No films, no commitments, and not even the excitement of his daughter Aathiya’s film debut - Suniel Shetty has put aside his work and priorities for the sake of his father, who is unwell.

To make sure his father is comfortable, Suniel has even converted an entire flank of his home in South Mumbai into an ICU.

"I haven't had a proper night's sleep for three months now. It's a very mixed kind of feeling for me. On the one hand my daughter Aathiya is getting ready for her film career. On the other hand my father is very unwell,” said Suniel.

Aathiya has left to shoot for her debut film “Hero” with Sooraj Pancholi in Manali.

“The excitement of Aathiya's debut is sadly diminished. At the moment we're all focusing on looking after my father,” said Suniel.

His father’s frail health is the reason why Suniel was away from the Celebrity Cricket League matches.

Suniel is aghast about the stories that he had an on-field fracas with Aftab Shivdasani.

"How can I 'come to blows' with anyone, least of all a guy as sweet and gentle as Aftab? It is very embarrassing to read such stories, specially at a time when I am going through a personal crisis. Right now nothing is more important to me than my father's health,” he said.

Suniel is in fact saying no to movie offers.

"There will be many opportunities for work later. The time spent with my father now is much more vital and valuable,” he said.

He is not the least perturbed about his daughter's shooting schedules outside Mumbai.

"I know she's in completely safe hands. Salman Khan's production crew is like family to us. They look after both Aathiya and Sooraj like their own children," he said.

Film: “Thegidi”; Director: P. Ramesh; Cast: Ashok Selvan, Chakrapani, Govardhan, Janani Iyer, Jayakumar, Jayaprakash, Kaali, Kamalakannan, Madhavan and Pradeep Nair; Rating: ***1/2

According to a line from "Thegidi", “the core concentration of a detective's job is shadowing and surveillance”.

It's after you hear this line and understand what it means completely, you realize how brilliantly the entire story of the film is built on this single line. With films like "Pizza" and "Soodhu Kavvum" proving to be successful with wacky content and offbeat presentation, "Thegidi" conveniently falls in that list of films that manage to push the envelope effortlessly.

Having successfully completed Master of Arts in Criminology, Vetri (Ashok) takes up a job with a detective agency. On his first assignment, he is asked to gather information about three subjects. He does so by closely watching his subjects without blowing his cover and gathers vital information.

As his fourth subject, he's asked to follow Madhu (Janani), but in the process he falls in love with her and even gets close to her by concealing his true identity.

Meanwhile, each of Vetri's three subjects dies mysteriously. He comes to the conclusion that Madhu might be also on the list. Vetri should protect Madhu, but at the same time, he has find out what lead to the death of his three subjects.

The first thing to like about the film is its short running time of 122 minutes. When most star-studded films take about nearly three hours to narrate a done to death story, "Thegidi", with a not so popular lead cast, succeeds in keeping us hooked to our seats.

But with a slow build up to the climax, even with a shorter running time, it does make you little impatient every now and then.

Ideally you expect a thriller to race at the speed of a stallion, but this film maintains a low profile and builds up tension gradually. This should not be mistaken as lousy filmmaking because director Ramesh does it on purpose. He expects his audience to be vigilant and step into the shoes of Vetri to observe the tiniest detail with attention.

By having a slow narrative, he gives us the opportunity to see everything that Vetri could miss. In essence, he makes us the eyes and ears of Vetri.

All the recent thrillers in Tamil like "Pizza", "Pizza 2" seem to have an unconventional end, hinting at a possible sequel in the offing. Likewise, "Thegidi" too packs in a twist in the tale that will totally catch you off guard and it is at that moment that you root for the film even more.

While Ashok Selvan does a neat job of playing a detective with a nosy attitude, the film, I feel, needed a stronger lead. It needed someone who could express a gamut of emotions such as fear, curiosity, and love so on flawlessly.

Ashok struggled in expressing the required emotions in some important scenes. Janani did well in a role with minimum scope for performance. Jayaprakash as usual impressed in a cameo and proves why he's one of the finest character actors in the industry.

If "Thegidi" turns out to be a hit, debutant music composer Nivas Prasanna deserves huge credit for the success. He carries the tension of the film right till the end with his background score and songs that are placed in the narrative at right junctures.

With its share of ups and downs, "Thegidi" is a taut film executed in style.

Three Indian movies will be screened at the 38th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) here March 27 March-April 7.

