Actress Daisy Shah, who made her Bollywood debut with Salman Khan-starrer "Jai Ho", is looking forward to a year full of learning for her.

"Year 2015 is good for me as I have got many projects," Daisy told reporters here Monday during a fitness session at designer Rohit Verma's store.

"Besides, I am going to work with many new people this year. I am looking forward to it as it would be a learning experience for me," she added.

Although the actress didn't divulge any details about her film projects, she said she would be working with some "great" talent.

Supernatural erotica 'Khamoshiyan' has been given an 'A' certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and Mahesh Bhatt, the film’s producer, is pleased.

The movie, which has abundant steamy and bold scenes, has been produced by Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt under their Vishesh Films banner.

Lauding the decision, Mahesh said in a statement: "The censor board has come of age. We welcome this decision. ‘Khamoshiyan’ is an erotic supernatural film and we did not want to tame the product at all.

"That would not be fair to audiences. It is a bold, adult film and we are very happy with the certification."

Starring Gurmeet Choudhary, Sapna Pabbi and Ali Fazal, the movie will release Jan 30.

The music album of Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's forthcoming film, "MSG - The Messenger of God" was released here Tuesday at the PVR Priya theatre.

The film features the sect chief as a director, actor, writer and music composer.

Ram Rahim Singh, his co-actors Flora Saini and boxer Vijender Singh were among the attendees for the event.

The album, which consists of songs "Never ever", "Ram Ram", "Raatan-baatan", "Daru ko goli maro", "Papa the great" among others, broke records on online portals like Flipkart and Amazon on its pre-booking.

"This is the mercy of the almighty that the film has broken records upon its launch," Ram Rahim said at a press conference.

"I would like to congratulate Sony Music who have done the hard work for the album. And the biggest salute to the almighty to the almighty who made this possible," he added.

The film, which features Ram Rahim as Guruji along with Flora Saini and Jayshree Soni, will release Jan 16.

The Dera Sacha Sauda based near Haryana's Sirsa town has over six million followers in the state.

Film-maker Saurabh Varma, who has already started the promotion for his "Solid Patels" ahead of its April 24 release, says he has planned "out of the box marketing" for this film.

"Nowadays at least five films release every week, and many of them struggle to even establish their identity. 'Solid Patels' is as good as 'PK' in terms of entertainment value, and besides it is catering to the same audience target group: which are families, kids and the new generation," he said.

"Hence, we carry a certain level of optimism, and want to promote the film to the same level. We also do not have any concerns of not being able to sustain the buzz for the next four months, as we have thought of activities for every week. New-age films like 'Solid Patels' need innovative and out of the box marketing efforts, to get the audience in cinemas," he added.

'Solid Patels' starring Shiv Pandit, Shazahn Padamsee, Ali Asgar, Manoj Joshi, Kettan Singh, Vaishali Desai and others has been produced by Krian Media.

Inox Leisure CEO Alok Tandon said: "It is an encouraging trend and we are happy to see that the audiences are responding so positively to the teaser of 'Solid Patels', which has a young and a new star cast. The teaser has been liked by all, especially kids.'

Raj Malik, senior vice president, production and distribution, Krian Media said: "With 'Solid Patels', we intend to push the envelope by getting audiences to participate in building hype and demand.

"We are confident that post all the efforts being put in, the content will do its own talking and keep the urgency levels among the audience intact for long enough. We are lucky to have a great team working on 'Solid Patels', and it's overwhelming to see the passion each individual member brings to the table."

Double Oscar-winning composer A.R Rahman, who has just turned 48, spent quality time with his family and also visited an ailing fan suffering from cancer in the city. He also participated in a live chat with his fans on Facebook.

Rahman turned a year older Tuesday.

"He makes it a point to spend time with family on his birthday. He's not really fond of throwing a lavish birthday bash. He started his day by taking the blessings of his mother and then visited a fan who is suffering from cancer in a private hospital here," a source close to Rahman told IANS.

"He also likes to work on his birthday. He spent some time in his studio as well. Later in the evening, he chatted with his fans on Facebook," the source said.

Rahman and his family members are said to have returned from a trip to Ajmer Monday.

Upcoming Telugu romantic-drama "Krishnamma Kalipindi Iddarini" will soon be remade in Bollywood, says its director Chandru. Discussions are currently underway for the movie's casting.

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput is likely to play the lead in the remake.

