get very upset when their suggestions are not incorporated.

“That apart, the whole process of bringing to life a song with the active participation of thousands of people makes my songs creative and the intellectual property of the listeners,” said the singer.

Atif’s Facebook page has highest daily growth

KARACHI: An unofficial but most popular Facebook blog named “All Facebook“, lists Atif Aslam’s official fan page on the top in a list of fan pages with highest daily growth.

The page now also has over a million fans which is a milestone that has never been achieved by any other Pakistani celebrity.

Atif’s Facebook management reacted in following words: We are very excited to announce that this page, the official page of Atif Aslam on Facebook has been named the “No. 1″ fan page on Facebook based on “Daily Growth”. A website that manages all the statistics of Facebook released its latest scoreboard and our page has been named the number 1 page on the entire Facebook based on daily growth.

Sean Connery says no to James Bond's 50th anniversary

"James Bond" movie bosses were left disappointed after veteran actor Sean Connery declined an invitation to the 50th anniversary celebrations of the superspy series next year.

The Scottish star was the first ever actor to portray the suave British secret agent '007' in 1962 film "Dr No", and went on to play James Bond seven times.

The series is set to return to the big screen with Daniel Craig playing 007 agent for the third time. The release of the new film will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the franchise.

The bosses at MGM studio are planning to mark the milestone with a special event in which all former Bonds talk about their dealings with the character, aceshowbiz.com reports.

Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, George Lazenby and Roger Moore are all in talks to be part of the celebrations, but Connery has snubbed the organisers.

"Not having Sean would be a sad thing for these celebrations. We hope he will change his mind," a source said.

Steamy scenes in Indian films

The Consumer Association of Penang state has complained that Tamil and Hindi movies screened in Malaysian theatres showed "violent and steamy scenes" although the films were vetted by the censorship board, a media report said Monday.

The association's education officer N.V. Subbarow expressed doubts if the board had carried out its job thoroughly, suggesting that some of the committee members "could be unsure of their responsibilities", Tamil language daily Malaysia Nanban reported.

"It is a fact that some Tamil and Hindi movies had given rise to many social problems among the younger generation in the country," he said, commenting on board secretary S.Thanasegaran's statement that the committee was very strict in editing violent and steamy scenes in films.

Subbarow said he is surprised that there are 11 members in the committee but still there are films shown in theatres with violent and vulgar scenes.

He suggested the censor board should have standard guidelines on violent and vulgar scenes so that all the members are aware of their roles and uniformity is ensured.

Tamil language films, as also Hindi films and their actors, are popular in Malaysia that is home to 2.1 million ethnic Indians.

'King's Speech' gets new Oscars boost

LOS ANGELES: British historical drama "The King's Speech" got yet another boost to its Oscars hopes Sunday, winning its second top prize in 24 hours at Hollywood's latest awards ceremony.

The movie about King George VI's stammer won best ensemble prize and best actor for Colin Firth at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards, while Natalie Portman won best actress for her role in ballet-themed thriller "Black Swan."

The awards for Firth and Portman are their latest for those roles, and seem to cement them as frontrunners for best actor and actress Oscars.

Others honored at the SAG awards -- chosen by actors for their peers -- included Briton Christian Bale for best supporting actor and Melissa Leo for best supporting actress, both in boxing movie "The Fighter."

The latest triumph for "The King's Speech" came a day after its director Tom Hooper won best director at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) awards on Saturday night.

The understated royal movie, also starring Helena Bonham Carter and Australian Geoffrey Rush -- is nominated in 12 categories for next month's Oscars show, the climax of Hollywood's annual awards season.

Blockbuster Facebook movie "The Social Network" was an early favorite for Oscars glory, and came out on top at the Golden Globes earlier this month, taking four prizes to a disappointing single gong for "The King's Speech."

But insiders point out that the Globes are chosen by a few dozen foreign journalists at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), whereas all other awards are voted on by those in the industry.

The Oscars, chosen by some 6,000 members of the illustrious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will unveil their laureates this year on February 27.

Firth, accepting his SAG award Sunday, underlined the value he attached to being honored by his fellow actors.

"Until today, I would say probably if ever I felt I had a trophy which told me that something's really happening for me, it was my SAG card, you know, to be a part of this extraordinary collective," said Firth, accepting his award.

"Growing up in England, it's not something you expect to see in your wallet, really," he said. "And so it has this glow, and I used to flash it around hoping it would get me female attention, entry into nightclubs..."

"And it didn't, not a bit. I'd like to thank, looking at whose here, I'd like to thank security for letting me into the building," he joked.

Udaan, Dabangg lead Filmfare Awards 2011

MUMBAI: Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol won the Best Actor and Actress award respectively for My Name Is Khan at the 56th Filmfare Awards, which was ruled by a small budget movie Udaan that grabbed seven prizes including Best Supporting Actor (Male), Best Film (Critics), Best Story, Cinematography, Screenplay, Best Background Music and Best Sound Design Award.

Special Awards:
Ninety-year-old legendary singer Manna De received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Amitabh Bachchan received an award for completing 40 years in the film industry. Madhuri Dixit recived the award for completing 25 years in the film industry.

List of winners:
Best Actor (Male): Shah Rukh Khan - My Name Is Khan
Best Actor (Female): Kajol - My Name Is Khan
Best Film: Dabangg
Best Director: Karan Johar - My Name is Khan
Best Debut (Female): Sonakshi Sinha - Dabangg
Best Supporting Actor (Male): Ronit Roy - Udaan
Best Debut Director: Manish Sharma - Band Baajaa Baaraat
Best Supporting Actor (Female): Kareena Kapoor - We Are Family
Best Scene of the Year Award: Golmaal 3

Critics Award:
Best Actress (Critics): Vidya Balan - Ishqiya
Best Actor (Critics): Rishi Kapoor - Do Dooni Chaar
Best Film (Critics): Vikramaditya Motwane and Sanjay Singh - Udaan
Lifetime Achievement Award: Manna Dey
Special Award: Madhuri Dixit (For completing 25 years in the Indian film industry)
Special Award: Amitabh Bachchan (For completing 40 years in the Indian film industry)

