"Daddy", a theatrical production based on Indian filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's eponymous 1989 movie, will premiere in Pakistan. It will be attended by Mahesh and his daughter Pooja, who had made her acting debut with the film.

"'Daddy' to be staged as a play in Pakistan. Mahesh & Pooja Bhatt to attend," Pooja tweeted Thursday, along with the link of an article featured in Pakistan daily The News International.

It reads: "The theatrical adaptation of film producer Mahesh Bhatt’s ‘Daddy’ will be staged at the forthcoming International Theatre Festival 2015 organised by the National Academy of Performing Arts, Karachi."

Delhi-based actor Imran Zahid stars in the lead role, played by Anupam Kher in the original film.

Bollywood actress Huma Qureshi will feature as the host of a forthcoming TV special "Anmol Hai Tu - Nayi Soch Ko Salaam", which will felicitate women who have endured a hard life, risen from the ashes and made an impact on society.

Social activists Chandralekha and Sindhutai Sapkal, HIV/AIDS activist Kousalya Periasamy, child rights activist Razia Sultana and women's right activist and author Flavia Agnes will be recognised for their work.

"Anmol Hai Tu- Nayi Soch Ko Salaam" will be aired on Star Plus on International Women's Day March 8.

Ace Indian fashion designer Manish Malhotra will be involved in the launch of WEvolve global campaign at the forthcoming Lakm© Fashion Week (LFW). The campaign empowers young men and women to challenge norms that lead to gender violence.

The show, featuring The Blue Fashion Runway, is a part of LFW’s 15-year celebrations here.

The global WEvolve campaign focuses on the worldwide problem of gender violence.

Malhotra and his work will be showcased in WEvolve’s Blue Fashion Runway show March 18, when the fashion gala kickstarts.

The best runway faces, celebrities and leading personalities from Bollywood and beyond will unite on the issue while celebrating the promise of a better future.

“Fashion has a comprehensive and universal appeal and can thus, be a powerful instrument to raise awareness and promote action. I congratulate WEvolve and Lakmé Fashion Week and am entirely overwhelmed to show my Blue Fashion Runway Collection and contribute to this great cause,” Malhotra said in a statement.

The forthcoming edition of LFW will conclude March 22.

The mannequins were models, their depiction inspired by fairytale characters. Designer Shantanu Goenka depicting stories through his 'Fashioning Fairytales' collection showcased during his couture exhibit at 85 Landsdowne here.

The highpoint of the exhibit was the way designer presented his clothes through a story enacted well by different mannequins kept in different positions. For the designer, it was a series of curated displays celebrating couture and fantasy.

"We have moved away from regular shows and ramps where the clothes are seen on models. Our show on mannequins is more like a fairytale portraying through the garments," the satisfied and excited designer told IANS.

"The exhibition texplores the possibility of representing fashion through characters like Alice and Sleeping Beauty from the tales that we grew up with, and merging them with fashion, sound, light, art and food to bring this ethereal experience,” he added.

For Goenka, the collection is not only apt for all the would-be brides but also for those looking out for something unique for special occasions.

“The deigns are not primarily for a bride or the family to incorporate during a wedding, but it could be a part of the trousseau that people wear for other people’s wedding. People are always travelling and they want to make use of their clothes not just for weddings, but keep using them off and on.

"Keeping this in mind, we incorporated separates like capes, jackets, skirts and dresses,” the designer told IANS.

The colour palette was also different from what we see in normal wedding season.

“We see a lot of red, yellow and orange in usual weddings, but we are keeping spring and summer in mind for this couture pieces. We have used very soft colours like lilac and lavender, old rose, ivories and beiges.

"It’s a very vintage washed out summer palette. There is a lot of layering in the ensembles,” said Goenka.

The fabrics used by the designer are primarily tulle with soft summer silks.

The designer, whose forte lies in Indian trousseau and bridal wear for women, has used lot of Bengal's flavour in the pieces too.

“The collection looks very lacy and vintage like old Bengal. It has British influence on it too with a little bit of orient style,” he said.

Filmmaker Kunal Kohli has denied rumours that he has signed actor-producer Saif Ali Khan for his upcoming production.

Kunal, who is making his acting debut in “Phir Se” with TV star Jennifer Winget, took to Twitter Friday to shoot down the rumours.

“Reg rumors. While I would LOVE to direct, produce or act in a film with Saif, as of now there isn't one, in the near future hopefully,” Kunal, whose "Phir Se" is scheduled to release in May, tweeted.

The duo previously worked together in the highly acclaimed 2004 romantic comedy film “Hum Tum” for which Saif received the National Film Award for Best Actor.