"My film's producer L. Sridhar had apparently discussed the story with Sushant, who liked it. Everything now is at the initial stage and it will take time for the project to take off in Hindi. The official confirmation will come from my producer," Chandru told IANS.

However, Chandru isn't in a hurry to enter Bollywood.

"I'm waiting for the Telugu version of the film to release. Then, I intend to start a Kannada project with Shivrajkumar. Only after these projects are completed, will I even think of starting the Hindi project," he said.

Starring Sudheer Babu and Nandita in the lead, "Krishnamma Kalipindi Iddarini" is the remake of Chandru's own hit Kannada film "Charminar".

Abir Chatterjee, who recently became the first actor to portray Bengali literature's iconic sleuths, Satyajit Ray's Feluda and Sharadindu Bandopadhyay's Byomkesh Bakshi, in two major movie adaptations, had his work cut out. Much like the ace detectives' eye for details, Chatterjee too had to capture the finer points of the classic characters to satisfy generations of bookworms.

Chatterjee's focus was clear. He wanted to be accurate without being repetitive in the whodunnit films - "Byomkesh Phire Elo" and "Baadshahi Angti" - that simultaneously released in West Bengal Dec 19. After all, the two detective series, spaced about three decades apart, have been the staple of crime fiction fans since the 1930s.

"There was a healthy gap of one year between the making of the two films. Though the characters are different and set in different periods, there are basic similarities like observation power, intelligence, sense of morals and honesty, the way they portray Bangaliana (Bengali psyche).

"My concern was that the performances shouldn't be repetitive because if there's repetition,then people will notice and be critical. It was a challenge to differentiate between Byomkesh and Feluda," the Kolkata-based Chatterjee told IANS in an interview.

In Anjan Dutt's "Byomkesh Phire Elo" (Byomkesh Returns), the third film in the series, Chatterjee reprises his role of the famed dhoti-clad, bespectacled 'Satyanweshi' or truth-seeker, a man who goes by instincts in pursuit of truth.

The film is based on a story penned by Bandopadhyay as part of his series of 33 crime thrillers - from 1932 to 1970 - with Byomkesh as the cerebral protagonist.

The latest Byomkesh outing is set in the late 1960s.

In Sandip Ray's "Baadshahi Angti", adapted from auteur Satyajit Ray's Feluda novels (spanning 1965 to 1992), Chatterjee essays the steely resolve and agility of Charminar-puffing private investigator Pradosh C. Mitter (who goes by his nickname Feluda) as he puts his observation methods to full use.

Earlier, Feluda movies saw veterans Soumitra Chatterjee and Sabyasachi Chakraborty play the sleuth, who is accompanied in his adventures by cousin Topshe and writer friend Jatayu.

The new Feluda film, though based on the 1969 "Baadshahi Angti" story, is a reboot of the series and unfolds in the current age of cafes and snazzy cars. It had a nationwide release Jan 2.

"To play Byomkesh early on in my career was a challenge in itself. The bar was raised in the third film of the series. Also, playing neo-Feluda after the veterans was a huge challenge," said the actor, who forayed into films from television in 2009 and took on the role of Byomkesh in 2010.

Interestingly, filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee is all ready with the Bollywood version of Byomkesh Bakshi - the Sushant Singh Rajput-starrer "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!".

Dismissing comparisons, Chatterjee says the big-budget Hindi film is targeted at a much larger audience.

Chatterjee, who had a bit role in Sujoy Ghosh's "Kahaani" as Vidya Balan's husband, is one of the most bankable stars in Tollywood today, with critically-acclaimed films like "Hrid Majharey" (with Raima Sen), "Baishe Shrabon" and "Meghe Dhaka Tara" under his belt.

Introduced to Feluda during his childhood and Byomkesh in his teens, Chatterjee, like any other Bengali, was more than familiar with the essence of the series.

The former appeals more to adolescents and the stories steer clear of any sexual angles. In contrast, the latter caters to adults punctuated with lust and adultery. Feluda is a bachelor, Byomkesh is married off in the tenth book.

"I made sure my body language and expressions were different in the two films," quipped Chatterjee.

As Chatterjee stepped into Feluda's shoes, the side-parting of the actor's hairstyle switched from right to left. His athletic build and sharp features added to the practised intense gaze, one of Feluda's typical mannerisms as he swiftly evaluates his subjects.

"I sort of distanced myself from the earlier films to unlearn, and I refrained from thinking about comparisons with the former Feludas," the 33-year-old said.

