Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Infrastructure project and property value) that was published in Newsband

Infrastructure project and property value 
It is natural for an infrastructure project propelling some people to buy a house. In 2007, the central government approved a plan to build an international airport at Navi Mumbai. Some people quickly snapped up a house in the area just a few days after the announcement. It was a wise move as property prices have been skyrocketing since then.
Though work on the airport is yet to begin, property buyers have already made huge profits on their investments. In fact, the announcement of the airport led to an overnight increase in property values in and around Panvel, Kharghar, Ulwe, southern parts of Navi Mumbai and Mumbai's eastern corridor.
It's undeniable that a scheduled infrastructure project leads to an increase in the value of property in its vicinity since the project becomes a USP for the developers or property owners. There have been instances where the property prices have increased by 50-70% after the announcement of an infrastructure initiative till it becomes operational.
In 2006, the residential sale rate at Essel Towers, Gurgaon, was around Rs 5,000 per sq ft. In the same year came the announcement that the Delhi metro would be extended to Gurgaon. The rates shot up immediately and, by 2010, when the metro actually started, the rate was about Rs 9,000 per sq ft. In comparison, the other areas displayed a lesser increase of 40-50%.
So, is it a good idea to purchase a property purely on the basis of an announced infrastructure project? This depends on various factors and you should take these into account before buying such properties. You should consider certain things.
Your buying decision should depend on whether the property is for self-occupation or only an investment. Infrastructure projects usually come up on the outskirts of the city, where basic amenities, such as well-laid out roads, power and water supply may be missing. Even the environmental and other clearances needed to set up the project may take years.
So never make haste in the matter of buying properties at places which have been chosen for infrastructure project. 

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Educational institutes too violate rules?) that was published in Newsband

Educational institutes too violate rules?
 The Higher and Technical Education department has come under the scanner of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for not recovering penalties of Rs. 2.01 crore from private institutes. The institutes in question include those run by the DY Patil group of Institutes: Saraswati Education Society, Navi Mumbai, and Sinhagad Institute of Management, Pune.
The amount due is a penalty that the institutes were supposed to pay to the department for taking in excess students on multiple occasions.
The department fixes the student intake for an institute, which depends on the course structure and infrastructure. But by admitting excess students, the institutes earned more fees, despite having infrastructure for fewer students. This has denied students the benefits in form of academic support and infrastructure.
The department needs to be severely criticized for 'inadequacy' in implementing an existing resolution that fixes penalties. According to the resolution, institutions defaulting for the first time are liable to pay a penalty equal to 200% of the fee for each extra student admitted. This goes up to 500% for institutes that default for the second time. If an institute defaults for the third time, it is to be referred to the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and the National Council for Teachers Education for cancelling its recognition.
The rule allows institutes to accept excess intake on multiple occasions, since the penalties may have been already charged for students in another course of the institute.
If the educational institutes start violating rules, what can one expect from the students who pass out from these institutes? Hence for the benefit of the students, actions should be immediately taken against those educational institutes which violate rules to prevent it from setting a bad example for its students.

Video: Dinesh Kamath speaks about the film 'Sagar'

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Defiant Navi Mumbai residents) that was published in Newsband

Defiant Navi Mumbai residents
Just recently over 300 Navi Mumbai residents got their hands and feet dirty to save a lake and mangroves at Seawoods in Nerul. Carrying shovels and troughs, they filled four dumpers with debris that they dug out from near DPS Lake, in a span of two hours.
Some miscreants in the area - who wanted the lake to dry up to make way for construction - had been dumping debris at the inlet of a pipeline that connects DPS Lake to Navi Mumbai creek.
During high tide, water from the creek flows into the lake, and goes back into the creek during low tide. This flow of water that ensures bio-diversity is maintained and helps mangroves flourish. But some people were dumping debris so that the area was no longer a wetland and buildings could come up here. The debris were dumped there to plug water flow to mangroves
Navi Mumbai is one of the few cities in the world that is marginally below sea level and hence it is extremely important that mangroves are protected, as they prevent erosion and protect from storm surge.
These residents who were desperately trying to save the lake had earlier approached Navi Mumbai planning authority CIDCO to solve the issue. But CIDCO ignored the issue and hence these residents decided to step in and make a difference themselves.
Today they are not angry, they are happy to have done their bit. Their message is that they will do whatever it takes to protect their environment. They did their job peacefully and did not demonstrate against anyone. Those who had gathered to help included senior citizens, women, and a number of children. Many people had even come from Vashi, Airoli, Chembur and Nerul to volunteer. The group also included 70-year-old man, who recently had recovered from a paralytic attack, as well as another resident who was undergoing chemotherapy. Everybody wore white caps that read 'Save Lake'.
Long time back, CIDCO had tried to fill this 33-acre lake so the land could be sold, but their attempt was halted when former chief minister Ashok Chavan intervened.
As part of their campaign, residents filed RTI queries, which revealed that CIDCO was calling the area a high FSI plot. But one must admire the brave way in which these residents defied the CIDCO authorities. They have set an example for other Navi Mumbai residents to follow.

Dinesh Kamath's review of movie 'The Lucky One' that was published in Newsband

The Lucky One is the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name. The film stars Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling and Blythe Danner. It is directed by Scott Hicks, and got released on April 20, 2012.
The film has an interesting story. U.S. soldier Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) returns to North Carolina from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive—a photograph he found of a woman he does not even know. Learning her name is Beth (Taylor Schilling) and where she lives, he shows up at her door, and ends up taking a job at her family-run local kennel. Despite her initial mistrust and the complications in her life, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good luck charm.
The film has Zac Efron as 1st Sgt. Logan Thibault, Taylor Schilling as Beth Clayton, Blythe Danner as Nana, Jay R. Ferguson as Keith Clayton, Riley Thomas Stewart as Ben Clayton, Joe Chrest as Deputy Moore, Jillian Batherson as Amanda, Courtney J. Clark as Logan's Sister, Russell Durham Comegys as Roger Lyle, Robert Hayes as Victor Miles and Cameron Banfield as Younger Marine.
If you watch Efron's performance in Scott Hicks' film of Sparks' book (from a script by Will Fetters) honestly, you'll see an actor who has both grown and continues to grow. He plays the strong silent hero who walks into a small town in Louisiana and sweeps into the life of a former teacher named Beth (Taylor Schilling). Beth is still grieving for the brother she lost in Iraq and for the marriage that ended because her husband was an insufferable turd (who still happens to be the local sheriff's deputy, which allows him to lurk threateningly).
Efron is Logan Thibault, also an Iraq veteran, who believes his life was saved when the glint of sun off the plastic protector around a photograph lying in the rubble attracted his attention. It drew him a few steps away from where he had been sitting, when he went to pick it up, just as a mortar round took out the friends he was chatting with seconds before.
The photo - of an anonymous girl with the words "Be Safe" on the back - becomes his good-luck charm. When Logan musters out of the Marines, he goes in search of the girl in the picture, tracking her to that small town in Louisiana probably to return the photo and tell her thank you.
But the woman, Beth, who runs a kennel, is such a chatterbox that he doesn't get the chance to tell her his story. Instead, she thinks he's looking for work and hires him for a job opening to help around the kennel.
So he goes to work for her and her grandmother (Blythe Danner), making himself invaluable to them and becoming a pal to Beth's son. He also becomes an object of jealousy for her ex-husband, who doesn't like having this guy hanging around his ex-wife.
Thus The Lucky One has Zac Efron as a young Marine having trouble adjusting to civilian life. It is the seventh Sparks novel to be made into a film, joining The Notebook, Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember, among others, with two more in the pipeline - and it is a movie his fans will consider one of his best. The Lucky One is set during and after the combat mission in Iraq. It is about the Marines. The hero, Logan, has survived three rough tours in Iraq, and seen more than his share of casualties. He regards the photo [a picture of a woman that he finds in the rubble] his lucky charm. Logan when discharged goes on a quest to find the woman in the photo he picked up in combat. The story of the film is dramatic, surprising and satisfying.
Sparks writes love stories, but they are also stories of redemption -- often a man trying to redeem himself after a mistake or tragedy; the women tend to be damaged more often by relationships turned sour. As a character says in his novel "Dear John," "Every single person you see is struggling with something, and to them, it's just as hard as what you're going through." Readers respond to that, because they are struggling with something, too, and they may very well find someone who understands that in a book by Nicholas Sparks.
This film is for those who have enjoyed the previous bestsellers by author Nicholas Sparks. The film has Efron saying things like, "You should be kissed every day, every hour, every minute," and this is bound to melt your heart.
The best thing about Nicholas Sparks is that all of his books have hit the New York Times bestsellers list, and together have sold close to 80 million copies worldwide, printed in over 45 languages. Yet, it is the U.S. where the North Carolina-based author reigns supreme. More the 50 million of his books have been gobbled up there, attracting a largely female demographic with his trademark romance melodramas. Hollywood has embraced that best-selling, romantic trademark with a seventh film adaptation of one of his books - The Lucky One, which opened on April 20. The film has emotional turmoil mixed with love and modest lust. The main thing is that the movie has the spirit and the intent.
Sparks acknowledges that his books, and the films, have "become convenient targets" for sniping attacks. He says that he's "accused of exploiting cliches and lapsing into melodrama." His response is short and simple: "I would say, 'No' to that."
For instance, the idea for The Lucky One came after Sparks lost a valued picture of his wife, and only then realized how much the photograph meant to him. The Iraq war backdrop seemed appropriate for its timeliness, and the fact that he's surrounded by U. S. military bases near his New Bern, North Carolina, home. As usual, he visited the set briefly but never interfered while the film was being shot.
After The Lucky One, there is more Sparks-based product ready to hit movie theatres. Safe Haven, directed by Lasse Hallstrom, is ready for release in February of 2013, just in time for Valentine's Day.
Thus the film The Lucky One is a great film which is bound to appeal to you. So do watch the film. Don't miss it.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Positive thinking leads to success) that was published in Newsband

