Actor-singer Ayushmann Khurrana is so much in love with Rishikesh that he wants to settle there and run a radio station.

The “Paani da” crooner is busy shooting for Sharat Katariya’s “Dum laga ke haisha” in the holy towns of Haridwar and Rishikesh.

“I feel one with this city. I feel one with self. Can stay here forever. Probably run a radio station for Rishikesh next to the Ganga,” Ayushmann, whose brother Aparshakti Khurrana a radio jockey, tweeted Friday.

“Haridwar stinks of religion. Rishikesh has an air of spirituality. No wonder the Beatles (British band) visited this place in 1968 for transcendental meditation,” he added.

Monica Dogra, called the queen of Indie music, will soon be seen in a short film with Kalki Koechlin. The film that also stars
Gulshan Devaiah is called Severing Ties and is directed by Ahmed Roy, a UK based filmmaker. Monica plays the role of the woman who is responsible for creating the love triangle between a husband and wife played by Kalki and Gulshan. Set in a modern day scenario, the film
focuses on issues of moral judgement between what is right and wrong and what happens when everything in one's life appears to be neither black nor white. Speaking about her excitement on being a part of this project, Monica said, "I am so happy I did this project. I feel like I made genuine and real friends in an industry where friends are hard to come by".

Monica has previously done roles in movies like Dhobi Ghat and David. She has also has given her voice to popular Bollywood numbers. In addition, she will soon be seen in two other movies in 2014, one an untitled project with Nasserudin and Vivaan Shah and the other called Fireflies with Rahul Khanna.

Actress Divya Dutta recently met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the screening of Shyam Benegal’s “‘Samvidhaan - The Making of the Constitution of India”. It turned out to be a cherishable moment for her.

“What an honour to be a part of Shyam Benegal’s ‘Samvidhaan’, screened at the Parliament House for the Prime Minister and Rajya Sabha members today (Thursday). And to be felicitated by the prime minister was a cherished moment. Thank you Shyam Babu for this beautiful experience,” Divya tweeted early Friday morning.

Directed by Benegal and produced by Rajya Sabha TV, “Samvidhaan” is a 10-part mini-series based on the Indian Constitution.

It will go on air on Rajya Sabha TV every Sunday 10 a.m. from March 2.

The Go Goa team of Saif Ali Khan and Vir Das has been roped in to recreate their magic for the 15th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards to be held in Tampa Bay, Florida. Apparently, the organizers have instructed everyone to stay tight lipped about the script of this stint, which is said to be a laugh riot.

The first set of star performers at the IIFA weekend - to be held April 23-26 - includes Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Sonakshi Sinha among others.

Raghu Dixit, lead vocalist of popular band The Raghu Dixit Project, has associated with new channel Pepsi MTV Indies, which promotes independent music and artists. He says the genre may have been popularised by the internet, but it is college festivals that have kept it alive.

"The internet has evolved so much today, people have it on their phones and tabs, so it has really given a platform to independent music, but it is mostly the college level festivals that keep independent music alive," Dixit told IANS in a telephonic interview from Mumbai.

"There are so many music festivals being organised now that young musicians get a big platform," added the artist, known for songs like "Ambar", "Hey Bhagwan", "No man will ever love you, like I do".

The singer feels that a channel like Pepsi MTV Indies, which will cater entirely to the Indie music genre, will act as a huge platform for budding artists.

"This channel will be like the first train for budding artists. For me, it's like the last train. When I made my first album, music channels decided to pull out on non-film music, and focussed on Bollywood songs," the 39-year-old said.

"The new channel is being launched just after my second album came out. So I strongly feel it will provide a platform not only for newcomers, but also for artists like me," Dixit added.

The scientist-turned-singer has composed music for several Kannada films and a couple of Hindi films as well. He is now working on a Yash Raj Films' project "Bewakoofiyan", which stars Sonam Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurrana and Rishi Kapoor.

"It's my first mainstream movie. While composing for a movie one needs to keep in mind different parameters - like the actor, actress, what the director wants, how is the story, so it is a challenge! But it gives an option to explore and try out different things," Dixit said.

Actor Farhan Akhtar's forthcoming film "Shaadi Ke Side Effects" portrays how an Indian husband yearns to have the life of a single man even after marriage, but he says the plot has no "similarity" with his real life.

In an interview, Farhan gets down to talking about the comedy movie, which stars Vidya Balan, and also about his future projects:

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. "Shaadi Ke Side Effects" (SKSE) is a completely contrasting world from "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" (BMB)?
A. Oh absolutely. And you can see the difference in the way I promote the two films. A certain mood of fun and dance has crept into the promotion of SKSE. Of course, we danced while promoting BMB, but it would been unfair and disrespectful to make light of Milkha Singh-ji’s life and struggle during the marketing of BMB. SKSE is a more fun-oriented film.

