Making this her 5th consecutive year ,Bollywood 's reigning Katrina Kaif , tops the list of the World’s Sexiest Women 2013 conducted by the largest men’s lifestyle magazine –FHM, edging out her Bollywood contemporaries not to mention Hollywood stars like Kaley Cuoco and Kate Upton.

Dressed in a sizzling black number,the actress graces the cover of the latest issue of FHM having topped the list (based entirely on online polls and SMS) for the fifth year in a row, a feat no other Bollywood actress has managed to achieve so far.

Says Katrina Kaif, "I don't really know how these polls work.Some years you win, some years you don’t."

Bollywood’s golden girl also made her away to the top ranking on Verve Magazine’s Most Influential list.Earlier this year the actress emerged Bollywood’s most googled celebrity ,making it to the numero uno position on the search engine. If that wasn’t all, No stranger to topping popularity charts on the social media front,Katrina was last announced the “The Sexiest Female Celebrity”, as per the latest weekend poll by consumer research company Ormax Media on Twitter.

A fortnight ago it was revealed that a dated Punjabi film, Dil Pardesi Ho Gaya had splashed Akshay Kumar all over its promotional campaign to present him as a prominent cast member. While sources close to the actor had dismissed this as a tactic from the makers to take undue advantage of his superstar appeal, Akshay is mighty upset now. Reason being that till date the makers haven't budged from their stand and continue to use Akshay's 'appearance' in its promos and other promotional design, despite the actor categorically staying away from it.

Still, Akshay's name features as a 'Special Appearance' in the promos. Moreover, as the film readies for its release later this month, Akshay's presence is being made all the more prominent.

However in the midst of all this he didn't want his loyal fan base to be taken for a ride and has made an effort to let them know all over again that he is not a part of the film.

He isn't someone who would want trouble or losses for anyone. However he takes his large fan base very personally. The last thing he would want is someone to watch a film to see him on the big screen and return disappointed. If it was a film that would have released without promotion and hadn't highlighted him prominently, he would have just let it pass. Since that is not the case here, he had no other option left but to make an official statement.

Left with no other choice, Akshay tweeted on Wednesday night, "I would like to apologise to my fans, unfortunately a favour I did for a Punjabi film many years ago, has decided to abuse my honest handout & is now using me to sell their film. I would just like to clear the air, I did a favour for a late friend & shot for 3 hours for free, 8 years later they seem to think splashing my face around as if I'm the hero of the film is going to help their turn over. My part is merely a favour, I wouldn't want to disappoint anyone. But please still enjoy the film that I am hardly a part of..."

Guess that should set the records straight.

One hot villain, and uber stylish bikes have been synonymous with Bollywood's popular "Dhoom" franchise -- and if the teaser of "Dhoom 3" is anything to go by, Aamir Khan, who plays the baddie, will take the series forward with full speed.

Aamir showcases his chiselled body in full glory, and he vrooms away on the bike, performing daredevil stunts with what seems like the ease of a professional biker.

Unlike the previous two movies, which starred John Abraham and Hrithik Roshan as the bad guys, "Dhoom 3" has gone international with a larger plot.

If the buzz for the third instalment of the Yash Raj Films' project was not enough already, the teaser, which was released online Wednesday, managed to build up more anticipation in the audiences' mind.

The teaser got uploaded on YouTube Sep 4 and has since then got over 150,000 views.

In response to the teaser on YouTube, messages like "Aamir is back" and "Aamir power rules" poured in.

One viewer posted, "Awesome movie! I will be watching this movie on first show", while a certain Rahul Bhardwaj posted: "This biker will beat the 'Express'."

We will have to wait until Dec 20 to see whether "Dhoom 3" manages to surpass the success of Shah Rukh Khan's "Chennai Express".

The teaser opens with the sound of a bike's vrooming, and the camera then zooms in to show Aamir's muscle power. He gives a poignant voiceover, and then begins the chase.

Abhishek Bachchan as supercop Jai Dixit is seen at his adventurous best suspended from a helicopter, while Uday Chopra as his right hand Ali, zips and zooms on his hi-tech bikes as usual.

Katrina Kaif adds the girl and glamour power -- and, boy, she looks athletic!

Overall, the stunts in the Vijay Krishna Acharya-directed movie look well executed -- especially that one shot where Aamir carefully skids his bike under a truck. A great escape indeed.

The past instalments have bagged hit status at the box office. Let's hope this one creates as much 'dhoom'.

Filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi, who has experimented with genres like comedy and action drama, says his next project will be focussed on the relations between Hindus and Muslims.