Positive thinking leads to success 

Some people feel that the terms and conditions at their place of work are not very good and that they suffer from stress. What is the formula for de-stressing? There is a spiritual formula that was given by the Prophet of Islam. The Prophet said, "Waiting for a better tomorrow is also a form of worship."
This formula has nothing mysterious about it. It is based on the well-established laws of nature. When you face some unwanted situation and you become negative, then you are bound to suffer some deprivation. Due to your negativity, you will hinder your intellectual development and become discontented with your job. You may even start underperforming and become unwanted. This shortcoming in your performance will lead to negative results in your life.
However, if you adopt the above formula, you will become stress-free and full of hope. This will make thinking positively a habit. A positive nature will surely enhance your skills and make you a more sought-after resource.
The above formula is not just a religious one but it is also based on human psychology. If your mindset turns negative, you diminish your abilities. But if you work hard with a positive mindset, you improve your abilities. This is a law of nature, and is irreversible.
You need to train your own mind. Positive thinking is a natural form of intellectual training. This training institution is continuously at work and progressively makes you acquire a better personality. This is a miracle of nature and each one of us has it in his or her control. Everyone can have this experience.
This aspect of the mind is a great gift from nature. When we shun negativity and adopt the way of positive thinking, we initiate in our mind a process of enhancement of our personality. Positivity helps to unfold our potential. As a result of this process, a positive thinker improves his prospects in life. On the contrary, negative thinking is most injurious to the process of personality development. Only positive thinking can be truly helpful in this process.
Develop positive thinking as it will enhance your personality. Consequently, you will experience success.

Dinesh Kamath is happy with the number of readers going through his blog

Hi, 

I am happy with the number of readers who are going through my blog. The number is very encouraging for me. I got most of the readers belonging to India and America. I also have readers belonging to other Western countries in particular. I promise my readers that I'll continue providing them entertainment and information through my works which I'll contribute to my blog. I thank my readers for the kind of encouragement that they have given me. I hope I'll continue getting this kind of response even in the future. Thank you very much! Bye!

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Improve laws relating to guardianship rights) that was published in Newsband

Improve laws relating to guardianship rights
A Planning Commission working group has recommended that a mother should be listed as the first official guardian in all official documents. This, according to the group, will help redress the official bias against the mother. The panel has proposed sweeping changes in existing laws thereby giving mothers equal guardianship rights over their children. The panel's objective is to rectify the legislative as well as larger gender imbalances in society.
At present fathers are mentioned as first guardians in all relevant official documents - birth certificates, school admission forms and passports. Mothers, on the other hand, have to run from pillar to post, overcoming a host of bureaucratic hurdles to be accepted as legitimate guardians of their children. They have to either get the father's signature or take recourse to legal measures.
If the mother is listed as the first official guardian and if it becomes law then it will be difficult for conservative authorities, whether at government or school level, to deny mothers their guardianship rights.
If this law is implemented, the government panel's proposed amendments will surely go a long way in ensuring that mothers have an equal say, not only as caregivers in families, but also in significant decision-making processes that impact their children's lives.
The government panel's efforts to replace the father as the first guardian of a child with the mother in all legal documents is a good example of well-meant but pointless change. It's a hopelessly muddled approach. Having the mother as first guardian is tantamount to disempowering men. This is hardly conducive to equality. Replacing one parent by another would only shift the problems and perpetuate the gender bias in the law.
Secondly, the panel argues that since it is the mother who looks after the children it should be her natural right to be listed as the first guardian. This argument only reinforces the patriarchal view that a woman's role should be confined to her household and rearing children.
Deciding custody of children in divorce cases is skewed in favour of the mother since it is believed that the mother plays a greater role in rearing children than the father does. It is not necessary that the mother will rear the child better than the father will in all cases - this has to be decided on a case-by-case basis. Guardianship rights and other laws affecting children should be in fact completely rewritten with the child's right at the core and not looked at merely in terms of the rights of the mother or the father.