With numerous awards in his kitty, including the 'Face of Bengali Cinema - 2014' and his mass appeal, Chatterjee is aware of the importance of bringing cinegoers back to halls to watch Bengali cinema.

According to a CII-IMRB Report, the majority (54 percent) of Bengali film viewers in Kolkata have not been in theatres in the last one year to watch a Bengali film despite the proliferation of multiplexes.

"We need to make for more family entertainers and tap into the Bengali diaspora to widen the reach," the MBA graduate and father of one stressed.

Actress Bipasha Basu, who turned 35 Wednesday, considers herself to be the most blessed and says her friends and family have made her feel like a princess.

“Am the most blessed girl in the world! My loved ones make me feel like a Princess,” the “Raaz” star tweeted.

Bipasha, who celebrated her birthday with friends, including ace designer Rocky S, described them as “precious gifts”.

“My most precious gifts, my friends! @rockystar100 (my rock), @sohams (my bro), @shahbinals Mamta,” she posted on Twitter.

"Thank you each and every one of you for making me feel soooo special on my Birthday. I am humbled by all your love. Love you all," she added.

The actress will be soon seen in horror film “Alone” along with TV star Karan Singh Grover. The movie's trailer received a thumbs up from celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan and Arjun Kapoor, as well as from her fans on Twitter.

Tamil actor Karthi, who will next be seen in a yet-untitled Telugu film alongside Akkineni Nagarjuna, is taking special efforts to strengthen his command over the language as he waits for the film to go on floors.

Most of Karthi's Tamil films have been dubbed and released in Telugu over the years. But this new film will mark his true Telugu movie debut.

"Karthi never had a problem to dub in Telugu because he would read the dialogues while dubbing. But this will be the first time he will be expected to mouth his lines in Telugu on the sets. Therefore, he's taking special interest in polishing his Telugu before the shoot," a source close to Karthi told IANS.

Karthi has requested the team to give him all his dialogues much in advance.

"He wants to learn his lines perfectly before the project goes on floors. Hence, he's requested for the dialogues to be given to him. He's also ready to hire a tutor if needed," the source added.

To be directed by Vamsi Paidipally, the film, which will simultaneously be shot in Tamil as well, is said to feature Nagarjuna and Karthi as brothers. Their 'bromance' will be the film's biggest highlight.

Actor Ganesh Prasath, who currently has three films in his kitty, says he doesn't want to limit himself to only hero-centric roles.

He is keen to explore with a variety of characters as well.

"I'm playing the lead in 'Arasiyalil Idellam Sagajamappa' and 'Karaioram', and a villain in 'Tharkaappu'. I'm keen to take up different characters and not just restrict myself to always playing the hero," Ganesh said in a statement.

A hardcore fan of actor Ajith Kumar, he wishes to take up "challenging as well as negative roles".

"I'm a fitness freak and I've been working out extensively. I hope it will help me land some interesting roles. One of my wishes as an actor is to work with director Bala," he said.

Ganesh is currently busy shooting for "Arasiyalil Idellam Sagajamappa" and "Karaioram".

Demanding compensation for the loss incurred in Rajinikanth-starrer "Lingaa", distributor R. Singaravadivelan, who distributed the film in Thanjavur and Trichy districts, has sought the permission of the Madras High Court to go on fast here.

Singaravadivelan of Marina Pictures submitted his petition to the court Tuesday.

In his statement, he said: "Since most distributors suffered heavy losses due to the failure of the film, we had urged the producer and actor Rajinikanth to repay the initial investment. Since there was no response, I submitted this petition to go on a fast."

The Madras High Court, led by Justice T.S Sivagnanam, urged the intervention of the government in this matter.

Directed by K.S. Ravikumar, "Lingaa" released on Rajinikanth's birthday last year Dec 12. It also features Sonakshi Sinha and Anushka Shetty in lead roles.

Most distributors claimed to have suffered heavy losses since they had paid high prices for the film.

Actress Radhika Apte says she enjoyed working with “Kahaani” fame director Sujoy Ghosh on his next project.

The director’s next is a short film, which is a thriller.

Talking about the film, Radhika said in a statement: "It was an exciting proposition. It was a great experience to work with Sujoy.”

The film was shot in Kolkata. Radhika flew in and out of the city to complete the movie's shoot.

While Radhika plays the lead, the film also stars Tota Roy Choudhury and Soumitra Chatterjee.

Radhika has earlier featured in Anurag Kashyap's "That Day After Everday", a short film on eve-teasing.

