Television actor Rajev Paul, who was last seen in "Bigg Boss 6", now wants to host a television show.

"I want to host shows on TV...I have hosted TV awards and all, but people don't know that I want to host," Rajev told IANS and added that post the reality show he has been travelling and doing live shows.

"Life has been good. I have been travelling. I have performed at many places like Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Jaipur... You do a show and become popular and then you cash it on it," he said.

In the past, the actor has been part of shows like "Swaabhimaan", "Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii", and "Saarrthi"

While the country is still recovering from the shock of the disaster caused by floods in Uttarakhand, Rohit Singh, one of the contestants from "India's Dancing Superstar", has narrated the trauma that his family faced due to the calamity.

Rohit, a member of the band MJ5 on the show, is from Rudraprayag in Uttarkhand, was distraught when he found out that the floods had washed away his heritage house.

"My whole family resides in Rudraprayag, which was one of the worst affected areas as it is the point of confluence of rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini," he said in a statement.

"They were timely advised to move. They managed to relocate to my grandmother's place in the hills. I am fortunate that they survived the catastrophe and my heart goes out for those who are still struggling to recover," he added.

Rohit is currently in Mumbai, but he has been in constant touch with his family. He also credits his team members with being supportive and understanding.

"India's Dancing Superstar" is judged by actor Riteish Deshmukh and choreographers Geeta Kapur and Ashley Lobo.

The weekend show airs on Star Plus.

One has heard of perfumes being named after stars. But biscuits?! Named after Telugu superstar Ramcharan Teja, the biscuits are available in parts of the world with a sizeable South Indian population.

When director Apoorva Lakhia, in whose "Zanjeer" remake, Ramcharan Teja makes his Bollywood debut, found 'Charan Biscuits' on the supermarket shelves of Kyoto, Japan he was stumped.

Lakhia has not only brought back the biscuits to India, he has also decided to market 'Zanjeer' biscuits for Ramcharan's fans.

Said Lakhia: “I was in the town of Kyoto, which has a sizeable Indian population. In the supermarket while buying myself some food, I came across a brand of biscuit named Charan. I immediately got curious.

"When I inquired around I got to know that Ram’s South Indian fans in Kyote and Kobe had gotten together to manufacture this brand of biscuit. I was zapped. Of course, I bought some. They’re quite good.”

Director Krish, who was set to team up with Akshay Kumar for upcoming Bollywood film "Gabbar", will direct an untitled Telugu film before he starts working for the Hindi project, says a source from the industry.

"Gabbar" will be the Hindi remake of Tamil blockbuster "Ramana", directed by A.R. Murugadoss. Akshay Kumar is currently busy shooting for Hindi remake of Tamil film "Thuppakki".

"He is directing Varun Tej in his debut film, which is expected to go on floors in August. It will be a quick project as he plans to wrap it up in two months so that he can be prepared for "Gabbar", which is expected to go on floors towards the end of this year or early 2014," the source told IANS.

Varun Tej is the son of Telugu actor Naga Babu, who is the younger brother of megastar Chiranjeevi.

"The script Krish has for Varun will be an out-and-out action entertainer. He is going out of his way to give the perfect launch pad for the actor," the source added.

Krish, who is known for directing films such as "Vedam" and "Krishnam Vande Jagatgurum", is also expected to team up with Mahesh Babu soon.

"Mahesh's project will go on floors next year after he completes his film with Srinu Vaitla. The film has not been shelved but it has only been delayed," said the source.

Mahesh Babu, who is busy wrapping up Telugu action-thriller "1: Nenokkadine", will team up with Srinu Vaitla for "Aagadu" soon.

Mahesh's project with Krish is titled "Shivam", and features Sonakshi Sinha in the lead.

The story goes like this, Anushka, after receiving her best supporting actress award at IIFA, went backstage to do some media bytes. It was at this time that she heard some strains of Madhuri's music playing. She quickly asked the organisers if Madhuri's performance was next and when they confirmed it, she ran across the backstage area to a amongst the audience to watch her performance.

