Showbiz News at She.com.pk

Indian actress Shilpa Shetty is reportedly in talks to join the cast of popular UK TV show ‘EastEnders’.?The 33-year-old Bollywood beauty is tipped to play a member of a new Indian family in the soap opera, the Daily Mail said.

t would Shetty’s first major foreign assignment since she became the winner of British reality show ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ in 2007, which also made her one of the most popular faces in the country.

“EastEnders would be the springboard to long-term success in Britain - and that is very much in Shilpa’s sights. She knows all about the show as it is a big hit in her homeland - and of course it is popular with a lot of Indians in the UK,” the newspaper said quoting the People.

Shetty recently bought a seven-bedroom, 5 million??pound house in Weybridge, Surrey in London with boyfriend Raj Kundra.?’EastEnders’ is about the domestic and professional lives of the people living in a fictional borough of Walford in East London.

Shilpa’s inclusion in the show would make her the first Indian family in Walford since the Ferriera family in 2004, who were wrote out after being dubbed as ‘unrealistic’ by viewers.

The addition of an Indian family is an attempt by the show bosses to show the multi-cultural atmosphere of East London.?

(Agencies)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)

MUMBAI: Kangna is getting ready for the biggest challenge of her career. She’ll be playing whom she considers the most beautiful woman in the history of Indian cinema.

It’s a thought that flatters and terrifies her. Kangna is afraid she may not look beautiful enough on screen.

“I’ve never thought of myself as beautiful. In fact I’ve always suffered from the lowest self-esteem. Till recently, I’d look at my pictures and cringe. I still have the pictures from my first portfolio I got done in Chandigarh. They remind me of how ugly I can look. And to now play Madhubala in Once Upon A Time In Mumbai. How will I do it?”

Kangna is so petrified at the prospect that she has stopped looking into the mirror completely. She laughs when people tell her playing the traumatized mistress of the underworld don would be a cakewalk for her. “I’m proud of my so-called territory as an actress. If playing traumatized women is my territory then I’m glad. Because I know I’m good at it.”

The challenge in Once Upon A Time… is the physicality. “Madhubala’s role is not as tragic as my other roles. It’s basically a very tender romance between this really funny don (played by Ajay Devgan) and this female superstar who can’t understand his personality.

How will I manage to play the most beautiful woman that Indian cinema has ever seen? My characters have always had a dark and light side. And this one is no exception. But the challenge for me is to look almost ethereally beautiful, like Madhubala. How will I manage that?”

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Kangna intends to undergo a complete transformation of look and appearance. She has already started watching DVDs of Madhubala’s films very carefully. “I won’t copy her. But I want to get into her mind and heart space.”

Deepa Mehta might have a penchant for unconventional and often controversial themes, but the director says that she would retire as a filmmaker if her films start resembling message laden documentaries.

The Canada based director who is credited to be the first filmmaker to explore homosexuality in India through her film “Fire”, said that her motive is always to tell good stories.

“I make films out of stories that touch me. I hope my films don’t preach, otherwise I will retire. It is not very different from propaganda. Politicians can get away with it but filmmakers should not indulge in it,” Mehta said.

The director, whose latest offering “Videsh” explores domestic violence in a family of first generation migrants, said that the film was not a documentary on domestic violence.

“My film is not a kitchen sink drama about domestic violence. It explores a woman’s hidden power and how she overcomes the brutality of her situation by using mythology and imagination.

“It is so easy to label a film in a certain category but I feel it is the worst disservice that you can do to filmmakers as it limits their vision,” said Mehta.

The film, which released in India recently, stars Bollywood actress Priety Zinta in the lead. The critically acclaimed film was earlier released in the West as “Heaven on Earth”. Zinta won her?first international award at Chicago film festival for her portrayal of a woman trapped in an abusive relationship in an alien country.

The star known for her sartorial sense underwent a complete makeover to play the deglamourised Punjabi woman.

Mehta, who has woven stories from her own childhood into the screenplay of the film said that “Videsh” is different from other films made on the topic of domestic violence.

“It is not about revenge or redemption by killing the person who abused you. It is about how you keep your dignity intact.In the film, Chand’s mother tells her a story about a snake while she is still a young girl in Ludhiana. It is a story that my mother used to tell me. “It is an old folktale about a fakir and a snake.

