He juggles two different roles but Vipul Shah believes in doing one thing at a time. If he dons the director's hat, his focus is on his craft and as a producer, he ensures he doesn't get in the way of his directors.

"If I am producing, I enjoy it the most, when I am a director, then I can't think of any production work," Shah said to a query about juggling his "roles" during an interview to IANS.

"When I am producing, I don't think of becoming a director. None of my directors, who have worked with me, will complain that I chew their brains or interfere in their job.

"My job as a producer is very different. A director is the mother of the film... who creates it and a producer is the father who runs the entire show. I enjoy both," said the director and producer of "Namastey London" and "Waqt: The Race Against Time".

The filmmaker also produced hits like "Singh Is Kinng" and highly-acclaimed "Force" helmed respectively by Anees Bazmee and Nishikant Kamat.

But despite tasting successes, he feels that a producer's job is "thankless".

"Yes, it is a thankless job in a way," Shah said. "It's not just about the producer, everybody who works behind the curtains to a certain extent has a thankless job because people want to see who is in front of the camera."

"People within my team know what I contribute to a film and as long as they are happy with me, I am done with being a producer. At the end of the day what matters is that your team should understand and appreciate what you are doing," he added.

When it comes to the team, Shah has enjoyed a formidable long stint with Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, who has featured in all his directorial ventures except for "London Dreams".

He describes their journey as "fantastic". The duo have teamed up once again for forthcoming terrorism-based action thriller "Holiday - A Soldier Is Never Off Duty" and takes pride in saying that this is their "sixth film together and that four out of five films have been successful".

"As long as you are making better films together, you feel like working together again and again. My relationship with Akshay has reached a stage where we constantly want to do better work together. It has become stronger by the day," added the filmmaker.

Shah's retro drama "Action Replayy" with Akshay had backfired, but in his defence the filmmaker argues that "nobody can have a 100 percent track record and I am no different".

"Be it Raj Kapoor or the greatest of the great people - they have given flops. The effort should be to learn from the mistakes and move ahead and make successful films. 'London Dreams' was not a flop, it was an average film.

"'Action Replayy' was the only film that didn't do well. After that I did 'Force' and 'Commando', which were hits. It's part and parcel of your life and I think the audience loves me as producer, director or whatever," he added.

Releasing Friday, "Holiday..." may be on terrorism, but it is different from the other films from the genre as director A.R. Murugadoss' narrative focusses on sleeper cells and how quietly they merge into their target society before unleashing havoc.

Shah says the film's team is very "solid" and the story is engrossing.

"The basic story is a very intelligent thriller based on sleeper cells. We all know that India is a terror-affected country and it's because of the network of the sleeper cells, which plans the possibility of attacks to be carried out," he said.

"These sleeper cells are so merged within our society they could be anybody - your neighbour, my driver, watchman. You can't find out who are sleeper cells because they are so silent about what they do and that becomes the most dangerous form of terrorism because you don't know the enemy and how to find them," he said.

"Imphal 1944", a short film based on World War II by London-based Japanese actor and filmmaker Junichi Kajioka, will be premiered at the closing ceremony of the 70th Anniversary Commemoration of the Battle of Imphal (WWII) here June 28.

The Battle of Imphal and Kohima (between March 8, 1944 - July 3, 1944) was among Britain's greatest battles in the Second World War.

The story carries the message of friendship between old enemies, said Kajioka. Later, the film, about Manipur and its people who helped the soldiers thus helping many of them survive the battle, will be shown at other film festivals around the globe, informed actor-director Kajioka in an email interaction.

The film, inspired by the life of Japanese war veteran Masao Hirakubo, OBE (Order of the British Empire), who fought in the battle of Imphal, is dedicated to the people who lost their lives there, said the first time director.

Hirakubo, who joined the Japanese Army in 1942, fought the one of fiercest struggles in World War II - the Burma Campaign - before retiring as a lieutenant.

Kajioka, who researched and wrote the story, was touched by Hirakubo's words: "We are made alive by the wishes of the war dead. It doesn't matter whether they are British or Japanese, those who survived are members of the same group. Survivors from both sides can share the same grief for their fallen comrades."