Anushka Believes that Madhuri is an outstanding performer and is a huge fan. She did not want to miss her act for anything, since this was her first opportunity to watch the 'dhak dhak' girl live, so much so that in her haste, while she was running, she tore her Roberto Cavalli dress which since the designer has reached out to her in the past and complimented her on how lovely she looked in his clothes, hopefully will not mind. It is really heartening to see the love and adulation she has for Madhuri that wild horses would not have been able to prevent her from watching Madhuri perform. And it is really sweet to know that she can still maintain her child like enthusiasm for her childhood inspirations like Madhuri Dixit.

Popular southern comedian and character actress Kovai Sarla will soon be seen in a new avatar as the judge of Tamil comedy show "Comedyil Kalakkuvathu Eppadi". She says such shows benefit new talent.

"We never had such opportunities to prove our mettle back in the days. We struggled to even land a small role in the industry. Shows like these are great platforms for budding comedians. It's their ticket to stardom and eventually cinema," Sarla told IANS.

"Most recent comedians in Tamil gained entry to filmdom through shows like these. They have all had a warm reception in the industry because they are already a popular face on TV, and therefore it's easy for audiences to recognise them," she added.

The show, scheduled go on air July 14 on Star Vijay, will see three teams pit against each other. Each team will reprise the best of comedy from Tamil cinema since its inception.

Each week, one best comedy act will be awarded and eventually, one team will take home the championship title.

"There will be different rounds for the teams. Comedy is not always slapstick, it's also situational and character based. We will test the teams on how well can they improvise when the need for different type of comedy arrives," she said.

To be hosted by Robo Shankar, "Comedyil Kalakkuvathu Eppadi" will be aired every Sunday.

Kuralarasan, younger brother of actor-singer Silambarasan Rajendar a.k.a. Simbu, will compose music for an upcoming yet-to-be-titled Tamil romance. The film is expected to go on floors in August, its director said.

"Simbu suggested that we rope his brother as the composer. I haven't heard Kural play yet but I'm sure he will be good as I have full faith in his brother. We will start shooting as soon as Simbu finishes the project he is working on. If all goes well, we will go on floors in August," the film's director Pandiraj told IANS.

Simbu is currently shooting for Tamil romantic-comedy "Inga Enna Solludhu" in London.

Kuralarasan, who was expected to follow in his brother's footsteps as an actor, has special interest in music, according to Pandiraj.

"I have been told that Kural is more interested in music. I don't know if he is as passionate as his brother about acting," he added.

An urban love story, the film will mostly be shot in the city, and the leading lady is yet to be finalised.

"I will choose the heroine in couple of weeks. The film will mostly shot in the city. We may shoot the songs abroad but we haven't decided yet. It will be an out-and-out love story with good dose of humour," he said.

Young Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt will sashay down the India Bridal Fashion Week (IBFW) ramp for jewellery brand Azva by World Gold Council.

The forthcoming six-day fashion extravaganza will start July 23 at The Grand Hotel in south Delhi. Alia, 20, will walk on the ramp on the event's last day.

The brand's collection revolves around the theme of wedding.

"Every design has been made keeping in mind the bride who is modern and contemporary in style. Alia Bhatt resonates the designs extremely well. She is young, vivacious and is the perfect fit for what we are trying to communicate," Vipin Sharma, director-jewellery, World Gold Council (India) Private Limited, told IANS.

"The designs are stylised in a contemporary way and is meant for young and beautiful girls like Alia," he added.

Alia, daughter of veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, started her film career with "Student Of The Year" (SOTY) last year. She has recently wrapped the shoot of Imtiaz Ali's "Highway", in which she is paired with Randeep Hooda. The film will release Dec 13.

Another project in her kitty is Abhishek Varman's "2 States", in which she will share screen space with Arjun Kapoor.

Fruits like mango and pomegranate can be very useful to clear scars and marks on your face and even to nourish your skin.

Use them on your face once a week to get a natural glow. But it is first vital to know your beauty fruits and their properties well.

