Showbiz News at She.com.pk

Danny Gokey, On Thursday night’s (March 4) “American Idol” results show, amid the carnage and the castaways, Danny Gokey performed “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me,” the first proper single from his just-released debut album, My Best Days. It was a pretty sage move by show producers, and not just becauseGokey has a disc to promote. The newly departed “Idol” hopefuls could learn a thing or two from the song’s inspirational message. And from Gokey himself.

Rocking a leather jacket, jeans, a burgundy shirt and his signature specs, Gokey’s gravelly soul voice was warmly received as he sang the peppy country/pop tune about the power of positive thinking. “I can be whatever I want to be/ My best days are ahead of me,” he crooned over a twanging pedal-steel riff. “I’ve got sunsets to witness, dreams to dance with/ And beaches to walk on and lovers to kiss.”

Asked why he went country for his first album, Gokey — who tried to get an invite from Ellen DeGeneres to dance on her show after his performance — said it was suggested by one of last year’s mentors, country icon Randy Travis. “When I did ‘Jesus Take the Wheel,’ he came up to me after … and he said, ‘Have you ever considered doing country?’ And I started telling him how country influenced me when I was younger … and he said, ‘Well, you need to do country. The amount of soul and passion you put into it, the fans would embrace you and love you.’ ”

After spending most of his “Idol” run being tagged as “the guy with the tragedy” — a reference to the death of his young wife Sophia four weeks before his audition —Gokey said he wanted to come out with a first single that showed how much hope “Idol” gave him. “I just found out the writer of the song lost his wife too and he wrote this song a few months after she passed away. And without me knowing it, I picked it up, I recorded it and put it on radio. … It’s an anthem for me. I’m excited about life again.”

Ever since he was eliminated from “Idol” last season, Gokey has been working tirelessly to make his dreams a reality. Over the summer, he began meeting with Nashville record execs and announced plans to reinvent himself as a country singer, telling MTV News that “country music kind of houses the message that I like … and it carries a lot of meaning for me. So I never thought about it before, but I could see myself doing it, if we could just get the twang right.”

In September, he officially signed with RCA Nashville (he was the last of season eight’s final four to land a record deal) and began work on his debut album. In November, during a phone interview with hometown radio station FM 106.1, he unveiled the first song from the record, a ballad called “It’s Only,” which was written by Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley and produced by Mark Bright, who had previously worked withGokey’s fellow “Idol” alum Carrie Underwood.

Gokey described the song as his favorite off the album. “It has such a touching lyric. It’s so beautiful,” he said. “I love all the songs that appear on my CD, but this one … when I sing this song, a passion comes out of me. … I feel it when I sing it.”

He performed at the venerable Grand Ole Opry and shot a video for “Best Days,” which replaced “It’s Only” as the first single from his record. The song began climbing country radio’s top 40 chart, and just last month, it was announced thatGokey would serve as the opening act on Sugarland’s spring tour. The country makeover, it would seem, is complete.

In the meantime, he continues to work with Sophia’s Heart, the charitable organization he established in honor of his late wife. In addition to using funds to provide relief to the victims of January’s Haitian earthquake, the organization plans to launch a Nashville-based music and arts program this year.

Danny Gokey American Idol, Season eight contestant Danny Gokey returns to American Idol tonight to perform his own music on the show that made him famous. Like his Idol predecessor Carrie Underwood, Danny is also making himself available to this season’s contestants if they need any advice. As far as general words of wisdom for the contestants, Danny says, “Just remain steady. Remain calm and collected…I think nerves are the biggest thing they’re going to deal with on the show.”

Now that Danny has his own music climbing the country chart, he hopes to hear one of his songs covered on Idol someday. Says Danny, “I think that’s going to be a moment in my life when people start singing my songs on American Idol. That’s going to be a huge moment.” His debut album, My Best Days, is now in stores and online.

Danny is the reason I STOPPED watching Idol. After he was voted off last season I lost all my faith in the show, obviously I wasn’t a Adam Lambert or Kris Allen fan. I hope he finds success!! Goooo Gokey! ~Vanessa

Ranjitha video clips is the most searched item on the Internet now. For the last two days, people in India have been searching for Ranjitha video clips. I found some Ranjitha video clips but I must warn you that they are not decent. So visit at your own discretion.

Ranjitha is a Tamil movie actress. Yesterday, Sun TV network published a video clip of Nithyananda Paramhamsa, a famous spiritual Guru in Tamil Nadu, having sex with two women. The face of the women was distorted in the video clip. The woman is believed to be a Tamil actress whose name starts with “R.” News reports said that the actress could be either Ragasudha or Ranjitha.

TOKYO: An Oscar-nominated documentary on the grisly business of dolphin hunting in Japan is set to be screened at cinemas nationwide for the first time later this year, but with some modifications, its distributor said.

