Filmmaker Subhash Ghai’s latest release ”Kaanchi” might have got off to a slow start at the box office but he is unfazed as he has already started looking for budding writers for his next.

“Fresh Monday. Fresh day. Fresh thoughts. Getting busy meeting with fresh writers for fresh concepts, scripts. If you have one. Tell me. I am open,” Ghai posted on Twitter Monday.

“Kaanchi", reportedly made on a budget of Rs.15 crore, hit the theatres April 25 and minted Rs.1.25 crore in two days since its release in India.

Actress-singer Sophie Choudry is enjoying playing dumb charades, thanks to voice rest advise.

“Wow! 46 hours since I last spoke. On strict voice rest! On the plus side, my dumb charades technique is improving,” she posted on Twitter Monday.

The “Shaadi No. 1” actress is also planning to have games night with fellow actresses Neha Dhupia and Soha Ali Khan.

"2 States" is yet to complete two weeks at the box office and it has already collected over Rs.75 crore on home turf.

The Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt-starrer has earned Rs.76.3 crore in the country, say sources.

Said to be made on a budget of approximately Rs.45 crore and co-produced by Karan Johar and Sajid Nadiadwala and distributed by UTV Motion Pictures, "2 States" released in over 2,000 screens in India April 18.

"2 States", which also stars Ronit Roy, Amrita Singh and Revathy, is based on a bestseller by author Chetan Bhagat and has been directed by first-timer Abhishek Varman.

The movie is about two states, different cultures and families and one love story. It has also been praised by celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhudheva, Riteish Deshmukh and Sonakshi Sinha.

A sessions court Monday began the retrial in the 2002 hit-and-run case involving Bollywood actor Salman Khan, with the partial deposition of witnesses.

The witnesses included Samba Gowda who had drawn the list of articles (panchnama) seized by police on the day of the incident, Sep 28, 2002.

Gowda informed public prosecutor J. Kenjalkar that the car involved in the accident was a big vehicle that rammed into a laundry and its bumper hit the shop's shutters.

He said he saw glass pieces, number plate and bits of the bumper lying at the scene of the accident that were collected by police and a list was made.

He expressed readiness to identify the articles.

Two other witnesses were discharged as they had already admitted the lists recorded by them.

The prosecution said it had submitted a list of 64 witnesses but would not examine all of them in the retrial.

Sessions Judge D.W. Deshpande directed the prosecution to present May 2 the first person injured in the accident in which Salman Khan's vehicle was involved, followed by the witnesses to the accident.

The witnesses injured in the incident are Mohammed K. Shaikh, Mohammed M. Shaikh and Mamu Khan.

Salman Khan is accused of driving his SUV onto pavement dwellers near a bakery in Bandra that night 12 years ago, leaving one dead and four people injured.

The third edition of the Ladakh International Film Festival (LIFF) will be held in Leh June 27-29. Over 700 entries from around 30 countries across the world have been received by the organisers, but the focus this year will be on Korean cinema.

"Apart from international cinema, what is heartening is the participation of lesser known filmmakers from places such as Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya in addition to Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Punjabi, Bengali, Assamese and Hindi cinema," Melwyn Williams Chirayath, founder and festival director, LIFF, said in a statement.

"This year, the focus will be on Korean cinema, with contemporary Korean films lined up by the dozen. We are also pleased to host legendary film critic Klaus Eder, general secretary of International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), as part of the jury for LIFF 2014," Chirayath added.

There will be other key attractions of the fest too.

"This year's theme for LIFF is Spirituality and Camaraderie. LIFF 2014 will culminate with The Dalai Lama holding Kaalchakra (special teachings), which is held once in four years", said Chirayath.

After playing the startling female lead of "Revolver Rani", Kangana Ranaut is all set to do another film with the movie's director Sai Kabir. The new project, titled "Divine Lovers", will also feature Irrfan Khan.

"I'm doing a film called 'Divine Lovers' with Kangana and Irrfan in the lead. It would be a complete contrast to 'Revolver Rani'. It won't be loud, aggressive, violent and splashy like 'Revolver Rani'. But again 'Divine Lovers' would be about the great Indian dream," Kabir said.

"Divine Lovers" would be set in Mumbai and Aligarh.

"It'd be set in the lower middle-class and it would be also about the moral corruption of the middle-class," he said.

Also on the anvil is a sequel to "Revolver Rani".

"I want to build my hero Alka Singh as a franchise. She'll be my toy to tell many stories. I want her to do many things in the future, including fight America and revive the Soviet Union," said the director.

