PicShik Blog

Everyone’s favorite Bollywood starlet is really making waves on the other side of the Pacific in Hollywood. We heard earlier that she would play a warrior in The Last Legion and that a wax statue in her likeness would be revealed at Madame Tussaud’s in New York. Now, it has reported that the former Miss World will take on a starring role alongside Steve Martin in The Pink Panther 2, a sequel to The Pink Panther released in 2006, which in turn was a re-make of the original movie shown in 1975.

This news has been confirmed by Harii Singh, Ash’s business manager. In addition to Steve Martin, The Pink Panther 2 will also feature famous Hollywood actors Andy Garcia, John Cleese, and Alfred Molina. You may remember Molina’s portrayal of Dr. Octavius in Spider-Man 2. Other stars include Jean Reno and Emily Mortimer, both of whom will be reprising their roles from the first Pink Panther movie.

The Pink Panther 2 is scheduled for release in 2009 with initial shooting to begin in France next month. “Aishwarya will finish the dubbing for Ashutosh Gowariker’s Akbar Jodha and the shooting of Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar 2 before starting on The Pink Panther 2. From the first week of September to the end of October, she will be shooting outside India,” said Harii Singh.

When it comes to Shah Rukh, no other term than Larger-than-life is suitable for him. The King Khan is elated at his film Chak De’s immense success but he is even more humbled at the release of his biography ‘King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema’ by Anupama Chopra.

The book has sold more than 10,000 copies in mere 10 days! Wooph… no one apart from SRK can put such a spell on public. So who all are planning to buy the book guys???

After an array of disappointments regarding the Tada court’s verdict for Sanjay Dutt, there is some good news for the Dutt family and also to Bollywood fraternity. Sanju baba has been granted a seven day interim bail by the court. Family and friends of Sanju baba are celebrating the court’s decision.

Can you guess what the lovable actor is going to do in the bail period that he gets? Well, if you think he is going to spend a quiet time at home, then you are wrong. The actor will oblige his friend Rajkumar Hirani by doing a cameo in Hirani’s next film starring Shah Rukh Khan. A source was quoted saying, “Sanju has a crucial cameo in the film. Hirani considers Sanju his lucky mascot and he couldn’t have made a film without him. Also, Shah Rukh and Sanju make a good pair.” Rumors are that Sanju baba will be spending all of his bail time to finish the movies that are halted because of his imprisonment. And these include Sanjay Gupta’s Alibaug and Sanjay Gadhvi’s Kidnap. In the meanwhile Sanjay Gupta says, “We will surely resume shooting but it all depends on Sanju’s frame of mind. He will call the shots in this case. The moment he is ready to shoot, we will do so.”

It is highly unlikely that Shah Rukh disappoints his favorites. So when Sajid Khan asked Shah Rukh for a qawalli number in his first directorial venture ‘Heyy Baby’, SRK readily agreed.

So the movie has not just got Akshay, Ritiesh and Fardeen dancing with Bollywood’s sizzling beauties like Malaika and Dia Mirza, but also has Vidya Balan, a cute baby girl and now SRK to take the movie to its highest comic peak. Let us see on 24th August how SRK makes us be a ‘Mast Kalandar’ with the qawalli in the movie!

Aishwarya’s wax statue in Madame Tussauds, New York opened with a grand fan fare and Bollywood music on the 15th of August. The statue was brought from Madam Tussauds, London to New York for the special occasion of celebrating India’s 60th Independence Day in New York.

Apart from Gandhiji’s wax statue Ash’s wax statue is the only other Indian figure in the museum right now. Ash’s statue will be kept for display in New York for six weeks, after which she will be transported back to London. The statue is wearing the red churidar from the movie ‘Bride and Prejudice’.

It has been a childhood fantasy for Saif…. To play a secret agent,a la James Bond or Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible.Ever since the Rajshris made the low-budget espionage thriller Agent Vinod in 1977 featuring the then-rising Mahendra Sandhu (whatever happened to Sandhu?!) as the spy who loved girls gadgets and stunts, Saif has been fascinated by the thought of doing a take on the title.Director Sriram Raghavan who did a career-turning film Ek Haseena Thi with Saif, is all set to make Saif’s dream come true.Says Sriram, “Though our Agent Vinod will have nothing to do with the old Rajshri film of that name it would be exploring the same espionage territory, albeit in an entirely new idiom. Saif and I had been brainstorming over this project for a long time and yes, now it’s on.”Saif currently sporting a moustache for his role in Yashraj Films’ Tashan is all set to lose weight to look lean mean and macho to play Agent Vinod.Says Saif, “I looked sinewy for Ek Hasina Thi. I can do the same again.”Apparently it would be a full-on take on the James Bond-Tom Cruise genre of sensuous spying with Saif dressed in the best, wooing and bedding some of the most glamorous women in the industry.

To sure Saif’s Agent Vinod turns out just so, the star-on-the-rise would be producing the film under a banner he’s starting with his friend and business associate.Says Saif, “I want to produce anything from an espionage thriller to a period murder mystery which might not make too much money, to an off-the-wall romantic comedy, any slice-of-life film…. I’m not looking at making money here, though it’d be nice if my productions do make money.But my partner and close friend Dinesh Vijen and I are making films that other people wouldn’t want to make with me. “

Ash and Abhishek seem extremely offended at the latest media scoop that Aishwarya is pregnant. Abhishek was quoted saying, “it is not true at all”.

Ash’s manager said that Ash will be extremely busy for the next two years not just with Bollywood films but also with Hollywood films like Pink Panther 2 which she recently bagged. So it is highly unlikely that the lady is ready to plan a baby right now. But what if hubby Abhishek has different plans as he was last quoted saying, “Kids shouldn’t be planned, they should just happen”. Well, we are always ready to welcome the junior most Bachchan any time!!!

Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan are in news again. Once again media speculation has become ambitious enough to predict that the golden couple is expecting a baby!!! 

Surprised? Well, the news can be true as Ash dear has cancelled her trip to New York where her wax statue from Madam Tussauds will be for public to view on the occasion of Indian Independence Day at the Museum.Last time when the media speculated their so affair, the couple retracted initially but then eventually got married. So let us hope that even this time the media’s stories are true. Stay tuned on more updates on Abhishek-Aishwarya baby!!!

The handsome macho actor Fardeen Khan has girls all over, the recent posters of the actor are an evidence of it. When DT met up with Fardeen, he said that “Yeah, you could say that girls are walking all over me in this film. But when those girls are as pretty as Esha Deol and Isha Kopikar, like hell a gonna mind.”

Hey girls are you listening?

The second season of Koffee With Karan ends with a grand finale which will have the golden couple – Aishwarya and Abhishek on the favorite couch. You can hate them or you can love them but can’t avoid them! And hope Karan gets some real news out of their mouth about their most secretive affair and marriage.

Other special attraction of the show includes awards for the best guest of this season in various sections like rapid fire and supporting guest. And there will be a special jury comprising of - Malaika Arora, Rahul Bose, Rohit Bal and Cyrus Broacha – to decide upon the prizes.

So keep your eyes open for the finale in August. For those who will miss Karan on television can relax as he will return with his next film planned with, needless to say, Shah Rukh Khan.