Indo-British producer Michael Ward, producer of actress Radhika Apte's upcoming comedy caper film “Bombairiya”, has brought Kreo Films on board as the film's co-producer.

Kreo Films, the parent company of which is based in Britain and the subsidiary of which functions from Dubai, is an international independent film company. It has been associated with films starring Hollywood stars like Julianne Moore, Johnny Depp and Mickey Rourke, each of whom are starring in Kreo Films’s mainstream ventures “Freeheld”, “London Fields” and “Ashby” respectively.

However, Kreo Films has now taken an interest in Hindi cinema since witnessing the success of differentiated content in the last couple of years. Taking a step in this direction, the production house has partnered with “Bombairiya” and sees this as the first of several more projects in the region.

“'Bombairiya' is aimed primarily at India’s metro audiences but it's exciting to get Kreo on board and a major coup for us. With more than 50 films under their belt, Kreo brings an understanding of international sales as well as finance and production expertise to the table,” Ward said in a statement.

Apart from Radhika, “Bombairiya”, directed by Pia Sukanya, also stars Akshay Oberoi and Siddhanth Kapoor.

Actress Surveen Chawla is going to walk as the showstopper for designer Tanieya Khanuja at the winter-festive edition of Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) 2015.

The designer will showcase a collection titled “Memory Folds” which will tell the story of the evolving minds of women.

“We are all made up of our memories and a woman especially has quite a few eventful landmarks in her life. My collection represents such experiences of the women who took on the varied colours of life, from darkness to light and chose to embrace and wear them with pride,” the designer said in a statement.

The five-day fashion extravaganza will start on August 26 at Hotel Palladium and the designer will showcase her collection on August 30.

Most of the celebrities in B-Town are active on social media but actress Sonali Bendre thinks it extremely "scary" to be open about her life online.

"It's scary to be so open and I'm basically a very private person. It sounds funny considering the career that I've been in. But somewhere I always dealt with it but not really telling the truth in various situations. I've always changed things. But it's difficult to be so open and honest for me," said Sonali, the brand ambassador of cosmetic brand Oriflame, said at an event here to queries why she still wasn't on social media.

But Sonali's filmmaker husband Goldie Bahl and son are technology-savvy, she said.

"I can't understand why they like it so much, I go through a lot of paranoia especially when my son is concerned. My husband keeps on telling to stop being so paranoid, but still I'm very paranoid."

Sonali was also present at her friend Twinkle Khanna's recent book launch where Twinkle had said that as a mother, she was happy if there was a ban on pornographic websites.

First looks, trailers, teasers and other promotion material are all intensely carried out on social media nowadays which makes it a means for celebrities to be in the news and also to connect with fans and voice opinions on burning issues. That is perhaps why Sonali hopes she gets over her reluctance.

"I'm not on any social media but maybe, one day I'll get over my paranoia, I'll join in. But 140 words on Twitter is very difficult, I have lots to say," says Sonali who was last seen in a cameo in "Once Upon a time in Mumbai Dobaara". She also featured in the television serial "Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye" which was a mature love story.

"Bajrangi Bhaijaan" has become a blockbuster but its director Kabir Khan says that films are not made for the purpose of earning huge collections as that restricts the creativity of a filmmaker.

Asked at a promotion of his forthcoming film "Phantom" if he expected a similar kind of collection like his record-breaking "Bajrangi Bhaijaan", he said: "All wish that they earn good collections at the box-office but we don't make films with the sole intention of numbers.

"A film should be successful according to its budget. And if you feel that every film should touch a certain number, then we'll make the same kind of films, which I didn't want. As a director, I want to make different kinds of films. All films should be successful, 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' was successful and I want that 'Phantom' is also a similar success."

The film has been banned in Pakistan but lead actor Saif Ali Khan is shocked since the film is not against any country.

The Sajid Nadiadwala-produced action thriller also starring Katrina Kaif is gearing up for release on August 28.

Aditi Rao Hydari is on cloud nine with some big movies in her kitty but she doesn't want to speak about them now.

"I don't want to talk about my film 'Wazir' right now because it has a few months' time to release," said Aditi who will be sharing screen space with Amitabh Bachchan in it.