Dinesh Kamath's old article on Katrina Kaif that was published in Newsband

Katrina Kaif will act free for her make-up artist. Katrina signed up for her make-up artist Subhash Singh's production venture as the female lead. But something interesting about it is that Katrina will not charge a penny for the film. Subhash will produce this film which is the Hindi adaptation of the 2007 movie P.S. I Love You, starring Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank. Subhash has signed up Aziz Mirza to direct the movie. The movie is untitled as of now. Subhash has yet to find a male lead to star opposite Katrina. He had approached John (Abraham) and Ranbir (Kapoor), but they didn't agree. So, he is still looking. As of now, the female lead is confirmed; she will be played by Katrina; but the male lead is still on hold and the movie has to be on the floors by the end of 2012. Interestingly, this is not the first time Katrina is supporting her staff's professional endeavours. In 2011, she did a cameo for her hairdresser Ramila Manjrekar's production Main Krish Hoon. Unfortunately, the film is yet to see the light of day.
Meanwhile, Katrina has three big films to look forward to this year — Ek Tha Tiger with Salman Khan, Dhoom 3 with Aamir Khan and filmmaker Yash Chopra's untitled film opposite Shah Rukh Khan.
Will Katrina Kaif beat Kareena Kapoor? Karan Johar stands by Kareena, but it's Katrina for Ekta Kapoor. So, who will win in the war that follows? Buzz is that Ekta Kapoor and Karan Johar are having a slight disagreement over whom to cast as the leading lady for their next project. KJo stands by the 'in-house heroine of Dharma Productions', Kareena Kapoor. But Ekta is not very happy with his choice. Kareena might be the Numero Uno heroine in Bollywood, but she isn't hot enough for Ekta, who is vouching for haute and happening Katrina Kaif. Also, according to Ekta, Katrina has a good relationship with Lady Luck (that Kareena lacks?) that might work better for the project. Ekta doesn't mind working with Kareena. In fact, Kareena is even part of the sequel of Ekta Kapoor's Once Upon A Time In Mumbai. But the hotness quotient is not the sole reason for the difference in opinion. Both their calculating minds have come up with a new theory: they fear that Kareena's choc-a-block date diary might not have space for this one and Ekta knows that. With Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, Heroine and her impending marriage plans, Kareena's plate seems to be too full for another job. Not an ideal choice for the ultra-professional and always-in-a-hurry lady Ekta Kapoor, who doesn't like lingering on a project for too long. On the other hand, Katrina is going to be available, once Ek Tha Tiger and her just-started film with Shahrukh Khan is done with. And the Chameli gal is riding pretty high on popular lists, so will be a selling point in any new movie for a while. So most probably it will be Katrina who will take the crown (or movie) this time.
Bollywood's International beauty Katrina is now on the seventh heaven after tasting every bit of success that's coming randomly on her way. After overshadowing several successful actresses in Bollywood, Katrina is now targeting the world's most beautiful and tinsel town's most successful darling Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Aishwarya's beauty is not only unbeatable as she is also the only Bollywood actress of the era who made her mark in Hollywood with her extraordinary acting skills. But Aishwarya's success and brand name have started to drop after she became the Bachchan bahu. An ignorant Aishwarya, who is happily enjoying her current motherhood phase, might not be even aware of her degrading market in the industry since she now has a major threat... that's Katrina Kaif. Katrina is definitely leaving no stone unturned to make her profound mark in Bollywood by even making her endless efforts to oust Aishwarya's brand name from the industry. Now when she is on the zenith of her success, she has bagged her lucky pair with Akshay Kumar. Katrina's back to back hits Rajneeti, Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahaani, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and item songs like Sheila ki Jawaani, Chikni Chameli has strengthened her Bollywood roots to such an extent that she finally got paired with the king Shahrukh Khan in an as-yet untitled Yash Raj production. Katrina also replaced Aishwarya and got immortalized as a barbie doll. Moreover, being a foreigner, Katrina too has a big name in Hollywood since she hails from London. Aishwarya needs to get serious now and hit back on Katrina's towering success. So it is hoped that Aishwarya will get back to work soon and save her drowning career in Bollywood.
Katrina happened to beat Aishwarya in Bollywood Star Rankings. There's been a changing of the guard going on in Bollywood over the last year or two, and never has it been more obvious than now. Old faces like Shahrukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Aishwarya Rai are being replaced by fresh talent in the form of Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, and Ranveer Singh. While box office favorites from the 90s and 2000s like Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor are still drawing big audiences, they are facing stiff competition from their younger counterparts. There may be some debate over who the top heroine really is but at least one group has done an authoritative survey and the results are pretty damning to the old guard of Bollywood actresses. The annual Ormax report ranks star quality and Bollywood's perennial queen Aishwarya Rai was thoroughly trounced by Katrina Kaif. 51% of survey takers chose Katrina as their top star, while Aishwarya picked up a mere 24%. The simplest explanation for this might be that while Katrina has been lighting up the screen all year and scoring routine hits, Aishwarya announced her first pregnancy and then hid herself away for the better part of 2011. But Katrina was walking all over Aishwarya even before Aishwarya's pregnancy break, and the two stars have been called equals in terms of star power and influence in the industry.
Katrina will no doubt see her popularity and influence rise even further this year. She's up for a variety of awards for her roles in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, while Aishwarya's only notable activity as of late was to be featured in Dabboo Ratnani's film, and even that "appearance" was the product of work done almost a year ago. Katrina has mega momentum in the industry these days, and Aishwarya and her contemporaries are going to have to work like crazy to re-establish themselves.
Katrina Kaif may have impressed even her critics with her hip shake in Agneepath item song Chikni Chameli but it wasn't an easy job. You may have noticed that she dances barefoot throughout the song. The only time her feet get some relief is when she swings on a chandelier. But that wasn't enough of a break for her feet. Dancing barefoot on cement took its toll on Katrina's pretty feet and she ended up with blisters midway through the sequence. Everyone thought she will ask for the shoot to be halted even if it meant pack up for co-actors Sanjay Dutt and Hrithik Roshan, but Katrina didn't do so. Despite the pain, she continued shooting as per schedule. The end result is really worth it. Nobody has doubt about it.
In Bhaskar Bollywood Awards Ceremony, versatile actor Ajay Devgn won the Abhineta No. 1 award and Katrina Kaif with highest number of votes in the category bagged the Abhinetri No. 1 award.
BollywoodLife readers have chosen Katrina Kaif's song Aaya re aaya from Salman Khan's film Bodyguard as their favourite. Katrina and the song garnered 45.92% - much more than anybody else.
So Katrina is undoubtedly one of the top heroines of Bollywood today. Let’s hope that she remains on top for at least another couple of years. Keep it up, Katrina!

Dinesh Kamath's old article on Katrina Kaif that was published in Newsband

Today I'll continue to write about Katrina Kaif. Katrina shook legs to the tune of Chikni Chameli at an award function. She performed on the song for the very first time on stage at an award function. The song gained headlines soon after it was released because of its funky choreography and dance moves and Katrina's prettiness. The Agneepath song – Chikni Chameli was revealed in 2011; therefore the girl got several offers from the industry to perform on it new year's eve. But she denied all offers to celebrate the occasion with family in England. However, she agreed to dance for an award function. She asked designers to prepare special costumes for her which would eventually help her to enthrall the audience. She also performed on Sheila Ki Jawani in an extension to her act. Chikni Chameli Katrina did set the stage on fire. Agneepath has yet to hit the silver screen but Chikni Chameli has made the cine-goers go crazy. The song is on the top of the music charts and Katrina has again scored century.
This item song in Agneepath called Chikni Chameli has become really popular. The song has been sung by Shreya Ghoshal and the film maker wanted a song that was catchy. In the film, there is a point when the story has to move very fast and Sanjay Dutt (Kancha Cheena) organises a performance for Hrithik's character Vijay. Katrina performs to the tune of Chikni Chameli in Mandwa which has been transformed by Kancha Cheena into a very dark village. That's why it has a lot of dhol and is a rhythm oriented song. The maker of the film needed a dance number and they were able to crack a perfect item number, thanks to Katrina.
Katrina has taken the song to another level. Everyone is in awe of the song and the video. She has put in a lot of effort to do justice to the song. She shot this song over twenty days and no one would have put in as much effort into the song as she has. Her hard work deserves appreciation. The song has been adapted from Marathi song Kombadi Palali. The idea came from Karan Johar and director Karan Malhotra. They were working on a fresh new song. They asked music director Ajay-Atul to use their song which is an original composition and a very big hit in Maharashtra. It was good for the Marathi industry as Bollywood songs are listened to all over the world. The regional reach and Bollywood reach of music is very different. Ajay-Atul immediately obliged by choosing this particular song and making Katrina dance to its tune.
Katrina had walked the ramp in 2009 for Barbie. Katrina is made for the perfect Barbie, combining delicate feminine looks with child-like innocence and fashion versatility.
Katrina Kaif has upset veteran filmmaker Ravi K Chandran as she refused to work with him. Katrina demanded that Ayananka Bose shoot her for a chocolate commercial instead of Chandran, the brand's original choice. Katrina wanted cinematographer and good friend Ayananka Bose to shoot her for a chocolate commercial since she thinks that Bose shoots her well from all angles. Ravi Chandran was quite miffed with Katrina over this and has said that he would try and learn cinematography in order to work with 'Miss Big Shot'! Incidentally, Ayananka Bose considers Chandran as a mentor since Bose has worked with him in Black, Dil Chahta Hai and Koi Mil Gaya.
Thus gorgeous Katrina, like a true tantrum queen, knows how to make things go her way. No wonder, as soon as the actress declared her penchant for calling the shots during the above-mentioned ad film shoot, things started changing at the snap of her finger. When Katrina showed her inclination towards cinematographer Ayananka Bose, her wish was granted by the ad makers, who showed the exit door to the already signed cinematographer Ravi K Chandran. Katrina called perfect compatibility to be the reason behind the selection of Bose. Thus the name of superstar actress Katrina Kaif has become a brand in the world of Bollywood as people associated to her take care of her likes and dislikes. That's the reason why Katrina is called Miss Big Shot.
Katrina will have a super busy 2012. Looks like this current blue eyed girl of Bollywood is going to have a chock-a-block calendar for 2012. She is currently riding the waves of her latest item number Chikni Chameli which has shown the raw and never seen before side of Katrina. Katrina will be working on the schedule of Yash Raj Production's Ek Tha Tiger which will see her reuniting with Salman Khan. This Kabir Khan directorial venture is slated to release in June 2012 during Eid and has been listed as one of the most anticipated movies of 2012. The much delayed sequel of Dostana will finally see the light after few pre-production meetings where Katrina will be seen opposite Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham. She has previously worked with both of them in Sarkar and New York respectively. Yash Chopra's much anticipated directorial venture will go on floors from February where Katrina will be seen romancing Shah Rukh Khan. This movie is speculated to be released around Diwali 2012. For Katrina it's a dream to be cast in a film that Yash is directing. In a way it brings her into the league of some of the most beautiful and iconic female actors we've had so far. Not everyone gets a chance to work with a legend like him. Then from April onwards she will move onto work on her other Yash Raj production Dhoom 3 opposite Aamir Khan. Keeping in tradition with the previous Dhoom series heroines Katrina is speculated to wear a swimsuit. She has not even discussed the costumes with the designers. And all these speculations have already begun. She doesn't care because she knows that people will know the truth when it's time.
After Kareena, Katrina is the only actress to have mega releases with the three Khans. Katrina has surely made a place in the Yash Raj banner thanks to her popularity with the masses. She has been time and again appreciated for her hard work and the efforts she puts into the promotion of her movies.
Yash Chopra's next romance film which will have Shahrukh and Katrina in the lead roles is yet to be titled. The film also has Anushka Sharma in a pivotal role. The movie is being described as an epic romance to be shot in London, Thailand and India. The film will have music by A R Rahman and lyrics by Gulzar. Yash Chopra who is returning to direction after eight years is directing the Yash Raj film. His last venture was the Shahrukh Khan - Preity Zinta - Rani Mukherjee starrer Veer Zaara in 2004. Katrina has been shooting with Salman Khan for Ek Tha Tiger and after shooting with SRK, Katrina Kaif will shoot Dhoom 3 with Aamir Khan. That's successive movies with the three leading Khans, all with the Yash Raj banner. This will be the first time SRK and Katrina will be paired together on the silver screen.
I've still more information about Katrina which I would like to pass on to you tomorrow. Till then, good bye!