Ritu Makhija, CEO of Smart Brand Products Pvt Ltd. explains what makes a fruit special for face.

Mango: Its rich Vitamin C pulp is an effective treatment for pimples and acne. You can also get rid of scars and blemishes with its use.

Noni Fruit: It helps to heal wounds on the skin. This also helps to treat acne.

Pomegranate: Known for its anti-ageing benefits and antioxidant content, it is packed with Vitamins A, C and E that protect the skin from free-radicals while cleansing.

Apricot: It is good for mature, dry, sensitive or inflamed skin. It contains antioxidants which nourish and make skin feel fresher.

Ace designer Rohit Bal readies film stars for red carpets and magazine shoots. He knows many celebrities on a personal level but stays away from working as a costume designer in films because he "can't follow the schedule" and feels his clothes are "way too expensive for movies".

"I do a lot of clothes for film stars for red carpets and other events such as magazine shoots. Also, on a personal level, they love my shows, but I stay away from films because I can't follow the schedule," Bal told IANS in an exclusive interview.

Another reason that keeps him away from films is that he feels his clothes "are very expensive for films. There are designers who manage to do clothes that look beautiful onscreen, but actually they are not when you feel or touch them. I can't do that. I wish I could do designs, but I can't."

He added: "I have incredible friends in Bollywood; so for me Bollywood films are no, but Bollywood people yes."

So far, Bal, one of the country's top designers, has made clothes for megastar Amitabh Bachchan for the fifth and sixth editions of quiz show "Kaun Banega Crorepati" and also created a special outfit for Arjun Rampal for his maiden appearance at the 65th edition of Cannes International Film Festival red carpet.

International names like Naomi Campbell and Uma Thurman too have endorsed his designs.

He may not like the role of a costume designer, but Bal has nothing against filmdom.

"I have nothing against Bollywood and the individuals associated with the industry, but in totality I just find it (movie styling) very stressful. Bollywood stars are very stressful and I personally can't deal with their tantrums," said Bal, who graduated from St. Stephen's college with a first class in history honours.

The designer also avoids inviting Bollywood celebrities to walk the ramp for his shows as he believes their presence "overshadows" the charm of the designs.

He may have taken a baby step into the fashion industry by joining his brother's export firm before launching his debut menswear line in 1990, but his creativity made him one of the most sought after designers.

Known for mixing traditional and modern themes in his creations, Bal has showcased his designs at global platforms in New York, Paris, and Singapore.

The one who designs for films are labelled as costume designers in Hollywood and they mainly stick to film projects. But Bal says there is no clear demarcation between a costume and a mainstream designer in India.

"Costume designers in Hollywood are not mainstream designers, they are costume designers. However in India, a Bollywood designer is also a mainstream designer. So, this is a unique and positive thing because you are mixing two different cultures.

"It is incredible for the growth of the industry because Bollywood by far has the strongest influence on the fashion industry and vice versa," he said.

"Bollywood is in sensible hands... Now you have mainstream designers also doing costumes for films," he added.

A wedding dress is one thing that no bride would want to mess up with. So, make sure you explore different markets and visit good designer boutiques before finalising your dream dress. Also, experts suggest that a bride-to-be keep a check on her budget and keep her options open.

Femalefirst.co.uk shares tips to find the perfect wedding dress to make your D-day special:

1. Start early: Start searching for your wedding dress as soon as you can. Take out time to explore markets and visit designer boutiques. Make sure you don't add more stress to an already stressful situation.

2. Have variety: You many think that you have a certain dress type that you absolutely must have, but until you’ve tried on others dresses, you’ll never know what looks best on you. Try varied different outfits so that you can see which works best for you.

3. Check your budget: It's very important to keep a check on your budget while shopping for your wedding dress. Avoid trying dresses that are not in your budget. Look for a cheaper alternative. If you can’t find anything within budget, then sit down and think about where you’re going to realistically cut costs to be able to afford that expensive dress.