His new movie "Phata Poster Nikhla Hero" is ready to hit the theatres Sep 20, and soon after its release, Santoshi will be tied up with another project.

"After this ('Phata...'), I am making a film on India-Pakistan 1947 partition. It's a very hard-hitting emotional subject on Hindu-Muslim relationship. Anil Kapoor will lead the film," Santoshi said here in a group interview.

He has directed two back-to-back comedy films "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani" and "Phata Poster Nikhla Hero". Asked if he is enjoying comedy over other genres he said: "I made 'Khakee', then I made 'Ajab...'. After that, I was actually planning for a hard-hitting action film with Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan), Anil ... but due to some problem, the film was put on hold."

Actor Ram Charan Teja believes his blockbuster Telugu film "Magadheera" should not be remade.

"I don't think 'Magadheera' should be remade nor do I think it will be remade. It is very difficult to recreate the same magic," said Ram Charan.

"'Magadheera' was not made by one person; it was the effort of an entire team and unless the same team comes back, I don't think it will do justice," he added.

Citing the example of Bollywood star Aamir Khan-starrer "3 Idiots", Ram Charan said: "'3 Idiots' was remade in various languages down south, but it wasn't successful anywhere because the magic was created by Aamir Khan and Rajkumar Hirani. Some films shouldn't be remade."

Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, "Magadheera" featured Ram Charan and Kajal Aggarwal in the lead. The film was released in 2009.

Meanwhile, Ram Charan's Bollywood debut "Zanjeer" releases Friday.

Bollywood actress Neetu Chandra is on a high ever since she joined the cast of Greek film "Home Sweet Home". She believes it's the best time to be a "global actor".

Chandra seeks inspiration from Indian actors Freida Pinto and Priyanka Chopra, who have carved a niche in international platforms. Freida earned fame with Oscar-winning movie "Slumdog Millionaire", while Priyanka has made her singing debut internationally with two singles.

"Today, we stand as global actors. There is nothing like that an actor should do, Bollywood film or a Hollywood film. What is Priyanka doing? Look at her, she is an inspiration. Look at Freida Pinto... so today we are global actors you cannot just sit here and think of only Hindi films," Neetu said here in an interview.

Besides Hindi films like "Garam Masala", "Traffic Signal" and "No Problem", Neetu has worked in Telugu projects.

The actress currently awaits the release of her Hindi films "Kusar Prasad Ka Bhoot" and "Shooter".

TV actress Abigail Jain will be seen in an upcoming episode of the show "Yeh Hai Aashiqui". She will be joined by actor Vishal Singh.

The duo will essay the role of two lovers who cannot be together because of some unavoidable circumstances.

Abigail, who has earlier been a part of shows like "Tujh Sang Preet Lagai Sajna", "Dil Se Diya Vachan", "Humse Hai Life" and "The Serial", is excited to be a part of the love story.

"I'm very excited to be a part of 'Yeh Hai Aashiqui' because all the love stories are very unconventional and every story is so different and so beautifully written," she said in a statement.

"In this episode of 'Yeh Hai Aashiqui' I am playing a role of this really cute girl, Komal, who never gives up when it comes to the guy she is in love with. She dreams a lot, she is full of enthusiasm and always excited," she added.

Hosted by Vikrant Massey, the show airs on UTV Bindass.

Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat, who was here Thursday to shoot a promotional trailer of TV reality show "The Bachelorette India - Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika", says the Taj Mahal is the most beautiful creation.

Mallika, dressed in a dark green sari with a red border, was appreciated by Vijay Rijhata of Dharamshala, while she was shooting the promo of the Indian version of the American reality dating game show "The Bachelor".

After revealing her fitness secrets and eating habits, when she was asked who was more beautiful, she said: "The Taj of course. For centuries, it's been the most beautiful structure."

The shooting began early Thursday at the Mehtab Bagh, behind the Taj Mahal across the Yamuna.

Actor Arjun Rampal has had a busy year with three film releases - "Inkaar", "D-Day" and "Satyagraha". Now he has plans to take a well-deserved family vacation.

Arjun, who is married to model Mehr Jesia and has two daughter Mahikaa, 11 and Myra, 7, has been appreciated for his work in all his 2013 releases.

"'Satyagraha' is my last release for the year. Thank you 2013. It's been a swell year with films I have been proud to be associated with like 'D-Day, 'Inkaar'," Arjun posted on Twitter.

"Children's exams coming to an end, Goa beckons a perfect break for them, or then maybe for myself with my 3 M's," added the 40-year-old.

