Actor Purab Kohli, also the ambassador for a campaign that engages the urban youth in governance and voting, Monday said the country's youth should "actively" participate in understanding the nuances of democracy.

The celebrity-activist campaigns for 'Operation Black Dot', launched at Mumbai University last month. Targeted at college-goers and the youth, it aims at ensuring 100 percent voter registration and educating them about the political system.

"I think its time for young India to come out and be vocal...I don't mean just by writing about it on social networking platforms. They should take that one crucial step of coming out and voting," Purab told IANS over phone here.

In town to promote his forthcoming film "Jal", the actor conceded that with the April-May elections around the corner, the mood of the masses is dominated by the elections.

"But that is extremely important as well since we are all interested in our country's future and that is where the youth comes in.

"I would urge them to come out and vote...say what they want...understand governance...know about our leaders," he said.

Purab rued the lack of information among youngsters that leads to a diminished interest in politics and pointed out how campaigns like 'Operation Black Dot' are working towards drawing youngsters to the issue.

"Jal" releases April 4.

Singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo, who will contest for the Asansol Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal on a BJP ticket, Monday ridiculed Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, saying he was not fit for politics.

The voice behind a number of hit Bollywood songs, Supriyo urged voters to bring a single party to power, claiming alliance politics has destroyed the country.

"Alliance politics has destroyed the country. My first appeal to voters is to bring one party in power.

"Dynasty politics exists in India, but I don't think Rahul Gandhi is fit for the job. Whatever he says becomes a joke. I have always been against pushing someone who is not fit for the role," Supriyo told media persons here.

"We have seen how Congress denied Pranab Mukherjee the prime minister's chair. The party would have some credibility if senior leaders like Kapil Sibal or P. Chidambaram were pushed for the job," he said.

The singer also batted for Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

"The country needs a CEO (chief executive officer) like Modi who can efficiently run it. He has created wonders in Gujarat and I believe the Gujarat model of development should be followed in the rest of the country," said the man, who has delivered memorable hits like "Dil Ne Dil Ko Pukara", "Pari Pari Hai Ek Pari" and "Chanda Chamke".

Meanwhile, three Trinamool Congress leaders from the Darjeeling hills, including district general secretary Manoj Dewan, joined the BJP.

Actor Harman Baweja has resurfaced after five years to rebuild his dwindling career with "Dishkiyaoon". Talking candidly about the wrong choices he made, he said one should take criticism in the right spirit and move on.

After his debut debacle "Love Story 2050", he had two releases: "What's Your Raashee?" and "Victory". Both films released in 2009 and further dented his career.

"You have to reinvent yourself. In this industry, people criticise not just your work but you as well. So, it gets personal and you have to take it in the right way," Harman, son of filmmaker Harry Baweja, said in a group interview.

Coming out March 28, "Dishkiyaoon" is actress Shilpa Shetty's maiden production venture.
Excerpts from the interview:

Q: Why did you take so long to make a comeback?

A: My last films didn't work; so I thought let's take a break and think what can be done. Then we realised the mistakes we made. I wanted time for myself, to nurture my talent and do something that will make me happy.

I wanted do something that I can relate to. Whatever I had done was not successful, but you have to try. You have to reinvent yourself. In this industry people criticise not just your work but you as well. So, it gets personal and you have to take it in the right way.

Q: How did you deal with failure?

A: Every person faces such things in their lives. I am not cribbing about it. It's not a matter of life and death. Acting is my passion and I will continue doing it. So, it's better to accept it.

Q: You were compared to Hrithik Roshan. Did it affect you?

A: Definitely it affected me. It's a matter of time. It's human nature - we say you look like my friend or my cousin. That's how we relate to people, so it's natural. I have to keep working.

Q: Tell us about "Dishkiyaoon".

A: It's an entertaining film. It has a lot of twists and turns. The film has action, drama and everything in it. I am playing a gangster.

Q: How different is your gangster film from others?

A: I am playing gangster and the character doesn't talk in Mumbaia tone. He is a graduate. He is an intelligent gangster who knows that things don't work with guns; they work with brains. He wants to use his intelligence to reach there and not by killing anyone. It's an interesting thought.

Q: Do you think Sunny Deol will overshadow you in the film?

A: It doesn't matter at all. At the end of the day, the film should work because, for example, if there is a watchman in the film and his role was just for two minutes, even his career will take off if the film is a hit. Even if you have given your best performance and if the film doesn't work, then it will go unnoticed. I feel the film should be correct.

Q: What do you think of Shilpa Shetty as a producer?

