Anil Kapoor is so impressed with Leonardo DiCaprio's work in his latest Hollywood film "The Wolf of Wall Street" that he feels he is currently the world's best actor.

"Is Leonardo DiCaprio the world's best star actor today? I think so. Please watch 'Wolf...," Anil, who starred in the international TV show "24" and had a cameo in "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol", tweeted.

"The Wolf Of Wall Street", directed by Martin Scorsese, released in India Jan 3.

After giving Bollywood buffs a musical like "Rockstar", filmmaker Imtiaz Ali promises a soundtrack of simple and heartfelt songs in his next movie "Highway". The album is composed by the Oscar winning A.R. Rahman.

"After 'Rockstar', it was great to collaborate with Rahman sir again and we have tried to keep the Highway album melodious, simple and heartfelt," Imtiaz said in a statement.

"Patakha guddi", the first song of the film, was launched Tuesday.

Written by Irshad Kamil and sung by the Nooran sisters from Punjab, it is picturised on the leading lady of "Highway", Alia Bhatt.

The song celebrates her character Veera's free spirit.

"'Patakha guddi' is about freedom. It is also about purity and wildness. Who better than the wild children of Punjabi music - Sultana and Jyoti Nooran - to sing the track," added Imtiaz.

"Highway", produced by Window Seat Films and presented by Sajid Nadiadwala, will be released worldwide by UTV Motion Pictures Feb 21. The music of the film will be available on T-Series.

Reacting to Naseeruddin Shah's criticism of Farhan Akhtar's performance in "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" (BMB) calling it "fake", actress Shabana Azmi and Prasoon Joshi, writer of the film, said the veteran actor is entitled to his opinion but they feel that Farhan was outstanding in the biopic.

Shabana, who is Farhan's stepmother, has worked extensively with Naseer in some of the most influential films of Indian cinema such as "Masoom".

She said: "Farhan was outstanding in 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag'. His performance gave me gooseflesh. He has raised the bar for what actors should demand from them while portraying real-life characters. Naseer is entitled to his opinion. But most Indians don't agree with him."

While the film's director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Farhan desisted from comment, Prasoon was forthright in expressing his feelings on the issue.

He said: "I respect Naseer saab and he's entitled to his opinion. But I don't agree with his opinion on BMB. I've written the film. It has inspired and connected with people all across the world. It was not meant to be a documentary or a niche film."

BMB chronicled the life of former athlete Milkha Singh and viewers enjoyed watching well-trained Farhan as the Flying Sikh on the big screen so much that it reaped gold at the box office and crossed the Rs.100 crore mark.

Commenting on Naseer's opinion that Farhan doesn't resemble Milkha, Prasoon said: "In my opinion, Farhan has done a great job in terms of the character that I wrote. I had deliberately incorporated tones of fact and fiction. He has shone in his interpretation of the character. There are no false notes at all in his performance."

Pavan Malhotra, who plays Milkha's coach in the film, also stands by the film.

"You can't please everyone. I was and I am very happy to be part of BMB," he said.

When cross-checked, Naseer admitted he was not impressed by BMB.

"But the makers are convinced they've made a masterpiece. Look, spare me, will you? No one involved with that film gives a damn about my opinion. And I am not really keen to hurt their feelings."

However, director Ajay Bahl said he didn't like the film, but appreciates Farhan's acting.

Bahl said: "I didn't like 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' at all. I found the film too long. The script went all over the place and the direction was over-indulgent. However, I think Farhan did a splendid job of recreating Milkha Singh's persona. The film just didn't match his performance."

Superstar Salman Khan, who has been promoting Swedish-Greek actress Elli Avram ever since she entered the reality show "Bigg Boss 7" house, says he may consider her for a film.

Salman was the host of "Bigg Boss 7", which ended recently.

When asked whether Elli will be seen with him on the big screen, Salman said: "You will see Elli when a director or producer casts her. We have Elli in mind for sure ... I will say that straight out."

Elli made her Bollywood debut with "Mickey Virus".

However, Salman clarifies that nobody can take undue advantage of his friendship to get a film.

He said: "It's very clear that if I see something in a person only then that person will get to work with me."

"Earlier when I used to drink, they would think they will come and do their 'jugaad', but nothing used to work.

"If I feel that a person deserves it, only then it will happen or else nothing doing. If somebody makes my head turn twice that means the girl has something about her," he added.

Time was when Bollywood films revolving round 'pardesi' heroes, heroines or families ruled the roost. But such subjects have been elbowed out by desi movies with desi heroes of late, but industry experts say the trend will return.