In an interview to BBC in London, Hirakubo in 2004, probably his last interview, recalled the epitaph on the memorial in Kohima in the neighbouring state of Nagaland - "When you go home, tell them of us and say, for their tomorrow, we gave our today." - that summed up his sentiments on martyrs.

The battles of Kohima and Imphal battles, which marked the highpoint of the Japanese forces advance into India, claimed the lives of 30,000 Japanese, left 23,000 and 600 were captured. Among the 50,000 support troops, there were 15,000 casualties.

On the other hand, the Allies suffered 17,500 casualties.

When he returned home to Yokohama in 1946 after the war ended, Hirakubo found his family home destroyed by Allied bombing. He then went to London and rebuilt his life.

But the war veteran did not just retire from life, he revisited Burma and northeast region in India several times, not for war but for peace, re-building lives and carrying out re-conciliation works. This led to the conferring of the Beritish award to him.

The founder of Burma Campaign Society (BCS) tirelessly devoted his later life to reconciliation between Britain and Japan. He died in 2008 at the age of 88.

Kajioka says "Imphal 1944" aims to be a symbol of peace between Britain, Japan and Manipur.

The actor-director feels the 150-year-anniversary celebrations of Japan-Britain diplomatic relations is a statement of peace and friendship.

"The desire for peace is universal," he said.

The battle of Imphal brought to Kajioka's attention many untold stories of the battle between the Japanese and Allied forces and now he is bringing lesser known battles of the World War II to a wider audience.

Kajioka feels that there is a growing international interest in good cinema, whether it is a story of the periphery or mainstream. "A good film can capture some of the unique essence of a culture and a place and tell very powerful stories," he said, stressing war films are not only about killings, but also about powerful messages of peace and reconciliation.

Kajioka acted in films such as "47 Ronin" starring Keanu Reeves and "The Flowers of War" starring Christian Bale. He will also be the leading actor in "My Japanese Niece", a film by Manipuri filmmaker Mohen Naorem, currently in pre-production stage.

Hansal Mehta's “Citylights” opened well at the box office, garnering strong business during its first weekend with Rs3.57 crore.

"'Citylights' does a good opening weekend. Friday - Rs.70 lakh, Saturday - Rs. 1.32 crore (almost double of Friday) and Sunday - Rs. 1.55 crore. Total - Rs. 3.57 crore, said a statement issued Monday.

Presented by Fox Star Studios in association with Vishesh Films, "Citylights" released May 30. The film features Rajkummar Rao and Patralekha and is an adaptation of British film "Metro Manila".

Also, the film collected profits even before it's release.

"'Citylights' has already recovered it's cost of production (COP) and Publicity and Advertising (P&A) much before the release of the film. Mehta's film has been made with a budget of Rs.2.5 crore and P&A is approximately Rs.4 crore.

"The film has already recovered Rs.7 crore from its satellite rights and music that has been topping the charts currently," the statement added.

After “Kambakkht Ishq” proved a dud, director Sabbir Khan hit the bull’s eye with "Heropanti", which collected over Rs.21 crore in the openning weekend. He thanks his producer Sajid Nadiadwala for trusting him and giving him another opportunity.

"I went through a period of huge uncertainty after ‘Kambakkht Ishq’. My career could've ended even before it started. It was my producer Sajid Nadiadwala whose faith kept me going. He believed in me even when everybody else wrote me off," said Khan, whose directorial debut starring Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor was also produced by Nadiadwala.

Not many know that Sabbir was keen to direct Chetan Bhagat’s bestseller “2 States” for Nadiadwala. But then the project became a Nadiadwala-Karan Johar joint venture and the film's direction was given to Karan's protege Abhishek Varman.

Khan admits: "I read ‘2 States’ and recommended it to Sajid. At that point of time I wasn't in a position to get a prize directorial assignment like ‘2 States’."

“Heropanti”, which launched two new faces - Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanaon, happened suddenly when Nadiadwala wanted to remake Telugu film “Paragu”.

"It was an out-and-out formula film. But there was something very endearing about the story," said Khan who gave it a twist.

"I turned it around completely. It's hard to say why it clicked. But the Tiger Shroff-Kriti Sanon pair has been really liked.

