Singer Shaan, known for his melodious voice, has recorded the title track of Sameer Iqbal Patel's directorial debut film "Hotel Beautifool". It's a fun track, he says.

"The song has interesting lyrics and fun elements like sounds of hotel bells and people climbing up the stairs. I have enjoyed recording for this song, which is the title track of the film," Shaan told IANS.

He says "I don't pick songs but the song picks me", and that's what happened with this number.

"(Composer and lyricist) Sanjeev Tiwari's wife approached me. Sanjeev is a really old friend right from Calcutta. He sent me the song and I really liked this fun song. The film 'Hotel Beautifool' is a comedy, and many of my friends like Brijendra Kala and Johnny Lever bhai are working for the film," added Shaan, who is known for songs like "Fanaa", "Jab se tere naina" and "O re kaanchi".

The "Hotel Beautifool" track, he says, is totally lyrics-based.

"It has a lot of lyrics and there's not much of melody. Rhyming words with beautifool -- like 'housefool', 'jhulool' and 'usool' are used a lot. There are a lot of Hinglish (mix of Hindi and English) words used in the song," he said.

Directed by Sameer Iqbal Patel and jointly produced by Madhire Ravinder Reddy and Mohammed Aslam Shaikh under the banner of Madhire Film Corporation and Umbrella Film Corporation, "Hotel Beautifool" will tentatively release in April 2015.

Actor Arya and Anushka Shetty starrer Tamil-Telugu bilingual "Inji Iduppazhagi", which was launched here on Thursday, is said to be a rib-tickling comedy about obesity.

"The story focuses on the theme of being figure-conscious. In a funny script, the advantages and disadvantages of obesity are highlighted in such a way that audiences will realise that being happy is more important than size zero," read a statement.

Being produced by PVP Cinema, the film is titled "Size Zero" in Telugu. It will be directed by K. Prakash Rao, son of legendary filmmaker K. Raghavendra Rao.

Arya will be seen as a documentary filmmaker from abroad in the film, which will go on the floors soon.

While Nirav Shah will can the shots, M.M Keeravani will compose the tunes.

Look chic in breezy jumpsuits or lace dresses this spring-summer.

Sharnamli Adhar, co-founder of The Pink Post-It, a brand that organises niche and quirky shopping experiences across various cities in India, shares how:

* Khaki: Seen on runways across the globe, khaki is a hot trend this summer. So, from dresses to shorts to even pants, party it up military style.

* Jumpsuits: A jumpsuit is one look that can be taken from day to night by just changing your accessories and replacing the flats with heels.

* Lace: The fabric always brings out the feminine side in every girl and is a must-have for the season. Want to look your best? Try dresses or tops in lace.

* Kimono: Kimonos -- plain or printed -- are the best layering option for every body type and are a great way to lift any outfit. They can be easily worn as a dress or even over jeans or pants. Accentuated with a wide belt or thin one, they can be styled in various ways.

* Ruffles: There’s no better way to celebrate the arrival of spring and with it, all those outdoor cocktail hours, than with a flirty ruffle-trimmed sundress.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan will head to Jodhpur on Friday for a fund-raising event, where he will be seen performing with the famous Shillong Chamber Choir and Vienna Chamber Orchestra.

The performance will be part of the Jodhpur One World Retreat 2015, which is to be held March 20-22. Funds raised at the gala are donated to the Head Injury Foundation, founded by Maharaja Gaj Singh II of Jodhpur in February 2007 to build a comprehensive system in India for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injuries.

During the evening of the event's second day, a grand finale will have a stellar performance by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Shillong Chamber Choir. Joining them will be Amitabh.

"The Shillong Choir from the North East of the country, a group that has impressed everyone with their performances shall be one of the attractions at the event and I shall be performing with them for this fund raising event," the 72-year-old confirmed on his blog.

Talking about the cause of head injuries, he added: "The Maharaja's own son had a fall from his horse while playing polo, and was seriously damaged in the injury that followed to his brain. He has been through a great deal of trauma, and immobility... but thankfully he has recovered sufficiently well after years of treatment to almost normalcy."