"When the time will come I will definitely talk about it. I will talk about 'Wazir' at the promotions of 'Wazir'," she added.

About her other movie "Aur Devdas", she said: "See if I start talking to you about 'Wazir' and 'Aur Devdas' right now, then what you all will ask when there will be the time to ask."

Aditi was unwilling to reveal any details. "I can't tell you anything about the shooting, the release or any other things. The producer will tell you. Thank you," she said.

"Aur Devdas", directed by Sudhir Mishra, is a remake of the epic "Devdas" with a political twist. Aditi will be playing the role of Chandramukhi in the movie, which also stars Richa Chadda and Rahul Bhat as Paro and Devdas.

Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan and writer-director B.K Mouli, who had previously worked in Tamil films "Pammal K. Sambandham" and "Nala Damayantia, are reportedly planning to join hands for a new project in the language.

"Mouli and Kamal have met and discussed about collaborating. Mouli pitched a story and Kamal apparently liked it but everything is in the nascent stage. Kamal is yet to give his in-principal nod for the project," a source close to Haasan told IANS.

The source added that the project could be an out-and-out comedy film.

Mouli is known for critically acclaimed Tamil films such as "Matravai Neril", "Annae Annae" and "Oru Pullangulal Adupu Oothugirathu" among others.

Kamal is currently busy dubbing for his upcoming Tamil crime-thriller "Thoongaavanam".

He also has Hindi political-thriller "Amar Hai" with Saif Ali Khan in offing.

Actress Elli Avram, who essays a love interest of comedian-actor Kapil Sharma in his debut Bollywood film "Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon", says he made her go through a laugh riot while shooting for the film.

"He made me laugh so many times that I was getting teary and my make-up artist had to come every time to do my touch up! It was good fun and I loved it," Elli told IANS of her experience of shooting with the "Comedy Nights With Kapil" star.

She also recollected an instance when while shooting a scene, she was supposed to be a little upset with his character, but all she could do was only laugh.

"I had to hold that mood (upset mood) in the beginning. Just before the shoot, he suddenly started to make those (funny) faces and said a line in a funny way... and I was like 'Can you please stop it? I'm going to laugh... how will I come into the serious mode?'."

Nevertheless, she finds Kapil to be "very talented, supportive, kind and has done a great job".

She's also all praise for the film's director duo Abbas-Mustan.

"Even our directors Abbas-Mastan sir are so positive, humble and nice people... I was like 'Are we shooting a movie or are we just chilling and having fun?'"

The Sweden-born actress made her debut with "Mickey Virus", and she is especially "happy" that she has worked on her Hindi speaking skills.

"I'm very happy for the fact that I've learnt the (Hindi) language now because and that trained me to be more to be quicker," she said the actress, who has reportedly bagged a role in "Housefull 3".

But choosing not to talk about it, she said: "There is nothing that is confirmed as yet for 'Housefull 3'. So, I don't have clarity... that I can share regarding my next project."

The forthcoming edition of Lakme Fashion Week winter-festive 2015 will support the "Woven Wonders of Varanasi" exhibition curated by designer-politician Shaina NC at a museum here.

The exhibition showcased garments fashioned from hand crafted textiles of Banarasi weavers designed by India’s top fashion designers like Ritu Kumar, Rohit Bal, Anita Dongre, Ritu Beri, Gaurav Gupta, Varun Bahl, Anju Modi, Rina Dhaka among others.

Lakmé Fashion Week earlier this month launched its ‘Re-invent Banaras’ initiative as part of the Indian Handloom & Textile Day celebrations for the upcoming season.

‘Woven Wonders of Varanasi’, a nationwide campaign led by Shaina NC, is focused to uplift the Banaras handloom industry as a part of the ‘Make In India’ initiative supported by the Ministry of Textiles.

Talking about the campaign, Shaina said: “This is inspired by PM Modi's 'Make in India' campaign. We in the fashion fraternity decided what better way to give back to the country than by supporting the weavers and handlooms of Benaras, uplifting them and making a difference to their lives.”

The exhibition saw Maharashtra governor Chennamaneni Rao, Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff among others in attendance.

National award-winning filmmaker Ketan Mehta, who is known for his unconventional and unorthodox movies, says he doesn't believe much in awards and recognition.