But before that, there is a short film he's directing this monsoon.

"Again it's about the great Indian dream. This obsession with the middle-class comes from the fact that I was an assistant to Saeed Mirza and Kundan Shah for nine years. I am highly influenced by them. But I feel my cinema needs to make money, so I can continue making the films that I want to," he added.

Farah Khan can handle her triplets and a large film crew, but guess what takes a toll on her?

"Sorting out disputes between my maids and cook takes a toll on me! Handling a film crew of 300 is much easier," the filmmaker, who is busy with her project "Happy New Year", posted on her Twitter page.

For her new movie, she is handling a star cast, including top-rated actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone.

Farah had earlier told IANS in an interview that she found it easier to handle triplets. But little did she know a bigger task awaited her.

Onir's new Hindi film "Shab" will introduce Bangla superstar Prosenjit's wife Arpita Pal in the female lead. The film will not only transform the traditional Bengali beauty's image into a hip south Delhi socialite, it will also cast her as a woman in love with a younger one.

Arpita, who is considered one of the finest contemporary actresses in Bengal, voluntarily gave up her career to be Prosenjit's wife and to look after their daughter. She is emerging from her self-imposed exile to do the occasional film, like the late Rituparno Ghosh's last released film "Satyanweshi".

Onir says it took all his persuasive powers to get her on board for this project.

"I had actually gone to meet Prosenjit. He had expressed a keenness to work with me. When I went to meet him, Prosenjit's wife walked in," he said.

It was camera-love at first sight for Onir.

"I'm surprised she hasn't been cast in any Hindi film so far. She is absolutely stunning, so stylish and elegant. Arpita has the potential to be the next best thing in Bollywood from Bengal after Sharmila Tagore, Jaya Bhaduri and Bipasha Basu," he added.

After persuading Prosenjit to let his wife work in Bollywood, Onir has now taken on the task of transforming Arpita's image.

"I am giving her a very elitist south Delhi look. I am cutting Arpita's long hair to a chic stylish shorter crop, changing her wardrobe, body language, the works," said Onir.

Arpita plays a woman in love with a younger man.

"I am moving to Delhi for the next six months to explore the milieu and get familiar with it. The Old Delhi, Chandni Chowk, Paharganj area has been done by Dibakar Banerjee, Sudhir Mishra and Ajay Bahl. I'd like to explore the other more upmarket Delhi, South Delhi, in 'Shab'."

Onir has also persuade Sangeeta Bijlani to emerge from her retirement and play a prominent role in "Shab".

Unlike Onir's other films "My Brother Nikhil", "Bas Ek Pal" and "I Am", Shab won't deal with alternate sexuality.

"As a filmmaker, I don't want to limit myself to one specific thought or genre. It is true that my earlier films dealt with alternate sexuality. But there are so many other themes that I wish to explore," he said.

"Shab" is the first script that Onir wrote.

He said: "I am finally making it now. It is set in south Delhi and deals with complex relationships."

While the rest of the cast is yet to be finalised, Onir has finalised Sangeeta for one of the main roles.

"Sangeeta plays a fashion diva who heads a beauty pageant. I saw her at a fashion show and loved the way she carries herself. I asked a common friend (designer) Anita Dongra to introduce us. Sangeeta is just the face and personality I want for the role. I'm sure she'll do a terrific job with the role," added the acclaimed moviemaker.

The trailer of Saif Ali Khan starrer “Humshakals” will be launched worldwide on Youtube Wednesday.

The trailer will see fun multiply into nine and will make the audiences fall out of their chairs with laughter, said a source close to the production.

“The promo of the film is fast paced and the USP of the trailer is watching Saif Ali Khan, Riteiesh Deshmukh , Ram Kapoor in triple roles. The confusion and fun triples when our beauties Esha Gupta, Bipasha Basu and Tamannah enter their lives,” the source added.

Co-produced by Fox Star Studios and Pooja Entertainment, “Humshakals” is directed by Sajid Khan, known for making an out-and-out comic content.

Saif Ali Khan, who played a Gujarati boy in “Kal Ho Na Ho”, will again experiment with the Gujarati accent in the film. The actor will not only be seen speaking in Gujarati, but he has also decided to add a comic twist in the film.

The film is releasing June 20.

Young designer Masaba Gupta has been roped in by Women's International Cricket League (WICL) to bring a twist of fashion and design into women’s cricket apparel.