A: Shilpa can't be strict. She is like a sweet, caring, warm and loving producer and it reflects in her nature. The way she conducts herself, you will not feel she is a producer and that's the beauty.

Actress Tannishtha Chatterjee, who was recently seen in Madhuri Dixit-starrer "Gulaab Gang", has urged people to promote the adoption of homeless dogs and cats.

The actress, who features in new advertisement for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, is seen flaunting a halo and angel wings and holds a lovable little dog named Joey, who was rescued by The Welfare for Stray Dogs organisation.

The caption of the photograph reads: "Be an Angel for Animals: Always Adopt, Never Buy".

In a videotaped PETA interview, Tannishtha talks about the necessity to help animals in need, said a statement.

"There are so many animals on the street who need care. If we are encouraging breeding, then it's like one less home for an animal which already exists and which needs care." she said.

"We have to realise that this planet is for all of us. We have to take care of nature and our surroundings and animals on the street," she added.

Tannishtha is best known for her performances in the 2007 British film "Brick Lane" and Academy Award-winning German director Florian Gallenberger's 2005 film "Shadows of Time". She was named best actress at the New York Indian Film Festival for her work in "Dekh Indian Circus".

Boxing champion Vijender Singh, who is ready to make his Bollywood debut and who walked the ramp at the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) summer-resort 2014 here, finds it easier to model than box in a ring.

He was the showstopper for designer Archana Kochhar at the recently concluded fashion gala here.

"I think walking the ramp is more easy than boxing," Vijender told reporters here after walking the ramp.

"In boxing, there is a fight involved, but here you just have to go alone and walk. It's fun," added the multi-faceted star, who will be seen acting in Akshay Kumar's and Ashwini Yardi's Grazing Goat Pictures'"Fugly", set to release in June.

Kochhar's Paris Amour collection, showcased at LFW, is inspired by the romantic city of Paris. For her young and vibrant collection, she brought the entire cast of "Fugly" on board.

Talking about the collection and the association with "Fugly", the designer said: "I think Paris and romance go hand in hand. It is a city that is bursting with sparks, energy, love and fashion. This collection was inspired by the iconic Eiffel Tower. This is a very young and vibrant collection which had a bit of menswear and essentially womenswear."

"I am very happy to have the entire cast of 'Fugly' here with me. This collection is very young and I think the cast of 'Fugly' is young. It has high spirited debutants who have extraordinary talent," she added.

Besides Vijender, "Fugly" also features Jimmy Shergill, Anil Kapoor's nephew Mohit Marwah and newcomer Kiara Advani.

Playboy girl Shanti Dynamite, who is in India right now, alleges that adult star Sunny Leone has copied her poster for her song "Babydoll" and that it is very upsetting.

The Britain-based adult star of Indian-Greek origin, who does adult chat shows, is nurturing dreams of working in Hindi films.

"A lot of people contacted me and said you should see the new Sunny Leone song 'Babydoll' for the 'Ragini MMS 2' movie, she copied a concept of yours. I saw that and was shocked," Shanti told reporters Saturday.

"I was like, 'Oh my god people do such things!' And it was very upsetting for me because for someone to use someone else's concept to gain popularity is not good," she added.

Shanti came with her poster at the venue.

"That particular poster ('Babydoll') was a replica of something I had done previously. That picture is right there and I had done that picture sometime ago. Then the same concept was done for her poster," Shanti said.

The 14th Annual New York Indian Film Festival will put the spotlight on British filmmaker Gurinder Chadha to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of her acclaimed film "Bhaji On The Beach".

The six-day festivities at the oldest and most prestigious film festival for Indian cinema in North America from May 5-10 will also include a retrospective of the filmmaker's documentaries, according to the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC).

After a star-studded opening night red carpet premiere at the Skirball Centre for Performing Arts, festival screenings, centrepiece, retrospective and special events will take place throughout the week at the Village East Cinemas.

The closing night selection to be followed by the annual awards ceremony and after-party would be held at Skirball Center for Performing Arts.

Final film selections will be announced by early April with tickets going on sale April 15.

Chadha of "Bend It Like Beckham" fame will be in attendance. Her acclaimed film "Bhaji On The Beach" is about a group of women of Indian descent taking a trip together from their home in Birmingham, England to the beach resort of Blackpool.

The women vary in ages from mid-teens to old, and initially have little in common. But the events of the day lead them to better mutual understanding and solidarity.

NYIFF will also feature a retrospective of Chadha's documentaries, co-presented by Third World Newsreel.

