BSP parliamentarian Satish Chandra Mishra Tuesday urged the government to take steps to ban daily TV soaps, saying they depict women in poor light.

He also objected to the poster of Aamir Khan's new film "PK", saying it was "obscene".

"TV serials show women to be scheming all the time. It is causing social damage," the Bahujan Samaj Party member said while participating in a debate on the working of women and child development ministry in the Rajya Sabha.

"There was a serial 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'. It showed women in poor light... Interestingly, the woman in the serial who fought against all the exploitation is a minister now," he said, referring to Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani.

"Something should be done to ban these serials," he said.

Raising an objection, veteran actor and Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan said the TV soaps were a mirror to the society.

"I object to this. What you are saying is not true. These stories are written based on real life experiences. It is a mirror to the society," Jaya Bachchan said.

Mishra responded by saying that he respected Jaya Bachchan, and that she has been dignified in all her films and set an example.

"I respect Jaya-ji. She is a role model. She has done so many movies, but no one can raise a finger on her dressing or conduct in any movie," Mishra said.

He then went on to attack actor-producer Aamir Khan, without naming him.

"An actor who claims to do a lot of social work met the prime minister recently. But today, his posters are everywhere without clothes. It is an offence, it is wrong. Obscene posters with nudity should not be allowed," he said.

Aamir Khan in the poster of his upcoming movie "PK" is shown without clothes, with a strategically placed music player.

Kalki Koechlin starrer "Margarita, With a Straw", about a young romantic rebel in a wheelchair, is set for its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival that starts Sep 4.

The film's director Shonali Bose is "ecstatic".

"Toronto was also home to my first feature 'Amu'. 'Margarita, With a Straw' is a deeply personal film. It is inspired by the extraordinary spirit of my boys - Ishan and Vivan - and by the joi de vive of my sister Malini, who has never let disability stand in her way," she said.

Jointly produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Jakhotia Group, Ishan Talkies and ADAPT, the film will be screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section Sep 8, said a statement.

In the film, Kalki's character Laila, who, undeterred by cerebral palsy, embarks on a journey of sexual discovery and her exhilarating adventures cause a rift both within herself and with those she is closest to.

Seasoned actress Revathy, Hollywood actor William Moseley and newcomer Sayani Gupta will also be seen playing pivotal roles in the movie.

Bose said she was "indebted" to her brilliant cast and crew "especially my co-director and writer Nilesh Maniyar for actualising my dream into a reality".

Ajit Andhare, COO of Viacom18 Motion Pictures, said he was confident that "Margarita, With a Straw", a contemporary story, will strike a chord with global audiences.

"It is heartening to see Indian filmmakers getting an opportunity to showcase their work alongside the best in their fields," he said.

The production house believes in nurturing talent that brings with them "a unique blend of freshness, world class filmmaking, yet a decidedly Indian soul", he said.

Meanwhile, Viacom18 Motion Pictures'"Mary Kom", a biopic of the five-time world champion boxer which has Priyanka Chopra in the title role, will also be enthralling the audience on the opening night of the fest.

Debutant Akshara Haasan, who will be seen in upcoming Hindi drama "Shamitabh", is an actress of substance, says National award-winning celebrated cinematographer P.C. Sreeram.

"Akshara Hassan's performance in Shamitabh shows Indian cinema has one more women of substance. Her acting (is) top notch," Sreeram posted on his Twitter page Tuesday.

Akshara, youngest daughter of actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan, is paired with southern actor Dhanush in the film, which is being directed by R. Balakrishnan aka Balki.

"Shamitabh" also features megastar Amitabh Bachchan, which marks his third collaboration with Balki after "Cheeni Kum" and "Paa".

Music maestro Ilayaraja is composing the tunes for the film

Young and talented fashion designers Kallol Datta and Nachiket Barve have put their creativity to use for a 'Signature Line 2014' for the home decor space.

The duo has tied up with Bombay Dyeing for the innovative line as part of the bed and bath linen brand's Signature Line, which is an annual initiative to collaborate with renowned designers.

Barve has created two diverse collections. While his 'Lightness of Being' epitomizes calmness, sound sleep and wellbeing; 'Toxin' on the other hand is aimed at the vibrant energy of young India with a modern, graphic and funky vibe.

"I believe that the collection will be a must have for people with contemporary aesthetics who are seeking a tinge of modernity and joy in their homes," Barve said in a statement.

Datta has collaborated with the hallmark brand by designing two collections - 'Artisanal', which focuses on the evolved consumers who appreciate the finer details in life, including the sheets they sleep on.

His second collection 'Elysian' is a print heavy line comprising of micro and macro prints, apt for the discerning youth of India.

He said: "For a young brand like Kallol Datta 1955, it has been a pleasure to work with an iconic brand such as Bombay Dyeing and I look forward to seeing the Signature Line 2014 in homes across India."

The collection was launched at a glitzy event held here Tuesday.

These designer products are targeted at the more evolved and well-traveled consumers, who are clued in to global trends, said Ashok Kaul, CEO (Retail), Bombay Dyeing.