“Also, beneath the flirting, courtship and banter, the film has a serious message on why honour killing must be eradicated from our society and why women must be respected."

However, he is a little hurt but not surprised by the negative reviews.

"I didn't really expect to be praised. But I didn't expect such a barrage of adverse comments. We made the film that we believed in. I am really happy for Tiger and Kriti."

Just before the film's release, Tiger was bombarded with ridicule on the internet.

"I was a first-hand witness to the mean comments. I was more upset by them than Tiger who took them in his stride. I've faced my share of ridicule. Luckily, it's all in the past now," he said.

Next film?

"Won't be a remake. But I will make it only for Sajid Nadiadwala," promises Khan.

Bollywood actor Kunal Kemmu, who is currently filming "Guddu Ki Gun" in the eastern metropolis, Monday said the venture is his "funniest film" till date.

"Guddu Ki Gun" will see the actor romance Bengali actress Payel Sarkar, who is making her Bollywood debut with it.

"I think this is the funniest film that I have done. The character is a washing powder salesman in Kolkata who hails from Bihar. He is like a Bihari casanova," 31-year-old Kunal said here.

Payel, a known face in Bengal's regional film industry, hopes her foray into Bollywood would pan out well.

Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha, who turned 27 Monday, has given herself a gift for life - a tattoo of a star.

The "Dabangg" actress took to Twitter to share a photograph of herself and her newly acquired inking, and posted: "Surpriiiiise! My birthday gift to myself is this tattoo...My guiding star, now always with me."

The tattoo is placed above her collarbone.

Daughter of veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, Sonakshi made her Bollywood debut in 2010 with the blockbuster "Dabangg" opposite Salman Khan. That set the ball rolling for her and she has since featured in films like "Rowdy Rathore", "Son Of Sardaar", "Dabangg 2", "Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbai Dobaara", "Boss" and "R... Rajkumar".

Her bubbly and vivacious screen presence has been a boon to typical desi potboilers, but her differentiated performance in "Lootera" was widely lauded for being sensitive and emotional.

Now, Sonakshi is awaiting the release of "Holiday: A Soldier is Never Off Duty Films", in which she stars with Akshay Kumar. The film is coming out Friday.

The eastern metropolis is all set to accord a "royal felicitation" to IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders Tuesday at the Eden Gardens, with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee altering an important tour schedule to attend the occasion in the company of team owner and Bollywood 'baadshah' Shahrukh Khan and a host of Bengal film celebrities.

The hour-long programme would be attended by a number of state ministers, former cricketers and other sports personalities and cultural icons from the state.

The state government is hoping for a full house at the historic ground where entry would be free.

However, Sports Minister Madan Mitra said fans wishing to watch the gala would have to collect passes from the local police stations.

"We will give a royal felicitation to the team. We are hoping for a packed stadium. If even on the day, we find some genuine sports lovers like say former players keen to join the celebrations, we will issue passes on the spot," he said.

The programme - to be jointly organised by the state government, Kolkata Police, Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) - would begin at 1 p.m.

Shahrukh, likely to be the centre of attraction, would arrive Tuesday morning, while team co-owner and former Bollywood diva Juhi Chawla arrived with KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir, Yousuf Pathan, Piyush Chawla and some other players by a Monday evening flight to a rousing welcome.

Hundreds of delirious fans shouting "KKR, KKR" danced in joy as Gambhir stepped into the city holding aloft the IPL trophy that his team won after a three-wicket win in a thrilling final against Kings XI Punjab at Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore Sunday.

Sports Minister Mitra and CAB officials were present at the airport to receive the players.

The felicitation ceremony programme was finalised at a high-level meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna, where CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya, Home Secretary Basudeb Banerjee, city police commissioner Surojit Kar Purokayastha and some cultural personalities were present.

Mitra said the players and the support staff will be given mementos, but refused to disclose the details.

"If there is no secret, the fun and excitement will be lost," he said.

He said Banerjee will felicitate the players after the programme begins with a cultural show.

However, unlike in 2012 when the KKR lifted the title for the first time, the authorities have decided to do away with a roadshow of the victorious team, fearing rains.

The chief minister, known for her love for cultural megashows and big ceremonies, kickstarted the hectic pace of developments Monday morning itself in a series of Facebook posts and tweets.