Dinesh Kamath's old article on Katrina Kaif that was published in Newsband

Katrina Kaif was in a bad mood at the Screen Awards. The actor, who performed with Shahrukh Khan at the recently held awards show, was seen sulking through the event.
The recently held Colors Screen Awards was definitely a star studded show. It had the three top female actors- Vidya Balan, Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra – performing with just one male star: Shahrukh Khan. While everybody looked quite happy at the event, one person retired to her vanity van as soon as she got off the stage after her performance and was seen hanging around the lounge area for a while too. The actor in question is none other than Katrina Kaif. Why was Katrina in such a bad mood? No, it's not because of the kiss that SRK planted on her cheek. The actor was annoyed because she felt ignored by the awards organizers. Katrina had supported the organizers by agreeing to be present and perform, but she was very disappointed to learn that her contemporaries were walking away with the awards while she wasn't even taking home one trophy.
Kareena Kapoor didn't attend the function and she wasn't expected to win anything. The other top stars who were present though were sent back home with a statuette. Vidya Balan received the Best Actress award (as was expected), while Priyanka Chopra walked away with the Best Actress in a Negative Role honour. And, quite surprisingly, Deepika Padukone was awarded Best Actress in the Popular category for Desi Boyz. That seemed like a nail in the coffin for the actor, as she was hoping to be acknowledged for carrying Mere Brother Ki Dulhan single-handedly on her pretty shoulders.
On the show, Katrina danced on the beats of some of the melodious yesteryear songs with Shah Rukh. It was a bolt out of the blue when King Khan suddenly kissed Katrina's cheek which left the audience asking for more. Shah Rukh was dressed in a tuxedo and Katrina looked gorgeous in a pink saree. The duo shook and danced together on the stage but it was a mesmerizing moment when SRK kissed Katrina.
Katrina and SRK will be seen together in Yash Raj Chopra's forthcoming film. The film has already been announced and it will go on floor by the end of this year. Looks like the two are already making their chemistry felt. Kareena has all the Khans and so does Katrina, but this is one girl who doesn't need 'man'power for success.
Just recently the two beauties, Vidya Balan and Katrina, were given the same rehearsal space for an award show. Katrina's rehearsals ran a bit too long and she failed to leave in time, keeping Vidya waiting outside. Vidya was apparently upset as her schedule went for a toss and angrily left the venue. She just wanted to avoid creating a 'dirty' picture there.
Katrina is constantly jetting to locales across the country - be it for films or commercial shoots. She was recently in Orchha, a small temple town in Madhya Pradesh. Katrina shot for a soft drink commercial in the small town, located in Tikamgarh district, which is still quite unknown to Bollywood film-makers and commercial ad film companies. Katrina was on location for two days before wrapping up shoot and heading back to Mumbai. For your information, Katrina and Aishwarya are very popular with advertisers and have endorsed for some of the biggest national and international brands.
Ranbir Kapoor's most talked about worldwide concert across UK, US and Canada will finally kick-off in August 2012. Apart from the Rockstar dude, Shahid Kapoor and Katrina will be a part of the World Tour. While the Mausam star is a new inclusion to the show, the Chikni Chameli actor was under consideration right from the conception of the tour. Back then the tour never took off because Ranbir felt he didn't have enough stage songs. But the real reason was that Katrina didn't want to share stage with Ranbir. But now that she is part of the show, the tour will take off.. The two being part of same show will be reason enough for tickets to sell out like hot cakes.
British bombshell, Amy Jackson is turning heads with her latest Bollywood stint which she bagged in Ek Deewana Tha with Prateik Babbar. The beauty is going hung-ho her efforts in the film. She claims that she is heavily inspired by her fellow-Brit Katrina Kaif who made it large in the Indian showbiz. Now that's a big compliment for Katrina.
Hrithik Roshan sees Katrina as next big dance diva. Hrithik can't stop raving about Katrina's performance in Agneepath item number Chikni Chameli. Known to be an exceptional dancer himself, Hrithik knows that the song's dance routine comprised very tough steps, but Katrina's dedication helped her bring them out accurately. Whatever you see in the promo is five per cent of the full song. After Madhuri and Aishwarya, now it's Katrina. Hrithik always knew that she was a good dancer, but didn't know that she was so good. Hrithik was surprised by how Katrina, who was born and brought up in the west, got her desi moves right.
Titan Raga is out with a new campaign featuring Katrina Kaif, one of the brand ambassadors for the product. The campaign's creative duties have been handled by Ogilvy Bangalore. The TVC shows Kaif in her usual vivacious avatar gearing up for a weekend trip when she gets a text from her counterpart which reads that the trip will have to be postponed since his flight has been cancelled. Kaif's face turns morose for a bit but she soon gathers herself up, wears a Titan Raga on her wrist, picks up her luggage and storms out in her car, with much elan. She goes to her mother's place and asks her if she has any weekend plans. Surprised to see her daughter at her doorsteps, the mother agrees to accompany Kaif for a road trip where the two share cherishing mother-daughter moments with a track, 'I don't know where I'm going but I like the direction', setting the right mood. The car swooshes by, leaving the tagline - Life is Now! Thus the film portrays Kaif as a young, 21st century woman with an independent and impulsive spirit, who celebrates optimism with the courage to pursue her own happiness. The fictional narrative of the film is unpretentious, capturing all emotions faithfully and with striking simplicity.
Katrina Kaif will feature opposite Rajinikanth in film Kochadaiyaan. The 28-year-old Katrina is all set to romance the 62-year-old Southern superstar Rajinikanth in this Tamil film. Soundarya Rajinikanth, director of the movie, has said that they have offered Katrina the female lead in Kochadaiyaan. Kochadaiyaan will mark the directorial debut of the superstar's youngest daughter. The Kochadaiyaan team is positive that the two superstars, one from South India and the other from North India, will together create magic. In Kochadaiyaan, Rajinikanth plays a king, a devotee of Lord Shiva. Rajinikanth is wearing a long hair in the film to depict the way a king lived. His love story with Katrina and their songs will be shot on an epic scale. Most parts of the movie's shooting is done, except for the ones with Katrina. Katrina, who is busy shooting two back-to-back Yash Raj films – Ek Tha Tiger with Salman Khan, and an untitled one with Shah Rukh Khan – will accommodate Rajinikanth's dates in between her tight schedule. Her dates will be worked out soon, and the film will then be completed.
I've not finished with Katrina and hence will continue with her tomorrow too.