The featured documentaries include: "Acting Our Age", "I'm British But", "A Nice Arrangement", and "What Do You Call An Indian Woman Who Is Funny?"

"Gurinder Chadha is one of three 'Bhanji Brigade' (coined by Mira Nair) super star diaspora women filmmakers - the other two being Mira Nair and Deepa Mehta - all three of whom have been honoured for their talent by NYIFF in years past," said IAAC executive director Aroon Shivdasani.

Film festival director Aseem Chhabra added: "Gurinder explores the Asian Indian immigrant experiences in Britain, laced with humour, pathos and a lot of introspection.

"Her works are iconic representation that speak about immigration, living in the Diaspora, and the meaning of loss."

Another annual feature at NYIFF is the one minute cell phone films, sponsored by NYU Tisch Cinema Studies.

In addition, NYIFF will present a full day of industry panels exploring in depth such topics as distribution, production and financing in a global market, and will showcase experts in the film industry.

Veteran actor Anupam Kher Tuesday urged his friends and fans to wish all the best to his wife and actress Kirron Kher for her new journey as the Chandigarh candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Lok Sabha.

"Kirron-ji starts her political journey from her home town today. She needs your wishes and blessings. Jai Ho," Anupam, who accompanied his wife to Chandigarh, tweeted.

Kirron had joined BJP in 2009.

Another actress, Gul Panag, has been named as the candidate of Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from the same city.

Actor Sonu Sood is bold and brawny, but he is scared of "Happy New Year" director Farah Khan, known to be very strict on the set.

"Only way to save (myself) from Farah's whip is to rehearse religiously for the song to be shot after three days #HNY. On the job," Sonu tweeted Tuesday.

"Happy New Year" is a multi-starrer, featuring actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani, Vivaan Shah and Deepika Padukone.

Actress Anushka Sharma's Sri Lankan schedule for "Bombay Velvet" turned out to be the most "amazing", thanks to the talented cast and crew.

"Wrapped Sri Lankan schedule of 'Bombay Velvet'. This was the most amazing crew and cast. Crazy talented bunch of people. Feel truly blessed," she posted on her Twitter page.

"Bombay Velvet", directed and co-produced by Anurag Kashyap, also stars Ranbir Kapoor.

If the grapevine is to be believed, Anushka's trip to Sri Lanka was special thanks to a visit by cricketer Virat Kohli, with whom she is reportedly in a romantic relationship.

Actress Kirron Kher was greeted with black flags and eggs by a small group of BJP activists as she arrived in Chandigarh Tuesday to contest the Lok Sabha election.

The activists, who feel she is an "outsider", showed her black flags as she flew in from Mumbai where she lives. They tried to disrupt her arrival at the Bharatiya Janata Party office here.

Eggs were thrown at a car carrying her actor husband Anupam Kher by some of the activists. Kirron Kher was not in that car.

Kher seemed unperturbed by the incidents.

"I am a daughter of Chandigarh. I was born and brought up here. I have lived here. Those opposing me are also from the BJP family. We will embrace and pacify them," Kirron told the media.

She was accompanied by former Chandigarh MP and BJP leader Satya Pal Jain.

Himself a strong contender for the Chandigarh ticket, Jain was elected to the Lok Sabha from here in 1996 and 1998. He lost to Pawan Kumar Bansal of the Congress in 2004 and 2009.

He is 71, but loves the songs that his children and grandchildren love. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan enjoyed listening to Oscar-nominated Pharrell William's songs "Get Lucky" and "Happy" even if he couldn't fathom their lyrics clearly.

"Pharrell William and ‘Get Lucky’ on a loop... the kids make fun of me... me thinks he sings ‘mexican monkey’ when in fact, he sings ‘makes it get lucky’ but on the track, it's grooving and sounds like yaaa (sic)," Amitabh posted on his blog Monday night.

He wondered "what is it that sticks the music to your brain for repeat and nausea".

"I have no idea, but whatever it is, it sure makes for continued good listening... at times, getting to shake the body and movin’ and tremblin’. Spirits rise, tempo grows within, and before long you wish you were on your feet, on the dance floor, in a club, front of mirror... anywhere... its just ‘get lucky’," he added.

After "Get Lucky", he came across "Happy", William's Academy Award-nominated number from "Despicable Me 2". Big B enjoyed its video too.

"It is hilarious, and most ingenious... how endearing and conceptually exact... want it to carry on... non-stop," he said.

Kareena Kapoor, who is reading a lot nowadays, may follow in her elder sister and actress Karisma's footsteps and write a book.