4. Try many dresses: Trying several dresses will give you an idea of what you are actually looking for. It will also help you narrow down your choices. Go for shopping with one of your bridesmaids as she will be able to tell what looks best on you.

5. Buy what you like: At the end of the day, it’s your opinion that matters. So, don’t be afraid to shun a dress if you really don’t like it. Your family and friends can help you choose a dress, but if you don’t feel comfortable in it, then don't buy it. No bride would want to feel self-conscious and uncomfortable on her wedding day.

Surprised by the mushrooming metal rock culture in India, visting metal ensembles from the Maldives, France and the United Arab Emirates hope to make headway in their countries even as threats of piracy and the availability of free music online loom large.

Struggling to find a foothold in the global rock scenario, metal rock bands Nothnegal from Male, the capital of Maldives, Hacride from Poitiers (France) and Point of View from Dubai (UAE) are wowed by the "overwhelming response" to their brand of music in India.

"The response has been very positive in India. I was very surprised that India has such a growing rock scene. I never expected to see so many fans of metal," lead vocalist Luis Roux of Hacride told IANS on the sidelines of a metal concert here.

"We know India for its Bollywood, but we had no idea that metal is growing so much," Roux added.

Despite Europe's contribution to rock music, metal is still on the fringes in France.

"It's a marginal genre. It's popular among young people, but it's not recognised in the media - it's not on the TV, it's not on the radio. It used to be looked as a country that did not have any metal bands but it's getting recognition now," Roux pointed out.

Roux, who describes the tenor of Hacride's music as "groovy and progressive", said that metal is facing stiff competition from a huge profusion of new music and artists thanks to the internet that gives a chance to musicians from across the world.

"With the internet, music is accessible to all. That is a good thing but there are so many artists out there on the web..it's a huge competition," rued Roux.

Lead guitarist Hilarl of Nothnegal felt similarly, though the cyberworld has been instrumental in popularising the band's songs.

"We have toured almost 20 countries in Asia and Europe. Our music is more popular in Europe. This is largely due to our compositions which can be found online," said Hilarl.

He confessed that the Maldives is yet to recognise the metal genre but hoped that just like India, the island nation in the Indian Ocean will also have a healthy rock scene in the future.

"It is still on the fringes...it's underground. But we were astonished that India has a developed rock scene. We can definitely hope for the better for our nation," said Hilarl.

However, piracy has dealt a heavy blow to the budding musicians.

Chirodeep Lahiri of Kolkata, who plays the drums for Dubai-based ensemble Point of View, felt piracy is the dark side of the internet that otherwise provides a huge boost to newcomers.

"It's got both sides. Because of piracy and indiscriminate music downloads, album sales drop. In one way it is a boon as music reaches a lot of people," Lahiri told IANS.

Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, the current lead guitarist of Guns 'N' Roses, felt artists who have been through a struggling period turn out to be seasoned and true professionals whereas others who experience a swift rise to fame often turn out to be one hit wonders.

"But now people achieve quick fame because of the internet and later on you see they can't stick around much," said Thal.

Despite the negatives, Lahiri reckons metal will "prosper and only continue to grow".

Taking inspiration from Anand Gandhi's film "Ship of Theseus", filmmaker Kiran Rao, who is presenting it to the audience, will take a pledge to donate her organs.

The "Dhobi Ghat" director believes there is a "great merit" in saving a life.

"I have thought about organ donation. This film has given me a chance to think about organ donation deeply. Earlier, I thought we can only donate our eyes, but the fact that each and every organ of our body can be used to save somebody's life, I got to know about this from the film," said Kiran here at a press conference to promote the film Thursday.

"I would like to go for organ donation. In fact, this week only all of us, who want to donate their organs but have not taken the pledge, will go and do it. I definitely believe there is a great merit in donating one's organ and seeing life continue beyond you," she added.

Kiran along with UTV Motion Pictures is presenting "Ship of Theseus", which has already travelled to several film festivals across the globe.

It is slated to release July 19 in five cities - Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata.