Dinesh Kamath's old article on Bipasha Basu that was published in Newsband

Bipasha Basu was on the Best Tweeters list for 2011. Bipasha thinks it is the best tool that has come out to actually allow her to interact with the people who make her who she is. Not necessarily everyone is a fan and an admirer, sometimes there are people who just follow her. She had lots of people who followed her and then they become her fans. It is quite amazing. She has converted some people who just out of curiosity followed her to figure out what kind of person she is and they have become her fans in the process. It is a tool, which can really take out the real her to the people who have actually made her. It is fantastic. It is something amazing. Bipasha really likes to be on Twitter.
Bipasha has some projects lined up for 2012. The next one in line is Jodi Breakers. It comes out on the 25th of Feb. It is Bipasha's first romantic comedy. It is opposite Madhavan. It is a really cute film because for the first time she plays a very cute and endearing character called Sonali. These two people actually specialize in breaking up couples. They have taken that up as a profession that they are going to break up couples and they are going to make money on it. They are somewhat like divorce experts, but it is not a real profession what they do in the film. It's cute because the girl's philosophy is that two people who are not in love, they should not be together because then they can have a second chance to find love. The boy's philosophy is that there is nothing called love so might as well break the couples and make money. Each of them had a bad past experience with love. These two really cute characters meet together and they start this business of jodi breakers and then the story goes on. It is an amazing very cute romantic comedy.
Last year, Bipasha did a lot of realistic cinema, and there was a part of the media that said she had given up work. In that way, Players is a very important film for her. That isn't the only reason that Players is special to the actress; the film happens to release on January 6, which is Bipasha's birthday. It's become her birthday gift.
In Players, Bipasha plays Riya, who, besides being a full-time con artist, is also an automobile expert and knows her way around automobile engines like the back of her dainty hands. The irony is that in real life, Bipasha can't drive, can't even park or reverse a car. She has never got her way around cars. She is not good with machines and gizmos. She can hardly reverse a car or park it without scratching the sides. Bipasha is not at all comfortable with automobiles. So while the director duo Abbas-Mustan showed Bipasha as an automobile expert in Players, they didn't make her drive any car. Rather, Sonam Kapoor was given the role of a dare-devil driver who can not just park the car at an amazing speed and slickness, but also flip the finger while doing so.
Bipasha can't also swim in deep pools. Show her a shallow pool and she's game for a dip. But deep pools are a strict no-no.
Think of Bipasha, and you are normally thinking bold. The Bong bombshell has cultivated that image for herself over the years. Fans of the sexy star were in for a surprise; when she recently landed in Bangalore for the store opening of a jewellery brand she endorses she chickened out on seeing a large crowd. The crowd had turned up to catch a glimpse of the star. Fearing a mob situation and not finding room to escape, the bold Bipasha fled to the storeroom of the shop and locked herself inside. She then refused to come out before at least 20 bouncers were called. The organisers were in a spot, considering Bips is not known to be a tantrum queen. Around 20 bouncers were already present to control any untoward situation. Most felt the dusky siren's demand for an additional 20 bodyguards was out of place. She probably feared a mob situation. Bangalore, unlike Mumbai, doesn't regularly see Bollywood stars at public places, and the crowd seemed to have turned over-enthusiastic. The event, which started almost an hour later than scheduled, was quickly wrapped up.
Meanwhile, 2012 promises to be a great year for Bips. She is all set to make her Hollywood debut in Roland Joffe's Singularity opposite Josh Hartnett. Bipasha essays the role of a pre-Independence era Marathi warrior named Tulaja Naik in the film.
Bipasha chose to step into the New Year by expressing gratitude to her friends, family, staff and fans for standing by her always. Bipasha also thanked her team who work with her "day and night". She thanked Pasha, her assistant, and Madhu, her hairstylist, since they are her extended family! She can't function without them!
The sultry bongshell has returned to the two-piece in Players. A self avowed fitness freak, Bipasha had to do six weeks of training to acquire that perfect figure for her bikini sequence in the film. She followed a discipline to look right on screen. There's a fine line - you can either look vulgar or look sexy, and Bipasha would always opt to look sexy rather than going in the other direction.
The sassy actress added that she can never do the shots like bending down to show off her cleavage. She would never fall down and roll and do a cleavage shot – She has seen those in Bollywood films and those are things she cannot tolerate.
For as long as one can remember, actor Bipasha has been synonymous with words like hot and sexy, but the Bong beauty feels happiest when she is called cute. And that's what actor R Madhavan did when they first shot together for their upcoming film. While the actor often gets complimented for her hot looks, Madhavan surprised her by referring to her as cute instead. It's not like Bipasha has a problem being called sexy, but being called cute once in a while is cute too. Right from the time that she has entered the industry, she has always been either called hot or sexy, so she feels nice being called cute for a change. She refuses to say whether she personally thinks of herself more as cute or sexy? She thinks it's fun being both. And as a woman, they are all rolled into one.
Bipasha is going to have a rather busy 2012, with Players, her first Hollywood film Singularity, Jodi Breakers and Race 2 in her kitty. It's going to be busy, but for her working is so much fun that she doesn't complain. Also Sanjay Dutt and Bipasha will star in Bengali movie remake called Gehra Paani. Sanjay and Bipasha will star in the Hindi version of an upcoming Bengali wildlife thriller film. With the veteran Nitish Roy as director, Gehra Paani will have Dutt play a mad scientist who creates a genetically evolved crocodile with individual intelligence but becomes a target of a gang of hunters wanting to capture the unique reptile for their lucrative business. The Bollywood duo are expected to shoot at a film city in the Maoist-infested Jungelmahal area of West Midnapore district, where a giant 100 foot long crocodile has been created using pyrotechnics and CGI. Bipasha plays Tulaja Naik in a movie set against the backdrop of first Anglo-Maratha war. The film also has a parallel plot running in contemporary times. For Bipasha it was very demanding physically. She had to ride a horse, do a battle scene fighting 50 men and climb the mountain and come back. This film made her very brave. She did everything even though she was not prepared that much.
Thus this Bong beauty is looking forward to having a great time this year. Good luck, Bipasha!

Dinesh Kamath's old article on Bipasha Basu that was published in Newsband

Bipasha Basu is the one I'll talk about today. Bipasha is now making inroads in Hollywood. The actor has over the time tranformed from a oomphy babe to a serious actor.
Bipasha's latest venture is Players. Bipasha was blown away when she heard the script for Players. Do watch and experience the exciting thrill ride that is Abbas Mustan's Players: Go for the Gold, which is a remake of Hollywood's The Italian Job. The film boasts an all-star cast and the gorgeous Bipasha Basu takes on the new avatar of an automobile expert in the cool heist flick. Not only is her character an expert at fixing cars, but she also can fix any other mechanical item you can think of. She also joins in on a con of a Russian general as a dancer in a club and of course, is part of that epic gold heist.
It was the script and her role, the cool factor and stunts, plus her fabulous equation with Abbas-Mustan that made her want to take part in the film. She enjoyed working in -30 degrees on a moving train in Russia and that too with the boys of the cast.
There are many reasons why Bipasha said yes to this role in Players. Whenever Abbas-Mustan cast her, firstly, the film was a blockbuster and secondly, her character was always liked. There was no question that they wouldn't give her an interesting role. Then she heard the story and screenplay and she was bowled over. The film was very tight and very interesting. She wanted to see herself as Riya since she was very dynamic. So, she was on immediately.
Players is the remake of The Italian Job. It is just an adaption of The Italian Job; so the basic story remains the same, but new characters have been added because the screenplay is very different with of course, more twists and turns because Abbas-Mustan are very good at it. They make great thrillers. It is amazing. Bipasha says hats off to them because they have taken a classic and they have just turned it around. They have made it to the tastes of 2012 and they have Indianized it. Bipasha's character is an absolutely new character. Bipasha was really excited to play her because she really is a critical player in the film.
Abbas-Mustan are the most creative directors you can ask for. They know how to make stylish films. Bipasha and Abbas and Mustan have a very amazing tuning now. They have done quite a lot of films together and Abbas-Mustan don't even need to tell Bipasha, she understands what they want out of her in a particular scene. It is amazing. They are like family to her now.
It being Abbas-Mustan, Bipasha had to do action. The entire thing is a heist film and every player is particularly skilled in one thing. Riya, her character, is an automobile expert and so everything that got to do with a machine she handles that. So, put together, everyone with their skills pull off big missions and they all contribute equally to the stunts. It is really big because these are like large-scale action sequences and very, very high energy. Everyone is doing their bit, bit, bit, but when it is edited it looks so big and so huge that it looks amazing. Everyone is filming separately because everyone is doing something at some place and then when it is all put together it really looks great.
The film was shot all over the world; Some of the scenes were shot in the North Pole. Of course, Bipasha was not made to stand out there in a white filmy sari. Our films have changed; Our filmmakers don't do the sari thing anymore. That stopped about the time Bipasha started films. She did do one film with Abhishek and in the film they were on their honeymoon in Kullu Manali; so Bipasha wore a sari and her feet were freezing, and Abhishek was trying to throw her in the snow off screen. That was Abhishek's sense of humor, he wanted to get Bipasha in the snow since it was a challenge.
In Players, Bipasha and others had to actually shoot in -30 degrees. They were put in a moving train in a cargo car; so it was an open thing and they felt as if they had died. They couldn't say their dialogues; Their spit would freeze. It was crazy. Bipasha couldn't really open her mouth, her jaws were locked. She and her team were hungry all the time in the cold. They were drinking tons of hot chocolate and because of that they became a little bit plump, pleasantly plump, all of them during the Russia schedule, but thankfully because the clothes were really thick to keep them warm they couldn't really make out that they were a little plump. For both Bipasha and the team she was working with, it was an amazing time. Another thing was the sun would set for only two hours, so when they landed the first day it was 12:30 in the night and it was bright and Bipasha said, 'Where the hell am I?'
There was nothing to do there; so Bipasha and her team were always hanging out together. On a day off they would play video games in one really old kind of arcade. They would go out for walks and freeze. Everywhere they would go they would freeze. They tried to talk to the Russians with sign language. Bipasha had some Russian admirers all the time, wherever she went and she had these “bodyguards”, the guys from the film with her and one would turn into a brother, one would turn into a boyfriend, one would turn into something and save her from these Russian men. It was amazing out there, but it was quite mad.
The whole team was really bonded on set on this film. It was one of the nicest crew and cast that Bipasha could ask for, they were all friendly. Bipasha knew the crew completely because it is the same crew that worked on Race. The cast was a bunch of very effortless people who like to do good work and have a lot of fun during the making of the film. Everybody there has a great sense of humor and they are all so mad that they had a lot of fun when they were not shooting. Bipasha found everything wonderful and she got along with everybody effortlessly.
Bipasha had to shoot for a song in the Russian club. There is part of the screenplay where she is actually seducing one of the Russian generals in the film for a particular mission she and her team are on. The song is really catchy and the lyrics are really interesting. Bipasha liked the way she looked, it was a very cabaret look. It has some very interesting dance moves done by Bosco and Caesar.
It was really fun because the rest of Bipasha's co-stars were there and when she was dancing they were looking at her face during the song. One of the boys would start laughing every time she would look into their face. Here she had to be sexy and the boys treated her like one of the boys. They found her very HOT. So Bipasha really had a lot of fun!
As far as Players is concerned, Bipahsa liked the story, she liked the screenplay which was really interesting. She liked the action sequences which were done brilliantly. Her Director Of Photography Ravi Yadav shot the film amazingly.
I've not finished with Bipasha and so I'll continue with her tomorrow too. Till then, good bye!