If you remember, in the 1970s Manoj Kumar's "Purab Aur Pachhim" portrayed the dilemma of NRIs and it turned out to be a blockbuster.

Thereafter, in the 1990s, both viewers at home and Indians living abroad related to the NRI theme and characters shown in several Hindi films.

Be it Amrish Puri's character in "Pardes" or Shah Rukh Khan's in "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" - they all had an innate desire to somehow preserve Indian culture abroad and the narratives struck a chord with the audiences.

Some other popular films with an NRI feel were "Kal Ho Naa Ho", "Salaam Namaste", "Dostana" and "Namastey London". Then, there was "Cheeni Kum".

Now, however, there are only sporadic releases like "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" and "English Vinglish", but the industry experts feel that NRI-flavoured movies will re-emerge.

"It is like a cycle. There was a stage when there was this kind of cinema. It was a time when these films really worked and did well," trade analyst Komal Nahta told IANS.

"Then, the producers felt a monotony setting in. So they took a break and tackled other subjects. But that time will come back," Nahta added.

The West, in these films, was often portrayed as cold and grey in contrast to the warmth of the motherland.

The subjects of the NRI-themed films varied - if Subhash Ghai's "Pardes" was about a US-based NRI looking for an Indian girl for his Americanized son, Gurinder Chaddha's "Bend It Like Beckham" depicted a mother wanting her daughter to learn cooking and settle down instead of playing football.

A relationship triangle also emerged in these films.

For instance, Yash Chopra's "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" saw Amrish Puri playing a traditional father living in Britain, who separates his daughter from her lover and brings her to India to marry a desi guy who eventually falls for her.

Cultural clashes too became saleable.

A rather helpless father, played by Rishi Kapoor, in Vipul Amrutlal Shah's "Namastey London" evoked sympathy from the viewers. Rishi plays a London-based Indian, who drags his completely-British daughter, played by Katrina Kaif, to India to find a suitable groom. She ends up marrying a village guy portrayed by Akshay Kumar.

There were, of course, more serious issues of not being able to fit into Western culture and balancing it with traditional Indian values portrayed through these films.

Film historian S.M.M. Ausaja admits that the "cultural contrast" makes such films relatable to Indians living abroad.

"A cultural contrast has been shown since a long time in these films. The reason why these films did well was because Indians living abroad could relate to them.

"Films like 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' and 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna' made a lot of money abroad. But then came a saturation point and this trend declined," Ausaja said.

Mira Nair beautifully captured the confused emotions of the second generation living abroad in "The Namesake".

Ausaja feels that the trend is here to stay, but the storytellers will have to treat such stories with novelty to impress the cinegoers.

"I don't think that the trend will go. Indians living abroad are nostalgic and they like to see these films. But the script and the treatment have to be good for any film to do well," he said.

Fans of superstar Rajinikanth here will stage a protest if their long-pending demand for the renovation of the Gavipuram Government Kannada Model Primary School, in which he studied, is not met by the government at the earliest.

"The condition of the school has worsened in the last two years and hundreds of students of different classes are forced to attend classes in temporary locations. This is a pressing issue and if a favourable decision is not arrived at by Jan 21, we'll protest throughout the state," Prakash Gowda, vice president of Karnataka State Rajini Ji Seva Samiti, told IANS.

"Had it been a private school, we would have handled this matter on our own. But this is a government-owned school, and therefore, even if we are willing to contribute, there are several protocols to follow. We request the chief minister to renovate the school as soon as possible," he added.

Over 500 students study at the school, which was allotted Rs.86 lakh a few years ago for the construction of a new building.

"We have learnt that about Rs.86 lakh was sanctioned for the construction of a new building, which is yet to be completed. We have already written to the education minister as well as to the governor," Gowda said.

Director Ali Abbas Zafar says the forthcoming film "Gunday", produced by Yash Raj Films (YRF), was the last narration that the late filmmaker Yash Chopra heard.

Zafar shared how special the film is, at a press conference here in the presence of the movie's stars - Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor.

"It's a very special film for all four of us and the whole unit because this was the last script that the great Yash Chopra heard, the last narration. It's very special for us to do this film because he really loved the script and he believed in it," Zafar said during the media gathering here Tuesday.

He dedicateS the film to the legendary filmmaker, who breathed his last Oct 21, 2012.