Amit Kumar's Bollywood film "Monsoon Shootout" and Farida Pacha's Swiss-Indian documentary "My Name Is Salt" will have their Asian premiere at the fest. Richie Mehta's Indo-Canadian feature "Siddharth" will also be screened at the gala.

Anurag Kashyap-backed "Monsoon Shootout", featuring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Tannishtha Chatterjee, was earlier screened at the Cannes International Film Festival.

"My Name is Salt", an observational documentary, shows how India’s monsoon rains flood the salt fields of Gujarat and make thousands of salt workers descend on the desert to harvest one of the world’s greatest commodities.

“Siddharth” is about Mahendra, a south Delhi street vendor on the run to search for his missing 12-year-old son.

The Hong Kong international Film Festival is organised by Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, an NGO aimed at discovering and promoting creativity in the art and culture of film.

US-born actress Nargis Fakhri says she is still learning the ropes of making it big in Mumbai’s entertainment world, where people are “best friends” with a person till they have work. “Once a film is over the friendship is also over,” she rued.

The “Rockstar” actress has been appreciated for her role in “Madras Cafe”, and she now looking forward to “Main Tera Hero”.

Excerpts from an interview with the model-turned-actress:

Q. "Madras Cafe" got you good reviews. Did it get you good roles ?

A. I did receive many compliments for that role. The offers did come in. But at the moment, after "Main Tera Hero", I am only doing "Shaukeen".

Q. From "Rockstar" to "Main Tera Hero", what has your journey been like so far?

A. I've learnt a lot about the ways of Mumbai's entertainment industry. But not enough yet. The one thing that I've sadly realized is when people are working with you they are your best friends. Once a film is over the friendship is also over. This is a painful process for someone who think friendships are for a lifetime.

Q. How much at-home do you feel now when you are three years old in Bollywood?

A. Shall I be honest? I am still a fish out of water. I don't understand a lot of things here. I am still trying to find my way around this place, trying to 'belong'. Like I am told, that if you working in Bollywood, you have to use accessories like wigs, false eyelashes and lots of make-up. So I do that although I am totally anti-accessory.

Q. You don't have to do what everyone does!

A. You do! If you don't, everyone will accuse you of being difficult. It's very tough to create a balance between what I am comfortable with and what people expect from me. If I have to survive, I've to try to be a conformist. But I've to admit there are lots of things I still don't understand. What hurts the most is that people here are so friendly when they are working with you and then they become like strangers.

For someone like me who is very picky about friends, that's very painful. But a friend told me,“"You got schooled, not fooled”" You feel stupid when you are conned by people. But eventually you come out wiser. I never want to get bitter about experiences, no matter how bad.

Q. Do you miss your family in Mumbai?

A. I've to tell you, my mother visited me in Mumbai in January for the first time since I came here. She had a great time. She was with me for a couple of days in Mumbai. Then I sent her off on her own journey through North India. Regrettably, I couldn't spend more time with her because I had to promote my new film. But I am glad she saw how I lived.

Q. This was your mother's first visit?

A. Yes, though people wrote earlier that mom visited, and I was living in with Shahid Kapoor. Ha ha.

Q. So did you have to hide boyfriends and beer bottles when your mother visited?

A. Not at all. I talk about everything under the sun with my mom. I am a lot like my mom. We're very close. I take care of her financially and emotionally. She is my best friend. We talk about drugs, alcohol, and sex.

Q. I don't see you doing drugs. The rest I wouldn't know?

A. I am not doing much of anything else either right now except working. So it's a depressing life for me.

Q. Was "Main Tera Hero" a pleasant experience?

A. It was great fun. Most of the time I had a good time. It was like working with my family. Ileana ’'Cruz and Varun Dhawan were very helpful. I pray I get to work with such people everyday. Ileana and I are so similar. She thinks the way I do. We both have a good head on our shoulders, although I am a lot crazier than her.

Q. Varun is your generation?

A. We hit it off immediately. Varun went to college abroad. We had a lot in common. I will not be politically incorrect. I'll say he's my most favourite co-star. He's a very smart young man. And very caring. I saw how kindly and generously he treats his staff. For me that's a sure sign of a good human being.

Actress Rani Mukerji's comeback venture “Mardaani” seems to have hit a snag. Director Pradeep Sarkar was supposed to shoot at the Mumbai airport earlier this week, but permission is said to have been denied.