Dinesh Kamath's old article on Vidya Balan that was published in Newsband

I will continue to write about Vidya Balan today too. Vidya spoke about how the film The Dirty Picture gave her an opportunity to celebrate her body and sexuality, and the piece of wardrobe that contributed towards this realization is definitely the not-so-humble choli. Vidya in The Dirty Picture has put cholis back on the fashion map
Vidya says size zero is boring. She says she is comfortable with her curvaceous figure and finds the craze for size zero very boring. The 33-year-old actress put on 12kgs to portray Silk Smitha in her latest film The Dirty Picture, which has enjoyed a good opening at the box office. And Vidya hopes that with the new film, her boldest so far, the buxom beauties will make a comeback in Bollywood. She can identify with Silk to the extent that like her she also enjoys and celebrates her body. For your information, Vidya has often faced criticism for her weight and dressing style. But Vidya says she is not worried about losing the weight that she put on to play Silk and never felt insecure playing the role of a curvaceous sex siren.
Silk was a South Indian star, and women in the South are curvy, but Vidya had to get even better so she had to put on weight. She was never insecure about how she will look on the big screen. The actress feels that women's sexuality is no longer a taboo in Indian cinema. She believes that it is a coming-of-age for sexuality, particularly women's sexuality in Indian cinema. The film The Dirty Picture is a reflection of that.
Vidya will next be seen in Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani. She is a six month pregnant woman in Kahaani. It is based in Kolkata. Again, the character she plays is very raw, real and edgy.
Thus Vidya is enjoying her newly acquired 'sex symbol' status but the actor, who is determined to play as varied roles as possible, says she has stopped being scared of being typecast. The 33-year-old actor, who played mother to Amitabh Bachchan in Paa, has surprised everyone with her portrayal of Silk Smitha, a tragic dancing star of 60s and 70s Southern cinema in The Dirty Picture.
Balan says she decided to go by her instinct after getting lots of brick bats for her film choices and weight a few years ago. She chose The Dirty Picture because it is as varied as it gets from everything she has done before or from the kind of person she is. When she is being offered interesting roles like this it will be stupid of her to let them pass by. About three years ago she went through this mindset change. She was going through a lot of confusion about the kind of roles she wanted to do. The kind of films she was doing, she was getting slapped across the face. She saw a lot of criticism coming her way for everything that she did and she sat back and asked herself what brought her here. If it was acting she should focus on that and that's what has guided her decisions so far.
Vidya is an emotional person at heart and likes to portray roles with honesty. However tough it might be she decided to go with the films that she completely believes in.
Balan, in fact, identified with her character in The Dirty Picture to some extent but could not understand how Smitha never used her head and only her body. The actor, who put on weight to play the curvaceous character onscreen, said she hopes that buxom figure is back in cinema with the movie.
Balan had started her career with Saif Ali Khan starrer Parineeta in 2005 and hence playing Silk Smitha has been the toughest role so far. It has been the toughest role for her because she had to play five different people for one character in the movie. In a pivotal scene of The Dirty Picture, Vidya as eighties screen bomb Silk Smitha is trying to button a pair of jeans. The scene meant to define a depressive phase in Silk's life and requires Vidya to look overweight and she grapples with the zip and the button. What strikes you about the scene is how the camera zooms in on her paunch. Probably no other mainstream heroine in image-conscious Bollywood would have agreed to let the director portray her as a fat woman - no matter what the script demanded. Vidya though has forever broken rules.
Vidya was bold right from the beginning. She had made her Bollywood debut as a 27-year-old in 2005 with Pradeep Sarkar's period romance Parineeta as a demure, dusky girl essaying old-world charm. Not many girls would have gone for such an image with their first film in this era when uber-westernised chic is compulsory for wannabes. Importantly, not many in the industry gave her more than a couple of years. She seemed too much of an outsider. On the wrong side of 25, after all, you are considered 'over the hill' by Bollywood producers if you are a rising actress. Most heroines have either made it by that age, or are looking around for the right match to settle down.
At 33 and after The Dirty Picture last week, no one in the industry obviously has any doubt left over the fact that Vidya's career is only headed upwards. She is counted among the top four heroines in commercial Bollywood right now and is reportedly demanding a pay-cheque of nearly Rs.4 crore per film. There is no dearth of offers. In fact, Vidya created news recently by reportedly quoting a price more than Farhan Akhtar, the film's hero, for an offer to star in Shaadi Ke Side Effects, the sequel of the 2006 comedy hit, Pyar Ke Side Effects.
If her uninhibited performance in The Dirty Picture breaks all stereotypes associated with Bollywood heroine, many in the industry have hailed her as the industry's "bravest hero" considering the film wholly banks on her and the fact that not many even among male stars in male- dominated Bollywood would dare to toy with image as she does with the film.
If she has avoided projecting a stereotyped image overall, Vidya makes sure to come across as different even off the screen. At a time when most top heroines cry off the rooftops as to how they believe in being fiercely competitive and are obsessed about being the best, Vidya cuts a chilled-out picture for herself. She has become complacent as an actor. She has already realized her dream of working in films and with people she wanted to, so she has nothing to complain about. Perhaps it has to do with the rejections and criticisms that came along the way. Vidya has often recalled in interviews how not being 'hip' enough made her an object of ridicule.
Vidya had earlier taken up challenges such as Paa, Ishqiya and No One Killed Jessica. Released over the past year or so these three films along with The Dirty Picture has ensured a four-in-a-row success roster for Vidya. In Paa, Vidya's decision to play Big B's unwed mother in the film was no mean feat either. Ishqiya saw her play a morally flexible married woman who uses two men to get what she wants. And in No One Killed Jessica, she put up an act worth the applause as Sabrina Lall, slain model Jessica Lall's sister who fights for justice.
These latest films have only proved what lovers of quality cinema had thought of Vidya after Parineeta. Vidya always banked on talent more than glamour and this made her profit a lot. Well done, Vidya! Wishing my readers a very happy and prosperous New Year!

