The rehearsals for the seventh season of "Kaun Banega Crorepati" (KBC) have begun and megastar Amitabh Bachchan is enjoying every bit of it.

The 70-year-old plays the quiz master in the popular game show and has been associated with it from its inception in 2000, except for the third season in 2007 when superstar Shah Rukh Khan took over as the host.

"The rehearsals for KBC have begun, the team is in its elements, and the excitement of yet another season draws near. It all began in the year 2000, and that makes it an association of 13 years with the game show. That is some time period," Big B posted on his blog.

Bachchan hopes that he continues to get the appreciation from his fans and the audience for this season as well.

"The love and the affection of the people have been with me all along and I do hope that it shall continue as we set about it all over again," he posted.

Apart from KBC, he will also be seen in director Prakash Jha's "Satyagraha". The political drama has been shot in Bhopal and will be released Aug 23.

"Chak De! India" fame actress Shilpa Shukla, who will be seen as a seductress in forthcoming film "B.A. Pass", says her theatre experience helped her a lot while preparing for her character in the film.

Directed by Ajay Bahl, "B.A. Pass" is said to be based on one of the stories, The Railway Aunty by Mohan Sikka, from the book "Delhi Noir". The film talks about male prostitution and Shilpa will be seen as Sarika Aunty in the movie.

"To relate (with that character) directly was difficult for me, but since we keep on doing theatre, so we have a sense of observing (others). Like somebody crossing the road or a young boy sitting in the car and an aunty driving... by watching all this we tend to construct a fictional story in our mind. So, such glimpses were there in my mind," Shilpa said here in an interview.

An erotic human drama "B.A. Pass" will unfold the story of a small town boy who comes to Delhi to finish his college, but soon he is seduced by a mysterious married woman.

Shilpa said the film is close to reality and highlights the pressure on today's youth.

"We need to be sensitive specially towards youth. The film's story is of one Mukesh, but it represents a lot of people," said the actress last seen in the 2011 release "Bhindi Baazaar Inc."

"It represents the pressure that the youth has to go through to earn quick money" and while doing that "they don't come to know about right and wrong".

On being asked why she chose to make her comeback with such a bold character, Shilpa said: "I did the film because for me, it was a way of making people compassionate."

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who teamed up with new director Rohit Pandey for "Shorts", says working with fresh talent benefits the whole film as there is scope for inputs from both sides.

"When you are working with a young director, you can share your thoughts with him - like, 'I want to do this part this way'. There are no cliched parts," Nawazuddin said here Monday at the first look launch of "Shorts".

"Both of us are on the same level that's why we could discuss and share, like the expressions he wanted and if I wanted to change something... Then, when you look at that final character, it looks very different from the usual characters," he added.

"Shorts" is a bouquet of five short movies - "Sujata", "Epilogue", "Audacity", "Mehfuz" and "Shor" - directed by Shlok Sharma, Siddharth Gupta, Anirban Roy, Rohit Pandey and Neeraj Ghaywan, respectively.

Nawaz is glad to have worked with directors who have fetched Indian cinema international acclaim.

"Initially, I did not have any choice and did whatever I got. But luckily then I got some different directors. They should be given credit as their films are being appreciated internationally and are also getting awards. Our cinema is now being taken seriously," the actor said.

Co-produced by Anurag Kashyap-Guneet Monga, "Shorts" is slated for a July 12 release. The film's cast also includes Richa Chadda, Huma Qureshi, Vineet Singh and Ratnabali Bhattacharjee.

Debutant filmmaker Ajay Bahl's forthcoming movie "B.A. Pass" may focus on male prostitution, but he claims that he has made the film in a "dignified manner".

An adaptation of Mohan Sikka's short story "The Railway Aunty", the film is erotic in nature.

"When we choose a subject like this, there is a greater chance of moving towards obscenity. I am saying again and again that 'B.A. Pass' is not vulgar and I have made the film in a very dignified manner," Bahl told IANS in an interview here.

Bahl feels that the way he presents the story in the film, "people wouldn't have seen that in Indian cinema".

