Tigress on a prowl
Starting off as an item girl and then trying hands at acting,
Rakhi Sawant has done all that it takes to stay in the in the world of glamour. From music videos, reality shows, concerts and a pile of controversies - the lady has left no stone unturned!
And now she has another feather in her cap.
After famous actors like
John Abraham, Amisha Patel, Shilpa Shetty and
Yana Gupta, it's now Bollywood item girl Rakhi Sawant’s turn to join PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) - the largest animal rights organisation in the world.
Although many actors have posed for PETA, Rakhi expressed her love for animals in her unique way. She donned tiger stripes and locked herself in a cage to attract people’s attention towards the cruelty on animals at circuses and other places.
The message of this quintessential queen of gossip columns was simple, "The government should pay attention towards the misery of animals as well and do more to protect their rights. The atrocities committed upon them should be refrained. I have come here to support the Animals' Protection Act of PETA and their cause towards something good."
Jiah wants to do action roles
There is definitely something tomboyish about Bollywood’s feisty newcomer
Jiah Khan.
After her evocative role in
Ram Gopal Varma’s movie
Nishabd, Jiah Khan is now learnt to have signed another project that will have her doing action and stunts.
Jiah will learn Tai Chi Chuan and motorbike riding for her role in the film, which, reports say, is not under Varma’s film production company.
Jiah rues the lack of proper action-oriented roles for actresses in Bollywood. She cites the examples of some of her favourite movies like
Charlie’s Angels and
Kill Bill where women made convincing protagonists in action roles.
For a month, Jiah will learn Tai Chi and bike riding under an expert in London for her upcoming movie.
Even when she was young, Jiah says she was more of a geek than a sexy girl. She used to wear men’s shirts and cargo pants.
Akshay always eager for more action
We may not have seen
Akshay Kumar in an action role on the silver screen for a long time. But the actor has been honing his martial arts skills on regular basis.
Just after the release of
Jaaneman last year, Akshay had said in an interview that he would be going for an image makeover. He wanted to do action movies again but before that he wanted to get back in shape and lose the extra weight.
Today, the actor has already begun to show glimpses of the makeover he had planned back then. He is slimmer and fitter.
And recently, while preparing for a soft-drink advertisement, Akshay learnt new forms of martial arts called
Parko and
Yamakuzi under the guidance of two experts,
Danielle and
Jennifer.
The ad, already on air, shows Akshay hopping from one building to another with nimble agility. His action and stunts in the ad are pretty impressive given the fact that not much special effects were used in it.
Personally, Akshay has never liked the use of special effects in action scenes. He believes in putting his own physical skills and limits to test. Akshay already knows
Ju Jitsu, Aikido and
Karate quite well.
Amrita to pair with Arshad
The success of
Sooraj Barjatya’s movie
Vivah has done wonders to the acting career of
Amrita Rao.
Not only has the gorgeous actress received compliments from the likes of
MF Hussain for her earthy beauty post
Vivah, she is also getting more than ever film offers from Bollywood.
The latest one to have come her way is the offer to act in
Anil Kapoor’s production
Shortcut that stars
Akshaye Khanna and
Arshad Warsi in the lead roles.
Previously,
Lara Dutta was offered the role opposite Arshad in the movie. But Lara reportedly had some apprehensions in being cast opposite Arshad. It was then Anil Kapoor reportedly approached Amrita and she agreed to the role.
Shortcut will be remake of a Malayalam movie. It will have Akshaye playing a film director and Arshad playing an ambitious, shrewd but talentless actor who wants to be a superstar. The film will go on the floors soon.
Besides this, Amrita is also slated to act in another Rajshree Film. The movie, however, may not be directed by Barjatya.
SRK-starrer to be shot in Trinidad & Tobago
A movie starring Bollywood superstar
Shah Rukh Khan, former Miss Universe
Sushmita Sen and
Fardeen Khan is planned to be shot in the exotic Trinidad and Tobago.
The movie will showcase the life in the Caribbean country, in which 49 per cent of the populace is of Indian origin, actor-turned producer
Vivek Vaswani announced in Mumbai.
"I have visited Trinidad and Tobago twice and have been impressed by its beauty and the warmth with which we had been received," Vaswani said at a cultural function organised on Friday by the government of Trinidad and Tobago. "The movie, to be shot in Trinidad and Tobago, would showcase its way of life," he said.
The Trinidad and Tobago government has sent a visiting delegation to India led by its Minister of Trade and Industry, Kenneth Valley, to promote bilateral trade relations between the two countries.
A cultural group, including a 15-member Steelpan orchestra, '
Chutney' music star
Heeralal Rampertap, Soca (Dance version of Calypso music) performers
Shurwayne Winchester and Tricia and Calypso star
Lima Calbio, has come along with this delegation.
Renowned Trinidadian choreographer
Michael Salickram of the Shiv Shaktji dance group choreographed seven beautiful dancers, who performed to all the music forms and thrilled the audience.
Mallika signs Hollywood movie
Bollywood’s feisty belle
Mallika Sherawat has done it. She has bagged the Hollywood film for which many international and Indian actresses were under consideration.
Hollywood’s
Bill Bannerman, who has worked as associate director under
Clint Eastwood, has recently been looking for an actress to play the role of a Muslim woman in his first feature film titled
Unveiled.
Actresses like
Hilary Swank and
Penelope Cruz reportedly expressed interest in the role. But Bannerman wanted an actress from Middle-Eastern or South Asian descent, someone who understands the Muslim culture in general and could authentically capture the body language and mannerisms of her character.
From India, actresses like
Aishwarya Rai and
Shilpa Shetty were under consideration. However, Bill has finalized Mallika Sherawat for the role.
Unveiled is based on a very bold theme. It is the story of a Muslim woman who has two husbands and one lover. In Bannerman’s words: "Behind the dark burqa lies a sexy, manipulative victim who is dangerous, as well as in grave danger."
Unveiled will also be the first Hollywood movie to have a Muslim woman as its protagonist. The movie will be a thriller, a psychological drama and film noir, all rolled into one.
Meanwhile, Mallika says she is "absolutely ecstatic" at having signed Bannerman’s movie. And why not, her acting career never touched such a high in Bollywood.