Dinesh Kamath's old article on Vidya Balan that was published in Newsband

Vidya Balan has joined Achievers' Club. Vidya will be seen sharing her secrets, rise to fame and life story at a special 14-part televised series Achievers' Club. The Achiever's Club will showcase the glittery, glamorous and fabulous lives of self-made achievers of India. The Achievers' Club is an exclusive series where India's most celebrated achievers like KP Singh, Vidya Balan, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Naveen Jindal, Manish Arora, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and many more will share their success mantras and millionaire lifestyle with the host Vir Sanghvi. Their main aim is to showcase to the world the celebrated life of achievers, their lifestyle and their passions as shared with Vir Sanghvi in the series. Each episode showcases the lifestyle of famous achievers and their homes, their passions and their celebrated life including their vacation homes, luxury cars, planes, yachts et al. The show aims to see the real lives of the self made achievers who are the inspiration to humanity through each episode.
Vidya Balan's The Dirty Picture grabbed maximum eyeballs on the mobile platform in 2011 announced by Vuclip, the world's largest independent mobile video company. Mobile videos relating to Vidya Balan's The Dirty Picture were the most watched in India, with over 13 lakh 24 thousand views on mobiles. Vidya now holds an enviable position in the Hindi film industry.
Vidya is a marvellous actress. She has been very brave, not just worked very hard but she is courageous in her choice of work. It is a testimony to her courage that she is in a position that most of our leading ladies would envy her today. Vidya is the only actress around whom a woman-centric script can be woven. It's a wonderful thing. So hats off to the girl.
Vidya Balan is flooded with South offers. She has redefined sexy and oomph with her act in The Dirty Picture so much so that she may just be touted to be the 'sexiest vegetarian', a tag that followed Kareena Kapoor for years. Thanks to her bold, uninhibited act as Silk in The Dirty Picture, producers from down South are keen to have Vidya as the lead in some of their movies. Vidya Balan, a South Indian herself has no qualms. She would love to do a South Indian movie if the script offered to her is a good one. Art has no geographical boundaries after all. Also, Vidya can speak nine languages and would love to learn some more. So when she dubs, she prefers dubbing her part herself. It makes the picture more complete that way.
Next for Vidya is Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani. It's a beautiful story. It was flattering for her when Sujoy told her he had written the script keeping her in his mind.
Vidya's talent needs no name. Ekta Kapoor, the producer of The Dirty Picture, called movie's heroine Vidya Balan as Vidya Balan Khan. Apparently, she said this as the actress had carried the movie on her shoulders as only the Bollywood Khans are capable of doing it. No sooner, Shah Rukh Khan heard it than he reacted. He said that if Vidya Balan gets married to him, he wouldn't mind putting her surname after his name. He praised the hard work as well as the talent of Vidya Balan.
Vidya Balan has shown her talent and guts by playing a new and sexy avatar without any inhibition. It is being wondered in industry circles if any other actress, including those who are known as bold and sexy, could act as Vidya has done in The Dirty Picture. It's not without any reason that most of the present day girls have showered all kind of praise on Vidya Balan who was until now known for her the next-door girl image only.
The Dirty Picture actor is offered two films opposite the serial kisser Emraan Hashmi. But she isn't jumping with joy to sign on for them. Ever since the unlikely pair of Vidya Balan and Emraan Hashmi got raves for their smoldering chemistry in The Dirty Picture, filmmakers have flocked outside their respective doors to sign them on together. Maybe there are more projects in store for them together, but as of now there are two filmmakers who are trying very hard to get the TDP actors into the same frame again. One is Vishal Bhardwaj (for Daayaan) and the other is Rajkumar Gupta (for Ghanchakkar). Vidya hasn't said no to either. She is considering both, but stuck with a terrible dilemma to decide on. Vidya doesn't want to do both films with the same star as hero, since she believes that doing too many projects with Emraan will kill the sizzle and the surprise element of their pairing. Repeating actors who have struck gold in their last film doesn't mean guaranteed success. Our filmmakers desperately need to get innovative and, as for creating crackling onscreen chemistry, Vidya will manage to do it with any actor. Remember in TDP she managed to evoke sexual interest even from the usually 'clean' Tusshar Kapoor. Vidya's bindass performance was a source of inspiration for the Golmaal actor. Emraan too changed his face for TDP, becoming a far more whitewashed avatar of his usual grey self.
Vidya-Farhan might get paired in Shaadi Ke Side Effects. Remember the Mallika Sherawat-Rahul Bose starrer Pyaar Ke Side Effects? The makers of the film are now planning a sequel to Saket Chaudhary's 2006 hit, titled Shaadi Ke Side Effects. However, they are looking for a new pair to cast this time. Interestingly, Vidya Balan has been offered the part of the female lead, and Farhan Akhtar, the male. Meanwhile, Vidya is yet to decide what she feels like doing next. She has not signed any new film yet. She is hearing a lot of scripts. Let's see how things go. This year, She hasn't had the time to sit through narrations or read scripts actually. It takes her a long time to decide which film to do and which ones to turn down,”
Recently, at one stage, 'Kolaveri di' hitmaker Dhanush, actress Vidya Balan along with many other celebrities were in the race to become the “India's Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity of 2011". The competition was conducted by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Vidya Balan promoted The Dirty Picture by wearing her version of the ethnic style. She chose to splash a whole lot of bright colours on it and added little funkiness by teaming it up with a shocking pink bindi. Diagonally draping a red odhni over a golden choli, Balan ditched jazzy designer couture for this unconventional ethnic style. Vidya has put plunge cholis on fashion map. Many actresses have worn a 'Choli' (without a pallu of course!) in contemporary Bollywood movies, but nothing comes close to Vidya Balan's elan and confidence to pull off the quarter-sleeved, bright-coloured, pearl-embellished, and generous cleavage-revealing blouses in her latest film The Dirty Picture. The look is simple and sassy. Crimson reds, bold purples and pretty pinks paired with sarees and petticoat skirts have revisited the Indian film industry, and the style, looks like, is here to stay. Wide necks giving ample view of the cleavage and the hems done up in glitzy golden threadwork have suddenly gained popularity.
Thus Vidya is the one actress who made the audience drool with her voluptuous body attired in cholis of audacious cuts and bold necklines in The Dirty Picture. I've not finished with Vidya yet and hence I'll continue with her tomorrow too. Till then, good bye!