Music Awards:
Best Song Composer: Lalit Pandit - Munni Badnam Hui from Dabanng
Best Music Composer: Sajid Wajid - Dabangg
Best Lyrics: Gulzar - Ibn-e-Batuta from Ishqiya
Best Playback Singer (Male): Rahat Fateh Ali Khan - Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji (Ishqiya)
Best Playback Singer (Female): Mamta Sharma - Munni Badnaam Hui (Dabangg) / Sunidhi Chauhan - Sheila Ki Jawani
Most Promising Talent in Music: Sneha Khanwalkar - Love Sex aur Dhokha

Technical Awards:
Best Choreography: Farah Khan - Sheila Ki Jawani from Tees Maar Khan
Best Dialogue: Habib Faisal - Do Dooni Chaar
Best Screenplay: Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane - Udaan
Best Story: Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane Udaan
Best Background Music: Amit Trivedi - Udaan
Best Action Director: Vijayan Master - Dabbang
Best Cinematography: Mahendra Shetty - Udaan
Best Action Sequence: Vijayan Master - Dabbang
Best Editing Award: Namrata Rao - Love Sex aur Dhoka
Best Production Design Award: Mukund Gupta - Do Dooni Chaar
Best Sound Design Award: Pritam Das - Love Sex Aur Dhoka / Kunal Sharma Udaan
Best Costume Design Award: Varsha and Shilpa - Do Dooni Chaar

Demi Moore enjoyed shooting intimate scenes

Actress Demi Moore says she enjoyed the energy while shooting the intimate scenes for her new movie "Margin Call".

"There was an incredible energy that was very unique to this film. We were shooting and existing all in one space. Almost more like what you would get in a theatre experience," contactmusic.com quoted her as saying.

"If we were thinking about something in a scene or had a question, we could literally walk right over and pop into the person's dressing room. If somebody was shooting we could. we were all right there with each other everyday when we were shooting. It allowed for an intimacy and a true ensemble that does not always happen and is not always the case," she said.

Demi Lovato completes rehab stint

Singer-actress Demi Lovato has returned to her home in Los Angeles after three months of treatment at a rehab.

"Lovato has completed her prescribed treatment and is in an outpatient programme near the treatment facility," contactmusic.com quoted a source as saying.

"For now, she is getting back to her regular routine and spending time with her family and close friends."

The 18-year-old was pulled out of the Jonas Brothers' world tour last year and checked into a medical facility to address emotional and physical issues.

It subsequently emerged that one of her dancers, Alex Welch, had accused the star of lashing out at her in an altercation on a plane.

A legal dispute with Welch was settled last year.

China TV news channel airs stolen scene from Top Gun!

A news channel in China broadcast a training exercise by the People's Liberation Army Air Force with one plane firing a missile at another - but the scene turned out to be lifted from a Tom Cruise movie.

A viewer spotted that the resulting explosion telecast by China Central Television News last week matches a blast from the final fight scene in Top Gun, reports the Guardian.

Liu Yi showed the frame-by-frame similarities between the aired telecast and the Tom Cruise flick and the Wall Street journal has produced a video comparing the news clip with the movie scene.

However, once news spread, the broadcast vanished.

A spokeswoman in the foreign affairs department at CCTV said that she wasn't aware of any such incident.

Johnny Depp on green tea diet

Johnny Depp is busy losing weight drinking gallons of green tea.

The star is on the brew diet, as his character in the forthcoming film 'Dark Shadows' requires a thin and bony look.

Depp is aiming to get down to 10st so he looks as gaunt as possible, reports the Sun.

'Dark Shadows' is a vampire flick and tells the tale of bloodsucker Barnabas Collins, played by Depp.

The movie is directed by Depp''s friend and frequent collaborator Tim Burton.

Depp is propping up his green tea diet by eating plenty of "low fructose fruit" such as pineapple and strawberries.

Winter 2011 fashion week Started in Brazil

SAO PAULO: Despite the arrival of some of the biggest names in the fashion and entertainment world, all eyes at the Winter 2011 fashion week that kicks off here are a new runway star: model Lea T.

Representing French brand Givenchy, the Brazilian model has become a rising figure on the global fashion stage thanks to high-profile appearances on the European market in recent months.

Lea T. now returns home to grace the fashion week runway for the first time as a leading figure, promising to be one of the most photographed models at the event in the hands of famed designer Alexandre Herchcovitch.

Latin America's top fashion event, the 30th, twice annual Sao Paulo Fashion Week promises to showcase 31 home brands, and set the stage for next winter's collection.

Among the highlights is the runway appearance walk of top model Gisele Bundchen, the Brazilian beauty who has become the world's top-paid model, who is set to show off the latest creations of the brand Colcci.

Also at the event is US film star Ashton Kutcher, who arrived in the country late Thursday alongwith his actress wife Demi Moore.

"I'm ready for Brazil. Is Brazil is ready for me?" Kutcher wrote on his hugely popular Twitter account ahead of his arrival here.

Billionaire heiress Paris Hilton was also expected to take to the runway to model Brazilian fashion brand Triton, and singer Christina Aguilera was set to attend to promote a new clothing bearing her name.

Sao Paulo, which has held the fashion week since in 1996, has emerged as a key fixture on the fashion calender, showcasing mold-breaking designs from Brazil's top fashion houses Ellus, Colcci, Maria Bonita, and leading designers such as Herchcovitch, Reinaldo Lourenco and Ronaldo Fraga.

The Brazilian city's place alongside New York, Paris and Milan as a fashion capital has also demonstrated Brazil's growing economic power.

Latin America's biggest economy, ranked 10th in the world, is currently expanding at nine percent on an annual basis -- almost as much as the global champion China.

The event meanwhile seeks to also promote Brazil's lagging textile industry.

The spring 2012 collection will arrive at Sao Paulo's second fashion week this year held in June, a perennial favorite for showcasing Brazil's famed bikini beachware.

Oscar Nominations 2011 List

he list of nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards is released and as always, there has been quite a number of surprises this year too. With Tom Hooper's "The King's Speech" receiving 12 nominations, there is definitely a fair chance for the film to win the best picture award.