The Shillong Chamber Choir shot to fame after it won a reality talent show "India's Got Talent" in 2010. A group of 13-22 people, the choir has performed for US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, and its founder Neil Nongkynrih has been honoured with Padma Shri.

This is not the first time that Amitabh will share the stage with the Meghalaya-based group. They were roped in to perform for the opening episode of popular TV game show "Kaun Banega Crorepati 6", which is famously hosted by the Big B.

Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra truly believes in the power of young creative minds as he believes they have "original and unbiased" views towards storytelling.

Mishra is a jury member of a short film contest 'Love Ke Side Effects', along with filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor and actor-producer Sanjay Suri. They will select the winning films for the contest, which is presented by Gionee, organised by Pocket Films and powered by FunOnGo.

Praising the initiative, Mishra of "Chameli" fame said: "It's a remarkable platform for amateur filmmakers to present their ideas and potential to the world. I have often noticed the most creative ideas come from the youngest, least experienced but passionate writers, who are gifted with an original and unbiased view towards storytelling."

The winner for the best short film will get return tickets to Paris along with the trophy. The runner-up will get a HD camera and the second runner-up will get Gionee smartphones.

Kukunoor, who is credited with films such as "Rockford", "Iqbal", "Aashayein" and "Lakshmi", says short films are the perfect breeding ground for young and enthusiastic filmmakers.

"When I was approached by Pocket Films, I said 'yes' because I'm sure this this festival will bring out different, interesting, quirky films that explore love and its many avatars,” he said.

Abhik Bhanu wants to do "aggressive promotion" for his upcoming directorial "Gun Pe Done", but the director says the film's actor Sanjay Mishra delays showing up for dubbing as he is currently filming "Dilwale".

"Post production and dubbing are in full swing and we are eager to go for aggressive promotion," Bhanu told IANS.

"But Sanjay delays to show up for dubbing as he is currently shooting for 'Dilwale', which is directed by Rohit Shetty and features Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. It's costing dearly to the producer and other cast members who have worked equally hard for the movie," he added.

"Gun Pe Done" is based on the hooch business and its tragedies.

The issue came to light when Bhanu had to cancel all promotional and dubbing sessions because of Sanjay's prior commitments to "Dilwale".

"Gun Pe Done", produced by Pioneer Films and Entertainment LLP, also features Jimmy Sheirgill and Tara Aslisha Berry.

Actress Radhika Apte has an impressive kitty of films for herself, but she says that like most others, she gets insecure and jealous of others at times. But she doesn't considers that as being competitive.

Radhika told IANS: "I am not very competitive. Insecurities and jealousy are a part of everybody's life. I feel very insecure and jealous sometimes of what people are doing. If I watch their work I call them and appreciate their work because I am not competitive."

The actress' latest work is Harshavardhan Kulkarni's "Hunterrr", a film featuring Gulshan Devaiah as a sex addict.

Radhika, whose work in "Badlapur", starring Varun Dhawan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui was appreciated, says she does not choose films on the basis of it being a solo or multi-starrer project.

"I have never given it a thought. I did not like the solo lead roles that were offered to me. Besides, I choose films looking at the characters," she added.

Film: "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"; Cast: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel, Richard Gere, Tina Desai, Lillete Dubey, Shazad Latif, Cellia Imrie and Ronald Pickup; Director: John Madden; Rating: **

This typical indie masala film is a sequel to the 2012 released, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel". It lacks the novelty factor and the sheen which was apparent in its first edition.

The narration takes off a couple of years after the long-term British residents have settled at "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" in Jaipur. The hotel is packed to capacity and manager Sunil Inderjit Kapoor aka Sonny (Dev Patel) and his co-manager Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith) are now toying with an expansion plan for "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel". This forms the crux of this film.

The sequel opens with Sonny and Muriel on a road trip to California in the hope of finding an investor to help them buy the property they are looking for. After the inconclusive meeting with the retirement company in the US, who they hoped would finance their dreams, the duo are back in Jaipur.