The model-turned-actor, who made his Bollywood debut with "Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat", seems to be content with his work this year.

"Most importantly thank you all, my beautiful Twitter family, who have showered so much love and affection, that has filled me with gratitude," he added.

Arjun will next be seen in "Villain" and "Roy".

Dancing seems to come naturally to "Besharam" actors Ranbir Kapoor and Pallavi Sharda. The two will be seen grooving to wedding number, "Lut Gaye" in the film, which they reportedly wrapped up in just a day.

"Director Abhinav Kashyap had kept three days aside for the shoot of the song, but to his and entire unit’s surprise, Ranbir and Pallavi finished the song in just one day. When they started shooting for the song, the two got in to the groove and decided to finish the song the same day," said a source from the film.

A peppy wedding number, "Lut Gaye" is sung by Mamta Sharma and Aishwarya Nigam. Its music is composed by Lalit Pandit, while the lyrics are penned by Nikhat Khan.

Actress Pallavi Sharda, who was last seen in "Love Breakups Zindagi" is said to be a trained classical dancer, and that made it easier for her to match her steps with Ranbir.

"Besharam" is a comedy film, which also stars Ranbir's parents Rishi and Neetu Kapoor. The film will release Oct 2.

Theatre owners here are chary about releasing Ram Charan Teja-starrer "Zanjeer" and its Telugu version "Thoofan" Friday despite an order by Andhra Pradesh High Court directing police to provide security for the smooth release and screening of the movies.

Ram Charan is the son of Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi.

The movie is likely to face roadblocks in Andhra Pradesh, which is currently witnessing political turmoil over the decision to carve out separate Telangana state.

Over the last one month, not even a single big-budget Telugu film managed to release in the state. Even films like "Yevadu" also featuring Ram Charan and "Attarintiki Daaredhi", featuring Chiranjeevi's younger brother Pawan Kalyan, had to be postponed to a further unknown date.

"The release of 'Zanjeer’ still appears unlikely as most theatres are not willing to screen the film. They fear protestors might damage their property if the film is screened. Even with police protection, it’s not easy to maintain law and order across hundreds of theatres in the state,” trade analyst Trinath told IANS.

A theatre owner said: "We are forced to shut down business and support the ongoing movement. Most theatres here are yet to take a call on whether to screen the film or not. Having just a few policemen on patrol in the theatre premises will not make much of a difference."

While most theatres in Hyderabad have started bookings for "Zanjeer", others in other parts of the state are yet to open.

"The region wise distributors are to decide whether to exhibit the film or not. Following the state's bifurcation, we fear the film might face problems both in Telangana and Seemandhra. We have to wait till evening to have more clarity on this issue," M. Vijayendar Prasad, president, Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce, told IANS.

Meanwhile, in other regions such as Tirupati and Vijayawada, groups belonging to Seemandhra have been threatening to stall the film from releasing.

According to K. Sivaprasad, a member Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce, theatres have to take the final call on releasing the film.

"We are not stopping the film's release. The theatres have to take the final call. The only way to ensure smooth release is beef up the security," he added.

The film trade in Andhra Pradesh is divided territory wise. While Telangana comprises of Ceded and Nizam districts, Andhra comprises of coastal Andhra region. However, every big ticket Telugu film’s major chunk of box-office collection comes from Telangana region.

“Telangana may have only ten districts, but they are very important from a big-budget film’s perspective because it helps reap films gold at the box-office. While Andhra region is equally important, but since 'Zanjeer' is facing hassles from both parts of the state, its release is doubtful,” said Trinath.

Ram Charan makes his Bollywood debut with “Zanjeer”, directed by Apoorva Lakhia.

The movie, which is a remake of the 1973 film of the same name, is being targeted by the Osmania University Joint Action Committee (OUJAC) after Chiranjeevi’s plan to pitch for Hyderabad as a union territory was not received well.

Groups in Seemandhra have threatened to disrupt screening of the film due to Chiranjeevi's failure to oppose strongly the proposed bifurcation of the state.

“We won’t allow the release of films which star members of Chiranjeevi’s family in the state,” said a statement from OUJAC a couple of weeks back.

"Zanjeer" also features Priyanka Chopra, Prakash Raj, Sri Hari, Sanjay Dutt, Mahie Gill and Tanikella Bharani in important roles.

TV show "Anaamika" has completed a milestone of 200 episodes before it goes off air.

The entire cast and crew of the show celebrated this feat in a small but special way. The unit came together to thank each other for their immense support.