"There is nothing in awards, the audience should like the movie, that is the greatest award for any filmmaker," said Ketan.

His latest biopic, "Manjhi - The Mountain Man", which is based on the life of Dashrath Manjhi, who worked tirelessly for 22 years to rip apart a mountain to create a road to ease the travel woes of villagers, was leaked a month before its release but that did not upset the filmmaker.

"The leaked part was of the fake and older version and absolutely different. It is really a sad thing and a wrong thing. Due to piracy, producers and other technicians who have worked very hard are discouraged. Strict action must be taken against the wrong doers," he further added.

Speaking about the movie, Mehta said: "This story of a mountain and a man will look effective on the big screen only and not on your laptops screens".

Speaking about the changes in technology, the director said it is important to "strike a balance."

"It is important to strike a balance. With new technology will come new complication and challenges and we will have to beat the challenges," he said.

The film starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte released this Friday.

Actor Ravi Teja starrer Telugu action-comedy "Kick 2", which has released to mixed reviews, has been trimmed by 20 minutes.

"We trimmed about 20 minutes from the second half of the film. This decision we took after taking into consideration that the second half was quite lengthy," the film's director Surender Reddy told IANS.

An extension of "Kick", which released in 2009, the second installment in the franchise revolves around Ravi Teja aka Robin Hood, who plays the son of his own character from the first part.

In "Kick", the protagonist longed to get a kick out of everything he did. In "Kick 2", the hero is after comfort.

The film also stars Rakul Preet Singh, Ravi Kishan, Brahmanandam, Sanjay Mishra and Rajpal Yadav in important roles.

Singer Sonu Nigam says a piece of advice his father Agam Kumar Nigam gave him pushed him to work harder for the success he has achieved over the years.

“My mother and father always had that idea of becoming something big in life. It wasn’t like we weren’t doing well or we were not satiated with what we had. We always wanted more and something bigger than that.

“When we were in Mumbai, when I was 17 or 18 years old, I remember a piece of advice my father gave me that I will never forget.

"He said: 'Either you have fun now and struggle later or struggle now and enjoy later.' I really took that advice to heart and started to work hard from that point," Sonu said in a statement.

In an episode of talk show "The Anupam Kher Show-Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai", Sonu not just shared the stage with his father, but also sang with him.

The December 2014 Peshawar massacre that claimed the lives of 151 people, including 141 children, left a horrifying mark across the globe. Such was the impact of the incident on Bollywood composers Salim-Sulaiman that they have dedicated a new song called "Khalipan" to the memory of the victims.

"Our song Khalipan was composed after the 16 December 2014 incident, when 132 kids (sic) were killed in a school in Peshawar," said Salim.

"When we heard about the incident, I and Sulaiman thought, what if our children didn't come home that day? What would we have gone through? The thought itself was not easy to digest," he added in despair. Salim is of the view that terrorism is a "disease" and such gruesome incidents can happen and are happening everywhere in the world.

"This incident happened in Peshawar, but terrorism is a disease that can happen anywhere in the world. We have gone through such incidents earlier. Mumbai has seen a lot of this," he said. "In Peshawar, small kids were hiding under the benches to avoid the bullets, our song is inspired from that incident," he added. The composer also said that it would wrong to call the song a mere inspiration. "No, inspiration is the wrong word, it is a dedication.

The song is dedicated to all the children all over the world, who have been sacrificed under the name of terrorism, mainly in Syria, Indonesia," he said correcting himself. The duo aims that "Khalipan" reaches to the real culprits who brought misery and despair upon the victims' families. "Our aim is that this video reaches to those who sponsor terrorism, in any country. We want to let them know what the families and parents of the children are going through. It is indeed very difficult, but not impossible," concluded Salim positively. Penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, "Khalipan" was released on Friday.

Superstar Rajinikanth will sport a salt and pepper look along with thick white beard for his role as a gangster in upcoming Tamil drama "Kabali", which happens to be his 159th film.

"Rajinikanth sir last week participated in the film's photo-shoot. He was sporting salt and pepper look along with thick beard," a source from the film's unit told IANS.