Life continues as routine with Sonny taking roll calls of his guests every morning, in case they leave unexpectedly, pun intended.

And while he manages his hotel, he is also bogged down with his impending marriage to Sunaina (Tina Desai) and his uncertain future. His frustrations escalate when Kushal (Shazad Latif), Sunaina's brother's friend, turns up in their lives.

The rest of the coterie at the hotel too are embroiled with issues of their own, basically related to matters of the heart. The end culminates as a geriatric romance saga punctuated with rough, dry and acidic humour, that generates from metaphor packed dialogues.

Adapted from Deborah Moggach's 2004 novel, "These Foolish Things", the script written by Ol Parker is chaptered in three parts; The Sagaai - The Engagement party; The Sangeet - The Family party; and the Shaadi - The Wedding.

With several sub-plots, numerous characters and no dramatic sequences, the pace of the narration is fluid, sluggish and meandering.

The film is worth watching for the fine performances by the geriatric cast. Maggie Smith as Muriel who keeps Sonny grounded, is endearing. It is a delight to watch her dish out caustic one-liners.

Judi Dench as Evelyn Greenslade, who sources textile for an overseas company now appointed as its official buyer, has a bounce in her step after a successful negotiation. While she is professionally secure, her relationship with Douglas (Bill Nighy), the half-baked tour guide in Jaipur, is on a rocky terrain. It is touching to see how he proposes to her.

Equally interesting is to watch the tracks played by; Celia Imrie as the romance starved Madge, who is wooing two eligible suitors and Richard Gere who plays Guy Chambers, an incognito hotel inspector and a novelist who finds his muse in Lillete Dubey, Sonny's widowed mother.

Dev Patel slips into Sonny's shoes with fine precision as the over-confident and irritatingly talkative entrepreneur. He pairs with Tina Desai in equal measure. Together, their chemistry is blatant and appealing. Shazad Latif as the bone of their contention has his screen moments and he shines.

A few Bollywood songs like "Yeh ishq haaye" from "Jab We Met", "Balma" from "Khiladi 786" and "Aila re aila" are integrated into the script. And the entire cast seemed to have a blast shaking their legs to "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom".

With good production quality, the film efficiently captures Jaipur through Ben Smithard's lens, but then the images are not alluring enough to make you want to visit Jaipur.

Overall, while "The Exotic Marigold Hotels" is packaged as a cultural ambassador of Jaipur, "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" remains after all, only the second best!

Sabyasachi Mukherjee, whose sartorial creations, marked by traditional fabrics and techniques, have made him a globally recognised name in the world of design, believes that national clothing has the power to foster nationalism.

He says the youths' appreciation of Indian handloom calls for revival of the craft.

“It’s a fragmented society and nothing fosters nationalism like national clothing, so one day out of week if we start wearing something Indian, then we will make India more proud," Mukherjee told IANS on the sidelines of Lakme Fashion Week summer-resort 2015.

"Also, imagine the livelihood that we could give to so many people at grassroots level if the consumption of Indian textile will go up,” he added.

The designer feels that in a democratic country like India, one cannot force people to wear a certain kind of clothes, but supporting a movement of wearing handloom clothes for a day can bring revolution.

“Our country is a large democracy and so, wanting to wear what you want to wear should be a fundamental right. You can’t really push people to do what they want to do or what they don’t want to do, but if you can coax or urge people to support such a movement, a lot of people would automatically connect to it,” he added.

And by that, he does not mean only Indian outfits.

“Tying a sari has nothing to do with handloom. If you can’t wear Indian clothes, you can wear western clothes in Indian textiles,” he said.

Mukherjee, who started his label ‘Sabyasachi’ in 1999, earned the distinction of being one of the few names in the history of Indian fashion to participate at fashion weeks in Milan, New York and London.

He has also styled for some of the popular Bollywood actresses, including Tabu, Shabana Azmi, Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen and Kareena Kapoor. Among the current crop of Bollywood's ladies, he has got patrons in Deepika Padukone and Kangana Ranaut, and among international actresses Renée Zellweger and Reese Witherspoon have sported his label.