He also informs that it is easier to adapt a short story into a film compared to a novel.

"A short story has its characters, a plot, which are easy to adapt into a film. While on the other side, picking up a novel and writing a film's screenplay from it is a task in itself," he said.

"So I would suggest that if somebody is going for an adaptation, then go for a short story as it is easier to do," he added.

"B.A. Pass" stars "Chak De! India" fame actress Shilpa Shukla as Sarika Aunty, a seductress who seduces a small town boy, played by Shadab Kamal.

Civic authorities in Panaji Tuesday cancelled the shooting of upcoming Bollywood film "Mango" after security personnel attached to the film unit roughed up a well-known city doctor on a public road.

Panaji mayor Surendra Furtado told reporters here that the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) ordered the shoot cancelled.

"This cannot be allowed to happen. Film crew cannot assault respected city dwellers like this. The permission given to them (film crew) was only for a small area. But they have illegally blocked other roads too," Furtado said.

The incident occurred when Oscar Rebello, a well-known medical professional, was crossing the road behind his clinic located near the city market, where 'bouncers' accompanying the film crew had "illegally" cordoned off the road, asked him to stay put.

When Oscar still went on and crossed the road, four bouncers started roughing him up and threatening him.

"I am lodging a complaint at the Panaji police station. This attitude is unacceptable," Rebello said.

The film producers had been charged Rs.30,000 by the state government towards permissions for a three-day shoot, which had been scheduled in Panaji. But Furtado now says, that the city corporation would take a call on whether the film crew would be allowed to shoot in Panaji at all following the assault.

Well-known MTV veejay-turned-actor Rannvijay Singh, who is part of the film, was present onsite when the incident occurred.

US-based Indian filmmaker Mira Nair's musical adaptation of her 2001 super hit "Monsoon Wedding" will begin rehearsals in September, while she plans to shoot her next film in Uganda in 2014.

Set in the national capital, "Monsoon Wedding", produced under the banner of Mirabai Films, revolved around a typical Punjabi wedding laced with a hefty dose of emotion and drama.

"I am doing 'Monsoon Wedding' on Broadway. That's what I am doing now. We have about seven or eight songs done out of the 11. We also have the book written and we will enter rehearsals in September in New York," the 55-year-old said.

The award-winning director started her career with documentaries and ventured into feature films with 1988 movie "Salaam Bombay!", which won several awards and even got an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

She is known for making films like "Mississippi Masala", "Vanity Fair", "Amelia" and "The Namesake". Her most recent offering was "The Reluctant Fundamentalist", which had a mix cast that included Britain-based Pakistani origin actor Riz Ahmed in the lead along with Hollywood actors Kate Hudson and Liev Schreiber and Bollywood veterans Om Puri and Shabana Azmi.

Based on Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid's novel of the same name, "The Reluctant..." is about a young man chasing corporate success on Wall Street and struggling between his American dream, a hostage crisis and the enduring call of his family's homeland.

Nair has also directed a segment in the upcoming film "Words With Gods". Her segment is called "God Room" featuring Bollywood actors Tanuja, Ram Kapoor, Richa Chadda, Raj Kumar Yadav and Vinay Pathak.

The script for the film has been written by Bollywood director Zoya Akhtar and the story revolves around a rich family arguing over where the prayer room should be.

Meawhile, Nair has been roped in to direct a Ugandan film based on the real story of an eight-year-old girl, Phiona Mutesi, from the slums who became one of the finest chess players, taking on the grandmasters.

"It's a true story, I have just signed the deal for the film. I am starting to research and we will shoot next year. The movie will be filmed in Uganda," the director told IANS while she was here to promote "The Reluctant Fundamentalist".

Nair praised the girl saying, she is "amazing, very modest and quiet".

"I have met the girl. If you see where she has come from and what she has achieved, entirely through the dint of her own mind, it is very amazing. But she is also very modest, she is very quiet, and she is not easy to get to know in a way. I am looking forward to know her better, I have just met her once," said the acclaimed filmmaker.