Dinesh Kamath's old article on Kareena Kapoor that was published in Newsband

Kareena Kapoor's films are competing against each other and if Ra.One manages to do as well as predicted, then nothing better than that. Kareena will have back to back hits. Ra.One is all set to release on 26th October and is supposedly the biggest release this Diwali.
Kareena goes sober this Diwali. She is back in action. Kareena recently showed up at Star Plus 'Diwali celebrations' with Shahrukh Khan. The actress looked beautiful, dressed in Manish Malhotra's ethnic churidhar suit with chikan work. However, earlier, Kareena politely refused to don a heavily embellished red saree and requested the designer to redesign and tone down the colour to give it more of an elegant and sober look. As per sources, Kareena did not want to look gaudy and all dolled up.
Constant speculation of her marriage has put many a producer on the back foot as far as signing Kareena for projects in 2012 goes. However Kareena fails to understand why this whole marriage mechanism should affect her career. The actress is not even willing to talk about the wedding issue right now. Kareena wants it to be known that even after marriage she has no plans to hang up her boots. She has decided that she will act till she lives. For her acting is like air, food and water - an essential ingredient.
Kareena wants to go the Meryl Streep way from next year. She would like to do some heavy duty performance oriented films. She makes a start with Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine and sometime in the future she wants to do movies like The Devil Wears Prada, Bridges of Madison County and Mama Mia. She is a Meryl Streep fan and she thinks age or marital status can never be a deterrent for an actor. The only thing that one needs is passion. Acting for her is like the air she breathes. It's that essential. The Bodyguard actor aspires to be like Hollywood's Meryl Streep and do some power-packed roles. Kareena is beginning to realize that acting is more than the 'size zero' figure and designer labels
Before joining the rat race (read competition for the top heroine slot) the gorgeous Kareena dared to do roles that most leading and conventional wouldn't dare to attempt. Dev, Chameli, Omkara and Yuva proved that the stunner could create magic even without the fancy make-up and designer dresses. But in the last few years, particularly after the success of Jab We Met, the Kapoor babe has been playing safe. She co-starred some of the leading names in blockbuster films (Ajay Devgn for Golmaal, Akshay Kumar for Kambakkht Ishq, Aamir Khan for 3 Idiots, Salman Khan for Bodyguard), perhaps to retain her top position. While she was right as it did hike her market value, her acting prowess got lost in those big box-office numbers. Kareena got more absorbed in her appearances than the role!
The actor has been raking in big moolah based on her great box office record in recent times. Kareena is being paid around Rs. 8 crore to star in Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine. Three out of her last four films have been huge hits. 3 Idiots, Golmaal 3 and now Bodyguard have been the biggest grossers in recent times. While 3 Idiots grossed Rs. 200 crore and Golmaal 3 earned Rs. 100 crore, Bodyguard is on its way to touch the Rs. 100 crore mark. One must say that Kareena's strategy to work with big stars in big-budget films has paid her great dividends. After quite a few unsuccessful films like Tashan, Kurbaan, Kambakhht Ishq, Main Aur Mrs Khanna, Milenge Milenge and We Are Family, the actor probably decided to focus on doing sure shot blockbusters
She does have a lot of potential as an actor, but looks like she is not in the mood to explore it at the moment. Apart from Heroine, where she plays the central character, her forthcoming films RA.One with Shahrukh Khan, Agent Vinod with Saif Ali Khan, and Dhuan with Aamir Khan are all hero-centric films. Again, Kareena doesn't really have much to do here.
Kareena is planning to go the Hollywood way with her private life now! This doesn't mean she'll be broadcasting her personal life on television, quite the opposite actually.
Kareena is working with Shah Rukh Khan after a long time; In between she did do a couple of songs with him in Billu and Don. It has been ten years since the two worked in Asoka. It is an absolute honour for her that Shah Rukh wanted her in his most ambitious project. It is the most expensive film in the history of Indian cinema. It is the best compliment.
Size zero had its own charm. Kareena wanted to do something nobody had done before. Everyone will remember the size zero phase of Kareena Kapoor's life. Today, she is curvier and her fans like her that way. She does look like a Hindi film heroine now.
With the biggest films this year, it is the best phase of Kareena's career. If RA.One goes on to break all records at the box office, she will be happier. The film has the capacity to achieve that.
There's a lot of debate about her and Katrina contending for the number one spot but Kareena has always let her films do the talking. She doesn't care if people slot her at number 100 as long as Bodyguard goes on to make Rs 150 crore and 3 Idiots garners Rs 300 crore. She hopes RA.One gets bigger numbers and Agent Vinod breaks records.
Kareena's current competition Katrina has been the most consistent female actor at the box office in the last five years. Another thing is Katrina is working with the three big Khans - Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman. When Kareena worked with all the Khans within a year, it was the first time anyone had ever done that. There will be other actresses who will do the same. But Kareena is glad she had the first opportunity.
With Karisma making her comeback, Kareena will now have competition within the family. To Kareena, Karisma is the eternal diva. She has learnt everything from Karisma - the dance, the expressions. She is somebody Kareena looks up to and she hopes Karisma does more films now. Kareena has seen the rushes of Dangerous Ishq, Karisma's comeback film, and she looks spectacular. She is like a 19-year-old. According to Kareena, her sister can never be a competition to her and she will always be behind her.
Kareena is working on Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai 2 and there is a possibility that Shahid Kapoor may sign the project. Kareena has not met Milan Luthria yet. She hasn't read the script either. She is eager to work on the film since she loved the first. As far as working with anyone is concerned, she has always been relaxed about it. She is happy if her role is good.
Thus it's good to see Kareena still enjoying the number one position as heroine in Bollywood. She has Katrina as her closest competitor. But yet she shows promise of staying on top for a couple of year more. Good luck, Kareena!

Dinesh Kamath's old article on Kareena Kapoor that was published in Newsband

Kareena Kapoor's wax statue is ready and she has already received the pictures of the statue. It will be unveiled at the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Blackpool, UK on 27 October after the release of her latest movie Ra.One with superstar Shahrukh Khan. Kareena Kapoor is all excited to get immortalised in wax at the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.
Kareena will launch an exhibition of Bollywood superstars and the exhibition will tour other Madame Tussauds Museums in six different cities around the world. However, Kareena’s mother Babita, who will accompany her to Blackpool, has always encouraged her in such matters.
Kareena got everything going for her: a fabulous career, a jam-packed social calendar and so on. But what is Kareena like when she is not surrounded by a million flash-bulbs? The very first thing you notice about Kareena isn't the convoy of spot-boys scurrying about to make her comfortable, or how she makes a regular pair of jeans and a tee look incredibly stylish, or even her gorgeous skin (which is seriously stunning). It's her quiet calm that catches instant attention, the almost Zen-like smile on her face, and waveless manner she speaks in, often forcing you to lean in to hear better.
Kareena is shaking a leg on television. Kareena looked a true Chammak Challo in a completely new and stylised version of the nine-yard garment. If dancing on Chammak Challo with television beauties wasn't enough for Kareena, here's another enthralling performance lined up this Diwali season that will leave her wanting more.
Recently, while shooting for Diwali Rishton Ki Mithas on Star Plus, Anant from Navya was head over heels for the actor as she greeted and danced with the rest of the television artistes. Anant, who could not get his eyes off Kareena, tried to grab some quick attention before she left and as the old saying goes, Chaand tod lenge; Anant gave a magnificent performance. Seeing it, Kareena, who was quite impressed by his show, happily stepped on to the stage to shake a leg with him when he requested her to do so.
Kareena's films are competing with each other. With Ra.One touted to cross the 100-crore mark at the box office as it releases this Diwali, Kareena is staring at her fourth film to achieve such a feat and the actress says it is great that her films are competing with each other.
Her earlier films 3 Idiots, Golmaal 3 and Bodyguard grossed more than Rs 100 crores and Ra.One might become Kareena's fourth film to break the box office record, making her the only actor in the history of Indian cinema to achieve this feat.
Kareena feels wonderful. To have such great successes like 3 Idiots, Golmaal 3 and Bodyguard with Aamir, Ajay and Salman is a wonderful thing. Now with Shahrukh, she is looking forward to Ra. One. She keeps hearing all such fantabulous box office figures every now and then. If Ra.One indeed manages to do as well as predicted, then nothing better than that. Her films are competing with her own films and that is a great feeling for her. Bodyguard netted over 100 crores in it's extended first week and Ra.One may break the record with a much bigger release on the extended weekend of Diwali.
With such commercial successes in her kitty, Kareena, 31, is well aware of the number game in Bollywood and she is clever enough to know that the commercial viability of a star is important. She realizes that in this industry you are as good as your last film. Eventually it is all about the commercial viability of the stars. Bollywood is about entertainment; this is what sells here and nobody can change that.
Kareena may try to please everyone but at the end of it all, basically she has to entertain her fans. She can never forget that basic aspect of her journey as an actress. It was this thought that made her sign a film like Bodyguard where she knew that the focus would be on co-star Salman Khan. Bodyguard is the only film in her career where she knew that it would be an instant blockbuster on its release. Yes there was Salman in it, which is a huge factor, but ultimately Kareena believed in the power of the script. Regardless of what is sold about the movie, ultimately there has to be something in it that clicks with the audience, else it won't work. Bodyguard had a superb story and some fantastic twists that added to the film's appeal. Otherwise, as a brand, the film wouldn't have been successful in all languages. Kareena realizes this.
Talking about language, Kareena seems to be having some fun time in Ra. One, what with her on-screen son reprimanding her for mouthing words that sound like abuses. That was sheer fun for her. She enjoys doing comedy and now after Golmaal Returns and Golmaal 3, her role in Ra.One too is a light hearted one. She plays this fun loving wife of Shahrukh Khan in the film. There is a lot of 'gaali galaauj' here but then these are words that just seem like 'gaalis' instead of being the real ones. So Kareena doesn't feel any kind of stress here.
As Shah Rukh Khan's Ra.one is already being expected to cross the 100 crore mark at the Box Office, SRK's co-star in the film Kareena is all excited about her Chammak Challo avatar, which is all set to offer an emotional and an entertaining appeal to the audience. She plays a glamorous mom. Her costumes are young, contemporary, and bright. The youth will definitely like the look. Working with Shah Rukh is a different experience for Kareena. Shah Rukh always wanted to make a superhero film and he has lived his dream with Ra.One. He has succeeded in putting his dream on the celluloid for people to see.
Kareena always wanted to be an actress. She has juggled with all kinds of academic courses as her parents wanted her to study, since they believe that Kapoor khandaan does not have educated people. But Kareena was waiting to turn 18, so that she could join Bollywood.
Ra.One is a male dominated film and Kareena is the only girl, who has been put in place to bring in the fun part in the film. Sheila and Munni are item songs but Kareena's Chammak Challo is not an item number. But the song is very much part of the narration.
I've not finished with Kareena yet. Hence I'll continue with her tomorrow even. Till then, good bye!