Her design label Masaba will be associated with WICL as the official sporting apparel design partner.

“Bringing Masaba in to design women’s playing and training cricket apparel seemed perfect as we were looking to create an identity through design and packaging of the sport. A partnership with this fantastic young designer seemed to complete the picture,” Shaun Martyn, director, WICL, said in a statement.

Masaba, who, at 24, was also appointed the fashion director of luxury brand Satya Paul, has emerged as one of the most promising new-age designers. She is excited about breaking new ground in fashion as far as designing for a women's cricket team is concerned.

“As a designer, integration across fields is what really gives a brand dimension, diversity and visibility. I am extremely excited about this opportunity as I love cricket and design and could not see a more perfect collaboration on the two subjects,” said the daughter of West Indies' cricket legend Vivian Richards and actress Neena Gupta.

A small panel of international players will work with Gupta to design playing and training gear that will be functional, feminine and different.

Sharing her plans of what's in store for her debut foray in sportswear, Masaba tweeted: “I will be designing the jerseys and gear for six teams for the first ever women's IPL to be held in Singapore. Our first step into sportswear."

The designer will showcase these apparel designs at major fashion shows during the course of the year. The range will include a co-branded WICL and Masaba range of sportswear, which will be available online and in selected sporting outlets around the world.

Bollywood filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala Monday wrapped up the Poland schedule of his directorial debut "Kick".

The two-week schedule saw Nadiadwala canning the action-oriented climax with lead actors Salman Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez and Randeep Hooda.

"Kick" has daredevil action, the hallmark of Salman's films these days. For instance, the Bollywood superstar had to jump from the tallest building in Warsaw, the Palace of Culture.

In another scene, a bus will be crashing from the Gdanski Bridge into the Warsaw river. Then, there is a helicopter crash.

In between, Salman and Jacqueline did some romantic scenes in the old town, a Unesco heritage site.

"It has been a great experience to come to Warsaw. Our Polish partners, Film Polska, entertained our requirements sincerely. During the outdoor shooting, the Polish crowd behaved very well. They never gave us any chance to complain. It seems the charm for Bollywood is growing very fast in the country," said Nadiadwala, producer-director, of the film.

M.R. Shahjahan, executive producer of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, also shared his excitement.

"Poland is a great country and to shoot here is much cheaper. Polish Tourism is very keen to lure more Bollywood producers. The authorities want to see Poland as a destination for Bollywood films as Switzerland has become in the last three decades, thanks to Yash Raj Films," said Shahjahan, an experienced hand.

Last year he shot his film "Aazaan" in Krakow, which is the cultural capital of Poland.

Krzystof Solek, president of Film Polska, also expressed his satisfaction.

"For us, it was a great opportunity to interact with an Indian producer. Until recently we have been producing advertisement films for our Indian customers. Now our experience with the 'Kick' unit has taught us many more things, and this will help us in the near future when other units will come to Poland to shoot," said Solek.

J.J. Singh, president of the Indo-Polish Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IPCCI), cooperated with both the partners and his Bollywood Lounge, a famous Indian restaurant, did the catering for the 70-member crew.

He was happy and satisfied when he mentioned this to IANS.

"This was the first occasion when any Bollywood unit came to shoot in the city. A film featuring Salman Khan has added more prestige to the Indian profile in Poland. We have also heard that a new unit will arrive in the near future to shoot. The name of the film is 'Bangistan' and Riteish Deshmukh is in the main cast," said Singh.

Superstar Rajinikanth’s daughter Soundarya, whose directorial debut “Kochadaiiyaan” is set to release, was honoured with the NDTV Indian of the Year Technical Innovation in a Film award here Tuesday. And her mother Latha is relishing the moment.

The honour came Soundarya's way for using ground-breaking technology in "Kochadaiiyaan". The Rs.125 crore project is said to be the country's first motion capture photo-realistic 3D animated movie.

“It’s a proud moment for us. Her father got it a few years back for being an entertainer and now she is getting. The next generation is getting. It’s a wonderful feeling," Latha told IANS.

Rajinikanth was selected as NDTV Indian Entertainer of the Year for 2007.

“I’ve seen her creative energy since her childhood and I think it’s graduated to being an animator today and I think it’s pioneering effort what she has done,” said Latha, who has also sung a song for her daughter’s film slated for a May 9 release.

Soundarya's sister Aishwarya is also a filmmaker.

Bollywood actor-filmmer and host of socially-relevant TV show "Satyamev Jayate", Aamir Khan says he is "sad like every Indian" due to the state of the country's political system, but stressed that change will only come when people stop voting for criminals contesting elections.