“The Cove”, which has been shown in 15 countries and already won several awards, follows a group of activists who struggle with Japanese police and fishermen to gain access to a secluded cove in Taiji, southern Japan, where dolphins are hunted. It features shocking footage of the slaughter.

The film is little known in Japan, where the government says the hunting of dolphins and whales is an important cultural tradition.

“It’s about Japan, but this has been the only place where it couldn’t be seen,” Takeshi Kato of distribution company Unplugged said on Thursday, just ahead of Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony.

Kato has arranged for the film to be shown at five cinemas in major Japanese cities in May or June and hopes to expand the number to about 20.

“They are not dolphin protectionists, nor are they on the side of the hunt,” he said of the cinemas that have chosen to show the film. “They want to show it without taking sides.”

After receiving complaints from Taiji, Kato is in the process of altering the film for the Japanese market. He has agreed to blur the faces of the fishermen and add a note about disagreement over mercury levels in dolphin meat, which is sold as food and served for lunch at schools in the area.

Taiji’s association of fishermen declined to comment on the movie’s screening and no one was available to comment at the local government office.

The town’s mayor has, however, said in the past that the film will not affect the tradition of dolphin hunting.

The documentary was shown at the Tokyo International Film Festival last year, but a university in Tokyo abandoned a planned screening of the film this month after objections from Taiji, the Sankei newspaper said on Wednesday.

Directed by former National Geographic photographer Louie Psihoyos and featuring a former dolphin trainer from the “Flipper” television series, the film could be shown more widely if it picks up an Oscar, Kato said.

It has been nominated for the prize for best documentary feature.

MUMBAI : Bollywood’s ‘sunshine girl’ Deepika Padukone has every reason to celebrate. With her career going great guns and some exciting films in her kitty, the leggy beauty is now looking to consolidate her position in B-Town.

“I’ve always been driven by work and variety attracts me,” confesses Deepika.

“I’ve never been afraid of doing something just because it’s different. In fact, each role that I have portrayed on screen so far has been in stark contrast from the other,” she avers.

For someone who made news right from her much-talked about Bollywood launchpad opposite Shah Rukh Khan (in Om Shanti Om), Deepika continues to make for some good headlines. Her current offering (Karthik Calling Karthik) too made news much before it hit the theatres.

Movie buffs went full throttle about the unusual pairing between her and leading man Farhan Akhtar, some to the extent of even romantically linking the two together. “Who defines what’s usual and unusual? I don’t see how Farhan and I are any different from the other on-screen jodis in terms of complimenting each other.

If two actors are cast opposite one another it’s because they suit their particular roles and make a good on-screen pair. Initially, I was intimidated by Farhan. But then I saw he was so chilled out and just like the other leading men I’ve worked with —fun and focused.”

Deepika’s portrayal as the new age girl in many flicks has endeared her to the audience. Her last big screen outing, Love Aaj Kal struck BO gold and redefined Bollywood romance. “I always knew that the movie will have an impact on the audience,” says Deepika. Speaking on how the film still has an impact on her, Deepika says, “In real life too, I’m a lot like Meera, I’m always surrounded by my friends. And I think I see relationships just the way Meera does. See, when in a romantic relationship everything (else) takes a backseat. In our lives, there are times when you realise that though you love a certain person a lot, you can’t live with him. Nothing in life makes sense. Like me, a lot of young people have been able to relate to all that Meera went through in LAK quite a bit and may have experienced a lot of those emotions/experiences,” she confesses.

From playing independent and outgoing characters, Deepika is now switching gears to period films and comedy — something she has never done before. “I’m playing Kaplana Dutta in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Khelenge Jee Jaan Se. It’s a completely different world and at the same time a very important part of history. It’s a great responsibility for someone like me and I have to do justice to the character,” quips the actor.

Sajid Khan’s Houseful is already creating a buzz (thanks to the sizzling bikini bod that Deepika flaunts) and she’s excited too. “Comedy is the toughest thing to do. Especially Sajid’s brand of comedy where you have a tough time enacting a scene because you just can’t control your laughter,” she says with palpable excitement.

Considering that she’s been part of many hit films, does she see her paycheque looking better? “To a large extent, yes. But having said that, I would also like to clarify that my price never defines the kind of work I do.” And with many Best Actor (female) nominations coming her way, does she hope to walk away with an award this year? “Awards are important. They mean recognition and appreciation of the hard work you’ve done. If I win then well, but if I don’t then I’m not going to sit and sulk. I’ll be back with better films the following year,” she ends on a positive note.

GENEVA: Shakira has received a medal from the U.N. labor agency for her work to help impoverished children.

The 33-year-old Colombian pop star has worked as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. Her Barefoot foundation provides nutrition to more than 6,000 children in Colombia, and she is member of the ALAS foundation that advocates for children across Latin America.

At a small ceremony Wednesday in Geneva, U.N. labor chief Juan Somavia called Shakira a “true ambassador for children and young people, for quality education and social justice.”