Actor Ranveer Singh has denied being a part of the Hindi remake of Ram Charan Teja-starrer Telugu movie "Magadheera."

Asked if he is part of the remake, Ranveer said: "It's not true, not right now."

"I have seen 'Magadheera' and I was absolutely blown away by it. I think Ram Charan is an outstanding talent. But no, I am not doing 'Magadheera' right now," added the 27-year-old here Tuesday at the launch of a special edition of "Mills & Boon" featuring the poster of Ranveer and Sonakshi Sinha's "Lootera" on the cover.

The Hindi remake was reportedly to be produced by Phantom Group, a company by Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, Madhu Mantena and Vikramaditya Motwane.

Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, the 2009-superhit "Magadheera" is a historical drama romance film and starred Kajal Agarwal opposite Ram Charan.

It was dubbed in Malayalam and released as "Dheera - The Warrior", and in Tamil as "Maveeran".

Rahul Venkat, cousin of actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi, is making his debut with upcoming Telugu action-romance "Alias Janaki" and says the star family status has its own pluses and minuses.

"If you're from a star family, then expectations are always high even before you enter filmdom. Sometimes the level of expectation is beyond imagination and, therefore, it's important to make a smart entry," Rahul told IANS

"Sometimes your biggest advantage can turn into a disadvantage. For instance, when your film turns out to be a disaster, the failure is even bigger than it has been anticipated because you're a star kid," he said and added that a new entrant from a film family has to work harder than other actors.

He admits that watching Chiranjeevi on the sets influenced him to become an actor.

"As a kid I spent most of my time watching Chiranjeevi shoot. In fact, most of our family discussion would be about him, how he prepares himself as an actor. It personally had a lot of effect on me," said Rahul, who wanted to be an actor since the day he was old enough to take decisions in life.

Even though four other members of Chiranjeevi's family - Pawan Kalyan, Allu Arjun, Ram Charan and Allu Sirish - have earned a place in the industry, Rahul doesn't see them as competition.

"I only see them as actors, but not as competition. I can't compare myself with them because they have already earned stardom, and I'm just making my debut. I want to choose different films and work with new and aspiring directors instead of worrying about teaming up with big banners," he said.

Besides "Alias Janaki", Rahul is simultaneously working in Telugu comedy "Billa Ranga" and Tamil thriller "Piravi".

"'Alias Janaki' is the story of a common man. The entire story happens within 24 hours of a day and it has a lot of edge-of-the-seat moments. The story derived from a small thought that occurred to me. I bounced off the idea to my producers and they agreed to fund it," said Rahul.

Produced by Neelima Tirumalasetti, "Alias Janaki" is directed by debutant Dayaa K, and also features Anisha Ambrose in the lead. It is releasing July 12.

Rahul says he is more keen on doing small-budget, creative films such as "Alias Janaki" to ensure longevity in the industry.

"I couldn't have asked for a better debut than 'Alias Janaki'. All credit to my director and producer. I want to do more low-budget and creative films like these to ensure a long career. It's important to earn the trust of the audiences as an actor," he said.

Costume designer Rick Roy, who has styled Emraan Hashmi in his forthcoming film "Ghanchakkar", praises the actor for his professional attitude and for being not fussy about costumes.

"Working with Emraan spoils you. He is one of the nicest people I have worked with. He is extremely professional, non-fussy, and no tantrums. He understands the character he is playing and understands the look of the character. He is just amazing to work with," Rick told IANS.

Directed by Rajkumar Gupta, "Ghanchakkar", which also stars Vidya Balan, is coming out Friday.

Although Rick had fun working with Emraan, creating outfits for his character was a bit of a challenge for the designer.

"'Ghanchakkar' was a fun film to do for me. It's different from what I have done before. Rajkumar was very particular about the authenticity and relatable factors of his characters in the movie, so that was challenging.

"It wasn't one of those movies where all you need is your actors to look good, this was a movie where your actors need to look good but believably real as well. The cinematic liberties were very little, so it was fun and challenging at the same time," he said.