"The Social Network" is another film that has got 8 nominees and is hoping to win the 2011 awards. Andrew Garfield's exclusion for the best supporting actor, has come as a shock to many but the actor reportedly lost the Oscar nomination because of splitting of votes among other strong supporting actors in the film including Justin Timberlake and Armie Hammer. Another shocking exclusion was Christopher Nolan for the best director nomination for "Inception" which was one of the biggest blockbusters last year. This is not the first time that Nolan has been left out from the Oscar nominations, his highly successful "The Dark Knight" and "Memento" also some how didn't impress the jury to award him as the best director. To get more surprises of 2011 Oscar nominations, take a look at the list of nominees

2011 Oscar Nominations

Best Picture

Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Kids Are All Right
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
Toy Story 3
The Social Network
127 Hours

Best Director

Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David Fincher, The Social Network
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
David O. Russell, The Fighter
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, True Grit

Best Actor

Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Javier Bardem, Biutiful

Best Actress

Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale, The Fighter
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
Jeremy Renner, The Town
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right

Best Supporting Actress

Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

With these Oscar nominations this year, whether the jury would choose bold and ambitious pictures like The Social Network, Inception and Black Swan or if they would vote for more traditional subjects like True Grit and The King's Speech. We will have to simply wait and watch.

Kareena to perform at National Games?

The opening ceremony of the 34th National Games here Feb 12 will see either Kareena Kapoor or Priyanka Chopra take part, while Katrina Kaif will perform at the closing ceremony Feb 27, an official said Saturday.

"We have awarded Cineyug contract for opening and closing ceremonies. In the opening ceremony, either Kareena or Priyanka Chopra will take part and Katrina Kaif will take part in the closing ceremony," a senior official told us.

"Cineyug has been awarded contract of Rs.10.50 crore and taxes will be paid in addition to it. Singer Sukhvinder will take part in the opening ceremony and 'Big Boss 4' winner Shweta Tiwari will be the anchor of the opening ceremony," the official added.

The closing ceremony will also see a performance by singer Shan.

President Pratibha Patil is likely to be chief guest at the opening ceremony here.

Mallika Sherawat now finally gets relexed

Mallika Sherawat might be feeling a lot relieved after court relieved her from a four year old obscenity case. In 2006, Mallika performed on December 31 at a five star hotel, which was later aired by various news channels.

Her performance ended without any problem but a social activist named Vinod Jain found it an obscene act when it was shown at the news channels. He filed a case against the actress and the suburban five-star hotel. The news it headlines of all the leading media houses at that time.

The ordeal continued for more than four years since then. Now, the Session court has finally dismissed the case saying that there was nothing objectionable.

Mallika is now free from the case and out of the lengthy legal hassles. On the other hand, the complainant Vinod Jain said that the actress might have been freed by the Session court but he will move to the High Court. Jain said that he provided evidence in the form of a CD so he is hoping for the best when he appeals in the High Court.

Sherwat's lawyer Farid Karichiwla, who is also a partner at Wadia Gandhi and Company, said that he is representing her in this matter and court concluded that there was no obscenity in her performance.

The actress preferred not to comment in this matter but she must be taking a sigh of relief after the court's decision.

Islamabad Fashion Week, another glistening day

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Fashion Week trails onto the second day of the designer extravaganza, picking up several notches. The day’s line-up, as it progresses:


Bisma Ahmed
The aspiring, young designer presents an ethnic-meets-funky collection. She experiments with earth tones like champagne in silken and chiffon textures adorned by traditional laces and braids, adding poise to the look by dazzling hairdos.

An exquisitely designed dress, cut out of light blue tissue paper and studded with Swarovski crystals steals the show. The sparkling, delicate dress is a part of Bisma’s collection and speaks volumes about the creativity of this fearless designer.
“I wanted a higher level of involvement with the brand and as this is a fashion show and we make tissue, we decided to merge the two concepts,” says Asad Mujeeb, who works at a leading soft tissue brand.

Lawrencepur
Think casual cotton shirts and vintage-y travel bags. The male models pull if off well while females lack the oomph on the ramp. The texture is of fine quality.

Gujranwala Institute of Fashion Institute (GIFT)
Of modest beginnings into the industry, the GIFT team outdo themselves by introducing architecture-infused fabrics. Some outfits flaunt tribal essence with lanterns embedded into the attire. Some dresses have tiny disco balls to accentuate the modern look. The use of accessories stands out as a neat signature.
The infused fabric and architectures are Dominatrix style. The use of wrought iron rods to support the skirts are a unique presentation as well as the Ninja turtle inspired hoodies. The makeup is top-of-the-line.

Rehana Saigol
Rehana Saigol’s show draws in the crowds! Islamabad showed its finest at the show. With chatter buzzing through the crowds, the event feels like a fashion soiree. With the Chanel and the Alexander Mcqueen coming out, Islamabad’s fashionistas are dressed to kill.
The Jashan collection played with traditional silhouette and embellishments with modern cuts saris and churidars.
Men come out in achkans, kurtas, churidars and dhoti shalwar, lending a very interesting end to the evening.

Critique
Alia Zaida, a stunning supermodel from the 80s exclaims, “IFW had a rocky start but I’m really happy to see talent, especially a fresh crop of models. Each look was refreshing and different. Its exposing new trends to the public eye.”

Saadia Khan, an MBBS student proclaims, “ The show was excellent and the dresses were really good. I particularly liked Lawrencepur.”

Angie Marshall says, “I’m impressed by the organisation and the way things were done.”
The Blue Chip Editor Zainab Omar seems optimistic, “I think anything positive coming out of Pakistan is amazing. I am happy to support Tariq Aminn. It’ll take a couple of years to establish ground.”

Verve event managers Imtisal Zafar and Arsalan Khan are behind the ensemble of this glamorous event. The creative duo share their enthusiasm for the job, “We gave them three options: projecting live walk, still photos or videos to run in the backdrop. Everything has to be a part of the ensemble,” Arsalan comments.

Imtisal echoes similar sentiment, “The execution is the most important part of putting the event together.”
“We initially approached Tariq Amin and he loved the idea that someone local was presenting their talent in the city. He is in charge of all the concepts that we exectuted.” The duo has worked on the setup from the lighting to the sound to the ramp.