"'Gunday' is in a lot of ways inspired by his films, maybe 'Kaala Patthar' or 'Deewaar' or any other film. It is set in the time when he was making films and we hope we can do justice to it. That is why we want to dedicate this film ('Gunday') to Yashji," added Zafar, who had earlier helmed "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan".

"Gunday" is set in 1970s West Bengal and tells the story of two friends - Bala and Bikram played by Arjun and Ranveer, respectively.

The film, which also stars Irrfan Khan, hits theatres Feb 14.

Bollywood superhero Hrithik Roshan has rubbished reports that the box office collection of his latest movie "Krrish 3" have been inflated, adding that "derogatory manipulations need to stop".

Hrithik took to his official page on social networking website Facebook Tuesday night to clear his stand on the rumours.

"Some from the industry and certain sections of the media are hellbent on putting me, my father (Rakesh Roshan) and 'Krrish 3' down. I have maintained my silence until now but these derogatory manipulations need to stop," the 39-year-old posted.

"'Krrish 3' has done a business of about Rs.244 crore (in) India and around Rs.55 crore (in) overseas," he added.

The actor, who played the lead hero in the movie, wonders "who these people are who have been so affected by these numbers and my success".

"Are they the ones I call my friends I wonder? I would like to tell them that they need not ever be insecure about another man's success because all they need to do is concentrate on their own hardwork, which in turn will help them achieve what they want," Hrithik added.

The "Krrish" franchise, which began with the 2003 hit sci-fi movie "Koi... Mil Gaya", has been a successful one. "Krrish 3", the third instalment in the franchise, released Nov 1, 2013.

Hrithik guarantees that he and his father have much more to offer to filmdom.

"Believe in karma, as my father and I do. And one last thing about my father and me as a team - we've only just begun," he added.

Ranveer Singh has teamed up with Govinda for "Kill Dil" and says that the film is very special as he is working with his childhood idol in it.

"I have started shooting for 'Kill Dil.' It's a very, very major deal for me to be sharing the screen space with one of my childhood idols - Govindaji," the 28-year-old told reporters Tuesday. He was promoting "Gunday".

"I have been inspired by him. I absolutely loved him while growing up. To be actually working with him is an indescribable feeling," he added.

Being directed by Shaad Ali, "Kill Dil" is a Yash Raj Films production and it is likely to come out in September this year.

It also stars Rani Mukerji, Parineeti Chopra and Ali Zafar.

Bengali veteran actress Suchitra Sen is stable and sessions of chest physiotherapy, non-invasive ventilation and continuous oxygen therapy have helped her oxygen saturation level go up, her medical reports said Wednesday.

According to the latest medical bulletin, her fluctuating oxygen saturation level stabilised "to some extent". She was put on non-invasive ventilator support after her condition deteriorated.

Her cardiac condition is also satisfactory though she is not out of danger yet, doctors said.

On Tuesday, doctors ruled out any immediate plans of discharging Sen from the hospital.

Due to continuous monitoring of her vital parameters, which might need active emergency intervention, Sen will continue to be kept under observation in Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) setting, they said in Tuesday's medical bulletin.

Sen was put on the ventilator Jan 3.

According to experts, her respiratory tract infection is under control, though it still remains detrimental to her health.

The 82-year-old actress was undergoing treatment for a chest infection at the nursing home since Dec 23 and was taken to the ITU after her condition worsened Dec 28 night.

Dubbed as the Greta Garbo of Bengali cinema, Sen is known for her performances in films "Deep Jwele Jaai" and "Uttar Falguni" in Bengali as well as Hindi movies "Devdas", "Bombai Ka Babu", "Mamta" and "Aandhi".

Her work was appreciated offshore too - she won the best actress award for "Saat Paake Bandha" at the Moscow Film Festival in 1963.

Since Sen quit acting in 1978, she has become the most talked about hermit of Kolkata as she stopped meeting people except for her daughter Moon Moon Sen, grand-daughters Raima and Riya and reportedly some spiritual gurus.

However, in a rare exception, Sen met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the nursing home Sunday.

Actor Boman Irani Wednesday denied that he and his son Danesh were involved in a Rs.425 crore scam allegedly led by a multi-level marketing firm QNet, saying he only attended a function organised by the company and that his son's earnings during that period were taxed.

"My involvement with the company is merely based on the fact that I have attended a function of QNet and had been photographed there," Boman said in a statement.

Complainant Gurupreet Singh Anand, who had filed an FIR against the QNet last August alleging the involvement of Boman and his son, has now approached the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), of the Mumbai police.