She congratulated the Knights for their victory, and announced a felicitation programme on "public demand".

"We will felicitate KKR tomorrow (Tuesday) in Kolkata for IPL victory. There is a public demand," she tweeted.

Later, talking to media persons at the Kolkata airport before embarking on her official trip to north Bengal, she referred to the spirit of Kolkata that relishes sporting events.

"The people deserve to celebrate... the people in Bengal have always loved sports like cricket and football. It is their spirit. I congratulate KKR for the win and they will get a reception tomorrow (Tuesday)," she said.

Banerjee's north Bengal tour was meant to run through five consecutive days.

However, she will now return to the city Monday night - after her day-long administrative meeting in the north Bengal secretariat Utarkanya in Jalpaiguri district - to be in time for Tuesday's ceremony, official sources said.

She will return to north Bengal after the reception.

After the 2012 triumph, the chief minister had feted the team outside the state secretariat and then travelled in the team bus with Shahrukh to the jampacked Eden Gardens where a civic reception was given to the victorious side.

Now, the city's cricket buffs are waiting with bated breath for a replay of the 2012 jamboree.

A year after Bollywood actress Jiah Khan was found dead and hanging at her Mumbai residence, a memorial service will be held here Tuesday, with her mother, family and friends in attendance.

"A memorial service will be held in Jiah's memory at the Chelsea Town Hall attended by Jiah's friends and family, including her mother Rabiyya Amin, who has campaigned tirelessly over the past 12 months to unearth the truth behind Jiah's death," read a mailer.

The service for the actress, who grew up in Chelsea, will be held Tuesday evening.

The New York-born Jiah - who acted in a blockbuster like "Ghajini", was 25 when she was found hanging in her Juhu flat late on June 3, 2013. Her sudden death continues to remain a mystery, and her mother has vowed to keep the "battle going on".

"I shall keep the battle going all the way until I get to the root of the truth. Although it's been a year, to me, it seems like yesterday," said Rabbiya.

Jiah's alleged suicide was initially attributed to a lack of assignments, but it was alleged that she was going through a troubled phase in her relationship with actor Aditya Pancholi's son Sooraj.

Her mother accused Sooraj of abetting Jiah's 'suicide' after the family recovered a letter penned by the "Nishabd" actress. Sooraj was also taken into custody, and was interrogated in the case, but eventually he was released on bail.

But Rabbiya has still not left hope of getting justice for her daughter.

"They are delaying to sabotage and compromise the crucial evidence. Jiah's mother's long fight for justice will not stop until truth is revealed," Rabbiya said.

In her latest attempt, she has sought the help of the British police to investigate her daughter's death. She has written to Foreign Secretary William Hague to help bring about justice for her daughter, reports dailymail.co.uk.

She has urged British police to launch a probe into the case, which is currently at the centre of a Bombay High Court hearing.

Rabbiya earlier also approached US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell to ask that the Federal Bureau of Investigation assist in the investigation.

Jiah was born as Nafisa Rizvi Khan in New York and moved with her mother to London when she was two-year-old.

When she was 17, she was offered a place on a drama course at the Lee Strasberg Film Institute in New York.

While on holiday as an 18-year-old, she was approached by Indian filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma, who cast her as a teenager in love with her best friend's father in his 2007 film "Nishabd".

The medium length bob is the hair cut of the season with celebrities like Karlie Kloss, Lea Seydoux, Rose Byrne and Jessica Alba wearing the look. Opt for the trend for fuss-free look.

Whatever your hair type or texture, there’s a medium-length style to suit all occasions, from work to weddings. Not only is it an A-list favourite but it's versatile and easy to style, says an expert

“The mid-length bob is seeing a revival of popularity this season, and is the perfect style for those who are trying either to grow out their hair, or opt for a longer style. It also is a subtle change for those who want to go for the chop but aren’t ready for a look that’s too dramatic,” femalefirst.co.uk quote stylist Nicola Bond as saying.

"When asking your hairdresser to create this style, make sure it involves lots of layers to help encourage natural movement through the ends of the hair. Ideally, the perfect hair type for this style is fine or medium thickness hair,” added Bond.