Q. SKSE too has a serious message?
A. I wouldn’t say it has a serious message. But it has a heart. It’s a heart-warming experience. It’s about how the Indian husband yearns to have the life of a single man even after marriage.

Q. Some mediapersons try to connect the film with your own marriage. Is that an embarrassment?
A. It isn’t an embarrassment. But it is unnecessary. I am playing a role in SKSE. I am playing a character in the film. There is no similarity with my real life.

Q. And Vidya Balan...what was it like working with her?
A. To begin with, she’s a tremendous actress. So natural, grounded and so uncomplicated. It was a pleasure to be around her. It was a true joy to work with her. We had optimum time together since most of the screen time is shared between us. I’d say we’ve developed a friendship during the course of the shooting.

Q. Did you know her before this film?
A. No,before shooting the film, we didn’t know each other at all. And I don’t open up easily to people I am not close to. But the need of the hour was to develop a compatibility. And I did just that. And I didn’t regret it at all.

Q. Did the ice between the two of you break immediately?
A. The first thing I noticed about Vidya was that she laughed a lot. She has an infectious laughter. When she laughs, you feel like laughing along. Then we started hanging out together. We shared quite a few laughs. Within the first two days, we began feeling comfortable with one another.

Q. What next?
A. I start Zoya’s film in May. I am with Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma.

Q. Interesting cast?
A. That’s Zoya for you. We’ll be shooting in the open sea.

Q. I hope you’re not seasick?
A. I will soon found out. Then I’ve Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s film directed by Bejoy Nambiar. Though I am just an actor in the film, you know how Vinod Chopra is. There is a lot of give-and-take of ideas.

Q. Do you give your inputs to the director when you’re just acting?
A. I don’t hold myself back. If I feel there’s something that needs to be said during shooting, I say it.

Actress Manisha Koirala, who has worked with Bollywood's big stars, including Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, is impressed by the younger talent and says she finds Ranbir Kapoor fit to play her brother on screen.

“I have been seeing Ranbir Kapoor, and I think he is brilliant. I think he can do my younger brother's role,” the 43-year-old told IANS during a chat on the sidelines of a recently held event here.

Manisha, who carved her own niche in the Hindi film industry with films like “Bombay”, “1942: A Love Story” and “Dil Se”, is impressed too with the new female talent in the Hindi film industry.

“In actresses, there are so many. From Anushka Sharma, Parineeti Chopra, Sonakshi Sinha to Sonam Kapoor...everyone is so competitive,” said the actress, who has successfully battled cancer.

On the big screen, she was last seen in "Bhoot Returns".

The captain of a private airline Friday off-loaded the entire Kerala Strikers cricket team and its supporters from the flight for misbehaviour, the airline said. The team denied the charge.

In a statement issued here by the airline, it said that flight 6E-314 from Kochi to Hyderabad, scheduled to depart at 1 p.m., had to abort take-off and was taken to the bay as some passengers started misbehaving with the crew.

"As a result, the captain had to request the security staff to offload 30 passengers, along with their baggage. Initially the passengers resisted but eventually had to deplane as the other passengers on board requested the same. We are facilitating the rebooking process for these passengers on the next available flight," it said.

The flight eventually took off from Kochi at at 2.33 p.m. and landed at Hyderabad at 3.44 p.m. said the airline statement.

Kerala Strikers represent the Malayalam film actors.

Speaking to the media on the episode, team captain Rajeev Pillai gave his version of the incident.

"Soon after the air hostess finished her demonstration, there was some clapping of hands and whistling. This irked not the one who did the demonstration, but the one standing behind her who then complained to the captain. The captain then asked all of us to get out and we came out," he said.

Meanwhile, a Kochi airport official told IANS that the team is at the airport waiting to catch the next available flight as their next match is scheduled in Hyderabad Saturday.

The 30-member group included the team, its support staff and two women actors too.

After Yaariyan, T-Series in association with BVG films is all set to release Vikram Bhatt’s next sci-fi thriller, 'Creature 3D'.The film starring Bipasha Basu will mark the debut of Imran Abbas and is slated to release on 27th June, 2014.

The 3D film uses VFX, the first of its kind in India. Bhushan Kumar says, “Creature will be the first time we make a sci-fi film. This film will definitely give our audience something different and Vikram has shot it on par international standards. He has finished the shoot of the film and is now busy with post production for a 27th June release.”