In the complaint he has provided details of alleged links of Danesh, who had worked in the company, with the scheme.

According to reports, the Mumbai police is currently probing Danesh's alleged role.

"My son had worked as an agent like thousands of others during 2007-2008, when he had passed out of college. After that he left for the US for his MBA," said Boman.

"His earnings and residuals for his hard earned efforts as a multi-level marketing agent are all taxed and above board," he added.

"Even though the individual has made this complaint, no authority, including the EOW, has intimated us about any inquiry. Rest assured, me and my family are law abiding citizens of the country," said Boman.

Actress Shruti Haasan, who recently underwent a surgery for appendicitis here, resumed work Wednesday. She shot for Akshay Kumar-starrer "Gabbar".

"Gabbar" went on floors Wednesday.

"(I'm) back in Mumbai and back to shoot. Bye bye appendix, hello New Year. I hate pain. Day one of 'Gabbar'," the 27-year-old tweeted post surgery.

Shruti, who was here Sunday to shoot for Telugu film "Race Gurram" and to promote her forthcoming release "Yevadu", was admitted to Jubilee Hills Apollo hospital after she complained of acute stomach ache.

"She was treated for appendicitis. Apparently, she was struggling with it for quite some time and she came in for a minor surgery and got it treated. She was kept under observation for a day, and was discharged Tuesday," an official from the hospital told IANS.

Shruti thanked her fans for their wishes on Twitter.

She wrote: "Hello tweeps! Thank you for all your love and get well soon wishes! (My) Appendix out and (I'm) raring to go albeit a bit slowly".

With the 3D version of "Sholay" released, fans of the 1975 mega movie are in for another treat as the film's infamous bandit, Gabbar Singh, will be recreated in a graphic novel.

Conceptualised by Sholay Media and Entertainment in partnership with Graphic India, the book titled 'Gabbar' will go on sale later this month.

The graphic novel explores Gabbar's past and narrates a "tragic and twisted story of revenge and redemption that turned an ordinary boy into India's most famous and feared villain".

"India's greatest and most frequently quoted villain, Gabbar Singh, will finally have his own comic book," said Sharad Devarajan, co-founder and CEO of Graphic India.

"'Sholay' is known and beloved by potentially hundreds of millions of people across the country, and remains the quintessential film to define Bollywood cinema. We are thrilled to take these iconic characters into exciting new stories through comics and digital shorts for the first time," he added.

In addition to the book, a motion comic episodic series of the story will be released in English and Hindi across mobile devices along with 'Sholay: The Graphic Novel', touted to be the official graphic novel adaptation of the original movie.

Superstar Mohanlal will lead the Kerala Strikers in the fourth edition of the Celebrity Cricket League.

The Kerala team this season will have Rajeev Pillai as Mohanlal's deputy. Upcoming star Asif Ali and Unni Mukundan are also in the team while Indrajith has opted out this season.

The opening match will be held Jan 25 in Mumbai where Mumbai Heroes take on Chennai Rhinos.

Kerala Strikers' opening match is slated for Jan 26 in Bangalore against last year's runners-up Telegu Warriors. Karnataka Bulldozers won the last edition of the tournament.

Popular actresses Mythili and Bhavana are the brand ambassadors for the Kerala team and it will play its home match here when it takes on Chennai Rhinos Feb 9.

Eight teams are grouped into two pools with Group A comprising Karnataka Bulldozers, Kerala Strikers, Bhojpuri Dabanggs and Mumbai Heroes. Telugu Warriors, Chennai Rhinos, Veer Marathi and Bengal Tigers are in Group B. The final is slated for Feb 23 in Hyderabad.

Shah Rukh Khan will host the 20th Annual Life OK Screen Awards to be held here Jan 14. The Bollywood superstar says that he enjoys hosting award functions as it gives him an opportunity to return the love of his fans.

The nomination list, the jury and the host name were announced Tuesday.

"I’ve always enjoyed hosting award functions and making people around me happy and Screen Awards gives me that opportunity, the chance to return all the love and the wishes that my audiences have always blessed me with," said Shah Rukh in a statement.

The awards function will be aired on Life OK channel on Jan 25.

"This is the 20th edition of Screen Awards and the first year of association with Life OK and I know we will have a long relationship ahead," he added.

Govind Nihalani, Atul Agnihotri, Homi Adajania, Moushumi Chatterji, Sonali Kulkarni and Shreyas Talpade, among others, have been named as the jury members who will select the best talents in over 30 categories for the 20th edition of the award show.