“Rani and her co-star Jisshu Sengupta were supposed to shoot a romantic scene on the Juhu beach early in the morning on Thursday. In the evening they were supposed to do a very emotional sequence at the airport. However, the airport sequence had to be cancelled because the necessary permission was not forthcoming,” said a source from Yash Raj Films.

The sequence has now been pushed to March-end.

"Pradeep has cancelled both the shooting on the beach and the airport sequence on Thursday. He will shoot them both when the airport authorities allow shooting on the airport. In the meanwhile, a long schedule for ‘Mardaani’ is planned in Delhi at the beginning of March," the source added.

Actress Payal Rohatgi, who recently got engaged to her wrestler-boyfriend Sangram Singh, says he has helped to bring stability in her life.

"Ever since I met Sangram, I am at peace with myself. I am glad I have found a partner who is a man of his words. He is humble, mature and a terrific human being," said Payal.

The pair, who have been in a relationship for three years, got engaged in Ahmedabad on Feb 27 in the presence of Payal's parents.

"The sagaai was a simple ceremony. Sangram is a simple man with high moral values," she said.

They will tie the knot this winter. "The shaadi will hopefully happen in November or December 2014. Sangram is the man for me. Of that I am sure," she said.

What about the two being such different human beings? Would they be able to make a marriage work?

"I guess God has his own plans for all of us. And I trust his decision. He always does what's best for me," she said.

Filmmaker-choreographer Farah Khan says she doesn't need an alarm clock to wake her up in the morning.

Farah is married to director-producer Shirish Kunder and the couple together has a triplet -- daughters Anya and Diva, and son Czar.

The 48-year-old says she woke up by the noise of drum beats which her six-year-old son was playing.

"You don't need a morning alarm when you have a six-year-old boy who's got a drum set as a birthday present. Now to find out who gave this gift," Farah tweeted Sunday.

On the work front, Farah is currently shooting for her musical "Happy New Year", which features Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Boman Irani, Abhishek Bachchan, Sonu Sood and Vivaan Shah.

Actress Shruti Haasan is happy that her Telugu action-thriller "Yevadu" completed 50 days Sunday.

The 28-year-old took to microblogging website Twitter to thank the entire team of the movie.

"Happy on 'Yevadu' completing 50 successful days. Thanks to the entire team, our director Vamsi (Paidipalli) my co-star Ram Charan (Teja) and of course you the audience," Shruti tweeted.

"Yevadu" also stars Amy Jackson, Kajal Agarwal and Allu Arjun.

Actress Preity Zinta is happy to be in US and will be attending the Spring Charity Ball.

The Spring Charity Ball 2014 began in California, US, March 1 and will conclude Sunday.

"Always excited to be in the US even though the flight feels longer everytime. Hope I make it to the Spring Charity Ball without passing out," Preity posted on Twitter.

The 39-year-old had earlier said that she feels "totally zonked" because of the jet lag and wished she was attending a Sleeping Beauty Ball.

"Landed in California and it's pouring down rain. Now in SFO and (I) am totally zonked with the jet lag. Wish was attending a Sleeping Beauty Ball," she posted.

The actress was last seen on the silver screen in her maiden production "Ishkq In Paris", which didn't garner much success at the box office.

She has styled Angelina Jolie's locks umpteen times and has an exhaustive list of Hollywood films to her credit. Adruitha Lee, nominated in the make-up and hairstyling category of the 86th Academy Awards for "Dallas Buyers Club", wonders what changes can an Oscar victory bring in one's life.

The Academy Awards ceremony is due to take place in Los Angeles Sunday. Lee is pinning her hopes to clinch the golden statuette with her first Oscar nomination.

"I am just so excited even being nominated! Of course it'd be wonderful to win an Oscar, but if it would change anything, I don't know. I don't think it'll change me, I enjoy what I do and I can't imagine it changing me, but will it change the way people approach me for both work or otherwise? I don't know," Lee told IANS in an email interview from Los Angeles.

"I really don't know and that remains to be seen. I am hopeful because I would love to win an Oscar, but I am just a lot more excited to be nominated too," said the creative talent, who considers "Dallas Buyers Club" difficult because "we had no money and we had no time".

With an experience of over 20 years in showbiz, Lee has such titles as "The Good Shepherd", "A Mighty Heart", "Hannah Montana: The Movie", "Salt", "The Artist" and "12 Years A Slave" in her filmography.