Rick found "subtle and real detailing of clothes" special.

"There are small detailing, like we hand bleached the seams of all Emraan's t-shirts to fade them out. You know how when you wash your clothes for a long time certain parts fade more than the rest of it, which people might hardly notice, but it adds a certain age and realism to the outfits. We tried doing small things like that," he said.

Before "Ghanchakkar", Rick designed clothes for Bollywood projects "Himmatwala", "Inkaar" and "Raaz 3", among others.

What about future plans?

"My plate is full. I am starting Kunal Deshmukh's next with UTV in August, Sajid Khan's next with Saif Ali Khan and two more movies after that I will start at the end of the year," he said.

Television actress Preeti Gupta, who has been part of films like "Blemished Light" and "Mere Haule Dost", says things are not easy for independent films as cinema is more celebrity-driven in the country.

While "Blemished Light" was screened at the Cannes film festival this year, "Mere Haule Dost" was premiered at the London Asian Film Festival -- the latter released here June 7 but failed to impress the audiences or the critics.

"We are a celebrity-run industry. Here celebrity-value is more important than performance," Preeti told IANS.

But she admits that the Indian audience is evolving.

"In America, Indian cinema and world cinema is recognised and do well. But we are also evolving as an audience. Maybe it is because of the cable... I think it is becoming better," said the actress who studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute - New York.

Preeti is a big fan of film festivals as people get to see "so many great films" there. "I really like film festivals. In the west, an independent film that has won awards in festivals has a better chance of doing well commercially. But in India, I am not sure... I don't know how much does it mean to us commercially," she added.

The actress was part of television shows like "Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii" and featured in various ads for brands like "Hero Honda", "Hyundai Santro" and "Close up".

"The challenges that I faced while doing TV were completely different. In TV, you have regular work, well-paying work and certain amount of fame also comes with it.

"The challenge in TV is that your role is fluid... it changes according to TRP and what the channel wants. The timings are also challenging. You are constantly fighting against time. But I have a lot of respect for TV, I don't look down upon it it," she said.

Expo Riva Schuh India, a platform showcasing a range of footwear and leather accessories, is back with its third edition. To be held here July 4, it will feature works of over 200 global leather product-makers.

The three-day exhibition will take place at the Pragati Maidan Exhibition Centre.

The fair is organised by Riva del Garda Fierecongressi and Italian Exposition Pvt. Ltd. (IEPL) in cooperation with Council of Leather Exports (CLE), India Trade Promotion Organisation ( ITPO) and ICE - Italian Trade Commission, Trade Promotion Section of the Italian Embassy.

"Last year, we got 3,795 international buyers and we are really pleased with the success of the Expo Riva Schuh in India. We will thrive on the success achieved, and will continue to work for the third edition of Expo Riva Schuh India, towards reinforcing this partnership, which is fundamental to the success of the event," said Giovanni Laezza, managing director, Riva del Garda Fierecongressi.

A few fashion brands, which will showcase their collection of footwear, bags, gloves, belts and leather accessories includes Baldinini, Loriblu, Maresca, Fabi, Giovanni Fabiani and Cerutti.

It will also have first time participation from the merchandise brands Angry Birds, Superman, Tweety and Looney tunes, said a statement.

After doing "Savdhaan India", television actress Rucha Gujarati feels such crime-based shows are essential for the audience.

"I think it's creating the right awareness among the audiences and the masses. We need such awareness. It gives a right message to the masses," Rucha told IANS.

Talking about her stint on "Savdhaan India", which comes on Life OK, she added: "'Savdhaan' is based on real incidences, so it was a great experience and challenging too. It was wonderful shooting for 'Savdhaan' and I feel fortunate to be part of real crime stories."

Not new to the small screen, Rucha as been part of popular series "Kkusum", "Bhabhi", "Rihahee" and "Waaris", among others.

"I was fortunate enough to be part of these shows. Every show has been a challenging and wonderful experience. My first shows 'Kkusum' and 'Bhabhi' were my benchmark shows... They are close to my heart," she said.