Shazahn Padamsee and Mahesh Bhatt are all set to come together on screen for Mukul Misra's Siddhartha. The story follows a troubled young boy, with Shazahn playing the girl who changed his life. The crew has been in intensive workshops for the past two weeks and will be leaving to shoot the film in Manali soon.

A one-legged contestant of "India's Got Talent 5" has grabbed the attention of a lot of Bollywood celebrities. The latest is "Highway" actress Alia Bhatt.

The contestant, Subhreet Kaur Ghumman's aerial act during the semi-finals of the reality show left the actress speechless.

Alia came on the show to promote her movie "Highway". While she had some fun in the company of judges Karan Johar, Malaika Arora Khan and Kirron Kher, little did she know that Subhreet's performance would leave her grappling for words.

Dressed in an angelic outfit, Subhreet looked like a fairy descending from the sky.

The 20-year-old actress was so moved by Subhreet's performance that she went on stage and saluted her spirit and will power. She even said that she felt it to be a moment of pride to share the stage with her, said a statement.

The "Student Of The Year" star even joined Subhreet along with the three judges to dance on the popular song "Radha" from her debut film "Student Of The Year".

"India's Got Talent 5" airs on Colors.

Lauding "Gulaab Gang" director Soumik Sen for scripting a woman-centric film, actress Madhuri Dixit Friday here acknowledged that women have risen to prominence in the film industry and are essaying diverse roles from scripting to direction.

Madhuri also noted the changing trend of directors perceiving women in unconventional roles.

"I see lot of women in script-writing, lot of women directing movies, so I think the women have not only been relegated to those jobs considered women's jobs like say hair-dresser or an actress - these were the only two women seen on the set but today we see a lot of them and that is what is happening," she told the media here while promoting "Gulaab Gang".

"Gulaab Gang" is directed by Soumik Sen and produced by Anubhav Sinha. The film also features Huma Qureshi and Juhi Chawla.

"There is an emergence of new sensibilities - directors like Soumik who write films for women who have that respect and different way of looking at women and we are fortunate to have such directors to write scripts for us and this is a great time for women and films in general," she said.

The actress highlighted the film's relevance as it deals burning topics related to women's rights.

"I never imagined a film with both roles, good and evil both being played by women... I think that's wonderful and of course it's so relevant in today's time. You see, you look around what's happening in Delhi and Mumbai.... women's safety and there are so many issues that have come to light about how women are treated in society and I thought this was the right time for a film like this to be made because it talks of women's empowerment," she said.

"It talks about educating women and this has been written by a man and I am optimistic that there will be a time when the way a man looks at a woman will change and it is already happening," she explained, adding that women must be taught self-defence.

Actress Geetika Tyagi, who has used a video on a social networking platform to accuse "Jolly LLB" filmmaker Subhash Kapoor of "forcing himself" on her and "dragging her" during a party held over a year ago, says it was not a case of casting couch as is being reported in the media.

The video, posted on video-sharing website YouTube Tuesday, shows Geetika slapping Subhash. She is seen confronting him too.

Once the video caught the eye of around 35,000 viewers and the media interpreted the matter in various ways, Geetika released a statement Friday to clarify her stance.

Blaming the media for giving the whole incident a different twist “without checking out the video properly”, she said: “After much contemplation and courage, I took that step of uploading the stronger evidence. I used the social platform to reveal that.

"I assumed that people will observe and understand it carefully. Media will take it sensitively and sensibly. However, in these two days, I figured that a few channels have not even seen the video properly, they just took bits and pieces and played them in loop.

"Moreover, there have been counter-allegations from certain Danish Raza and people from film industry giving this whole matter a film industry twist which it never was. I am restressing that it is not a case of casting couch.

"I have utmost respect for the film industry, its artists and technicians."

She also said that the intent behind issuing the statement, is to "clear certain facts and set the context right".

Branding herself a "baby of commercial cinema", actress Madhuri Dixit, who will be seen playing a crusading activist in the forthcoming "Gulaab Gang", Friday said she would "love" to do an out and out comedy film, if the script is to her liking.

"I am a baby of commercial cinema, I did films like 'Raja', which was a mad, funny comedy and I am not averse to that and if I am offered a film like that and if I like the script, then I am open to do that... I would love to do a completely off-the-roof kind of comedy, " she told the media here while promoting "Gulaab Gang".

"Gulaab Gang" is directed by Soumik Sen and produced by Anubhav Sinha. The film also features Huma Qureshi and Juhi Chawla. It releases March 7.