He has 'followers' galore--over 2,300,000 on Twitter and almost 42,000 on Facebook. But Bollywood's endearing actor Boman Irani says that while social media presence is vital, it's not a "yardstick" for an artiste's popularity.

"I genuinely believe that popularity comes as a result of one's work. I have never felt the need to be active on social media to stay popular. If it was so, I would be far more regular and regimental in the way I post (online)," the 55-year-old told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

In a chat as freewheeling as he considers his "social media interactions" to be, the versatile actor opened up about his networking skills -- a skill, one must admit, has become an indispensable part of all actors' life.

"I don't write about my every step and move. It's not a compulsion to stay connected, but I don't consider it a duty. I tweet when I wish and when I feel like," said the actor, who uses the medium not just to share updates on his projects, but also "slice-of-life" moments from his everyday life, apart from sharing glimpses of his photography skills.

One thing he steers clear from is sarcasm.

"Sarcasm doesn't work for me. People don't read between the lines," said Boman, whose comic timing in movies like "Main Hoon Na", "Lage Raho Munna Bhai", "Khosla Ka Ghosla" and "3 Idiots", as well as at live events, has been appreciated by Hindi film audiences over the years.

Nevertheless, Boman says people must not cringe from sharing strong opinions on such platforms as long as it's made "well and in a prudent" manner.

Has he ever faced brickbats on social media?

"People have generally been nice to me, they haven't been tough on me. I do get a 'Bakwaas picture' kind of a comment, or a 'Maybe you could have done better'. So, I listen. I don't have to agree to them, but I do take feedback seriously," he added.

Here are five tips from Boman on tweeting right:

* Be articulate and different.
* Make people value your opinion.
* Give your tweet an honest spin.
* Never state the obvious.
* Make sure you use your words well.

Fire tried to play spoilsport for Remo D'Souza's "ABCD 2", but its actors Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor won't stop dancing. Even after a fire broke out on the sets of the upcoming film, the stars are willing to get back to work.

According to reports, one of the ceiling lights burst into flames Thursday. The incident took place at Film City, Goregaon here.

Varun took to Twitter Thursday night, writing: "There was a fire and our set got burnt down. We safely evacuated 600 people and we will be back to work tomorrow. WE WONT STOP DANCING. #abcd2 (sic).

Shraddha also shared that "everyone is safe".

"Yes sadly there was a fire on set today but everything is fine & everyone is safe! Back to shoot tomorrow. We WONT stop dancing!!! #ABCD2," she tweeted.

Dancer-actress Lauren Gottlieb, who is also a part of the crew, posted Friday: "Yesterday there was a fire on set w/ 600 people rushing to safety. Everyone's ok, thank god. Today we are back! WE WONT STOP DANCING! #ABCD2"

Actress Huma Qureshi, who has proved her mettle in films like "Gangs of Wasseypur", "Ek Thi Daayan", "Dedh Ishqiya" and recently released "Badlapur", is keen to explore the world of television.

She already has one project up her sleeve. The 28-year-old will host a TV special, "Anmol Hai Tu - Nayi Soch Ko Salaam", which will felicitate women who have endured a hard life, risen from the ashes and made an impact on society.

Asked if she'd do more work on TV, she said: "Of course (I would love to do television)... as an actor, you're always looking for something exciting to do.

"TV is the biggest medium right now. We (film stars) come here to promote our films. I can do two or three films a year, but television is something you watch everyday. It's an everyday ready audience for you."

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, who rejoined micro-blogging website Twitter after almost five years, was warmly welcomed on the online platform by celebrities like Anupan Kher, Abhishek Bachchan and Karan Johar.

Abhishek was the first to welcome his "Chintu Uncle" on board. He tweeted Thursday: "Crew show some major love to one of my all time favourites @chintskap Rishi Kapoor. Welcome to the chaos Chintu Uncle.Awesome to have u here (sic)"

The 62-year-old actor responded: "Thank you @juniorbachchan for the welcome. Happy to be here."

Here's what other celebrities shared through their Twitter handles:

Anupam Kher: "Welcome to the joy of Twitter @chintskap (Mr. Rishi Kapoor). Have fun Sir. Jai Ho.:)"

Karan Johar: "My most favourite actor and someone I have had the huge honor to work with...RISHI KAPOOR joins the Twitter family.... @chintskap"

Aditi Rao Hydari: "OMGOMGOMG... The most most amazing Rishi kapoor is on twitter!!! @chintskap...."