The actress has also been seen in reality shows like "Dil Jeetegi Desi Girl" and "Welcome - Baazi Mehmaan-Nawaazi Ki" and would like to do more reality shows.

"I think reality shows are the right platform where you can showcase your talent, so I would love to be part of reality shows. If something comes up, I will take the opportunity," she said.

"Nowadays people are experimenting... like (Hindi film actor) Anil Kapoor is coming up with '24'. I would love to be a part of such shows. It is a challenge for TV and it would be a challenge for me as well," she added.

Rapper and singer Hard Kaur, who has turned music composer with Atul Agnihoti's upcoming home production "O Teri", is super excited about her new role. She says now she can give chance to the new and budding artists.

"I am very happy that I have turned music director and now I can give chance to other aspirants, new and budding artists," Hard Kaur said here Tuesday during shooting for the title song of "Zaalim Dilli".

She has crooned the number with Punjabi singer-songwriter Jazzy B.

In "O Teri", Hard Kaur has sung the song "Follow karda", which she has composed as well.

The rapper is known for peppy numbers like "Ek Glassy", "Talli", "Move your body", and "Char baj gaye".

Jaaved Jaffrey, who will share screen space with Ranbir Kapoor in "Besharam", is impressed with the young actor's dedication and choice of different roles.

"I like him (Ranbir Kapoor) as an actor (since) when he started his career. He works really hard and tries to do new characters," Jaaved said here Tuesday in an interview.

Born in a family of cinestars, Ranbir made his debut in 2007 with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Saawariya" and then proved his mettle with a string of movies.

Within five years of being active in filmdom, the 30-year-old cemented a secure spot in Bollywood with films like "Wake Up Sid", "Raajneeti", "Rockstar" and "Barfi!" and latest being "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani".

Jaaved finds it commendable.

"He (Ranbir) has moved away from the typical 'hero' characters in our films and he tries to do something really different - be it 'Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year' or 'Wake Up Sid'. I like him a lot," said the actor, who has proved his comical skills in films like "Salaam Namaste", "Dhamaal","Singh Is Kinng" and "Double Dhamaal".

Jaaved said Ranbir is a "focused" and "thinking actor", who can mould himself in different roles perfectly.

Abhinav Kashyap's "Besharam" is a comedy, and also features Ranbir's parents - veteran actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, along with Pallavi Sharda. The film will release Oct 2.

Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and actor Farhan Akhtar made the young contestants of singing reality show "Indian Idol Junior" drink a glass of milk each, as part of a promotional stint for their forthcoming movie "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag".

The movie is a biopic on the life of athlete Milkha Singh, and Mehra said milk was relevant during this promotion since, as a child, Milkha Singh used to drink a lot of it.

"Milkha Singh loved milk since childhood and there were a lot of cows and buffaloes at his house. He used to drink even his brothers' and sisters' share of milk. He was quite naughty," Mehra said here.

The host of the show Mandira Bedi, and one of the judges, composer-singer Shekhar Ravjiani also drank a glass each along with the child contestants.

Mehra shared how milk was the reason Milkha ran his first race after joining the army.

"When he went to the army, he ran his first race because as a rule, all those who stood 1 to 10 (in the race) daily, would get one glass of milk daily as part of special diet. So we thought there is nothing better than milk. There are kids here, junior 'Indian Idols'," he said.

"Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", releasing July 12, stars Sonam Kapoor as the female lead.

Kunaal Roy Kapur may have started his career with the TV show “Just Mohabbat" but he says he has no immediate plans to return to the medium and would consider it only if he gets the right combination of “great writers and great collaborators”.

"I would do something if it's something I am involved in creating,” Kunaal said when asked about returning to the small screen.

“If it is a funny show, which I am creating, then I would do it. For TV, you need great collaborators and great writers. If I'd find great writing and great collaborators to put up a show, then I would do it. But given the current stage in writing in TV, I won't venture into it," the actor-filmmaker told IANS.

If at all he tries his hand in TV shows, Kunaal would want to make a fiction show.