"I wish and hope that political parties rise above this and stop giving tickets to criminals. Ultimately, the change will come when people stop voting for criminals," Aamir said here during the NDTV Indian of the Year Awards Tuesday.

He does not like the way people end up voting, but he said that he does understand why they end up casting a vote for the people they do.

"What I don't understand is that why political parties give a ticket to criminals," he said.

The election season is currently on, and Aamir, who took up the matter of criminalisation of politics on "Satyamev Jayate 2", said "that this election, political parties have not risen above it".

"I am sad, like every Indian," he added.

On the stage for the Public Service session, Aamir was joined by social activist Aruna Roy and S.Y. Quraishi, former the chief election commissioner.

Aamir also gave away the NDTV Indian of the Year award for Public Service to two organisations - Association for Democratic Reforms and PRS Legislative Research.

They are Bollywood's once popular lovebirds, but Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor neither seemed nervous nor uncomfortable in each other's presence and proximity at an event here Tuesday. In fact, the two ended up doing an impromptu jig!

The actors were here at the NDTV Indian of the Year Awards to collect their respective honours. While Deepika received the entertainer of the year, Ranbir was awarded for being a Bollywood youth icon.

Ranbir was asked to fulfill a popular request -- to dance on one of his numbers impromptu.

Before the request came his way, he was on stage with Aamir Khan, Kangana Ranaut, Soundarya R. Ashwin and Deepika, but as the song played on, Deepika was left alone on stage, while Ranbir vanished only to drag journalist Prannoy Roy. Of course, Roy ran back to take his seat, but Deepika and Ranbir's chemistry worked up to create a picture-perfect moment as they she tried to give him cues of their signature steps.

They smiled, laughed, danced and seemed to have a jolly good time. They even pulled off some signature steps from the chartbuster, and Deepika seemed to know them better than Ranbir.

The duo's off-screen chemistry got a new direction when they played on screen lovers for the first time in "Bachna Ae Haseeno", but eventually the two parted ways after a much-publicised affair.

However, ever since their breakup, they have maintained that they are still good friends. And from what it seemed at the event Tuesday, they mean it.

They last featured on the big screen in "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani", and will soon share the frame in a new project.

Director Hansal Mehta, whose latest film "Shahid" has won the National Award, is now set to make a film on a gay character's journey from self-denial to social ostracism.

Interestingly, the story came to Mehta through internet.

"It's a story that was mailed to me by a girl called Ishani Banerji. It just blew my mind. I have to tell this story because marginalized people in our society always interest me," confesses the director, whose next release "Citylights" is about a migrant couple's self-effacing anonymity in Mumbai.

"We've stopped seeing these nameless migrants in the cities. Their lives never concerned us. Now they've become invisible," said Mehta, who has again cast Rajkummar Rao in the lead.

Mehta describes "Citylights" as a sequel to his year 2000 satire on migration - "Dil Pe Mat La Yaar". To portray abject poverty and ground-level austerity, Rajkummar and his leading lady Patralekha had to shoot under the harshest of circumstances.

"My producers Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt were willing to provide all the comforts required for shooting. However, I deliberately made them shoot under gruelling conditions. No make-up van and no luxuries were allowed."

The director describes his partnership with the very talented Rajkummar as "unbreakable".

However, his next film about a gay hero won't star Rajkummar, but Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

"I need an older actor to play the gay character. The story takes the character through a very wide chronological arc. Nawaz is more suited to the character. But I am writing a very big biographical story for Rajkummar, which would be set in the Hindi film industry during the 1950s. That's the film Rajkummar and I are doing next," he added.

Marginal heroes would continue to haunt Mehta's cinema. In real life too, the filmmaker is haunted by communal forces taking over the country.

Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, who believes cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has been honoured with the Bharat Ratna at the right age, says people who have musical talent, like sportspersons, must be encouraged when they are young.

"I am very happy seeing that musicians of (my sons) Amaan and Ayaan's generation are taking an interest in sitar, sarod and vocal classical music. But I feel what's needed is commitment and encouragement. Musical talent needs to be encouraged like sportsmen are - from the age of 24, 25," Amjad Ali said here as he received the NDTV Indian of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award Tuesday night.

"I feel Bharat Ratna for Sachin Tendulkar came at the right time. We musicians get it at the age of 70, 80 and 90," he added.

Master-blaster Tendulkar was honoured with the country's highest civilian award earlier this year.