Asked about how youths take the handloom and textile culture in today’s modern time, the designer, who believes that “Indian women look beautiful in Indian clothes”, said: “The exposure levels of youth are very high today. They log on to the internet and find out the best in trend.

"I believe that when your curiosity gets quenched very early in your life, you want to come back to your roots and I think youth of India is very favourable and not averse at all to wear handlooms."

On that front, he has a message for aspiring designers too.

“If you want to be designer of consequences anywhere in the world, you have to capture your country. Everyone abroad is looking for Indian sensibility, so an Indian designer automatically has no choice, but to look upto India for inspiration.

“I think if you want to build something global, you have to build something indigenous context and I think that is very important."

Indeed, that's what has worked for Sabyasachi.

Indian media company Hungama that provides music, videos and movies on mobile, desktop and beyond, is on the cusp of raising more than $100 million, according to a media report.

The media company is in "advanced" talks with existing investors Intel Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners, which fronted a $40 million raise last summer, TechCrunch reported citing sources close to the company.

Intel Capital invested an undisclosed sum in the business in 2012, it said.

Founded in 2005 as a marketing and communications agency, Hungama eyeing the growth of mobile branched out to entertainment in 2009 to today emerge as "arguably India's most prominent player in that space."

The soon-to-be-completed round will be used to grow the company's footprint on mobile, tapping into the vast growth in adoption of smartphones that is expected in India, TechCrunch said.

More specifically Hungama will invest to develop its technology, platforms and increase its content libraries, it said.

The money could be used to acquire other market players, it said citing company sources.

The total audience for Hungama's services hit 48 million users in February. Of that figure, a whopping 43 million consumed content on a mobile device, with 13.8 million paying for some form of content across its platform.

Hungama's services were used by 227 million consumers during its last financial year, with around one-third spending money in some way.

Unlike it competitors in India like Times India-owned Gaana, Saavn and Rdio, Hungama goes beyond music to offer Netflix-like movies, TechCrunch said

"With India's music and film scene closely tied together, the company is betting that this synergy and its international catalogue - which just added Disney and Marvel - will help it stand apart from the rest," the web site said.

Being included on Facebook's free Internet.org portal, which just arrived in India, doesn't hurt too, it said.

Filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee was enamoured by a "mysterious quality" in Sushant Singh Rajput. He says that's the reason why he roped in the actor for the protagonist's role in "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!".

"He was my first choice (for the film). When I discussed the film with Aditya Chopra, we thought of Sushant's name. We were clear that only Sushant can become Byomkesh as there is a mysterious quality about Sushant, which works well for this character. He keeps himself private," Dibaker said here.

The director appreciates the actor for his "hard working" nature.

"He lost 8 kg for this film; he met many Bengali people in Kolkata and adapted their body language. Not everybody can do this. The audience will see a Sushant never seen before," he added.

"Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!" is slated for release on April 3.

In terms of budget, Banerjee, who is known for movies like "Khosla Ka Ghosla!", "Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!" and "Shanghai", says that for his new period drama film, he has "maintained the right balance".

"But yes, if compared to my previous films, I have spent a lot for this film. Still, if you plan things properly, then you will not end up spending much. The film was made in the right budget and I am happy about it."

In the recent past, several popular film celebrities have lent support to small budget cinematic gems. This time, megastar Amitabh Bachchan has wished good luck to "Dozakh - In Search Of Heaven", which he calls a "sensitive movie".

The Big B took to Twitter to support the film, directed by Hindi novelist and former journalist Zaigham Imam.

"'Dozakh', a sensitive film made by sensitive people... wishing you all the best," the 72-year-old tweeted.

"Dozakh - In Search of Heaven", which has released at select theatres via PVR Director's Rare -- that supports independent movies -- is based on an eponymous book penned by Imam himself.