"There is very little reality in reality shows. I would look at a more fictional space. If people get to know that in reality I am boring, it will be quite hurtful. It is better to be an actor, who is good, rather than a person who is boring," he said.

Kunaal's big screen assignments as an actor include "Delhi Belly", "Nautanki Saala" and "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani". He also directed “The President Is Coming”.

Although he comes from a theatre background, his television experience helped him in films.

"My stint in TV helped me make the transition from stage to films even better. When I started in TV, I understood how much or how little I had to do in front of the camera.

“I think theatre is an extremely difficult art form. It takes a lot of practice and discipline. But it is not like it is tougher than acting in films," he said.

He also added that theatre doesn't necessarily help.

"Sometimes theatre can be a blessing and sometimes it is not. There are a lot of people who act on stage, but look over the top in films. You need to understand and learn from your own performances and where you need to tone it down.

“Theatre, of course, gives you an understanding of how a joke will work, how a drama will work... But someone who has grown up acting in films from a young age will also make a good actor," he said.

Fans around the world have waited to see the third installment of Krrish Franchise under the Filmkraft Productions banner. The wait is finally over as Krrish 3 kicks off its promotions and unveils the first look of the film with the motion poster.

Superstar Hrithik Roshan will unveil this fabulous first look during his chat with fans on Facebook on Thursday, June 27th 2013 at 3:00 p.m. followed by Instagram (@hrithikroshan). The Krrish 3 digital campaign is spearheaded by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and will touch over 50 million people just on Day One of the launch. This will be one of the largest social media launch campaign for a movie in the Indian entertainment industry so far.

Hrithik Roshan said, “I am really excited about chatting with my fans through the Facebook Live video chat and eagerly look forward to the big unveiling of the Krrish 3 digital motion poster. Today’s Technology is simply phenomenal, as in an instant we can get immediate reactions and feedback on our films. I’m a huge believer in the power of social media as it directly involves our fans and supporters, and for a movie such as Krrish 3 it takes the experience to the next level.”

Divya Dutta is playing Farhan's sister in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and seems to be on a high for two back to back releases in July, with Lootera and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag coming one after the other. Another reason for her to beam is with the recent screenings that were privately held for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, she has been receiving a lot of accolades.

Hearsay is, When Farhan saw the movie, he called Divya to appreciate her performance and said " I have never cried but u made me cry in this film..." Also both Shabana ji and Javedji personally called her to appreciate her performance.

Divya is extremely touched and all the comments and appreciation mean a lot to her.

With upcoming movies such as 'Once Upon a Time In Mumbaai', 'Bullet Raja', 'Rambo Rajkumar', 'Pistol', & an untitled Prabhu Deva project in her kitty, Sonakshi Sinha has her plate full. Perhaps that is why she opted out of Anees Bazmee's sequel to Welcome, co-starring John Abraham.

As per sources, Sonakshi had no dates available and both the parties mutually agreed to part ways. Coming to the co-star part, how do you think Sonakshi would have looked opposite John Abraham?

Also, we got to wait and watch who will get this meaty role opposite John?

Ramesh Taurani’s next 'Its Entertainment' starring Akshay Kumar and Tamanna is scheduled to release 28th March 2014.

The comic entertainer that marks the directorial debut of writers Sajid-Farhad,who earlier penned the dialogues for blockbusters like Golmaal and Bol Bachchan, will go on floors July this year in Bangkok, where major portions will be shot, followed by an extensive schedule in Mumbai.

Talking about the film say the debutante directors, “The film will be a complete commercial entertainer…We’ve been lucky to have a successful stint at writing and we hope the audience accepts us as directors”.

Says producer Ramesh Taurani, “We at Tips are happy to announce that It’s Entertainment will release 28th March 2014…The film goes on floors this July in Bangkok ,where we plan to shoot for atleast 2 months”.

Directed in Sajid-Farhad, Its Entertainment starring Akshay Kumar and Tamanna along with supporting cast Prakash Raj,Sonu Sood,Mithun Chakraborty to name a few releases 28th March 2014.