She was speaking at the launch function of nutritionist and diet expert Rujuta Diwekar's third book - "Don't lose out, work out".

When asked if she would like to write a film story or a book someday, Kareena said: "I don't know about a film story, but maybe a book at some point. I haven't even thought about it but books feel good."

"I have started reading a lot and books open up your imagination more than a film. So, someday I might write a book but I don't know about what. I have written one foreword for Rujuta, so I have a flair for writing but a book, I don't know," the 33-year-old said here.

"Fiza" and "Zubeidaa" star Karisma penned "My Yummy Mummy Guide".

For Boman Irani, Farah Khan's directorial "Happy New Year" has something 'magical' about it and he is confident that the comedy-drama will be a blockbuster.

The film stars Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan in the lead roles.

"The buzz around 'Happy New Year' started the day shooting kicked off in Dubai. There is something magical about that film. I don't know what exactly it is. May be the group of six actors and Farah Khan is magical and there is a great amount of interest," the actor told reporters here, on the sidelines of the third annual Mumbai Mantra-Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab, Monday.

"We all know 'Happy New Year' is going to be a blockbuster. But how much it is going to touch people's heart, that we don't know yet," he added.

Set to release Oct 24, the film also stars Abhishek Bachchan, Sonu Sood and Vivaan Shah.

Actress Kirron Kher, who is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, Tuesday joined microblogging site Twitter to build a "direct connection" with the public.

"Time I get on Twitter and make direct connection with all of you! I'm the BJP candidate from Chandigarh. Need all your support and best wishes," the dimpled actress, 58, wrote in her first tweet.

Kirron arrived here Tuesday. She was greeted with black flags and eggs by a small group of BJP activists.

She was accompanied by her husband actor Anupam Kher, an avid Twitter user, who also called for support for his wife earlier in the day.

Born and brought up in Chandigarh, Kirron has starred in films like "Sardari Begum", "Devdas", "Main Hoon Na" and "Devdas". On the small screen, she judges reality show "India's Got Talent".

Amid frenzied cheers among thousands of adoring fans rooting for him, Bengal's reigning matinee idol Dev Tuesday began his campaign for the Lok Sabha election urging the youth to turn out in large numbers at the polling booths.

Soaking in the adulation of the crowd at the Aurobindo Stadium, where he held his maiden party workers' meeting after being nominated the Trinamool's Lok Sabha candidate for the Ghatal constituency, Dev said: "I want to learn, I want to work for you all."

Dev, who was born at Keshpur in the West Midnapore district, said he had lot of memories of having spend his childhood in the area.

"My parents were born here. Me too... I used to come to Midnapore town with my father, uncle or aunt, and catch a bus to Kharagpur, from where I used to take the Gitanjali Express train to Mumbai."

Keshpur is a part of the Ghatal seat.

"I feel very happy at contesting the election from here. I know many of you are waiting for me since the morning under the scorching sun," said the leading hero of Bengali films.

Thanking Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee for choosing him as a candidate, Dev said: "I cannot believe so many of you have turned up for me. And it is for Mamatadi that my dream has come true".

Dev said he had switched off his mobile when his name was announced as a candidate as he became a bundle of nerves. "But the next morning when I woke up I thought why not? Today's young generation is very alert and smart. The youth are the future.

"I want all the youth to vote. Please all of you come to the polling vote to cast your vote. If Barack Obama can run America, why should the young generation in Bengal lag behind?" he said, waving to the crowd and travelling from one end of the stage to the other accepting the adulation of the people.

Dev said he wanted to take small steps holding the hands of the Trinamool workers and the people.

"I want to learn, I want to work for you all," he said.

In the 2009, Lok Sabha election, Communist Party of India nominee and veteran trade unionist Gurudas Dasgupta had won from Ghatal.

The shooting of Hollywood film "Fast & Furious 7", which had been postponed following actor Paul Walker's sudden demise in a car crash, will be resumed with a schedule in Abu Dhabi. Bollywood actor Ali Fazal will join the team.

"Yes, I will be joining the 'Fast & Furious' gang soon. We have to finish the filming," said the actor, who has earlier featured in Hindi films like "3 Idiots", "Always Kabhi Kabhi" and "Fukrey".

Though the dates have not been sent to Ali, he has been told to keep himself ready to leave for Abu Dhabi at the end of this month.

The shooting will resume in the first week of April.

Ali also plays the romantic lead opposite Vidya Balan in "Bobby Jasoos". Since he would be required in Mumbai for promoting the film which is expected to release around June, he is hoping that the shooting schedules of "Fast & Furious 7" don't clash with the promotion of "Bobby Jasoos".