The movie is about a Muslim father and son. The father is a cleric and a true follower of Islam. He doesn’t appreciate the fact that his son is friends with a Hindu priest. This results in him losing his son and realising that he needs his son and not the religion.

The film has received rave reviews at film festivals and features actors Lalit Mohan Tiwari, Nazim Khan, Pawan Tiwari, Garric Chaudhury, Ruby Saini, Irfaan Rizvi, Jugendra Singh and Khushboo Seth.

A Colombian fusion band is set to enthral Delhiites on Saturday at the fifth edition of the annual Delhi International Jazz Festival.

The Delhi International Jazz Festival, organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, is being held from Friday evening till Sunday, on the lush green lawns of Nehru Park in Chanakyapuri.

The band 'Esteban Copete y su Kinteto Pacifico' plays a fusion of traditional Colombian beats comprising the use of the marimba and the clarinet mixed with jazz music.

The five-member ensemble headed by Esteban Copete was formed in 2008 and has performed in various international destinations including the US, France and Brazil.

They are also scheduled to perform at the upcoming annual Latin-American festival, 'Fiesta Latina 2015', organised by The Leela Hotel, Gurgaon.

Marathi actress Sai Tamhankar, who has featured in Bollywood film "Hunterrr", says Marathi filmmakers are at their experimental best these days, and for them content is the prime concern.

Sai told IANS: "The kind of experiments being done in Marathi films...I don't think it's being done anywhere else. I don't think any industry is exploring as much as Marathi films.

"Here in Marathi films, content is still the hero and that's why we are able to experiment and look for different subjects. This is the best phase of Marathi films."

She is known for her performance in Marathi films like "Pune 52" and "Duniyaadaari".

Her Hindi film "Hunterrr", which released on Friday, is about a sex addict.

Asked how her parents react to her films, she said: "My parents know that it's a part of my job. My mom is very happy that I am working with some nice people. They don't have any particular opinion. They are very cool about it."

Known for offering a touch of royalty to his customers with his bespoke ensembles, fashion designer Raghavendra Rathore now plans to give men a complete wardrobe solution through a new ready-to-wear designer label Imperial India Company (IIC), which represents colonial Indo-Western ethos through its product offering.

Rathore felt it was time to grow and extend his reach, and what better way than to get into ready-to-wear space, where the customers can easily walk in and buy products to one's liking.

"Since the past few years, we have been working on a space which is bespoke and very customised. So I thought... the next level of the space is ready-to-wear, where you can actually walk in and buy (clothes)," he told IANS on the sidelines of his summer-resort edition of Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) 2015.

He clarified that it's not a "pret brand", saying that "the label is positioned between bridge and couture".

Also, since he wants to be "very focussed", he's making it only a "men-centric label".

"I want to give complete wardrobe solution for men," Rathore said.

It is also fashion with a cause. It uses handloom and fabrics that have a cultural orientation through the Raghavendra Rathore Foundation in large quantities, giving substantial opportunity to weavers and NGOs to grow along with the brand.

The regal, aristocratic styling and accessible designer fashion is its unique characteristic that brings a tasteful appeal to one's wardrobe.

The designer also showed a glimpse of what the brand will offer in the days to come through his show on the second day of the fashion gala at Hotel Palladium here.

There were two-button off-white jackets, brocade Sherwani, black five-button Jodhpur coat, bandhgala with printed shirt and red trouser as well as a two-button grey suit, adding power to the menswear line.

Rathore also showcased a brown bundi with orange kurta, a spark of white cuffs for mandarin collar shirt, dapper Pathani suit, sherwani with pink cuffs and black velvet collar and a white tuxedo with satin shawl lapel.

He says that with this designer segment, he is here to "compete with all my other colleagues who are working on ready-to-wear".

The versatile designer is known worldwide for his efforts to popularise classic royal dressing with modern twists. He has patented the bandhgala and Jodhpur cuts under his label.

Now with IIC, he has plans to offer men more in terms of being presentable.