The actress who has given power-packed performances in films like "Lajja" and "Mrityudand" believes in the feminism that stems from within.

"I do believe women should have their own voice, they should be independent, they should stand on their own. I do believe in feminism but I don't believe in the naare-baazi (slogan-shouting) and all.... it should come from within and it should be there for everyone," she said.

The unusual title of his maiden directorial venture "Gulaab Gang" has a got something to do with American hard rock band Aerosmith, Soumik Sen revealed here Friday.

"There is a song by Aerosmith called 'Pink' and it has lyrics 'Pink it's like red but not quite'. We associate pink with softness but it can also be angry and fierce and 'Gulaab' in 'Gulaab Gang' represents that," he told the media here during a promotional event.

"Gulaab Gang", produced by Anubhav Sinha, features Madhuri Dixit, Huma Qureshi and Juhi Chawla, bringing Juhi and Madhuri together for the first time.

Responding to questions on this, Madhuri said: "I wouldn't say (we were) competitors, I would say contemporaries... finally we got a film that was worthwhile and we had a great time doing it."

Sen also clarified that the film is not centred on Uttar Pradesh-based social activist Sampat Pal and her Gulabi Gang, which works towards liberation of women in the state.

Producer Sinha had earlier tweeted that it is fiction.

A documentary titled "Gulabi Gang" directed by Nishtha Jain released Friday.

Film: "Darr@The Mall"; Cast: Jimmy Shergill, Nushrat Bharucha,Arif Zakaria; Directed by Pawan Kripalani; Rating:***

It is easy to dismiss all films of the horror genre as surplus spook, more amusing and annoying than scary. Once in a while there comes a clutter-breaker among the harvest of scare fests that descend on us annually in batches of boo-startle.

"Darr@The Mall" is done with less stress on savagery than the genre favours. Though the head count does multiply alarmingly as the story progresses, we are pulled into the supernatural mayhem more by intelligent forces that grisly gimmicks. The characters get into the bloody mess without swimming in a tide of hysterical terror.

The film is set in an eerily emptied-out mall where various supernatural shapes come and go at will leaving behind a harvest of unfinished business from a past trespass to be dealt with in the present. In a sense, this film is more about guilt and the conscience than horror in the highlands.

The narrative moves at an even pace, quickly eliminating characters so that we zero in on the evil core of the malaise without losing time or momentum

There are some smartly done set-pieces of terror in the narrative meant to get the audiences riveted to the edge of their seats. A death in a skating rink is shot with austere anxiety. Director Pawan Kripalani who earlier made the excessively gruesome horror film "Ragini MMS" goes easy on the gore, focusing rather on building the story up to a rather moving finale where the mystery of the mauling the mall is unravelled.

Admirably Kripalani's direction seldom sinks into excessive gimmickry. The sound design harnesses incidental sounds of startled screams, muffled cries and distant childish laughter mingling to create a feeling of fatal foreboding.

The cast shares the plot's fear factor without using the panic element to aggravate the terror. Most of the sequences are scary without visual props. This is unusual for the horror genre and enough reason to pay a visit. The performances move fluently through the horrific hinterland. And the large spaces and swanky interiors afforded by the mall are used effectively to generate a sense of heightened anxiety.

The ever-competent Jimmy Shergill holds the proceedings together in ways that become apparent as the plot progresses. The rest of the cast is not bad either.

"Darr@The Mall" is one of the more polished products of the much-abused horror genre.This one tends to hold itself back from the excesses associated with the genre. No over-saturated soundtrack, no creaking doors, and most surprising of all - no busty women running down long dark corridors.

When was the last time we saw terror pumped without cleavage?

The moaning glory is held up without cheap props. And that in itself is reason enough to applaud this film.

The paparazzi culture in the country is on the rise and it often irks several celebrities, but Bollywood's once leading actress Karisma Kapoor says it's all a part of the game.

At the launch of the book "Timeless Austen" Friday, when asked if she believes that a celebrity's personal life is public stuff, she said: "Every celebrity is in the public eye. If something is written about them, it's all a part of life and the game and we as known figures have to take it in our stride."

The 39-year-old actress was last seen in the film "Dangerous Ishhq" in 2012. She has no plans to do another film anytime soon.

However, she is dabbling with new things like radio jockeying.

Manisha Koirala, who hails from Nepal and emerged a star in Bollywood and then survived cancer, does not approve of the kind of portrayal that cancer patients get in Hindi films where they are invariably shown as fighting a losing battle. She says it misguides already misinformed people about the feared disease.

