Aishwarya goes beyond glitz halo, campaigns social cause

CANNES - Aishwarya Rai, a regular at the Cannes Film Festival red carpet and L’Oreal brand ambassador, is going beyond her glitz and glamour tag. She is beginning to reinvent herself on the global scene as an activist for social and humanitarian causes.

Court annuls Tamil actor Prashant’s marriage

CHENNAI - A family court here Thursday annulled the marriage of Tamil film star Prashant and his polyandrous wife and granted custody of their daughter to the latter.

My films have always been denied popular awards: Bhandarkar

MUMBAI - Madhur Bhandarkar, who has been nominated in the best director category for ‘Fashion’ in the International Indian Film Academy awards 2009, is wondering why the film itself is missing from the best picture list.

Shammi aunty turns 80 with a grand bash

MUMBAI - The ‘youngest’ at heart actress in Bollywood Shammi aunty turned 80 with a grand bash attended by the big wigs like Yash Chopra, Jaya Bachchan along with son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai and Waheeda Rehman.

Aishwarya Rai still rides high on international endorsements

NEW DELHI - She may no longer be the the face of brands like Coca-Cola and Nakshatra diamond jewellery in India, but Aishwarya Rai is still riding high on successful and long-standing international endorsements.

Abhishek, Aishwarya off on wedding anniversary holiday

MUMBAI - Bollywood’s most talked about married couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai won’t be in India for their second wedding anniversary Monday. They have taken off on a week-long holiday to an undisclosed destination.

Mani Ratnam admitted to Chennai hospital

CHENNAI - Multilingual filmmaker Mani Ratnam was admitted to a private hospital Wednesday following ‘breathing difficulty and dizziness’, a family source said.

It’s flattering and scary to be in power list: Kareena Kapoor (Interview)

MUMBAI - She admits that no position in the film industry is permanent but at the same time Kareena Kapoor is excited after replacing Aishwarya Rai in Filmfare’s power list. The actress says the position is both flattering and scary as it comes with a lot of responsibilities.

Indian beauties determined to bring back international crown

MUMBAI - Winners of Miss India Universe, Miss India World and Miss India Earth titles have said they were determined to bring international laurels to the country.

No adaptation of ‘Benjamin Button’ allowed, warn producers

NEW DELHI - Warner Bros, the producers of Oscar-winning reverse ageing drama ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ have issued a public notice Monday against any adaptation or remake of the Brad Pitt-starrer.

Bollywood’s 30-plus stars dethroned, young blood rushes in

NEW DELHI - After replacing Aishwarya Rai thrice - as the actress with most Internet downloads, ambassador of a jewellery brand and now as the Indian face of Barbie - 24-year-old Katrina Kaif has proved how young actresses in Bollywood are giving their 30-plus colleagues a run for their money.

Amitabh releases Limca Book of Records’ 20th edition

NEW DELHI - Superstar Amitabh Bachchan Tuesday released the 20th edition of Limca Book of Records and was felicitated for being among 20 luminaries who have made India proud.

Big B and family watch Aishwarya perform in Delhi

NEW DELHI - Big B and his family - wife Jaya, son Abhishek, daughter Shweta and her husband Nikhil - were in the capital Monday to watch daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai perform at NDTV’s unveiling of ‘The Seven Wonders of India’.

Miss India beauty contestants get in shape

MUMBAI - About twenty finalists of the Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2009 contest are undergoing rigorous fitness training ahead of the contest in Mumbai next month.

Vipul Shah wants film title that arch-rival has

MUMBAI - It looks like the new Vipul Shah-Akshay Kumar film that would also have Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the lead won’t be able to get its chosen title ‘Action Replay’ that easily, as it is the property of his arch-rival.

How will these Bollywood, TV actors celebrate Holi

NEW DELHI - Even though superstar Amitabh Bachchan is not celebrating Holi in remembrance of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack victims, most TV and film celebrities plan to enjoy the festival of colours with their family and friends.

Tamil actress Priyamani signs first Kannada film

BANGALORE - Tamil star Priyamani grew up in Bangalore but has only now got around to signing her first Kannada film ‘Raam’. A remake of Telugu superhit ‘Ready’, she will be starring opposite Puneet Raj Kumar.

Sachin to join sporting legends at Madame Tussauds

LONDON - Cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar will be the latest sporting great to be featured at the internationally-renowned Madame Tussauds in London when a new wax figure of the Mumbai-born batsman joins the A-list line up in April.

India to have its own take on the Razzies

NEW DELHI - In a spin-off from Hollywood’s Golden Raspbery Awards (also known as the Razzies) which recognises the worst in cinema, India will have its own version of the same, Golden Kela Awards, to be held March 7.

Aishwarya Rai most bankable Indian star in Hollywood

NEW YORK - Forbes has listed Aishwarya Rai as India’s most bankable star in Hollywood, pushing down the Khans of Bollywood in the ratings of the best bet for a film’s financial success.

Big B, SRK bag most powerful entertainer awards at FICCI-Frames

MUMBAI - Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan have been bestowed with first FICCI-IIFA’s ‘Most Powerful Entertainers of the Decade’ awards here.

Bollywood no cakewalk for starry-eyed youngsters

NEW DELHI - Waiting to be noticed, searching for the right contacts, looking for a shelter - thousands of starry-eyed youngters instantly identify with Konkona Sen Sharma’s character in ‘Luck By Chance’ as they go through the grind in Bollywood every day.

Want to break into Bollywood? Win a pageant

NEW DELHI - Dream of a big Bollywood break but daddy’s not a film star? Well, your best chance of a breakthrough may be via a beauty pageant.

Bollywood promoter in US jailed for mortgage scam

WASHINGTON - An Indian-American mortgage broker and Bollywood film promoter has been sentenced to seven years in prison for defrauding banks of $33 million and cheating fellow Indian immigrants with phony home loans.

Will Aishwarya Rai contest on Samajwadi Party ticket from Bihar?

PATNA - After ‘Munnabhai’ Sanjay Dutt, it could be the turn of Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as a Samajwadi Party candidate.

Helen, Aishwarya, Akshay named for Padma Shri

NEW DELHI - Yesteryears’ dancing queen Helen, Bollywood diva Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, action star Akshay Kumar and music maestro Hridyanath Mangeshkar are among those named for this year’s Padma Shri awards.

Hrithik Roshan celebrates birthday - with song and dance

MUMBAI - Hrithik Roshan, who turned 35 Saturday, celebrated the occasion doing what he likes best: dancing - that too with Barbara Mori for a number choreographed by old friend Farah Khan.

Skin sizzles in Bollywood - and it’s not a problem

NEW DELHI - There was no hullabaloo when Bipasha Basu flaunted her curves in ‘Race’ or Priyanka Chopra slipped into bikinis in ‘Dostana’. And Aamir Khan and John Abraham didn’t shy away from the dare-bare act either.

I’ve always wanted to work with Hrithik: Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Interview)

MUMBAI - Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali says he always wanted to work with Hrithik Roshan and he’s doing exactly that in his new venture that also stars his favourite actress - Aishwarya Rai. The two have already created wonders together in ‘Dhoom-2′ and ‘Jodhaa Akbar’.

‘Jodhaa Akbar’ steals the show at Poland’s Bollywood fest

WARSAW - Though Shah Rukh Khan is the craze among Polish youth, it was Ashutosh Gowariker’s epic romance ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ that charmed cinegoers during a month-long Hindi film festival held across 12 places in Poland, a country that has a surprisingly large number of Bollywood fans.