They wish to have a huge celebration on their last day, which might happen in the next week, as the show is coming to an end.

Actress Simran Kaur, who plays the witch Anaamika in the show, said she is really happy that viewers liked the show.

"It’s been an wonderful journey and I have met some of the most amazing people who will be still in contact with me even when the show ends," she said in a statement.

The show airs on Sony Entertainment channel.

On Teacher's Day, actress Sangeeta Ghosh has pledged to learn Marathi, and that too from veteran actress Sulabha Deshpande, who plays her grandmother in the show "Kehta Hai Dil...Jee Le Zara".

The duo appears in the Sony Entertainment channel show, which is about a Maharashtrian family, which lives in Panchgani.

Sangeeta plays Saachi, a modern independent women who takes care of her elders as well as younger siblings. Sulabha plays her aaji (grandmother).

"Since I am from Mumbai, I can speak Marathi, but not that fluently. So, to make my character look more real I have started having a conversation with Sulabhaji in Marathi. This way, I get to learn a lot of new words from her and its improve my accent too," Sangeeta said in a statement.

The city is set to host the maiden edition of SAIFTA, a coming together of the Indian and South African film and TV, Friday. Sadha Naidoo, chairperson of Durban Tourism, said the initiative is to boost tourism and encourage Indian film productions in the nation, which has the largest Indian diaspora.

The South Africa India Film and Television Awards, organised by Mumbai-based event management company Celebrity Locker, will focus on enhancing the exchange of cultural elements of the Indian and South African entertainment industry.

"SAIFTA is a platform to grow tourism industry -- from India to South Africa, and more importantly a platform to encourage more film-production in South Africa," Naidoo told IANS Thursday at a press conference here.

In the last couple of years, quite a few Bollywood hits like "Race", "Cocktail" and "Aashiqui 2" captured the scenic locales in the country and thus prompting tourists to explore it. Some of the destinations that most Indian filmmakers captured are Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

Asked about the guidelines laid down to encourage film production, he said: "The moment we will finalise the strategy for film production, we will decide upon the guidelines."

A brainchild of Kedhar Gawde of Celebrity Locker, SAIFTA is a three-year initiative. It has been organised in collaboration with the Kwa Zulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism of Durban.

"This is the first year and every year we will review it and take a decision," Naidoo said when asked about making it an annual event.

The press event was attended by well-known filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt of Vishesh Films, actress-filmmaker Dia Mirza, new entrant Siddharth Malhotra and TV actor host Manish Paul, who is set to make Bollywood debut with "Mickey Virus".

There are more prolific film industries like Hollywood, so why the focus is on India?

"Research shows that the Indian film industry is the largest filmmaking country in the world. Then there is a natural connection between the two countries.

"South Africa has the largest Indian diaspora outside India with 1.1 million Indians living here and a greater population live in Durban area," said Naidoo, who has his roots in India as his ancestors migrated here from the southern part of India.

The award ceremony will be co-hosted by Karan Johar and Dia Mirza. Legendary actress Waheeda Rehman, actor Boman Irani, filmmaker Farah Khan, and producer Mukesh Bhatt formed the judges' panel and decided on the best talent.

A barrage of Bollywood actors and filmmakers have flown in from Mumbai to join in the celebrations.

He has made 63 films so far and out of them, nine were shot in South Africa, says filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt, whose last hit production venture "Aashiqui 2" was also filmed in the country.

"Vishesh Films (his production house) has shot maximum films in South Africa. We have shot nine films in the country," Bhatt said Thursday at the South Africa India Film and Television Awards (SAIFTA) press conference.

He added that his "appetite for looking for different locations never ceases", and that works as a driving force in exploring new places.

Bhatt, who canned films like "Blood Money" and "Crook" and the recent blockbuster "Aashiqui 2", in South Africa, said he enjoys the warmth and hospitality of people of Durban so much that he calls "Durban a home away from home".

And why not? Indian movies and music are popular among the locals, and a large number of Indian Diaspora resides here.

The Indian film industry is celebrating its 100 years and according to Bhatt, SAIFTA, an initiative by Mumbai-based event company Celebrity Locker and KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism of Durban, will strengthen cultural ties between the two nations.

"We are now on a threshold of doing historical things together," said Bhatt, who is in the SAIFTA judges' panel along with Waheeda Rehman, Boman Irani, Farah Khan and Farhan Akhtar.

The award ceremony is Friday.

Former Miss India Vanya Mishra will make her cinematic debut in upcoming, yet-to-be-titled Tamil-Telugu romantic-drama to be helmed by veteran director Suresh Krissna.