However, the trend is not great for naturally poker straight hair, or very thick hair which can create a triangular effect. If there is not a natural wave in your hair, try using a curling wand to create easy, long-lasting movement.

Pippa Middleton is the latest celebrity who tried bob hair look and the hairstyle has done wonders to her.

When Vidya Balan was asked to consider a role in "Bobby Jasoos", she thought she will play assistant to a detective a la Kitty to the popular sleuth Karamchand.

Little did Vidya know that the makers were asking her to essay a female detective in the movie!

In "Bobby Jasoos", produced by Born Free Entertainment, Vidya plays the title role.

Recalling her meeting with producers Dia Mirza and Sahil Sangha, as well as the film's director Samar Shaikh and writer Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh, she asked them: "Okay, what is the film that you want to make about?"

Narrating the conversation, she said: "They told me 'It’s called 'Bobby Jasoos' and I immediately thought that they want me to play Kitty to Karamchand… great!' Then Dia told me we want you to play Bobby Jasoos and I was immediately interested because I had never imagined a female detective.

"I took the script with me, read it, had a few meetings with Samar and Sanyunktha to understand their vision and, as it was a great concept, I immediately agreed to do it."

Releasing July 4, "Bobby Jasoos", presented by Reliance Entertainment, also stars Ali Fazal, Kiran Kumar, Arjan Bajwa, Anupriya Goenka, Zarina Wahab and Tanvi Azmi.

Actress Prachi Desai put her professionalism on display when she decided to postpone a surgery and shot for an item song for “Ek Villain”.

Prachi, who features in the "Awari" track in the film, was advised to go through a tooth extraction surgery at the earliest possible, but she chose to wait till her song rehearsals, look test and shoot was over.

“She had been in pain for two weeks but could only make do with pain killers for a song shoot for Mohit Suri's film,” said a source.

“It had caused her much of discomfort but fulfilling her commitment was more important to her,” the source added.

Not just this! The actress also faced a bleeding knee during the shoot of the song.

A source from the set says there were some high octane shots where Prachi and the girls had to fall on their knees and slide backwards. That caused them to suffer some bruises on their feet and knees.

Now all is well.

“Prachi's procedure is done... she will be fine in a few days,” the source said.

Starring Riteish Deshmukh, Sidharth Malhotra and Shraddha Kapoor, “Ek Villain” releases June 27.

Actress Evelyn Sharma is believed to have turned down a movie offer due to the requirement of 'excessive nudity'.

The actress, who studied in Britain and started her career with an American film, was offered a high intense drama. But even though she may be perceived as bold and sexy, she is not willing to bare it all on screen.

She knows where to draw the line, said a source close to Evelyn, who has featured in films like "From Sydney With Love", "Nautanki Saala", "Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani", "Issaq", "Yaariyaan" and "Main Tera Hero".

After all this, "a lead role in a high flying British drama would have been quite a meaty addition to her career, but the character was a little too bold for her and after some thought, she decided to give it a pass as it wasn't subtle or suggestive nudity", the source added.

The offer for the yet untitled project is said to have come her way in the beginning of May. She declined the role soon after.

Singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo Monday cautioned aspiring crooners against banking entirely on playback singing as a career option, but said he would try to help wannabe singers "as much as possible".

The Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha member said he would try help shape the dreams of youngsters in his constituency Asansol.

"There is expectation from me as a singer. I will try to encourage them as and when the opportunity comes. I will try to help youngsters in my constituency as much as I can. However, I will advise them not to bank entirely on playback singing," he told reporters in Asansol.

Acknowledging the talented youth in West Bengal, he said: "Work hard and sing well but don't park your dreams entirely on playback singing."

Launch of Autobiography 'Substance And The Shadow' of Bollywood Veteran and Legend Dilip Kumar will take place on June 9 in Mumbai. Ceremony will start by Lata Mangeshkar who will light the inaugural lamp and sing few lines for Dilip Sahab followed by Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan will do the honours of unveiling the book.
Karan Johar will be seen hosting the launch event .

Documented by Dilip Kumar’s close friend Udaya Tara Nayar, the event will have Big B will reading a verse or a paragraph from the book and Aamir reciting a poem, written by Prasoon Joshi.