Actress Trisha Krishna Wednesday confirmed she's in a relationship with entrepreneur-producer Varun Manian, and that they will get engaged this month.

Trisha and Varun have been together for a while.

The actress took to Twitter to make an announcement about their relationship.

"To my fans n friends from d media, I will be getting engaged to Varun on the 23 of Jan in a very private ceremony between our families (sic)," Trisha tweeted Wednesday.

Trisha said the wedding date is not yet fixed.

"Pls don't speculate about my wedding date as we have not fixed it as yet. And as always you will hear it from me first when we do (sic)," she posted.

She also said she has no plans of "quitting films" and that instead, she plans on signing "two new films" soon.

This year, Trisha awaits the release of her films "Bhoologam", "Yennai Arindhaal", "RUM", "Liona and "Appa Takkaru".

Parts of Rajkumar Hirani's "PK", which questions people's blind faith in godmen, were shot at Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's ashram premises. When the filmmaker was questioned as to why he has thanked the spiritual leader in his film's credits, he says he's "only against fake gurus".

Significant portions of Hirani’s latest directorial, which has seen a string of controversies, have been shot at Ravi Shankar's Art of Living Foundation ashram in Bengaluru.

The director and the makers are thankful to Ravi Shankar for understanding the importance of the subject and letting them shoot the film in the ashram premises.

Hirani has said in a statement: “I'm being asked that if I'm against religious gurus, why have I expressed gratitude to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in the film titles. My answer is that I'm not against religious gurus, I'm only against fake gurus.

“Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a courageous man. He gave me the location to shoot, knowing well that this is a film on god and fake godmen. He is beyond pettiness of religion. He can see the larger picture. I admire his work and have tremendous respect for him. We will be showing him the film soon,” he added.

Starring Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma, the movie has already crossed the Rs.300 crore-mark in the domestic market.

Singer Mamta Sharma along with Palak Muchhal will enthrall the audience by crooning their songs from upcoming film "Thoda Lutf, Thoda Ishq" on Thursday, the last day of the ongoing annual Saifai Mahotsav.

"Munni badnaam" hitmaker Sharma and "Jumme ki raat" singer Muchhal will perform one song each from the romantic comedy, slated to release in February, said a statement.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will also launch the trailer of the movie Thursday in presence of the entire star cast, including Hiten Tejwani, Raajpal Yadav along with the film's director Sachin Gupta.

About 90 percent of the film has been shot in Uttar Pradesh, including in cities like Etawah, Noida and Meerut.

The story revolves around two Delhi men who are depicted as best examples of "fools who are good for nothing".

The Hindi film fraternity expressed shock Wednesday over BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj's statement that all Hindu women must produce at least four children to protect Hinduism.

Sakshi Maharaj made the comments at a gathering in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, igniting widespread anger in social networking platforms.

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt tweeted: "Sakshi Maharaj wants all Hindu women to have at least four children. The good news, he hasn't specified the number of husbands."

Composer Vishal Dadlani, a strong supporter of the Aam Aadmi Party, posted: "I finally get what BJP means by development. New developments in stupidity, every day! In an overloaded nation, this."

Comedian Virr Das saw the lighter side of the matter.

"Dear Sakshi Maharaj, as long as every Hindu woman has even one kid who laughs at your speech, I think we will be ok," he said.

Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha added: "Just making it clear that I am a different Hindu from this Sakshi... Very Different. Are you too???"

The statement also elicited some strong reactions.

Celebrity jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali tweeted: "Three percent of India pays taxes to support an already overpopulated country where majority are illiterate and unemployed. On the other hand (you) have (people) like Sakshi Maharaj asking (women) to produce four children. Ask to make arrangements to support them."

Tanuj Garg, former CEO of Balaji Motion Pictures, said: "Sakshi Maharaj wants every Hindu woman to produce four children. And we want him gagged."

Yoga originated in India but this spiritual and mental discipline has failed to resonate with the country's masses, who mostly seek its virtues of physical fitness. But filmmaker and art historian Benoy K. Behl feels the Indian government's emphasis on yoga and the UN celebrating World Yoga Day June 21 have set the pace for a long innings.

"Actually, it is we Indians who have lost sight of our own heritage and it is the world that is recognising these things (yoga). It is fortunate that the Indian government has recognised the importance of yoga and this will take it a long way," Behl told IANS in an interview.

"There is every reason for us to stand up and take ownership and also see it reaches more and more people," he added.