"The additions to the clothes will be products like deodorants and soaps. It will be a complete lifestyle space for men who have arrived and just ready to purchase the first Raghavendra Rathore," said the designer, who has dressed up the likes of Saif Ali Khan and Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan, among others.

While a bandhgala may be available for Rs.28,000 under this brand, Rathore says he has not compromised on the fabric used.

"There is a lot of youthfulness, colours and versatility in terms of providing designs and yes we are not going for cheaper fabrics like pret, as it falls apart after sometimes," he said.

The collection will be available first on IIC website, and later it will be shifted to offline stores at different locations, that are yet to be announced.

Director Neeraj Vora says it won't be right to call Kay Kay Menon's inclusion in the film's cast as a "replacement" for Irrfan Khan.

"We can't call it as a replacement as we were keen to cast Irrfan, but he was busy and his dates were not matching. So, we approached Kay Kay Menon for the same," Vora told IANS.

"Kay Kay is a fabulous actor and now he is very much part of this project. We will start shooting for the film by end of this month," Vora added.

"Hera Pheri 3" will also feature John Abraham, Sunil Shetty, Abhishek Bachchan and Paresh Rawal.

The "Lingaa" issue with the distributors, who claimed heavy losses, seems to have finally resolved amicably after the intervention of superstar Rajinikanth, who agreed to pay a lump sum amount.

"Rajini sir paid the amount to producer Rockline Venkatesh and requested him to settle the losses of the distributors. While it's not known how much he paid, but the distributors have agreed to call off the protest," a source told IANS.

Confirming the news, President Kalaipuli S. Thanu of Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council told IANS: "The matter has been sorted out. The distributors of 'Lingaa' have called off their protests."

"Lingaa" distributors claimed losses of about Rs.35 crore and have been protesting for over the past two months.

Last month, they staged a fast here in front of Rajinikanth's residence.

Directed by K.S. Ravi Kumar, "Lingaa" also featured Anushka Shetty and Sonakshi Sinha in the lead roles. It released on December 12, 2014 on the occasion of Rajinikanth's birthday.

Southern composer Ghibran, who co-produced the short film "Swayer Corporations", is delighted that it has been selected in the short films category in the upcoming Cannes International Film Festival.

The festival is scheduled to take place from May 14-25.

"Swayer Corporations" is directed by Ghibran's childhood friend Rathindran R. Prasad for Turkish producers Basak Gaziler Prasad and Hakan Kantarli.

"I am happy to be a part of this short film. The film is about an angry young environmental activist who is on a journey to kill a CEO of a chemical company. It is shot entirely on East Coast Road in a short span of four days. Though the film does not have any background music, I played an entirely different role in this film," Ghibran said in a statement.

"I handled the production execution part in India. I'm happy to be part of this Cannes-nominated project. I congratulate the producers and my friend Rathindran," he added.

Actress Sadha, who was last seen in 2011 Tamil film "Puli Vesham", is making a comeback of sorts to the industry with upcoming Tamil comedy "Eli", starring comedian Vadivelu in the lead.

"Sadha has been roped in to play an important role. I can't divulge more details, but she will join the sets next week," the film's director Yuvaraj Dayalan told IANS.

Set in the 1970s, the film marks the second time collaboration of the director and Vadivelu after last year's "Tenali Raman".

In the film, Vadivelu will essay a role with the characteristics of a rat.

"We've completed about half of the shooting, while the rest is expected to be completed in another two months. We're planning to release the film during summer," he said.

With actor Nandamuri Balakrishna nearing the fag end of his illustrious career, he has now turned all his focus on launching his son Mokshagna, who is pursuing a management course in New York.

"Balakrishna sir is on the lookout for a good script to launch his son. A year ago, his son expressed his interest to act, but he was advised to complete his education first," a source close to the actor told IANS.

Currently busy wrapping up his 98th Telugu film "Lion", Balakrishna plans to launch his 20-year-old son after he completes 100 films.

"He's concentrating on reaching the milestone first. After that, he plans to launch his son," said the source.

Balakrishna, 54, will next star in Telugu actioner "Dictator", which will turn out to be his 99th film.