Telugu director Sekhar Kammula knows what he wants from his actors and often cans scenes in two takes, says southern actor Vaibhav Reddy, who has teamed up with the National award-winning filmmaker for upcoming Tamil-Telugu thriller "Anaamika", a remake of Bollywood film "Kahaani".

"He will not shoot scenes in more than two takes. He tells actors what he exactly wants before and after every scene. This allows the actors not to waste time from going through same scenes over and over again," Vaibhav told IANS.

Time flies when one is working with Sekhar, he added.

"I can't believe it's nearly 45 days since we started shooting and we have almost completed 80 percent of the film. Everybody is so busily engrossed in the film that nobody realised time has gone by so quickly," he added.

Vaibhav, who reprises the role of police officer Rana, originally played by Parambrata Chatterjee, says his screen presence has been extended.

"He (Sekhar) has given me extended screen presence and has written the role in a way to suit the nativity of Telugu audiences," said Vaibhav, who adds that the genre of the film doesn't matter as long as it's different.

"Audiences here are always open to different films. Even small films like 'Prema Katha Chitram' have turned out to be successful because of the same factor. I don't think genre of a film really matters anymore as long as audiences are entertained," he said.

Known for his performances in films such as "Saroja", "Goa" and "Mankatha", Vaibhav says "Anaamika" is not a frame-to-frame copy of "Kahaani".

"Sekhar has tweaked it a little keeping in mind the core audiences. The subtle use of situational comedy will definitely be one of the highlights of the film," he said.

The film features Nayanthara in the role of Vidya Bagchi, which was played by Vidya Balan in "Kahaani".

"Anaamika" also features Harshvardhan Rane and Tamil actor Pasupathy in important roles. It is jointly produced by Endemol India, Logline Productions and Select Media Holdings.

M.M. Keeravani is composing the music for the film, which is set for a Dussehra release.

Stand-up comedian and actor Gaurav Gera, who will be seen in the title role in forthcoming TV show "Mrs Pammi Pyarelal" about cross-dressing, asserts families would be able enjoy the "clean humour" together.

"You will enjoy the show a lot. It is a comedy of errors. Our cast is superb and the show is very well written. It is for the entire family as it has clean humour. People of all age groups can watch the show together," the actor told reporters at the launch of the show here Thursday.

Meanwhile, Gera said the show's basic concept of cross-dressing makes it "interesting and different".

"It's a very different show. For the first time something of this kind is being made. People have done it for two or three episodes, but an entire concept based on this makes it very interesting," said Gera, remembered for his role in "Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin" that aired on Sony.

Veteran actor Rohini Hattangadi as well as Karan Mehra and Mazhar Sayeed will also be seen in the cast of the show that will go on air July 15 on Colors. It will be beamed Monday to Saturday at 7 p.m.

Filmmaking is her profession and music is Ankita Kumar's passion and she is set to woo the music aficionados with her solo piano performance titled Harmony in the capital Friday evening.

"This is not my profession but my passion. I am a filmmaker by profession. Music is more like an hobby, rather then I am going to earn my money out of it," the 28-year-old daughter of Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, told IANS.

The concert will celebrate music from across borders with some of the famous Indian and western classics.

A one-and-a-half hour performance to be held at the Indian Institute of Technology will feature Indian songs, western classical and popular numbers, hymns and devotional tunes on the piano.

Some of the Hindi film songs from the black and white era to Bollywood music of today's generation will jazz up the evening that will also have the rhythms of tabla and the strings of the guitar.

Ankita said that she began playing the piano at the age of 12 after seeing her teacher - Brian Silas - play the instrument.

"I have done more than 20 performances and I have done a music album. I also run Colors of Music, a piano academy," she said.

Abhay Deol, who has turned producer with romantic-comedy One By Two, says the decision was not made in a haste.

Active in Hindi filmdom since his debut in 2005 with "Socha Na Tha", the 37-year-old has faced the camera to play various kind of roles in films like "Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.", "Ek Chalis Ki Last Local", Manorama Six Feet Under”, “Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!”, “Dev D” and “Chakravyuh”.