An expert in Indian art and sculpture, Delhi-based Behl screened his documentary "Yoga: An Ancient Vision of Life" that explored and presented the true meaning of yoga at the India International Centre Wednesday.

The 60-minute documentary, shot across India, Germany and the United States, also features interviews with leading practitioners and scholars of yoga, including yoga guru B.K.S Iyengar, who died last year, and prominent doctors, scientists and sociologists.

Even though Behl's career highlights, spanning over three decades, point to his close association with ancient Indian art and culture, including his love affair with the Ajanta Caves, on which he has penned the well-known book "The Ajanta Caves: Ancient Paintings of Buddhist India" - the documentary comes as a surprise.

"It is a natural outcome. The art of India and yoga are completely based in the Indian philosophical way of life. In fact, all faiths and spiritual traditions of India emanate from what we call yoga," the 58-year-old Behl told IANS.

"To me, personally, yoga is the thin edge of the wedge which is about the Indian vision of life and understanding. The whole world, the so-called modern world, is taking a lot of interest in it because of the physical side, but yoga is not limited to physical exercise and the 'asanas' are only a tiny fraction of it," he added.

And with this vision of engaging people in the spiritual aspect of yoga and making them aware of the connection of mind, body and soul, Behl approached the documentary to go beyond the ephemeral passing of reality surrounding us.

"It will take the audiences into something deeper. I have hoped to achieve the vision that would help us look within and inwards instead of just chasing petty pleasures that keep us busy," Behl said.

Behl started working on this project 15 months ago and shot around 100 hours - most of them alone during foreign shoots. Nevertheless the experience has been fulfilling and satisfactory, especially as the subject resonates with his personal philosophy of "enjoying the simple pleasures of life".

"What is the hurry, I have been asking people when they get so stressed about things that are a creation of so-called modern vision that urges you to go out and try to desperately earn money and desperately spend it on what corporations are creating and marketing," he said.

"It is important to have a healthy and positive attitude towards life. If you (the government) start teaching yoga in primary schools, children will get acquainted with it and imbibe it with an open mind. They would be able to inculcate this habit and it will be their way of life forever," he added.

Actress Mithra Kurien and her long-time beau William Francis will exchange wedding vows here on Republic Day Jan 26.

William is a popular keyboard artist in Malayalam filmdom.

"They've known each other for the last few years. They met for the first time on a trip to US. Since then, they've been going around. The betrothal will take place Jan 17, while the wedding will be on Jan 26," a family source told IANS.

A popular face in Malayalam industry, Mithra has worked in films such as "Not Out", aceMasters" and "Ladies and Gentleman".

Currently, she's busy shooting for Tamil films "Karikalan" and "Aadhaar".

It's almost impossible for stars to have two releases in a year, but superstar Mahesh Babu, whose last outing "Aagadu" failed to hit the bull's eye, may have three, going by the number of films he has in his kitty.

Mahesh is currently busy wrapping up yet-untitled film with Koratala Siva. The film also features Shruti Haasan in the lead.

He will next team up with Srikanth Addala for a family entertainer, tentatively titled "Brahmotsavam".

"The project is almost confirmed. Post our last film, Mahesh had expressed interest to work again. This project will take off only after Mahesh finishes Siva's film. It's too early to share any more information on this project," Addala told IANS.

Mahesh and Addala had earlier collaborated for 2013 blockbuster "Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu".

Mahesh's third project is expected to be with Puri Jagannadh.

"Puri was supposed to collaborate with Mahesh after 'Heart Attack', but he postponed the idea to complete 'Temper'. The two will join hands later this year for a project," a source close to Jagannadh told IANS.

Debutant director Maruthapandiyan says his upcoming Tamil comedy-drama "Chennai Ungalai Anbudan Varaverkirathu" will offer viewers a glimpse into the lives of bachelors who come to Chennai with big dreams.

"The film is all about bachelors who reside in small-sized rooms in large numbers. It's about those who starve in the tail end of the month and still dream of living amidst all the good, bad and the ugly of the city," Maruthapandiyan in a statement.

He said the story is a satire on a few incidents from his own life.

"I started my life as a bachelor in Chennai with lot of dreams. There's so much I learnt along the journey. I thought I could make a film based on my experiences on the lives of bachelors in this city," he said.

Starring Bobby Simha, Prabanjan, Lingaa and Saranya, the film, which has been predominantly shot in and around Chennai, is gearing up for release in January end.