For period drama "Dallas Buyers Club", which released in India Friday, Lee shares her nomination with make-up artist Robin Mathews. She truly believes in the importance of coordination between the hairstyling and make-up departments for a film.

"It's so important because a lot of times you don't have a lot of time and both hair and make-up (departments) have to work on the actor at the same time, simultaneously, and it's just important that you be able to do that. Just do your work, do it well and yet allow somebody to work on it at the same time; make-up and hair need to work seamlessly together because you are so close and one thing compliments the other," she said.

Also, while hair may be a miniscule part of a person's overall look, the right hairstyling goes a long way in creating a "complete" character.

"Hairstyling can finish off a character or help make the character. You know it is so important to get the right thing and for the actor to feel right. If they are comfortable and they like what they see, that helps them deliver a better performance. It completes the character as it's the frame for the face," Lee explained.

Being a celebrity hairstylist comes with its share of issues - but like in most other jobs, " you've got to give it everything you've got" and be patient, suggests Lee.

"(As a celebrity hairstylist) You know you have the time constraint because you've got to finish your work in a certain amount of time, you have to please the director, you got to to see the live situation, make sure everything looks good in the lighting, and of course you have to please your actor.

"There are so many people that need to be happy with what you've done, you just have to do a good job, you've got to give it everything you've got, you got to know how to be the best at what you can be, because there are so many things you need to be aware of. Yeah, it's tough."

Actress Sonam Kapoor, who has been on cover of various high-end magazines, has now graced the cover of debut edition of bridal magazine - Harper's BAZAAR Bride.

With fonts in bridal colours like yellow and red, her golden ensemble looks perfect for the cover of the magazine, which is targeting bride, groom and all high-life enthusiasts.

It will hit the newsstands this month.

"We are very excited to extend Harper's BAZAAR into this important category in India, and look forward to working with our longstanding partner India Today on this successful launch," Gautam Ranji, senior vice president, licensing and business development, Hearst Magazines International, said in a statement.

Harper's BAZAAR Bride is expected to be an ultimate ‘go-to' magazine for luxury weddings, opulent bridal-wear and international lifestyle along with the latest trends in destination events, honeymoon hotspots, spectacular soirees, and more.

"With the Indian wedding market poised to be the largest in the next couple of years, we are very excited about our foray into the Luxury wedding space with the launch of Harper's BAZAAR Bride," said Ashish Bagga, Group CEO, India Today Group.

Sonam had also featured on the covers of magazines like GQ India, Hi! Blitz, Vogue India and Elle India in 2013.

Artists often talk about the hardships they have had to face in finding their first big break in filmdom, but 1990s diva Madhuri Dixit says she never had to struggle and the offer came to her door step.

She entered filmdom with the 1984 film "Abodh", which was made under the banner of Rajshri Productions.

"I have never struggled for anything in my life because I never thought I will be an actress. Film just walked up to my house with 'Abodh'. We met them (the makers), then my family decided that I will do just one film," Madhuri told IANS and added that her family used to run away from movies.

But destiny had stardom in store for Madhuri -- she didn't stop at one film and continued to work in movies like "Awara Baap" and "Uttar Dakshin", which didn't do much to her career. It was the 1998 release "Tezaab" that catapulted her into big league and there was no looking back for her afterwards.

"Struggle was to prove myself, to do my best... so those things were the struggle for me. I am thankful to whatever I have got in my life, but one thing which is always at the back of my mind, is my dance academy. I would love to see my dance academy growing," said the actress of super hits like "Ram Lakhan", "Dil", "Saajan", "Hum Aapke Hain Koun...!" and "Dil To Pagal Hai".

Recently she made an impressive come-back with "Dedh Ishqiya". In terms of numbers, the film didn't set the cash registers ringing, but the 46-year-old won plaudits for her performance.

Currently, she is busy promoting her next release "Gulaab Gang", coming out March 7, and says she took reference from various women to prepare for the role.

Directed by Soumik Sen, "Gulaab Gang", which also features Juhi Chawla in a prominent role, draws its inspiration from the real life vigilante group 'Gulabi Gang', which operates in the Bundelkhand area of Uttar Pradesh under the tutelage of Sampat Pal.