With eight years of experience in showbiz, he now takes a plunge into production business.

"If I would have thought that I am taking this decision too early in my career, then I would have not become a producer. You will also get to know it once the film will release," said the actor at the launch of a new Mercedes Benz car here Thursday.

Abhay will be seen romancing his real life girl friend Preeti Desai in the film, directed by Devika Bhagat.

The actor was last seen in "Raanjhanaa" along side Sonam Kapoor and southern actor Dhanush.

Bollywood actor Vinay Pathak, known for his excellent comic timing, will be seen in Ananth Mahadevan directed biopic "Gaur Hari Dastaan".

The film is about Odisha's freedom fighter Gaur Hari Das, who joined the movement to end British rule in India.

"I am playing Gaur Hari. It is a biopic. It is the story of a freedom fighter. It is a wonderful role and is fantastically directed. I am looking forward to it," said Vinay known for his rib-tickling performances in "Khosla Ka Ghosla" and "Bheja Fry".

The film also stars Konkona Sen Sharma as the freedom fighter’s wife. Ranvir Shorey and Tannishtha Chatterjee will also be seen in the period drama.

Apart from that, Vinay will also be seen in revenge comedy "Bajatey Raho", which has been directed by Shashant Shah and also stars Vishakha Singh, Tusshar Kapoor and Ranvir.

Bollywood couple Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan will host a special party Tuesday to introduce "Ship of Theseus" director Anand Gandhi and his team to friends and colleagues.

Kiran, who is releasing the film in collaboration with UTV Motion Pictures, feels it’s time for the industry to meet people as talented as Anand and his team.

"We are calling friends from the industry to watch the film and having them at home for dinner to meet Anand and the cast and crew. We are really looking forward to it. I am hoping as many people who are in town, who are around, will come and meet Anand and his team," Kiran told reporters here at a press conference Thursday.

"The team actually is a unique collaboration of people and I think the industry needs to meet them now," she added.

A story about human values, the film features three characters -- an experimental photographer, an ailing monk and a stock broker.

Filmmakers Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap and Ayan Mukerji, among others, have already heaped praise on “Ship of Theseus”, which is coming out July 19.

Legendary actor Pran Kishan Sikand, popular as Pran, breathed his last at the Lilavati Hospital here late Friday evening following prolonged illness, his son said. He was 93.

Pran's condition was frail since the past few months, when he was in and out of the hospital multiple times. He was reportedly last admitted to the Lilavati Hospital just a week back.

"He passed away at Lilavati Hospital at around 8.30. p.m.," his son Sunil told IANS.

The last rites of the veteran actor, who was a recipient of the coveted Dadasaheb Phalke award, will be conducted Saturday at 12 p.m. at the Shivaji Park.

In a career of over six decades, Pran acted in over 400 movies.

Pran was chosen to receive the 44th Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Lifetime Achievement. He couldn't travel to Delhi to collect the award at the 60th National Film Awards ceremony, but he was especially honoured at his residence with Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari reaching there to confer the award.

The actor started his career as a photographer in 1940, but it was a chance meeting with a film producer that landed him his debut role in a film called "Yamla Jat".

Later, when he moved from Lahore to Bombay, with the help of the renowned writer Saadat Hasan Manto and actor Shyam, Pran got a break in Bombay Talkies' film "Ziddi", in which Dev Anand played the lead role.

That set the momentum for this versatile talent, who brought new mannerisms and style and lent new dimensions to his characters.

He played the villain as convincingly in films like "Madhumati", "Ziddi" and "Ram Aur Shyam", with the same ease with which he slipped into character roles like the lovable Malang Chacha in "Upkar".

Among his memorable movies are "Azaad", "Madhumati", "Devdas", "Dil Diya Dard Liya", "Ram Aur Shyam", "Aadmi", "Ziddi", "Munimji", "Amardeep", "Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai", "Chori Chori", "Chhalia", and "Zanjeer".