The awards will celebrate the achievement and excellence of Hindi as well as Marathi cinema.

Bollywood's 'jhakaas' star Anil Kapoor and 'desi girl' Priyanka Chopra will set out on a three-day tour to Los Angeles, Tampa Bay and New York, starting Jan 13, with the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) management to create a buzz about the 15th edition of the awards extravaganza.

This year, the IIFA awards will take place in Tampa Bay, Florida.

Together, they plan to make the right noises about the upcoming edition of the IIFA awards, which will happen for the first time in the US April 24-26.

Both Anil and Priyanka have an international connect. While Anil is popular for his act in the Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire" and TV show "24", Priyanka launched her career as a singer with her first single "In my city" in the US.

"We are very excited to bring IIFA to Tampa Bay. With the support of representatives of Visit Tampa, we have been able to conceptualize and actualize an incredible event. There will be music, dance and a whole lot of spice. We're looking forward to giving our fans and new audiences the experience of a lifetime," Priyanka said in a statement.

Anil, who recently gave Indian television a desi version of the American series "24", said: "As a friend of IIFA, I am delighted as IIFA makes its debut in the USA through Tampa Bay."

"We commit to give our audience an opportunity to witness one of the finest celebrations of culture and cinema," he added.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is busy gearing up for the event.

"This tour is just the beginning of a very exciting journey. Our entire region is enthusiastically preparing to welcome tens of thousands of visitors to our destination, and we look forward to serving as great hosts to the biggest and best IIFA awards in history," said Santiago Corrada, president and CEO, Visit Tampa Bay.

Actor Prateik Babbar Wednesday announced that one of his movies, "Rum Pum Poshsh", has been shelved due to financial problems.

He was roped in to play a writer in the psychological thriller.

"Sad news to share. 'Rum Pum Poshsh' has been stalled due to financial complications," Prateik posted on his Twitter page.

However, he promises some "brilliant" entertainment in the coming years.

"I'm not going anywhere. More brilliant films coming your way... real soon. Keep that faith," added the son of actor-politician Raj Babbar and late actress Smita Patil.

Meanwhile, Prateik has been busy shooting for a new film at Filmistan Studio here. He even caught up with Salman Khan.

"Spent the day chatting with (bhai) Salman Khan yesterday (Tuesday) till late at night, in between shots. We were both filming at Filmistan Studio," he added.

On the big screen, Prateik was last seen in "Issaq".

New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion will preside over the Jury of the 67th Cannes International Film Festival to be held in May.

The 59-year-old is the only female director to have won the Palme d'or in 1993 for "The Piano". Before that, she was awarded with the Short Film Palme d'or in 1986 for her first short film "Peel".

"Since I first went to Cannes with my short films in 1986, I have had the opportunity to see the festival from many sides and my admiration for this 'queen' of film festivals has only grown larger," aceshowbiz.com quoted Campion as saying.

"At the Cannes film festival they manage to combine and celebrate the glamour of the industry, the stars, the parties, the beaches, the business, while rigorously maintaining the festival's seriousness about the art and excellence of new world cinema," she added.

The 12-day festival will start here from May 14.

After using brand names like Zandu Balm in "Dabangg" and Fevicol in "Dabangg 2", the makers of Salman Khan's "Jai Ho" have come up with a peppy number called "Photocopy".

However, their first choice was "Xerox".

"Earlier, the word Xerox was decided to be used in the song but getting permission to use the brand name would have been time consuming, so we stuck to photocopy. I'm glad that the song has got very good response from the audience," Sohail Khan, director of the film, said in a statement.

"Jai Ho" also features Tabu and Om Puri. It is slated to release Jan 24, 2014.

Today he makes style statements that people follow, but there was a time when Amitabh Bachchan used to look up to Hindi film stars for fashion trends.

"I remember coming out of a theatre after seeing Shammi Kapoorji's 'Tumsa Nahin Dekha', wanting to be in possession of the jacket worn by him in a scene that was shot at a hill station - a coloured checked jacket with a belt around the waist," Amitabh posted on his blog srbachchan.tumblr.com late Tuesday night.

However, due to financial constraints, he could not go and buy a similar jacket.

"I remember too that not having the means to be able to purchase one, I had asked my mother to cut up a blanket that resembled the colours of the coat, and stitch me one. She did do it, and it became my most favoured apparel possession," he added.

On the movies front, the 71-year-old is busy shooting his film "Bhootnath Returns".