Amina Gohar (Pomme), a New York-based choreographer has worked rigorously to perfect the catwalk.

Source: The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2011.

Over-the-top ending bedevils 'The Rite'

LOS ANGELES: Anthony Hopkins classes up "The Rite," as you can imagine he would most every situation. But even his otherworldly powers can only make this overly familiar demonic possession thriller engaging for so long.

Despite the ads that would suggest otherwise, Hopkins is actually a supporting player here. The center of the film is Colin O'Donoghue, making his confident, impressive feature debut as Michael Kovak, an aspiring Catholic priest suffering a spiritual crisis.

Following his mother's death, Michael joined his father (Rutger Hauer) in the family mortuary business. Swedish director Mikael Hafstrom ("Evil," "1408") details the painstaking process of cleaning and preparing a body for a funeral with precise, clear-eyed detail, which makes it seem even creepier. Still, Michael is obviously a caring and conscientious young man, and it makes sense that he would be interested in tending to others through the church. Trouble is, he's not sure what he believes.

Michael Petroni's script, "suggested by" a novel that was "inspired by" actual events, is surprisingly reasonable and even-tempered with its discussions about the nature of faith. For a while, it is neither hyperbolic nor preachy, but open to all possibilities and levels of devotion - or lack thereof. All of this intelligent set-up, as well as the moody, atmospheric way Hafstrom takes advantage of locations in Rome and Budapest, make the over-the-top climax feel like even more of a letdown.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Michael doubts himself, but his mentor at the seminary (Toby Jones) sees the potential in him, and sends him off to Rome to study exorcisms with Hopkins' character, the infamously unorthodox Father Lucas. After witnessing the master's methods, we - like Michael - are left wondering what's real and what's just mere theatrics. (Last summer's "The Last Exorcism" daringly explored the same notion.)

In the middle of purging a demon from a pregnant teen's body, Father Lucas' iPhone rings - and he takes the call. He knowingly jokes about spinning heads and pea soup. He also pulls off a little sleight of hand to assuage a troubled boy who claims he's been seeing visions of a mule with burning red eyes. Hopkins makes the character charming, almost irresistible, even as he begins to show signs that he might not be so trustworthy.

"The Rite" makes its own turn - from a film that's smart and suspenseful to one that feels hackneyed and overwrought. The pregnant teen contorts her body in impossible ways and curses in languages she doesn't even know. Michael begins to wonder whether he's seeing and hearing things, which he bounces off a journalist (Alice Braga) who has befriended him while working on a piece about exorcisms.

And inevitably, even old, reliable Father Lucas starts behaving, um, a little strangely. As we know from his indelible turns as Hannibal Lecter, Hopkins can be frightening enough all on his own, just standing there delivering his lines. He doesn't need any technological trickery and he certainly doesn't need his voice enhanced in any way. Hafstrom apparently didn't think so, though, and overwhelms what might have been a disturbing, final showdown between good and evil.

Ranbir and Katrina caught 'red' handed

Ranbir Kapoor was spotted in Katrina Kaif's company in his sports car by an onlooker

Ranbir Kapoor was spotted driving around in his red-coloured two seater Audi R8 with Katrina Kaif.

Ranbir recently wrapped up the shoot for Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar in Gurgaon. On his return to Mumbai, he's managed to spend some time with Katrina.

A source reveals, "Ranbir is really fond of that car and loves to drive in it. This time, however, he got caught driving around Juhu with Kat by his side.

Since the windows didn't have sun film, Katrina's side profile was captured by an onlooker who passed the car."

Ranbir has also been linked with his Rockstar actress Nargis Fakhri. However, the source confirms that he's mended ways with Kat and the two are very much together.

LiLo-Paris Hilton to fight in a boxing match

Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton have been offered $500,000 each by Hollywood Boxing Federation promoter to take part in a boxing match.

Federation promoter, Damon Feldman, has singled out Hilton and Lohan as his next two celeb boxing contenders.

Feldman has said he will donate the proceeds to anti-drug and alcohol campaigns and would give them the huge fees for them to give to charity if the reformed party girls - who both have convictions for driving under the influence - agree to step into the ring.

"We're calling it the battle of the bad girls of Hollywood," RadarOnline.com quoted Feldman as saying.

“They would use big pillow-sized boxing gloves. This would be nothing more than a fun match-up, and Paris and Lindsay have both dabbled with boxing training in the past.

"Michael could even help train Lindsay as he is undefeated in Celebrity Boxing!" Feldman added.

Feldman believes the light-hearted match would be the perfect way to strengthen their friendship further for the sake of a good cause.

He told: "This is a perfect way for the two ladies to give back.”

It's probably a man's dream come true!

I am ready to shed clothes

Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez who has replaced Mallika Sherawat in 'Murder 2' says she is ready to shed her clothes if the role demands it.

"Of course, otherwise why are you an actor, " said Jacqueline when asked is she would be ready to shed her inhibitions if the script demands.

"Why are you an actor if you are not going to give your whole to a role. Otherwise don't be an actor that's what I think, " said Jacqueline while talking to reporters at the sidelines of 'Let's Design season -3' programme in Kolkata.

"Murder-2" is as a sequel of the 2004 movie 'Murder' - which had steamy scenes and was one of the hits of 2004.

"I don't know why people are actors when they are not ready to do it. If you are an actor you should be ready to do it. I am a serious actor and I am ready to do it for a character, " said the 26- year old actress.

She also fuelled rumours about her relationship status by refusing to comment on whether or not she is single.

"Why do you want to know?" giggled Jacqueline to questions whether she is single.

The three-film-old Jacqueline was earlier linked with actor Ritesh Deshmukh. "No comment on that either, " Jacqueline told reporters in Kolkata.

Jacqueline had earlier worked in 'Aladin' and 'Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai' opposite Ritesh Deshmukh. Her acting in 'Aladin' had earned her International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) award and Stardust award for best female debut in 2010.

Manisha exposes her dying marriage and impending divorce

Bollywood and South actress Manisha Koirala may have tied the knot (much to the disappointment of her sea of male fans) but she is still making waves in the film industry.