"I took references from all the women in the world. Rajjo is representative of all the women. She is fantastically portrayed on screen. There are women who are larger than life and it's a salute to them," said Madhuri.

Nadeem Saif, living in exile since 2000 after being accused of music baron Gulshan Kumar's murder, says he wants to return home.

"It has been 17 years of torture and punishment, defamation and bias," said Nadeem of the famed Nadeem-Shravan duo.

Gulshan Kumar, the founder of T-Series, was killed in 1997 and the composer was holidaying in Britain when the incident took place.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: You have apparently asked the Indian government for an apology? Why do you think you deserve an apology?

A: The High Court of England, the House of Lords of England and the Indian Session Court have all cleared me from this false accusation... I've seen in the last 17 years of my torment that in spite of being innocent, in my opinion, under the instructions of some biased politicians, some members of the media have tried to tarnish my image and continuously hurt me by writing negative.

Q: Why do you feel you are being victimized?

A: For instance, I would like to make it clear once and for all that I had never fled to London, as it was reported in a leading newspaper. The fact is that I was on a holiday with my family as well as for my wife's medical checkup. But after the unfortunate incident, they found in me a scapegoat and fabricated a false case against me... All this has been proved over the last 17 years in all the courts of law. You asked me why I deserve an apology? I think this attitude has to change and the media must play a serious role.

Q: What have these 14 years been like for you?

A: I'd like to mention that it has been 17 years of torture and punishment, defamation and bias. Of course it has been tough, but god's mercy has made me tough towards all the injustice meted out to me by those officers who were handling the case... But as you know that when life gets tough, the tough becomes tougher and innocence has its own strength from the Almighty.

Q: Have you ever tried to convince Gulshan Kumar's family of your innocence?

A: Yes, initially I did try but, with my clear conscience, I did not feel the need to go on and on.

Q: You've been advised by some legal experts to return to India, since that is the only way you can clear your name. Why don't you return to India?

A: I would definitely want to return to India, but when I see the television and see the amount of corruption in just about every department, I feel that I would stand no chance of having an impartial judicial proceeding. The judges in my opinion are not independent of the government.

Q: Nadeem, how have you managed to keep your career going in exile? Surely it must be really tough?

A: Arabian attars, one of my very successful brands has helped me keep up. Life is tough as everybody knows whether it is in India or in exile.

Q: Have you kept in touch with your musical partner Shravan?

A: There has not been much communication between us mainly because I've been extremely busy designing for the international fragrance market.

Q: For nearly a decade you and Shravan ruled the Bollywood charts. How do you look back on your exceptional decade-long success?

A: We not only ruled the Bollywood charts for the decade but we still rule because our style of music is still appreciated. I never look back on my past laurels. I'm the kind of personality who wants to break new records and do more creative work. My life was and will be dedicated towards creative entertainment.

Q: Would you like to return and resume your career? If so, would you partner with Shravan again?

A: Yes of course, I wouldn't mind resuming my career since the demand for my music is still the same.

Q: What career are your children planning to pursue?

A: Que sera sera whatever will be, will be... Insha allah. We all try to take one day at a time.

Q: Have any of your old friends from Mumbai kept in touch with you?

A: I'm very fortunate by the grace of god that not only my friends from Mumbai, but from all over the world come to meet me and 365 days of the year, we are hosting either a lunch or a dinner.

Q: If you had to change one thing in your life what would it be?

A: I would love to fly to India and resume my work at the Sunny Studios... I hope good sense for justice prevails and the media takes up the cause of innocence and sees to it that I get justice that I have been denied for the past 17 years.

Welcoming young filmmakers to carry forward the legacy of cinema, director Ketan Mehta Sunday advised newcomers to use the medium responsibly.

Addressing participants at the Clapstick International Students' Film festival during the closing ceremony of the National Student's Film Awards at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) here, Mehta said recognition as a beginner was "much more important" than appreciation at a later stage.

"Cinema is the most powerful medium ever created by humanity. Along with the power of this medium is also a responsibility of using the medium because it can be used any way you like. The political leader who used it most effectively was Hitler.

"So how you use this medium is as important and what you have to say is as important. What you have to say is as important if not more important than the form that carries it," he said here.

Dubbing cinema as the harbinger of the globalisation process, Mehta hailed the initiative of awarding youngsters involved in filmmaking.

"Getting appreciation and applause at the beginning of your career is much more important than getting it at the end of your career," he said.