"We have roped in Vanya for the project. I met her recently for a photoshoot and realised that she has tremendous energy and attitude required for this industry. I'm sure she will go a long way in filmdom," Krissna told IANS.

The bilingual, which also features Prince Cecil in the lead, is expected to go on floors soon.

Krissna, known for films like "Satya", "Baasha" and "Annamalai", turns producer with this bilingual.

"I will produce this film under my home banner Suresh Krissna Productions. I would also like to produce films of other directors," he added.

The hunt for the rest of the cast is on.

Singer Sona Mohapatra says things are very professional while working with composer-husband Ram Sampath on various compositions.

The couple has worked together on tracks like "Daav laga", "Bedardi raja", "Ambarsariya". Mohapatra feels blessed having a partner like Sampath.

"The truth is that the roles are very defined. He is the composer and actually makes the song. When it comes down to recording song in the studio, then he is the captain of the ship. He is in charge. He crafts and gives birth to the track," Mohapatra told IANS.

"The advantage is that I get to live with the song. To be working with somebody like Ram is a blessing because he is not a mere musician, he is a person who has a conceptual mind," she added.

The singer does accept that there are times when the couple faces creative differences, but both of them take it in good spirit.

"I am painting a picture and it's largely pretty. There are also times, you do have tense situations but it's nothing that worries us. You are working hard, day in and out but it's all for music. So we are having a ball," she said.

Mohapatra recently collaborated with popular Carnatic vocalist Aruna Sairam and singer Samantha Edwards for the third season of "Coke Studio@MTV" on the song "Main toh piya se", composed by Sampath and she calls the song her best one till date.

"I can say up front that it is my career's best till now. What is amazing is that I pulled off that song live. I get great pride in saying that it was quite a victory because it was a complex song," she said.

The song was part of the episode based on devi (goddess) theme and Mohapatra says the idea was to advise people to respect women and not be aggressive towards them.

"The idea of the band was to depict the power of devi and spirit of shakti (power) within. I wish men carry more of that Shakti. The power to protect and love women rather than just being power hungry and being inclined to be violent," she said.

TV actor Avinash Sachdev, currently seen in "Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon...Ek Baar Phir", says that his character is very complex. Due to the dark overtones of his role, he said that he plays the good as well as bad guy on the show.

"Being an actor, I love to play this character. I am the hero as well as the villain of the show. This a dream character. I am not scared of my impression after playing this character. People know that I am an actor and I have to play my role," Avinash told IANS.

The actor, who rose to fame with TV show "Choti Bahu", was also part of its sequel. He said that it is very rare that a sequel does better than the first part. But he says that "Iss..." is hardly a sequel as the story line and the characters have been completely changed.

"I have done a sequel of ‘Choti Bahu’. Sequels don't work as big as part one. This (‘Iss...’) is not a sequel as such. We have the (same) title, but the story is completely new and so is the background," he said.

He feels that after such a glorious prequel, it will be difficult for people to accept a new lead actor.

"The accepting part will be tough. But if people like the story and chemistry, then they will like the show," said Avinash, who acted as kind and down-to-earth person in “Choti Bahu”.

"My character is different from what I had played in ‘Choti Bahu’. I play a male chauvinistic...I look down on women. This is very different from how I have been shown on TV normally. So my fans will love the show and will follow it," he added.

Actor-singer Ayushmann Khurrana got a huge fan following for himself after giving hit track "Pani da rang", but he does not consider himself as a versatile singer.

However, the 28-year-old, who has sung two more tracks "Tu hi tu" and "Saddi gali", says he can be a versatile actor.

"I am not a versatile singer. I have a particular texture of voice and can sing a particular kind of songs, but I am more versatile as an actor and again for me singing is more difficult than acting. Music has a set of rules, but acting doesn't," Ayushmann told IANS.

He will release his single "O heeriye" under Yash Raj music. It will be out Sep 14.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan loves the calm and 'alone-time' that he gets to experience while flying.

"Love the solitude in a plane cabin. Makes me feel extremely cosy and restful. Need to catch up on some much needed sleep. Love you all," SRK posted on Twitter.

However, he was later surprised when his "Happy New Year" co-star Boman Irani disappeared on the plane.

"My extremely distinguished friend Boman is a class act. It's the first time I have lost someone on a plane. Nobody could find him!!! How?" he posted on the micro-blogging site.

Shah Rukh did not elaborate where Boman had disappeared to.

Directed by Farah Khan, "Happy New Year" also stars Deepika Padukone and Abhishek Bachchan.