Other close pals and industry veterans like Dharmendra will read a few lines on the thespian; Vyjayanthimala will speak few words in honour of the legendary actor.

Javed Ali and Shaan will perform a medley of Dilip Kumar’s evergreen hits, which has been composed by Lalit Pandit.
An audio visual-3D mapping video on the entire journey of Dilip Sahab will also be played at the event.

Shahrukh and Salman Khan might attend the launch event!
Hema Malini, Madhuri Dixit, Tina and Anil Ambani, Kamal Haasan, Priyanka Chopra, Parineeti Chopra, Vidya Balan are also expected to grace the event!

"Heropanti" fame Kriti Sanon, who made her acting debut with Telugu film "1: Nenokkadine", has signed a new yet-untitled film in the language opposite Akkineni Naga Chaitanya.

"Kriti was signed long back for the project. The regular shooting of the film has already started and Kriti is expected to join the sets from the second week of June," a source from the film's unit, told IANS.

Sudheer Varma of "Swamy Ra Ra" fame is directing the film.

Meanwhile, it is being rumoured that Kriti has also been signed on for Allu Arjun's next film with director Trivikram.

Bollywood celebrities like Mahesh Bhatt and Javed Akhtar have expressed shock and grief at the sudden demise of union Minister for Rural Development and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gopinath Munde in Delhi Tuesday.

Munde, 64, an important figure in Maharashtra politics, was on his way to the Indira Gandhi International Airport when his Maruti Suzuki SX4 car was hit by a Tata Indica at Aurobindo Marg in south Delhi around 6.20 a.m., police said.

The tinsel town remembers him as “leader” and an “inspiring gentleman”. Here's what the celebrities posted on Twitter:

Mahesh Bhatt: Tragic! Gopinath Munde, a fine human being & leader has 'passed away'. The nation mourns his loss (sic).

Asha Bhosle: Condolences to Gopinathji's family. Deeply saddened to hear this news. He was a good friend & well wisher.

Javed Akhtar: The sudden demise of Mr. Munde has come as a shock to everyone. My condolence to the family and friends.

Subhash Ghai: Personally Shocked n sad. Munde ji was an inspiring gentleman I knew. He would smile n share everyone's grief god bless his noble soul (sic).

Madhur Bhandarkar: Shocked to hear about Mundeji. Will miss his rare combination of admirable leadership skills with a down to earth yet vibrant personality (sic).

Ronnie Screwvala: Life has its own turns - and we do not always know whats around the bend - RIP Gopinath Munde (sic).

Pritish Nandy: Sad. Gopinath Munde. Can't claim his friendship but he was a decent man. Readying to contest for Maharashtra's CM job (sic).

Sanjay Gupta: Saddened by the news of Mr. Munde's death. The unpredictability of life... RIP Gopinathji.

Atul Kulkarni: Pramod Mahajan, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Balasaheb Thakre, Gopinath Munde. MRashtra politics is changing at the hands of death rather than people (sic).

Manoj Bajpayee: RIP Mr. Munde! Condolences to the family and friends!

Satish Kaushik: Shocking death of dedicated popular BJP leader from Maharashtra.. May god rest his soul in peace. My heartfelt condolences to the family.

Gul Panag: Terrible to hear about the untimely demise of Mr Gopinath Munde. Deepest condolences. RIP.

Riteish Deshmukh: I am shocked beyond words - Apart from being a big leader for me Mundeji was my father's closest friend - an unfathomable loss.

Rohit Roy: Omg... So sad to hear about Gopinath Munde's sudden demise May god bless his soul.

Kailash Kher: Shocked to hear about sad Demise of Sensitive Human,Committed Leader Shri Gopinath Munde. Parmatma iss ghadi me parivar ko shakti de, prayers. (sic).

Aftab Shivdasani: RIP Gopinath Munde. May God give strength to the family to cope with this tragic loss. Prayers and condolences.

Arshad Warsi: BJP MP from Beed and Rural Development Minister, Shree Gopinath Munde expires...May his soul rest in peace.

Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, who clocked 41 years of marital bliss Tuesday, are not celebrating the special day in a big way as the entire family is busy with other commitments. However, Big B says their hearts are "together".