"I also believe that cinema is the beginning of the process of globalisation. Before cinema we actually had to travel to places to experience other cultures.

"With cinema, other cultures started coming to you. It is the strongest globalising force that humanity has seen so far... not steam ship, not printing press and that is why it is so fascinating."

Randeep Hooda may not be a quintessential Bollywood hero, but the tall and handsome actor sweeps you off your feet as a rustic yet affable villain in "Highway". With the positive response to the film, he is convinced that his choice of unconventional roles is in sync with the changing times in filmdom.

Conscious of the fact that he cannot compete with the 'Rajs' and 'Prems' of Hindi cinema, the actor acknowledges that there is enough space for him to show his creativity in both commercial and parallel cinemas.

"A Bollywood hero, for most people, has been a Raj, a Rahul or a Prem... it's now a part of the psyche," Randeep told IANS over phone from Bangkok, where he is currently busy shooting his new film.

"Earlier, it was different. There were bigger superstars playing the lead roles, the hero was different - a clean, good guy. But I never adhered to it," he added.

If Imtiaz Ali's fresh approach in "Highway" affirms the director's creativity, the way Randeep carries his role in the road movie reflects his command over his skills, and shows why actors with a theatre background have something different about them.

"I have been working relentlessly and equally hard on all my films throughout my career. But I knew that working with a name like Imtiaz will give me an audience of a lot more people," said the actor, who is relishing the positive response to "Highway".

"A lot more people have watched 'Highway' and also it has been watched by different kinds of people... It got a more urban and wider audience. I have got great feedback for the film. Lots of people have said it's the 'redefining Randeep Hooda performance'. I guess that's the victory with 'Highway'," he added.

The 37-year-old, who leaves a lasting impression as Mahabir Bhati, a violent kidnapper with the vulnerability of a child in "Highway", says he has learned survival tricks.

"The hero is changing in Bollywood, and I approach a hero's role like a character by focussing on its weaknesses. I feel the weaknesses of a character make them more alive, relatable, and human. Gladly, that's gaining acceptance among viewers these days and the success of 'Highway' is a proof," he said.

"In that sense, I am glad that I am with the times, and not behind it," he added.

As a big screen performer, Randeep began his tryst with Mira Nair's "Monsoon Wedding" in 2001. Following that, he featured in "D", "Ru Ba Ru", "Love Khichdi" and the likes.

But he reinvented himself with 2010 film "Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai", in which he played a cop and the role truly brought Randeep to the fore.

The crime thriller, which he believes marked the onset of his "second innings", gave him a pertinent lesson of being flexible in his choices.

"It was a very well-packaged movie with the likes of actors like Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi playing key roles. I had myself put this roadblock in my mind about not choosing commercial films, but with 'Once Upon...' I realised the importance of being able to do all kinds of movies," he said.

It was then that Randeep stepped out of his comfort zone and did "Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster", "Jannat 2", "Jism 2", "Heroine" and "Murder 3" - all masala movies made with a tinge of the cinematic flavour and they were appreciated by all and sundry.

"I saw the reach of these films, and saw what being a part of songs can do to you. You get recognised for your work, and I guess this whole idealism about not doing songs or commercial cinema is hogwash.

"Every actor's deepest desire is to reach a huge audience. So, I don't look down upon commercial cinema...there's a beauty in it that you understand sooner or later," he said.

Even now, he has a mixed bag of films in his kitty - "Ungli", "Kick" and "Main Aur Charles", currently being shot in Bangkok.

Actress Sunny Leone, who is set for the release of her third Bollywood film "Ragini MMS 2", says being an 'aspiring actress' she is not afraid of getting typecast, provided she gets a good scripts and directors.

Sunny made her Bollywood debut in 2012 with "Jism 2' followed by "Jackpot", that released last year.

"This is my third film and I don't know about typecast. But if I get typecast, what am I going to do? I can't change that. I just read the scripts and if I like the film, if I like the director, which is a huge deal for me, why should I not work in a film? And if that means being sexy, then its alright.

"If that means being crazy, scary, happy, so be it," the actress told reporters here in an interview Saturday.

"I am an aspiring actor so for me anything and everything that I can get my hands on to help me grow as an actor, I want to do all that,"she added.

"Ragini MMS 2", which hits theatres March 21, also stars Divya Dutta, Parvin Dabas and Sandhya Mridul.