Kunal Kohli: "@chintskap welcome to Twitter sir. Tweeple Pls welcome my most fav actor & human being Mr. Rishi Kapoor to Twitter."

The "Bobby" and "Karz" star was recently seen in "Do Dooni Chaar" and "Student of the Year".

Actress Kareena Kapoor is looking forward to the Kashmir schedule of Salman Khan starrer "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" slated to begin next month. She says the movie will be "big".

After "Kyunki", "Main Aurr Mrs Khanna" and "Bodyguard", this is the fourth time Kareena is collaborating with Salman on silver screen - and she's excited.

"We are looking forward to going to Kashmir for the film's next schedule. We will be going there next month. It will release on Eid this year," Kareena told reporters here Thursday at the red carpet of Filmfare Glamour and Style Awards' red carpet.

"After 'Bodyguard', I'm coming (on screen) with Salman again, so fans must be very excited. I'm sure it will be big one," she added.

For now, Kareena is going to head to Amritsar for "Udta Punjab".

After essaying roles as diverse as a don and a housewife, actress Richa Chadha is prepping up for something "special" in film “Three Stories”.

"I am doing a special role in 'Three Stories'. It is something that I haven’t done before,” Richa said in a statement.

Being directed by debutante Arjun Mukherjee, the film narrates three stories of individuals residing in a residential colony, and it is about how their stories are interwoven.

The film also marks Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani's first Indo-US co-production. Their Excel Entertainment have collaborated with Hollywood banner Relativity Media, which has produced and released famous titles like “Mirror Mirror”, “Don Jon” and “3 Days to Kill”.

Richa terms working under Excel Entertainment as a fun experience.

“I'm enjoying working with Excel as well as Priya Sreedharan who was the executive producer on my first film," she added.

The actress has started shooting for the film in outskirts of Mumbai and is expected to wrap up filming for her part in the first week of March.

Meanwhile, the actress is also gearing up for movies like “Aur Devdas” and "Cabaret".

The shooting of the upcoming multi-starrer “Mumbai Saga” will start "immediately" after director Sanjay Gupta wraps up the filming of Aishwarya Rai-Irrfan Khan starrer action film “Jazbaa”.

“Immediately after we wrap JAZBAA we will start MUMBAI SAGA,” Gupta posted on Twitter Friday.

“Mumbai Saga” stars actors Vivek Oberoi, Anil Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee and John Abraham in pivotal roles.

In another post, Gupta said he has a packed schedule for 2015.

“2015 is going to be a very busy year for me with 2 films back to back. That is why I make the most of the gaps to spend time with my babies,” he wrote.

However, Gupta, who is best known for making reality based crime films like “Shootout at Lokhandwala” and “Shootout at Wadala”, said that he might take a break from making films on the Mumbai underworld.

He added: “Post MUMBAI SAGA I guess I'll be taking a really long break from the Bombay underworld genre. Very little we haven't dealt with in it.”

The much awaited trailer of ace filmmaker Mani Ratnam's Tamil romantic-drama "Ok Kanmani", which features Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen in the lead, will be unveiled online Sunday.

"The trailer will be launched March 1. The film will hit the screens in April. The team is currently busy with the post-production work," a source from the film's unit told IANS.

Said to be a campus love story laced with comedy, the film will mark Ratnam's grand comeback to the romance genre after a decade. His last romantic outing was R. Madhavan-starrer "Alaipayuthey", which was later remade in Hindi as "Saathiya".

Ratnam is planning to release "Ok Kanmani" April 14, which marks 15 years since the release of "Alaipayuthey".

"While it was decided right at the beginning that the film will release in April, it was recently that Mani realized if released April 14, it will be the perfect tribute to one of his biggest hits 'Alaipayuthey'," the source said.

The film has music by A.R. Rahman and also marks the reunion of Ratnam with lensman P.C. Sreeram after a decade. It's touted to be Mani's quickest projects and is said to have been completed in about two months.

Some crucial portion of the film was shot in Mumbai, IIM Ahmedabad campus as well as CPET University. Nithya plays an architect in the film and renowned Indian architect B.V. Doshi plays her professor.

Tamil lyricist Thamarai, who is popular for her work in films such as "Minnale" and "Yennai Arindhaal", says she has decided to launch a protest to find out the whereabouts of her husband who went missing a few months back.

Thamarai staged a protest here Friday with her son to locate her husband Thyagu.

"I don't know if he's missing or has absconded. It's been nearly six months since I've seen him. I haven't filed a police complaint yet because I'm not sure if he's missing or has gone into hiding," Thamarai told IANS.