"Devoid of any celebration, devoid of presence, just devoid...Wife away out of country, children travelling ..but hearts together (sic)," the 71-year-old tweeted.

The couple got married June 3, 1973 and has two children - son Abhishek and daughter Shweta.

While Abhishek is married to actress Aishwarya Rai and they have daughter named Aaradhya, Shweta is married to businessman Nikhil Nanda and have son Agastya Nanda and daughter Navya Naveli Nanda.

Abhishek expressed his love towards his parents on Twitter Tuesday morning by posting a photograph and captioning it: "My parents' anniversary today. 41 years and still going strong! Love you guys."

Big B, who has worked with wife Jaya in films including "Zanjeer", "Abhimaan", "Chupke Chupke", "Sholay", "Silsila" and "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham", thanked fans for sending in wishes.

"And to all that wish for the anniversary...many thanks for the wishes...love all of you," he tweeted.

The megastar also dedicated his blog to all the 'wives' and thanked them for making the life of men beautiful and gratifying.

On his blog srbachchan.tumblr.com, he wrote: "The lavishness of the coming together, the energy and the protocol, the submission to custom and ritual...and suddenly there is another member among you...they are referred to as the 'ardhangini’, the half of the body that you possess. They bring life, they bring harmony and composure, they acknowledge the growth of the members of this new surname, they mind the home and the hearth! They are quite unique.

“God bless them all that adorn these qualifications...for they are the rulers, the future, the ones that shall be obeyed to...they are the women the female, the better half of mankind...and they are indeed superior.

"To that superiority may I dedicate this blog to all those among us that endorse such detail. You have lived and loved and taken care and administered your prevalence. You have been strong and weak together. You have managed the home, the nest that you build, to welcome the partner as your own...you are superior."

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan always wanted to do a serial on the small screen, and he is glad that his debut fiction show on the tube, "Yudh" is an attempt to offer something "different" to the viewers.

In an interview, the 71-year-old veteran speaks about the show, about his TV journey and about working on the growing medium.

Q. "Yudh" is the title chosen for your first fiction show on television. Please shed some light on the title.

A. "Yudh" is the name of the character I play...Yudhishtir! But there is a 'yudh' (war) in his life too, which he battles with on many fronts.

Q. What made you choose this as your first foray into fiction on television?

A. I had wished to do a serial some day. Endemol came up with this project and idea. I liked it and then we set about building a team and getting down to constructing it.

Q. What do you think of the standard of other fiction shows on television?

A. I am no judge. The audience is. The ones that garner good ratings are obviously the ones that must come in the category of good. I suppose they set the standards.

Q. What prompted you to take the plunge into fiction on television specially at a time when your hands are full with so much to do?

A. Nothing. Just the desire to work on an aspect I had not attempted.

Q. What is your role in "Yudh"? Do we get to see you do something different on television as compared with what you've done (so spectacularly) in the movies?

A. I cannot say. You will have to judge when it airs. The basics are the same. No matter what medium, we actors are acting. And that is how you shall see this serial as well. But Anurag Kashyap and the team wished that they present it differently from what has been coming in the category of soaps and serials. That is the endeavour.

Q. Do you watch any television? Do you think the content on Indian television has shown a healthy growth over the years?

A. Yes, I do watch TV and yes, the growth of television in India is by far the largest and the greatest in the world. With about 800 channels currently operative, it's perhaps larger than the entire volume of global channels put together. TV in India has overtaken the returns of cinema three fold, and this, within a spate of the last 10 to 15 years. Compared to a 100-year film industry, this must be looked upon as a healthy growth.

Q. You proved a game-changer on television with "Kaun Banega Crorepati". What expectations can your audiences have from "Yudh"?

A. I am no game-changer, nor do I ever aspire to be one. I just want to do my stipulated work. The audiences will decide the fate of "Yudh". And that is how it should be.

Q. How would you be able to balance the impossible schedules on television with your various commitments?

A. I have been managing it so far. I hope to be able to manage it further too.

Q. Finally, would you say "Yudh" is a new phase in your endlessly re-invented career?

A. Phases in a person's life need deeper thought and consideration and comment. TV is just another aspect of a profession I already practice. This fresh attempt is another project. Let us not give it so much importance.