Earlier, the actor had said that he has just a cameo in the Hollywood film.

Actress Tamannaah Bhatia, who made an unimpressive Hindi debut in "Himmatwala", has lost the chance to play Shraddha Kapoor's role in the Telugu version of Bollywood hit "Aashiqui 2".

The casting happened after weeks of intense negotiation with Tamannaah, who apparently asked for an astronomical amount to act in the film.

"There were problems with Tamannaah from the word go. Not only was she asking for an unreasonable amount of money, she was also not the film's co-producer and leading man Sachin Joshi's choice," said a source.

Finally, the role has gone to former beauty queen Ankita Shorey.

Confirming the same, Sachin said: "I felt a newcomer would fit the bill better. The role required someone innocent and unspoilt. Ankita Shorey is perfect for the part. Just as Shraddha Kapoor was in the Hindi version."

Ankita has been asked to stay away from viewing Shraddha's performance.

"We want her to interpret the role in her own way," Sachin said.

The Telugu version of "Aashiqui 2" would have a happy ending.

He lived in London's Brick Lane for 10 years, watched his share of Bollywood entertainers and now James Bobin, director of "The Muppets" and its forthcoming sequel "Muppets Most Wanted", says he would love to collaborate with Indian stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan.

Bobin wants Indian viewers to soak in the "chaotic, colourful and musical" fun that "Muppets Most Wanted" offers.

In an email interview with IANS, the Los Angeles-based director shared the idea behind the sequel, which releases in the US and in India on Friday.

Excerpts:

Q. Are you aware of Bollywood?

A. Yes, I'm very aware of the Bollywood industry. In London, I lived in Brick Lane for 10 years, so I watched a lot of films in local restaurants...usually, quite bright classic 1960s or 1970s films, but in more recent times I'm a big fan of Amitabh Bachchan and think Irrfan Khan is great - would love to do something with either.

Q. What do you think audiences in India will like about "Muppets Most Wanted"?

A. For any audience, spending 90 minutes of your time with the Muppets should be chaotic, colourful, musical fun - so I hope people in India will like that.

Q.Some people feel characters like the Muppets only appeal to kids. Do you agree?

A. When Jim Henson created the 'Muppet Show' back in the 1970s, he very much squarely aimed at everybody - it was on in the evening in Britain and the US - and therefore really targeted at adults. But children of course also loved it because it was puppets and because it was silly fun.

I sort of feel the same now and ensure it works just as well for the 40-year-old me as it does for my six-year-old daughter. And I really think 'Muppets Most Wanted' does that. Adults, I hope, will love it.

Q. What inspired you to do a sequel to "The Muppets"?

A. I wanted to tell the story of 'what happened next'... having got the Muppets back together again in the 2011 film, I really wanted to explore where they would go and what they would do next. And of course, we do this quite literally in the film!

Q. In what ways does the new movie up the ante in terms of the entertainment it offers?

A. I think it offers more scope and scale...this one feels as if we are following different stories across a variety of international locations - London, Berlin, Madrid, Dublin, Siberia...I also think it is more of an out and out comedy. It probably has a higher joke count!

Q. Where was the film shot?

A. We shot the film primarily in Britain - with a few days on stage in Los Angeles. But the vast majority was at Pinewood Studios in London and on location in and around London.

Q. What do you think audiences will enjoy most about "Muppets Most Wanted"?

A. I hope they like all of it - the songs, the laughs, and the heart. Emotion is a very important part of any Muppet movie - you really care for the whole Muppet gang and I'm really pleased that people really have fond memories of them from their childhood.

Q. Will we see more Muppets movies in the near future?

A. I certainly hope so. This ending is very open-ended, and besides, Muppet movies often don't follow on from each other - so they could really do anything they wanted from this point.

Actor Varun Dhawan took his fun-loving on-screen chemistry with Nargis Fakhri a notch higher at a recent event, where he performed an impromptu lap dance for his "Main Tera Hero" co-star.

The duo visited Chandigarh last week to promote the film and launched "Shanivaar raat", the third song of the movie, in a college and a mall there!

Varun wooed his fans with his fluid dance moves on the song, and then suddenly performed a lap dance for his leading lady to entertain the students. The girls couldn’t stop clapping and grooving with the young "Student Of The Year" talent.

Directed by David Dhawan and produced by Balaji Motion Pictures, "Main Tera Hero" stars Varun, Nargis and Ileana Dcruz. The film will release April 4.