"In our films, they show that if you are suffering from cancer, then you have to die. Nobody has till now shown that you can deal with cancer and you can also survive for 30 to 40 years," Manisha, a survivor of ovarian cancer, told IANS in a conversation in the capital. She returned to the country last June after spending over six months in New York for treatment.

About a million cases of cancer are detected in India every and it kills about half of them. These numbers are projccted to go up considerably in the coming years.

The 43-year-old feels "a lot has been done in India for cancer awareness, but a lot needs to be done especially the villages.

"The information is not sufficient. People say that if you are suffering from cancer, you will die. Unfortunately, that upsets me.

"I come from a background where people are educated, but what about poor women? Maybe the disease has not killed them, but the fear will take their lives. Even if they have a chance to survive, they will be dead with all the negative talk around," said the 43-year-old, who looked her charming self even with her cropped hairdo.

Now as a Good Samaritan, Manisha, who comes from one of the best-known political families of Nepal, is doing her bit for cancer awareness by speaking out about the disease. She recently lent support to the Sahachari Foundation to raise funds for cancer survivors with its Design One initiative. She also hopes to launch an NGO that will promote good health.

Manisha, one of the prettiest actresses of her time, says supporting such causes comes naturally to her because of what she went through during her ordeal.

"One can't describe the tough time. We (I) don't even remember how tough it was because it is painful to remember that. When you come out of it, you take a while to gain confidence and to meet people because you wonder what the other person is thinking..."

It is thus imperative to "learn to take it in one's stride".

"We have to learn to accept it and move on. One should not be bogged down with anything in life. God has given each of us enough strength within us. We must find that core strength within, fight it and emerge successfully," she said, flashing what still looks like a million dollar smile!

She finds herself a changed person.

"I am hugely changed from earlier on. I think I started seeing things in a clearer way. I feel one should value life every day - valuing your moments; valuing people around you is needed because god knows what is going to happen. Grab life with both hands and hug it," she said.

During her prime, Manisha worked in critically acclaimed films like "Bombay", "Dil Se" and "1942: A Love Story". She had made her Bollywood debut with "Saudagar" in 1991, and recently made a comeback with Ram Gopal Varma's "Bhoot Returns", which didn't do well at box office.

Now she is hopeful for a second innings but has her choices set in her mind.

"I made many wrong choices earlier. I started taking myself for granted as I felt I am good-looking and talented, but not any more. I know my talent and whatever capacity I have as an actor.

"If that is going to get utilised to the optimum, only then am I going to do the film," said the actress.

Kangana Ranaut's character Rani from the film "Queen" lacks confidence, but the actress says she relates to the fighting spirit and "never give up" attitude associated with the role.

Directed by Vikas Bahl, "Queen" focuses on a girl named Rani, her journey of growing up as an individual, and how she rediscovers her identity while on a honeymoon alone.

"As a girl, I relate to the character (of Rani) but she has serious issues, like she lacks confidence, she does not have self respect even, if I say. Contrary to her, I have never faced such issues in my life," Kangana told reporters here Friday during the launch of a new TV show "Halla Bol".

"So my character Rani in the film has these issues, but I don't. But I do relate to the kind of fighting spirit she has. She never gives up," she added.

"Queen", releasing Feb 28, also features Rajkummar Rao and Lisa Haydon.

Veteran actor Manchu Mohan Babu, for the first time in the last many years, will appear sans a toupee in Ram Gopal Varma's forthcoming Telugu political thriller "Rowdy".

"Mohan Babu will be seen in his natural avatar in RGV's forthcoming big action film 'Rowdy', sporting his real look without toupee. The power packed team behind the movie feels the intensity of this film is sure to freeze the audience this summer," read a statement from the film's production AV Pictures.

The 61-year old has been sporting a toupee for his roles in recent films like "Pandavulu Pandavulu Tummeda", "Jhummandi Naadam" and "Saleem".

After many years, Mohan Babu is paired with veteran actress Jayasudha in the film, which also features his son Manchu Vishnu.

Mohan and Jayasudha have earlier worked together in films such as "Gruhapravesham", "Sivaranjani" and "Edadugula Bandham".

The makers believe "Rowdy" will be bigger than many hits of Mohan Babu.

"Producers of the film, Parthasarathy, Gajendra and Vijaykumar of AV Pictures say that the film's impact is expected to be even bigger than Mohan Babu's hit films such as 'Peddarayadu' and 'Rayalaseema Ramana Chowdary'," added the statement.

Actress Shanvi Srivastav will be seen in an important role in the film, which has music by Sri Karthik.

The film was reportedly completed in 18 days.