Two of her South Indian flicks are gearing up for a theatrical release that proves how efficiently she is juggling her domestic and professional life not to mention her sincere indulgence in philanthropy.

Despite her hectic schedule, she has spoken to the tabloids and professed her views on marriage.

There have been, of late, murmurs that things are not all hunky dory between her and her hubby Samrat and grapevine has it that they may be heading for a divorce.

In fact, Manisha had recently hinted about getting a divorce on a social networking site.

Opening up on the issue she cites that she had done it impulsively and doesn't regret it.

But she opines that marriage is 'vastly overrated' and often people walk the aisle merely out of fear of being alone for the rest of their lives.

She suggests that instead people should commit to marriage only when they are staunchly prepared and only when they have the right reasons to marry.

Manisha remarks that she has many friends who are single yet extremely happy. Her remarks reveal a pathos that seems to be haunting her marital life.

She comments that to marry out of social or biological pressure is objectionable to her since she believes that marriages shouldn't be done for frivolous reasons.

And speaking of her own status she signs off by saying that she is trying to give her marriage a best shot and she hopes that she would be able to sort things out with hubby Samrat.

What Is Nicki Minaj's Take On Sex Appeal?

In a recent interview, Nicki Minaj had said that she can find sex appeal in every girl. According to this rapper, every girl has something that makes her sexy; it might be some kind of a mystery or 'animalistic thing' that adds to the sex appeal of the girl.

When asked what she likes about women, she promptly said women who walk strong. A person she feels who walks strong is Naomi Campbell. This 26 years old hip hop singer has recently being shooting with Rihanna for a new song and sources confirm that the two ladies bonded like a house on fire. They have not only been flirting on the sets of the song 'Fly' but have also warmed up the micro-blogging site, Twitter, with their suggestive tweets.

The very modest Minaj does not consider herself to be a sex symbol. However, she admits that being a sex symbol is a "beautiful thing".

Having received a Platinum certificate for her album 'Pink Friday', the singer is now eyeing Hollywood and is looking for a good break. She wants to do a Tim Burton film so that she can dress in a crazy manner and have paint all over herself. She also wants to roles where she can do some action just like Angelina Jolie.

This 'Your Love' singer had added that she is looking for a man who will bring out the freak in her.

Chelsea Handler Eying New Man After Dumping 50 Cent

It has been known by all by now that rapper 50 Cent and American model as well as stand-up comedian Chelsea Handler are no longer a couple. However, things are getting clear with time that it was Chelsea, who dumped the rapper and decided to end the relation.

Recently, Handler posted a photo of her kissing 50 Cent but that was probably in contrast to their real life chemistry at that time. Chelsea has reportedly called it quit days before Christmas but the rapper tried his best to win her back in his life. He gifted her with lots of things and tried to appease his lady. But these could not impress Chelsea and she returned then back with a note stating that she can buy her own gifts.

It seems that Chelsea was confident with her decision and wanted to get rid of the relation totally. However, even after all these happenings, the former couple were seen together attending the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. No one could guess that they were no longer together because they did not made it clear. But Chelsea was not at all interested in kind of as she decided to move on in life.

Chelsea has already found a new man in her life and she was spotted with Uma Thurman's ex, Andre Balaza. They were spotted together at Bing Bar last weekend and were seen partying hard at Tao. Later, they were also seen leaving the spot together. One friend of Handler has confirmed that they are dating as he is exactly of her type.

Well, 50 Cent must have realized by now that it's not going to work anymore so he should also move on.

'The Queen' is the best selling record since 1956!

'The Queen' is the best selling record since 1956 amongst British music fans, it appears.

The Office for National Statistics has revealed that Brits have been buying rock songs of Queen, Abba and Dire Straits in greater numbers than almost anything else.

And despite the American rock and roll, Brit consumers have been resolutely conservative in their musical tastes.

Queen''s Greatest Hits was first released in 1981 and has sold 5.7 million, making it the best selling album of all time in Britain, helped by reissues, most notably after the death of the lead singer Freddie Mercury ten years later.

Abba has sold 4.6 million of its greatest hits, Gold, making it the third bestselling album behind The Beatle''s Sgt. Pepper''s Lonely Heart''s Club Band.

Oasis, with its What''s The Story Morning Glory, which came to exemplify the Brit Pop movement of the time, sold 4.4 million, while Dire Straits''s Brothers in Arms, sold 4.1 million.

"Dire Straits may not be fashionable now but they were huge. 1985 was the year of Live Aid and they were one of the stars of that event. And Brothers in Arms was the defining album of what was then an amazing, aspirational technology: compact disc," the Telegraph quoted Gennaro Castaldo, at HMV, as saying.

"The reason the Beatles or Abba are successful is because tonnes of people born after the bands split up are still buying the music - be it on digital, vinyl or CD."

The ONS figures also indicated that 98 per cent of all singles are now downloaded - most consumers prefer to buy albums in a physical format.

Just 12 per cent of albums bought last year were downloaded. The rest were bought as either CDs, or even - in the case of 230,000 copies - vinyl.

Girls want Scarlett's lips, Natalie's nose and Jennifer's hair!

Did you ever wish that you could have Jennifer Aniston's hair and Angelina Jolie's lips? Well, so do a lot of other people.

The 14th Annual 'Famed Hottest Looks' survey revealed that women wanted the body of Brazilian-born supermodel Gisele Bundchen. Jennifer Aniston came in second in the 'Most Desired Female Body' category.

The survey, compiled by Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeons Dr. Richard Fleming and Dr. Toby Mayer also found that Mark Wahlberg took the top spot, pursued by six-packing Channing Tatum and Tyson Beckford.

"Different body types are represented on the list because most women are shaped differently and want to look naturally beautiful," Fox News quoted Fleming as saying.

"Some women want the lean look like Gisele, while others want to retain their roundness - just not too round. Men, on the other hand, all want a six-pack regardless of their body type."

The 'Most Desired Hair' category was won by Taylor Swift, followed by Jennifer Aniston and Kim Kardashian.

When it came to noses, Natalie Portman was 2010's winner, followed closely by Emma Stone and category veteran Nicole Kidman.