K. Ramachandra Rao, who taught at one of India's leading film schools, says legendary director Satyajit Ray's "scepticism" of the institutions later changed his opinion.

A veteran editor, Rao was a professor at Pune's Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) when Ray came visiting in 1969 and then in 1974.

"I have vivid memories of Ray's visit to FTII in 1969. He spent three days there talking to teachers and students. Ray, five years later, in his convocation address to the 12th convocation, spoke about film schools.

"Earlier he was sceptical about film schools. But after his first visit to FTII, he changed his view," he said while addressing participants at the closing ceremony of National Student's Film Awards at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) here Sunday.

He quoted parts from Ray's speech at the convocation, where the "great director" had acknowledged the importance of film schools.

"So the great director had the vision of the cinema of young filmmakers who also know their jobs well and who have something to say about their own country and their own generation," he said.

Also present at the closing ceremony was National Film Award-winning cinematographer A.K. Bir who stressed on ethics, principles and rationality in a filmmaking.

"This enables the creative instinct to attain the state of universality. Imagination is another factor which plays a crucial role in the creative process," he said.

Actor-producer Anil Kapoor, who has bought the movie rights of author Anuja Chauhan's novel "Battle For Bittora", is very excited about the project and says it will make for a fantastic film.

"The way I got excited for my '24' project (Indian adaptation of American TV series of like name), the same way I am very passionate and very excited about this film also," the 57-year-old told reporters here.

"I feel the content of the book will make a fantastic film," he added.

"Battle For Bittora" is a love story between two politicians who, despite being in love, are contesting against each other in the elections.

The actor-producer has roped in his daughter Sonam Kapoor for the film, however, he didn't reveal anything about her role and said, and “It is too early to talk about it".

Anil has earlier produced "Badhaai Ho Badhaai", "Gandhi, My Father" and "Aisha" among others.

Meanwhile, he is looking forward to Sonam starrer "Bewakoofiyan", slated to release March 14.

"I have read the script of 'Bewakoofiyaan'. It will be a nice, fun and romantic film and I am looking forward to it," he said.

"Bewakoofiyaan", produced by Yash Raj Films, directed by Nupur Asthana, also features Ayushmann Khurrana and Rishi Kapoor.

The Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META), which begins March 4, will bring together and celebrate the best of Indian theatre from the year gone by.

Scheduled to be held March 4-8 here, the awards will also serve as a platform to promote the myriad elements of theatre, including set design, costume and direction.

"Over the years, it has continued to amaze me to see the commitment of the theatre community to its basic passion. They do it regardless of the material returns that they might or might not get and regardless of the fame and prestige that might or might not come their way," META creative director Ravi Dubey said in a statement.

This year, the nominations include "Gabarghichor", the story of a 15-year-old boy who finds himself in the middle of an arduous battle being fought to attain an undisputed parental right over him, and the "Open Couple", which explores the relationship between a man and a woman.

In its ninth year, the awards which is organised by the Mahindra Group, also intends to increase awareness and appreciation of Indian theatre.

The awards include a trophy and a cheque of Rs.1,00,000 for the best production, Rs.75,000 for best original playwright and Rs.45,000 for all other categories.

The performances would be held at the Little Theatre Group Auditorium and the Kamani Auditorium.

After being part of the "Spiderman" franchise, acclaimed Indian actor Irrfan has now hopped on to the "Jurassic" brand, but the actor is yet to sign on the dotted line.

"Yes I've been offered 'Jurassic Park 4'. But at the moment I cannot reveal any more details," said Irrfan.

The franchise will be directed by Colin Trevorrow.

A friend of the actor revealed that the role is one of the three principal leads in "Jurassic Park".

"And it's not a villain's role as has been reported in the international press. After the way his role was melted down in 'The Amazing Spiderman', Irrfan is not willing to take risks with international offers. Just because he is being offered a role in a huge franchise, he won't run for it at the cost of his Indian projects," said the actor's friends.

Irrfan, known for his powerpacked performances in "Maqbool" and "The Namesake", is committed to do a film with Tigmanshu Dhulia at the same time when he is required to be in the US to shoot "Jurassic Park".

And therein lies the dilemma.

Said the friend: "It is tempting to take on a project that Steven Spielberg is associated with. But there is the risk of being lost in the crowd. Irrfan is waiting for the script before he chooses between Spielberg and Dhulia."