Amjad Ali, whose sons Ayaan and Amaan are accomplished sarod players too, said he maintains a "constant connect" to music as he keeps singing or humming multiple times in a day.

Even after several years of being associated with music, he says he is still trying to make space for himself as "music is an ocean, and I'm just a drop in the ocean".

Actress Dia Mirza has used the microblogging site Twitter to announce the news of her engagement to long-time beau and business partner Sahil Sangha.

The 32-year-old former beauty queen, who was rumoured to be seeing actor Kunal Kapoor years back, seems to have made her relationship with Sangha official in New York City as she hash-tagged the city’s name in her tweet.

“Officially engaged. #NYC,” she posted Wednesday.

Congratulations poured in from friends and fans soon after.

The duo was in the US already to attend the recently held International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend and Awards in Tampa Bay, Florida. They even posed confidently for the shutterbugs.

Together, Dia and Sahil formed a production house called Born Free Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. in 2011. Their first production under their banner, which was earlier also co-owned by actor Zayed Khan, was “Love Breakups Zindagi”.

They are now looking forward to “Bobby Jasoos”, which stars Vidya Balan.

Fashion designer Anita Dongre has joined hands with the United Nations for its human rights campaign video featuring UN Equality champion and actress Celina Jaitly.

The Free and Equal Campaign video, launched Wednesday, stars Celina wearing a lime green and hot pink outfit created by Dongre.

“It’s an honour for us to be associated with the UN for this superb initiative and it was a wonderful experience creating a special look for Celina. The colour and silhouette dichotomy symbolised the Free and Equal spirit of the campaign," Dongre said in a statement.

“We worked on an Indo-fusion look and teamed a lime green sheer choli with gota patti work paired with a hot pink embroidered lehenga skirt and completed the look with a cummerbund and jewellery from my Pinkcity collection,” she added.

Celina, who has made her singing debut with the clip's soundtrack titled “Uthe sabke kadam”, said: "It's been wonderful to see this project come together, and to see so many talented creative people getting involved, giving their time and ideas for free.

“The more people watch this video and can share it with everyone they know, the further our message of acceptance and equality will spread."

Talking about trying her hand her music, the former beauty queen-turned-actress, said:
"The best way to reach people across borders and language and cultural barriers is through music and I am most blessed to be able to contribute my musical debut to such a good cause."

It was on this day 10 years back that choreographer Farah Khan's debut directorial "Main Hoon Na" hit the screens. She can only look back at her pool of memories with a smile.

"Ten years of 'Main Hoon Na' today," Farah tweeted Wednesday.

She also thanked her friend and superstar Shah Rukh Khan who played the lead in her film.

"Thank you Shah Rukh Khan for changing the course of my life. In soooo many ways with MHN. You in a wet white shirt, under a waterfall my darling, was my gift to all the women in the world!"

"Main Hoon Na", Farah says, marked the first time that the film's lead actress Sushmita Sen wore a sari on screen.

"This scene was the first day of shoot for Sushmita Sen and the first time she wore a sari on screen," Farah tweeted along with a picture of Sushmita's introduction scene.

"Main Hoon Na" also stars Zayed Khan, Amrita Rao, Naseeruddin Shah, Kabir Bedi and Kirron Kher.

The film set the platform for Farah and she next directed the superhit "Om Shanti Om" in 2007.

She is currently busy directing "Happy New Year", which also stars Shah Rukh Khan.

Brilliant actor Irrfan and internationally renowned US-based Indian director Mira Nair are likely to again team up for "The Bengali Detective", a film about a middle-aged detective in Kolkata who is keen to learn contemporary dancing.

The two share a mutual dmiration for ever since they created magic in "The Namesake" in 2006.

Thereafter Nair did a short film called "Kosher Vegetarian" with Irrfan and Natalie Portman in the lead.

Nair was keen that Irrfan play the title role in her last film "The Reluctant Fundamentalist". However, Irrfan was not keen on playing a terrorist.

Nair, we learn, has zeroed in on Irrfan to play the Bengali bhadralok again in "The Bengali Detective". Irrfan had played a Bengali to great impact in "The Namesake" as well.

However, Mira needs to check out Irrfan's dancing skills before she takes the final call. This is where ad filmmaker Piyush Pandey comes in.

Irrfan said: "Mira wants to see if I can dance or not. In my latest ad for Piyush Pandey, I am seen dancing. I am sending that ad to Mira to evaluate my dancing skills."