Surprisingly, Scarlett Johansson took the top spot ahead of Angelina Jolie when it came to the perfect pout and Anne Hathway took the prize for the best eyes.

"The biggest trend we have seen this year is that patients are requesting a more natural look. If you review the names on the list, you will notice that all of those people look naturally beautiful," added Mayer.

"We have been performing plastic surgery for 35 years and after 35 years of stressing the non-surgical look, our list reflects non-surgical looking people."

Here are the top three celebs in each list:

Eyes:

1. Anne Hathaway

2. Mila Kunis

3. Megan Fox

Lips:

1. Scarlett Johanssen

2. Angelina Jolie

3. Christina Aguilera

Nose:

1. Natalie Portman

2. Emma Stone

3. Nicole Kidman

Body:

1. Gisele Bundchen

2. Jennifer Aniston

3. Penelope Cruz

Skin:

1. Amy Adams

2. Kate Perry

3. Gwyneth Paltrow

Arnold Schwarzenegger Infuriated Richard Thompson!

British rocker and folk singer Richard Thompson was once highly intimidated by the star Arnold Schwarzenegger. The tough actor was known to be a very aggressive dad when he used to attend his son's soccer matches.

On the other hand, Thompson was the coach of Wolfgang Schwarzenegger's cocker team in Los Angeles. This aggressive nature of the senior Schwarzenegger used to infuriate the coach. But the musician turned coach used to feel himself very small in front of the big star and did not dare to scold him.

The Terminator star often used to come to watch his son's matches but he used to instruct his son shouting from the gallery. This used to offend the coach Thompson. But he did not gather the dare to ask him to stay quiet when the match is on.

Thompson said that it was easy to become a coach if you had a European accent of any description without any further qualification. The musician added that he thinks he was a real good coach. He informed that Wolfgang was in his team and was quite good in the game. But like many other parents, Arnold used to keep shouting instructions and that happened several times in German. Thompson said that he hated such parents and he used to tell them too but that never happened with Arnold.

Bebo had a bout of food poisoning

It seems that the Kapoor girl –Kareena is facing a difficult time. The buzz was doing the rounds that Kareena was feeling unwell on the sets of her latest venture Bodyguard. Bebo had a bout of food poisoning. Kareena was shooting in Pune when she suddenly started feeling unwell. Kareena had to take bed rest for her condition and the shooting had to be halted.

Kareena is paired opposite to Salman Khan in the movie Bodyguard. The film is made on the lines of a Malayalam film which bears the same name.

The film is by Siddique while Salman Khan’s brother- in- law Atul Agnihotri and his wife Alvira Agnihotri are the producers of the film. Pritam Chakraborty has been roped in for the music in the film. In this film Salman dons a different look altogether.

It will be a far cry from what he has done in his blockbuster hit Dabbang.

Kareena will be essaying the role of a don’s daughter who is a college goer. Kareena also sports a different look in the film as she goes traditional for the film. Kareena wears a lot of Pakistani kurtas with oxidized jewellery.

Designer Manish Malhotra is trying to get Karenna’s look in the film right. Manish has even scouted for accessories in Pune, Delhi and Mumbai. Manish feels that Kareena will be a trendsetter with her ethnic look in the film.

News are doing the rounds that the makers plan to release Bodyguard on August 27.However with Bebo’s condition the production of the movie will be delayed

Forbes' top-earning couple with 6.3billion dollars

Harry Potter stars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are the highest earning couple with USD6.3 billion dollars, according to Forbes.

Watson and Grint played teen couple Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series and have beaten the 'steamiest' couple Robert Pattinson and Kristina Stewart to the top spot.

The financial magazine then compiled the list based on highest box office earnings for each on-screen duo, reports the New York Daily News.

Viggo Mortensen and Liv Tyler of 'Lord of the Rings', who played lovers Arwen and Aragon in three Tolkien epics, reportedly earned USD3 billion for the LOTR franchise.

And Keira Knightly and Orlando Bloom of 'Pirates of the Caribbean', earned USD2.7 billion at the box office, coming in third.

Back to the Twilight couple, Pattinson and Stewart managed to get USD1.8 billion for the 'Twilight' franchise since the first film debuted to massive success in 2008.

The New Catwoman In Batman Series

Director Christopher Nolan is all set to continue his Batman saga and he has searched a new Catwoman for his third movie. The new girl is none other than this year's Academy Award hostess Anne Hathaway.

Anne is the latest entry in the Catwoman league, which is made popular by the actresses like Eartha Kittm, Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry.

The first Batman movie, which was made in 1966, had actress Lee Meriwether in the role of Catwoman. Since then, many other Batman movies followed and other actresses kept adding in the role of Catwoman. However, the charm of the movie was never lost and Christopher Nolan again revived the saga in 2005 and made two movies on it. The Dark Knight Rises is the third in the series by Nolan. He is planning to release it on July 20, 2012.

We believe Anne will bring a new look and charm to everyone's favourite character 'Catwoman'. She has reportedly bagged the role by beating other top actresses like Natalie Portman, Keira Knightley, Rachel Weisz and Marion Cotillard.

Hopefully, Nolan will continue the charm of his earlier film with this latest venture with a new 'Catwoman' in the line.

Miley Cyrus voted 'Worst Celeb Influence'

Miley Cyrus has been announced the worst celebrity influence of 2010, for the second time in a row now.

The 18-year-old took in a whopping 58 percent of the 99,000 votes in the poll for AOL''s JSYK.com (Just So You Know) website, which has a target audience of 9-15 year olds.

While last year she beat Kanye West and Britney Spears, this time she has toppled Lindsay Lohan volatile "Teen Mom" Amber Portwood and punch-happy Disney star Demi Lovato.

First she was caught on video smoking Salvia from a bong in December, and then photographed lifting her shirt almost to her chest in a series of scandalous photos taken at a gay club, reports the New York Daily News.

In May, she was criticized after a video showed the then 16-year-old "dirty dancing" at a wrap party for "The Last Song" with Adam Shankman, the film''s much-older producer.