"My husband was actively part of some Tamil activists group. I've been told that he had joined some Tamil Islamic group and has filed for talaq (divorce), which I can't accept. I am shocked about it. But these are only according to hearsay because I don't exactly know what is his problem," she said.

Thamarai, who got married in 2002, is protesting outside her husband's office.

"I'm not going to move from this place until I find him. I came here hoping to find him but his office is locked. I don't know where else he could've gone," she said.

Actress Neetu Chandraa, who is currently shooting for Tamil musical thriller "Vaigai Express", got bruised while performing an action sequence on the sets of the film here.

"Neetu got injured in a struggle sequence. She was left bruised and her left eye was swollen. The director quickly called off the shoot as Neetu was suffering with pain. Following some medical attention, she was advised complete bed rest," a source from the film's unit told IANS.

Directed by Shaji Kailas, "Vaigai Express" features Neetu in a double role for the first time in her career.

It also features Suja Varunee, Komal Sharma and Nasser in important roles.

Producer Dinesh Vijan, who is basking in the success of his latest co-production "Badlapur", feels relieved that not only the film but actor Varun Dhawan's new avatar was also appreciated by all stratas.

He is more than happy that Varun pulled off the "difficult and challenging role" of Raghu with great conviction.

"Raghu's character is very difficult to play because he does not do anything. He only talks through his eyes and rarely laughs. I think it was more challenging and more difficult role to play," Dinesh Vijan told reporters here Friday at the success party of "Badlapur".

"And it is really commendable that Varun played this character so beautifully. He has actually broken his image," he added.

Directed by Sriram Raghavan, "Badlapur" is a dark and intense revenge drama that features Varun as an aggresive man on a mission to seek revenge.

Released Feb 20, it also features Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Huma Qureshi.

A centre for film production will be set up in the northeast region of the country, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Saturday.

"A centre for film production would be set up in the northeast," he said, presenting the union budget in parliament.

The government has laid special emphasis on developing the northeastern region of the country, he said.

Upcoming Tamil film "Kallappadam", a story about how first-timers try and make a film, has been chosen in the foreign feature film category in the upcoming Revelation Perth International Film Festival and the Melbourne Underground Film Festival.

While Revelation Perth International Film Festival will take place from July 2 to July 15, Melbourne Underground Film Festival will happen between Sep 11 and Sep 20.

"We are very glad that our film has been selected for the film festivals in Australia. We are very confident that this commercial film's content would interest the jury of the respective film festivals. The film is about youngsters who strive hard for their first opportunity to achieve," director J. Vadivel said in a statement.

"Kallappadam" features the film's director, editor, cinematographer and music composer who play themselves in the movie.

Actress Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli essays an important role as a struggling heroine.

Filmmaker Saurabh Varma, who recently finished shooting for his film "Solid Patels", has already begun shooting for his next film titled "7 Hours To Go".

"The movie is an investigative thriller. The principal photography of the film has been set in some real locations for movies' creative and authentic demand. It's a realistic investigative action thriller which will keep the audience on the edge of their seats till the very end," Varma told IANS.

The film's cast is still under wraps and is expected to be announced soon.

The film "7 Hours To Go" is Varma's second with the Krian Media after "Solid Patels".

Raj Malik, senior vice president (Film Production and Distribution), Krian Media, said: "The film '7 Hours to Go' is based on true events set in seven hours' time frame in Mumbai. It will be an action-packed ride filled with thrill and suspense."

Krian Media has signed a three-film contract with director Varma.

The Taj Mahal cinema of Abbottabad city, with a 66-year history of film exhibition in this Pakistan frontier city, is being dismantled after its owner recently sold the property.

Mohammad Saeed Khan, who was hitherto running the Taj Mahal cinema in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial city for the last four decades, said business was at full swing till 2010 with Abbottabad, being a tourist city, providing entertainment to visitors, Dawn reported.

But in recent years, the cinema business has dwindled and this forced the owner to sell the property.

Built in 1948 by Mohammad Khan Hoti, the cinema hall once used to be full to its 600-seat capacity. However, Hoti sold the property in 1974.

Saeed Khan said the decline of the cinema exhibition industry started with the falling fortunes of the Pakistan film industry which failed to produce quality movies.

He said the arrival of internet, CDs, cable and other sources of entertainment also resulted in the gradual decline of the cinema industry in Pakistan.

He said that for the last two years, not a single show -- even on the first day of a new film -- could attract more than 200 spectators.

According to him, the worsening law and order situation was another major reason for the decline of the business as fears of blasts and other terrorist activities kept film lovers away from cinema houses.