India-born Canadian filmmaker Nisha Pahuja, known for her 2012 documentary "The World Before Her", was asked to try the Indian market two years ago, but didn't show much excitement then. After the Dec 16 Delhi gang-rape, she was however convinced it is time to show the film to Indian audiences.

Over a decade back, she had tried to release a documentary titled "Bollywood Bound" in India, but that didn't work out.

"Many years ago talks were on to release 'Bollywood Bound' in India. That didn't happen, but it didn't matter much," Pahuja told IANS in a telephonic interview from Mumbai.

But she didn't want "The World Before Her" to meet the same fate because the gravity of the subject matters to her.

"People have been talking to me about releasing it in India since 2012. I knew it would take a lot of work and energy. I was very exhausted making the film; so I wasn't entertaining the idea. But the Delhi gang-rape was the turning point; so I thought I have to make sure the film comes out," said the Delhi-born filmmaker, whose parents moved to Toronto, Canada when she was only four years old.

The story focusses on the complex and conflicting environment for young girls in India; it focusses on two young women - Ruhi Singh, who aspires to become Miss India, and Prachi Trivedi, a militant Hindu nationalist with the Durga Vahini - participating in two different types of training camps.

While it will hit the screens in five Indian cities including the capital and Bangalore Friday, the film was recently premiered in Mumbai with celebrities lauding it.

And the thumbs up from the film fraternity certainly boosted Pahuja's morale.

"It was amazing. It was emotional for me because I've been working on the project for six years. The film finished in 2012 and now it's coming to India," said Pahuja, who also met her husband and cameraman Mrinal Desai while working on the film.

Acclaimed Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is presenting the film and she says he's "fantastic".

"He had heard about the film last year in September or October. A mutual friend later introduced us. I gave him a copy of the film and he saw it and decided to support it," said Pahuja.

Despite being backed by a well-known filmmaker like Kashyap, the film's release got pushed from April to June.

She says it was in the best interest of the film.

"We wanted the film to be released post the elections. The film is very unbiased and neutral. It's important to show a film like this when things aren't emotionally charged. That's why we chose to delay it," she said.

She plans to tour the country starting October and visit areas where cases of female infanticide are high.

"We will work with NGOs. All that has to be organised. Where and when we will go. It's a huge project so hopefully from October to probably next March," she said.

Pahuja, who believes against an agenda if one desires to make a documentary, says the process of making "The World Before Her" was an interesting one.

"I never set out to make a film on women's rights. Initially, in my head I knew it had to do with India. I was going to use Miss India as a platform to explore the cultural changes; then I met Pooja Chopra - a young woman who won Miss India contest.

"It was an extraordinary story I came across. She was supposed to be killed (at birth) because she is a girl. Her father wanted her mother to kill her," she added.

The "Commando" actress' story left her shocked and speechless.

"I knew there were women rights issues in India. I know there are issues of equality but didn't know about the level of injustice. When she told me then everything changed for me. The whole film changed. And then when I met Prachi, she told me about the camp; then it became clear to me what it needed to be," she said.

A stampede-like situation erupted on the fringes of the Eden Gardens here as die-hard fans of Indian Premier League winner Kolkata Knight Riders clambered over police barricades to gain entry into the arena for the team's felicitation ceremony.

Though entry was made free, passes distributed were far less. This resulted in utter chaos with KKR followers breaking through the barriers and running wildly through them, bypassing the police cover to clinch a seat in the stadium.

Several women and children were injured or left behind in the rush.

The police had to resort to a mild cane charge to control the crowd as mounted personnel and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) struggled to control the mob-like situation.

Thousands, including men, women and children, waited to come in as the clock inched past the scheduled start of 1 p.m.

Meanwhile, the cultural events began inside the Eden Gardens as lucky fans who got in early, eagerly awaited the knights and team owner Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla's arrival.

SRK tweeted earlier: "Sorry Kolkata technical snag on flight. Will be a bit late but will be there. Apologies."

Live renditions of popular chart-toppers from SRK's films including "Aaj Ki Raat" from "Don 2" and "Chance Pe Dance" from "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" added to the frenzy. KKR's anthem "Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo Re" could be heard amid the din.