The moral of the story being that you can protect yourself without harming anybody and that’s what ‘Videsh’ is all about,” said Mehta.

The director has also incorporated some elements from Girish Karnad’s play?”Nagamandala” into her film. Mehta, who discovered Nandita Das while looking for a female lead in “Fire”, has cast Bollywood stars like Priety Zinta and Akshay Kumar in her recent films.

When asked whether this was her attempt to widen her audience base in India, the filmmaker replied, “I always cast actors who are suitable for the role. But if I have the choice between a star and an unknown actor, both suitable for the role, I would tend to chose the star because it means a wider audience.”

Mehta, who is known for her film trilogy ‘Fire’, ‘Earth’ and ‘Water’, said that she is now focussing on individual stories.

“I think three is enough. I will focus on independent stories now,” said Mehta whose next project ?is a film based on the 1914 ‘Komagatamaru incident’ with Akshay Kumar in the lead.

(With inputs from Agencies)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is all set to tie the knot with jewellery tycoon Raj Kundra later this year. The 33-year-old actress is planning a traditional wedding and has set a tentative date in October this year, the Daily Mail reported. The couple are yet to make an announcement about their marriage.

“I have very traditional views of marriage. I’ve seen my parents maintain a 35-year marriage and I really believe marriages are made in heaven,” the actress said.

“I’ve always said that the day I decide to tie the knot it is going to be for good. I have often wondered who the right person would be and I’ve come to realise that for me it is Raj. I’m completely sure he is my soul mate,” the Bollywood actress said about her two-year-old relationship with Kundra. The couple are planning a traditional wedding in India.

“I have spoken to Shilpa’s parents and we are doing it the Indian way. In India you don’t get engaged until just before the wedding, so I didn’t go down on one knee to her or anything like that. But we have definitely set a date for this year,” Kundra said.

It would be Shilpa’s first marriage while Kundra was previously married to Kavita and has a daughter with her.?

Shetty met Kundra in early 2007. The 34-year-old millionaire owns a Dubai-based business trading precious stones and metals. Kundra is also helping manage Shilpa’s career and is
said to be behind her decision to invest in Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals, the last year’s IPL winners.

The couple recently bought a seven-bedroom, 5 million pound house in Weybridge, Surrey in London. “I believe in the institution of marriage, I’m dying to have kids, and when you see the Weybridge home, it’s huge, it’s a great family home, so I can’t wait to bring up children there,” She had said in an earlier interview.?

Shetty became a household name in the UK after a racist storm in the “2007 Celebrity Big Brother,” involving late Jade Goody whom she credits for her success.??

(Agencies)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)

Radio Mirchi yesterday (March 28) presented India’s first ever music awards, the ‘Mirchi Music Awards’ (MMA’s). The MMA’s are India’s answer to the Grammy’s.

The who’s who of music fraternity turned up for the event. When asked how he felt about India having its own music awards, a delighted Javed Akhthar said,”It is high time we had an award that is exclusively for music because music is an extrememly important factor of Indian society and Indian civilization.”

While Lata Mangeshkar was honoured with the Lifetime acheivement award, the sound track of Jodha Akhbar swept most awards.

Although the Bachchab Bahu, Aishwarya was no where in sight,  Abhishek Bachchan was present to cheer for wife’s film on. When asked how he felt about Jodha Akbar’s win at the awards, Abhishek Bacchan said, “I am very happy because it is Aishwarya’s film, but Im really happy because it is a wonderful film.”

It wasn’t just a melodious night but one that sizzled too with the super hot Bipasha Basu setting the floor on fire with her moves.

We caught up with Bollywood Bong babe Bipasha Basu, who was to perform a series of retro songs from the 70’s.

“My look is very retro, like a gypsie. We are doing a 70’s act; a Reena Roy, Parveen Babi, Zeenat Aman kinda of thing. I am very excited. I will be performing to songs like ‘Pyar do, pyar Lo’, Jawani Jaan-e-man’ and ‘Jhoom, jhoom, jhoom baba’,” said an excited Bipasha.

With Great performances and some real fun with current topics of IPL and elections Mirchi Night was truly hot!