Based on the story of a Chennai-based don, "Kabali" will be directed by Pa. Ranjith, and will feature Radhika Apte as Rajinikanth's heroine.

The makers plan to release the first look on September 17, the day the project goes on floors in Malaysia. Also starring Dhansikaa, Kalaiarasan, Prakash Raj and Gajaraj, the film will have music by Santhosh Narayanan.

Model-turned-actor Arjun Rampal and actress Ileana D'cruz are set to walk the ramp for online fashion portal Jabong, which has announced the launch of European footwear brand Bugatti and in-house designer label Sangria, at the upcoming Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) winter-festive 2015 here.

Arjun will launch Bugatti on the LFW runway on Saturday while Ileana will walk for Sangria on Sunday.

Saying that the face of e-commerce is changing, Ileana feels it is "amazing" how the online space is getting better.

“I feel Sangria represents a fashion forward and independent women but at the same time exhibits traditional grace. It's amazing to see such great work by Indian designers. E-commerce is changing how we shop and I think it's amazing how this space keeps getting better and better," Ileana said in a statement. On the other hand, Arjun is "thrilled" to walk for Bugatti.

“Walking the ramp is a fun and exciting experience, after all I started my journey with this so getting back to my roots is always humbling. I have seen the Bugatti collection and it's amazing how it can be worn across all age groups and people from all walks of life. I personally pay a lot of attention to my shoes. They have to be stylish and yet comfortable - as it just adds on to the confidence and makes you look presentable," he said.

Commenting on the associations, Praveen Sinha, managing director and co-founder, Jabong.com, said that they are "extremely happy" as both the celebrities "complement the respective brands quite well".

The five-day event will start on Wednesday and conclude on Sunday.

Indian actress turned director; Divya Khosla Kumar was awarded by Rambo villain Martin Kove at the FOG Awards 2015 held in San Francisco. She received the Wholesome Youth Entertainment Award for her film ‘Yaariyan’ a college romantic comedy Bollywood film. Diyva Kumar was the only Indian female director to be recognized for her debut directorial film at the awards ceremony.

Also known for her impeccable fashion sense, Divya looked stunning in an outfit by Varun Bahl, which she teamed with neckpiece from Anmol Jewellers. Divya Kumar attended Festival of Globe – Silicon Valley (FOGSV) in San Francisco, an annual event that blends world cultures through Cinema and creates a one-of-a-kind gathering, in the heart of the Silicon Valley. International stars Jackie Chan, Martin Sheen, Jane Fonda, Kat Kramer; Indian actors Neha Dhupia, Deepti Naval, Richa Chadha, Guneet Monga, Gulshan Grover, Om Puri and Bappi Lahiri also attended the action-packed festival. A day prior to the awards she attend an event on Women’s Empowerment in a stunning outfit by Jade along with beautiful earrings from Gehna Jewellers. While the event also had a grand Independence Day parade with celebrities walking and hoisting the flag and Divya participated too in an outfit by Sabyasachi.

Bollywood actress Sunny Leone and singer Shaan are set to perform as part of a musical tour in the Kenyan capital on September 5, a media report said.

They will perform at the Carnivore Grounds in Nairobi, allafrica.com reported.

Earlier this week, Bollywood actor, director and singer Farhan Akhtar held a show at Parklands Sports Club in Nairobi under his "Zinda Ho Tum" musical tour.

Meanwhile, an Indian-origin Kenyan top fashion designer Sonu Sharma will feature in the "Kenya Worldwide Fashion Fiesta 2015" that is scheduled to take place in Nairobi on August 29 and 30.

Sharma, the founder designer and managing director of the show, said the fashion extravaganza would witness a grand gathering of international and regional fashion designers and high profile labels.

Actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, who plays an intelligence officer in the forthcoming film “Wazir”, has become curious about a town named Wajir in Kenya due to the resemblance between its name and his movie.

Farhan who was in Nairobi, Kenya, with his band Farhan Live for a concert got to know of a town called Wajir in Kenya.

The striking resemblance between the two made the “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” actor curious about this place. Farhan was keen on visiting the town; however, he was pressed for time and could not visit it.