Her outfits caused quite a stir too - with the singer choosing to wear lingerie-like outfits during a number of concerts and writhing around in a bed while barely dressed for her "Who Owns My Heart?" music video, drawing the ire of the Parents Television Council.

Naomi Watts"playing Marilyn Monroe in biopic"

Naomi Watts has revealed that she's extremely scared about playing Marilyn Monroe in a new biopic.

The actress is set to play the iconic screen siren in an adaptation of Andrew Dominik''s ''Blonde'' and she admitted the nerves about the part are getting to her.

"It''s a huge pressure. We all feel we know her. I''m very, very scared about that," Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

Watts is not the only star to be portraying Marilyn in a movie about her life - Michelle Williams is also set to play her in ''My Week With Marilyn''.

Bret Michaels "successful heart surgery "

Bret Michaels has been discharged from the hospital after undergoing a successful heart operation on Monday.

The 47-year-old frontman for the band Poison underwent the procedure to repair a hole in his heart that was discovered last year after he suffered a mini-stroke.

"Bret is recuperating at home with his family," People Magazine quoted a source as saying.

"He is looking forward to enjoying time with Kristi (his new fiancee) and his daughters as well as getting back on the road," the source added.

Chelsea Handler is a w****'

Jenna Jameson has criticised talkshow host Chelsea Handler for joking about the children of celebrities.

The porn star took to her official Twitter account on Wednesday to publicly rebuke Handler, who recently insisted that her humour never comes at the expense of kids.

Jameson wrote: "Chelsea handler makes fun of peoples kids... Probably because she's a dried up old wh*re ."

Responding later to reaction to her tweet from fellow users, the adult entertainment star added: "Just cuz I say it like it is...... Don't hate...... She talks massive s**t.. Ok, whatever…"

In 2008, Jameson announced that she was retiring from the porn industry and has since largely eschewed the spotlight.

Sean Connery statue unveiled in Estonia

A statue of Oscar-winning actor Sean Connery has been erected in the Estonian capital of Tallinn.

The James Bond star was honoured with the bust which was placed outside the whiskey-sampling Scottish Club. The venue is known to celebrate "Scots who have made a difference".

The sculpture was crafted by Tiiu Kirsipuu and cost £9,330 to build. It was funded by private donations, according to WENN.

British Ambassador Peter Carter announced to guests at the unveiling: "Sir Sean Connery is, without a doubt, an icon. He is variously known as James Bond or the sexiest man of the century.

"He's a great British actor, a great Scot actor and a great symbol for Scotland."

MOVIE REVIEW

Director: Madhur Bhandarkar
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Omi Vaidya,
 Emraan Hashmi, Shruti Haasan,
 Shazahn Padamsee, Shraddha Das.
Genre: Romantic comedy

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, who is renowned for making realistic films, is all set offer his first comedy tomorrow. With star cast like Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi and Omi Vaidya of 3 Idiots fame, Bhadarakar promises a romantic laugh riot.

Madhur says his film will offer a slice of life by showing different dimensions of love through the three lead characters. It is neither a loud nor a slapstick comedy but everyone can relate to the storyline.

Ajay Devgn plays Naren Ahuja, a man in his thirties, who goes through a divorce falls in love relation. Shazahn Padamsee plays a girl called vibrant and bubbly girl June Pinto, who has just stepped out of her teens.

Omi Vaidya plays an idealistic lover named Milind Kelkar. He is in love with a girl named Gungun Sarkar, essayed by Shraddha Das. She is very practical and ambitious to achieve her dreams in life.

Emraan Hashmi plays a charming Casanova Abhay Suri, who is in love with a modern girl named Nikki. She is very particular about what she wants from life and always speaks her mind.

These three men undergo a roller coaster journey of emotions in their relationships and experiences the ups and downs of usual contemporary life.

You need to watch the movie to find out if they find their true love at the end

Alesha Dixon 'recovering from foot op'

Alesha Dixon has revealed that she is recovering from a foot operation she underwent last month.

The 'Radio' singer appeared at the National Television Awards earlier this week supported by a crutch.

"I'm trying my best to look elegant on my stick," she told The Daily Telegraph. "Standing up for too long is a problem at the moment."

She explained: "I had bone correction about five weeks ago.

 I had an operation years ago and it needed to be corrected, but I'm all right now. I am balanced again."

The 32-year-old added that she would "love" to continue her Strictly Come Dancing judging role.

Kate Hudson denies Bellamy engagement

Kate Hudson has rubbished speculation that she is engaged to Matt Bellamy.

Earlier this week, it was claimed that the couple - who are expecting a baby together - had celebrated their engagement with a family party in London. However, speaking on The Graham Norton Show, Hudson insisted that marriage is not something she is interested in at present.

"No, no, not that I know of!" she said of the reports. "I don't like putting that sort of pressure on it and I don't feel it necessary to get married. I am 31, I already have one child and have had one divorce so it is not necessarily the golden ticket. I just want to be happy."

She added: "My parents (Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell) have been 30 years not married, so it's not something I feel I have to do."

Hudson admitted that her 7-year-old son is sure he will be welcoming a baby sister.

"It feels like a girl, but I don't know. Ryder thinks it's a girl," she said.

Kajol On Winning The Padma Shri

Kajol, the Bollywood beauty who has made quite a mark for herself as one of the leading actresses on this side of the globe is quite ecstatic on having been conferred the Padma Shri this year.

According to news reports, the actress is very happy about this prestigious award and it has brought about a lot of happiness in her home too.

The daughter of veteran actress Tanuja and late film maker Shomu Mukherjee, the 35-year old actress has certainly been one of the most loved amongst the Bollywood film fraternity ever since she entered the industry.

Kajol, who is happily married to actor Ajay Devgn and has two kids, has always been a darling of the masses as well as the classes. Her natural flair in acting has won her many accolades and her films have always had her portray roles of the modern young girl of India who has the basic manners and skill of a typical Indian girl and also an air of self esteem and style which is very much an influence from the west. This very bubbly star in B Town has achieved quite a lot and certainly deserves this prestigious award by all means.

All of us are proud of this bubbly young mom who has taught many young girls to be independent yet be respectful and trustworthy towards elders. Kudos to Kajol!

Amitabh Bachchan to dye beard, hair for 'Boodha'

After retaining the same appearance for the last 11 years, Amitabh Bachchan has suddenly turned experimental about his looks. First he decided to sport a trimmed beard and new hairstyle in "Aarakshan" and now for "Boodha", the Big B will dye his beard and hair into a flamboyant trendy colour!

The colour is yet to be decided. According to insiders from the frantically-experimental unit, Big B would either sport a red-tinted beard and hair in the movie -- which will be directed by Telugu maverick Puri Jagannath -- or it could be various flamboyant colours.

When contacted, Jagannath said: "That's right. Bachchan sir is going totally psychedelic for his part in 'Boodha'. You see, he plays a man who is 60 but believes he's still 25. So he moves around dressed and made up like today's youngster. And if anyone calls him a boodha (old man) he is livid. He will be dyeing his beard and wig."

Even the clothesline for Big B in "Boodha" would be in keeping with his character of a man of 25. Apparently, the megastar would be borrowing accessories from his son Abhishek's wardrobe.

The film will go on floors next month.

AR Rahman nominated for Oscars

MUMBAI: AR Rahman has bagged two nominations for Oscars once again. This time it is again Danny Boyle's film that has brought to him the nominations for the 83rd Academy Awards.

Earlier he had bagged three nominations and won two Oscars in the 81st Academy Awards for Danny Boyle's film Slumdog Millionaire.

Buzz up!The Music Maestro Rahman has been nominated in the Best Original Song for the song ' If I Rise' and the Best Original Score from the film 127 Hours.

We congratulate AR Rahman on his success and hope that he will win the show too.

Where the Oscars blew it

The Oscars — both the nominations and the actual awards — are inevitably an occasion for howls of protest that threaten to drown out the triumphs. How could they leave out Christopher Nolan for directing Inception? What about Ryan Gosling, who gave the performance of the year — well, alongside Javier Bardem in Buitiful, maybe — in Blue Valentine? Or Paul Giamatti, the Oscar's perennial also-ran, who won a Golden Globe for Barney's Version but gets nothing but air from the Academy Awards?

When people are complaining about who didn't get into the golden circle, rather than who did, you know that Oscar got most of it right. There weren't any embarrassing nominations, keeping in mind that one man's embarrassing nomination — Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side? — is another man's Oscar-winner.

And it's hard to think of whom you'd omit from the best actor category, for instance, to make room for Gosling, or Giamatti, for that matter. It would have been good for Mila Kunis to have been nominated for her supporting performance in Black Swan, but it's great that the academy reached out to the little-known Australian actress Jacki Weaver for Animal Kingdom.

Such indie names — including Blue Valentine's Michelle Williams, John Hawkes and Jennifer Lawrence from Winter's Bone, and Winter's Bone itself — are sprinkled throughout the Oscar nomination list. It's no longer a collection of movie stars, but a more interesting roster of familiar names and worthy newcomers.

When the academy expanded the best picture category to 10 movies, some critics thought it would dilute the honour of being nominated — there goes the neighbourhood — and suddenly everyone and his uncle was going to be able to put "Academy Award Nominee" in the movie ads. But it has opened up the category to smaller films, such as The Kids Are All Right and Winter's Bone, that deserve the added attention. They're among the Top 10 movies of the year, so why not salute them in some official way?

Blue Valentine would have been another worthy choice, and there would have been room for it, too, if Toy Story 3 hadn't been among the nominees. It's a wonderful picture — another of the year's best — and it provided one of the most moving moments in its final valedictory to childhood. But the academy should change its rule so that animated movies, which have their own category, can't be nominated in both. The producers of Toy Story 3 should have to decide whether they want their movie to be a nominee for best picture, where its chances of winning are slim, or the Oscar-winner for best animated movie, where it's the front-runner.

If they went for best picture, it would have opened a spot for Despicable Me or Megamind, two fine animated movies that were left off this year's list. If they stayed in the animated category, Blue Valentine might have made it.

That's one change I would like to see in the Oscar nomination process. Here's another.

In 1996, the jury at the Cannes Film Festival created a special award for "audacity" to honour David Cronenberg's strange and violent sexual fantasy, Crash. It was an award made on the run, because Crash didn't fit into any of the other categories at Cannes. It still doesn't, in fact.

At the time, I remember thinking that it's too bad the Academy Award people hadn't thought of that 10 years earlier, for David Lynch's strange and violent sexual fantasy, Blue Velvet. It was a riveting experience, certainly the best movie I saw that year, but it was snubbed by the Oscars (except for Lynch's direction). The Oscar that year went to Platoon.

I still think it's an idea worth considering. The Oscars have a far more formal, bureaucratic system than the hit-and-run mischief of a Cannes jury of a dozen people meeting for a couple of weeks. But there's no reason the academy couldn't build in provisions for the occasional special Oscar, something unannounced that could constitute an Oscar-night surprise. This year, for instance, a small jury of filmmakers within the academy could meet and decide that perhaps Gosling's performance — his immersion in the role of a desperate husband who just doesn't know how to make his wife happy — should get something. The ukulele scene alone is worth some kind of parallel Oscar, an acknowledgment that film acting has been advanced a little bit by what he was doing. Or maybe Nolan could get an award for the boldness of his imagination. Or one of a dozen other smaller movies could move from the cozy precincts of independent movie awards to get some of the big-league brass of Oscar.

Bollywood 'has successful start to 2011'

The first four releases of 2011 have opened to positive reviews from audiences and critics.

No One Killed Jessica, Yamla Pagla Deewana, Turning 30 and Dhobi Ghat have all performed well at the box office, reports IANS.

Amit Awasthi from Spice Cinemas commented on the continuing success of No One Killed Jessica: "People are really appreciating the content as well as the acting by both Rani and Vidya. The occupancy is still 83%."

Comic film Yamla Pagla Deewana has also defied expectations from its theatrical release.

Speaking about the Dharmendra, Bobby Deol and Sunny Deol project, Yogesh Raizada of Wave Cinemas said: "The Deol family has a good fan-following that is pulling crowds."

In 2010, the Hindi film industry classified less than ten releases as 'hits'.