"Farhan has become very curious about Wajir and is keen on visiting the town. He received a tremendous response for his concert and is keen on returning to Kenya soon, especially to visit Wajir and promote Wazir," said a source in a statement.

“Wazir”, which also features Amitabh Bachchan, Aditi Rao Hydari and John Abraham, will hit the Indian screens on December 4.

After "Hero" and "Katti Batti", director Nikhil Advani is ready to start his next project titled "Bazaar", which he feels is in the same niche as Amitabh Bachchan-Sanjeev Kumar drama "Trishul".

"'Bazaar' is a story of this city (Mumbai). It's a film which likens to a 'Trishul'. But the backdrop is business and share bazaar (market)," Nikhil elaborated in an interview as part of promotions for "Hero".

"It's about the city because intoxication of the city drives me crazy. I can't understand why people come into the city and live on sewage, really we're living on sewage. There is no infrastructure. Yet people stay back and stay for long which sparks an instant fire in you. So, 'Bazaar' is a story of two men, one who's made it and one who's trying to make it, how they come together and what they do," he added.

Nikhil however said that the film is not an adaptation of "Trishul".

"It's not a replica at all. When I use the word 'Trishul', I just love the drama of Salim-Javed which is missing from the cinema of today. We've become subtle about it and very real about it. I am fascinated by the drama of Sanjeev Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan in the film. I just love the space of two men going against each other," he added.

There were reports that superstar Hrithik Roshan has come on board the film with certain reports stating his "Katti Batti" hero Imran Khan will play the other important character.

However, Nikhil clarified: "Casting is in process, I have lots of people in mind and I hope that they will do the film."

The film is reportedly being produced by Nikhil along with Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures and Vikram Malhotra. Nikhil also said that he has written another film on a serial killer.

While the government is taking various steps for pollution control through national campaigns like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, actress Soha Ali Khan believes our lifestyle is the problem which prevents us from making changes in our daily lives.

“Whether it's industrialisation, modernisation or migration, the by-product is pollution. There is very little that we can do to stop it. Especially in cities like Delhi and Mumbai, so many people have moved there over the past few decades. I live in Bandra and there is so much vehicular pollution there. Our lifestyle is the problem,” Soha, who was here on Tuesday for the NDTV and Philips'“Breathe Clean Conclave 2015”, told IANS.

“When it comes to pollution, there are certain things that we can do but there are certain things that we can't. The reason behind it is lack of awareness. We don't know what we are doing. Also there is certain lack of civic sense. I don't think that the common man is aware about a lot of such things,” she added.

The “Breathe Clean” campaign has been initiated to raise awareness about the quality of air we breathe and provide solutions for improving indoor air quality.

The conclave began with an opening keynote address by Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar and was attended by filmmaker-actor Kunal Kohli and leading medical practitioners, environmentalists, NGOs, concerned citizens and parent groups.

“I am really happy that NDTV has taken this initiative because I feel media houses can make people aware and also help tackle issues. At the outset, I must say we have a problem as any other city in the world and this is because of growing population, growing density and growing rate of urbanisation,” Javadekar said.

Showing his concern over the issue, Kohli told IANS: “We need to recycle. That is something we are not doing. We need to have cleanliness in our environment because these are the things that lead to pollution. Also we should think about car pooling. There are a lot of methods through which we can control pollution.

However the “Hum Tum” director added that cleanliness is not just the government's job.

“You can't really blame the government for everything because the government has introduced schemes like the “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” and LPG subsidy. The government is doing its work but we as individuals need to be aware of and take our own steps. Keeping a city clean is not just government's job, it's our job also,” he said.

Model Kangna Sharma who was the runner up in the Miss Maxim 2014 contest, will be marking her Bollywood debut with Indra Kumar’s upcoming adult comedy “Great Grand Masti.”

After making a career in modelling, Kangna Sharma is all set to take her first step in Bollywood.

“I am blessed to get a chance to work under such a big banner with such talented co-stars. I have already started shooting and till now its been an amazing experience. I am eagerly waiting for the release and hoping that the audience love it and get to know me more," Kangna said in a statement.

"Great Grand Masti" is the third instalment of 2004 hit film "Masti" and it also stars Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Aftab Shivdasani.

The film is slated to hit the screens on November 6.