"We are positive about an overwhelming response to the Signature Collection, since these two designers have a wide and varied design offering to please all kinds of fashion sensibilities, not just urban elite, but also fashion and style conscious people across the country," he added.

The collection, priced at Rs.4,599 onwards, is available in bed and bath range.

Singers Shaan, Benny Dayal and Sreeram Chandra are promoting music in Bengali, Malayalam and Telugu respectively as part of the third edition of Kingfisher Strong Backstage.

The digital platform features a series of original music compositions in the three languages, and the trio of well-known singers are promoting the property with their own renditions.

Three chosen singing talents from each region will be provided with a launchpad into the music industry via the platform, which kickstarted Aug 6 and will extend till October.

Music aficionados from Kerala, Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana can revel in the soulful renditions infused with each state's trademark style with their clicks, likes and shares on Kingfisherworld.com, Kingfisher's Facebook page, YouTube channel and exclusively on Fridaymoviez.com.

“The idea is to create an exceptional journey into the roots of India to discover unmatched, soulful and true unique tunes. We hope to introduce regional music in other languages and collaborate with a host of other iconic singers as well in our next editions," Samar Singh Sheikhawat, senior vice president (Marketing), United Breweries Ltd., said in a statement.

"We look forward to excite, engage and entertain music enthusiasts while simultaneously launching the next generation of musical sensations in the digital space," Sheikhawat added.

Actor Vidyut Jammwal, who has worked with southern superstars like Ajith Kumar, Suriya and Vijay over the years, says each of them has a unique personality and that's what makes them so special.

"Apart from the fact that they're all superstars, I don't think they have anything similar between them. Each one of them has a unique personality and that's what I think makes them special and real superstars," Vidyut told IANS.

"Ajith is a total charmer. He need not even take efforts to impress you. With Vijay, I feel people see him as a timid person, but he's not. Once Vijay opens up, he's extremely funny and enjoys cracking jokes. Suriya is someone who has so much of intensity in his eyes that he can act with them," he said.

Vidyut will soon be seen Suriya-starrer Tamil actioner "Anjaan", which is releasing Friday.

He plays Suriya's partner-in-crime in the film, which is directed by N. Linguswamy.

Working in Farah Khan's "Happy New Year" has been a life changing experience for Vivaan Shah, son of veteran Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah, as he got the opportunity to learn the craft of acting as well as filmmaking.

The actor feels "blessed and honoured".

"The experience (of working in 'Happy New Year;) has been superb. It has been a life changing experience for me. It is been an absolute honour and blessing for me to have worked in this film," the 24-year-old said here during an event at at Gold's Gym here.

"I have learned so much from Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan. It is really been a wonderful experience. I can't tell you how much I have learnt about the craft of acting, filmmaking and dancing," he added.

Praising the film's entire crew further, he said: "All the technical aspects - whether it was filmmaking or acting - they are masters of that. They are so good. You have to really see them working because anybody who sees it, will learn".

Vivaan made his acting debut with Priyanka Chopra starrer "Saat Khoon Maaf" in 2011.

Currently, he is looking forward to "Happy New Year", the trailer of which will be launched Thursday.

Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, who has collaborated with Disney India to co-produce his next mega project "Mohenjo Daro", will roll the cameras for the Hrithik Roshan starrer in South Africa in October.

Gowariker will direct the film, which will introduce Miss India Universe 2010 second runner-up Pooja Hegde in Bollywood.

Its first schedule for the epic adventure and love story set during the Indus Valley Civilzation, will begin in South Africa.

After "Jodhaa Akbar", "Mohenjo Daro" will be the second film bringing together Hrithik, Gowariker, his production banner Ashutosh Gowariker Productions Pvt. Ltd (AGPPL) and Disney India.

“There has always been a natural creative synergy between UTV and AGPPL in our previous movies. This time through our collaboration with Disney, we'll have an even greater focus on entertaining families and to top that off, I’m looking forward to working again with the Disney team," said producer Sunita Gowariker.

You've seen them on the big screen and on your TV sets - but now popular movies such as "Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!" and "Hum Saath Saath Hai" will be available on cellphones, courtesy the collaboration between Rajshri Entertainment and Vuclip mobile video-on-demand service.

This tie-up will enable Vuclip viewers to enjoy family entertainment with over 50 of Rajshri Entertainment's full length films including "Maine Pyar Kiya", "Vivah", "Hum Saath Saath Hain" as well as the banner's classic and popular music videos.

Consumers will have to go to m.vuclip.com on any mobile device to download theVuclip App on Android or Vuclip App on Java.

"Music and movies are deeply ingrained in the Indian way of life. It’s exciting to be able to bring high quality blockbusters and classics to today’s youth on the platform that they are most engaged on - mobile," Arun Parkash, chief operating officer, Vuclip, said in a statement.

Rajshri Entertainment is led by Rajat Barjatya, and the company's officials are "delighted" to "make our full length films available to a global mobile audience on the go".

"We are seeing increasing consumption of long form content on mobile devices and we are confident that our films will delight and entertain an audience on a 3.5 inch screen, just like they did on a 35mm screen," said Inderpal Singh, general manager - Content Alliances, Rajshri Entertainment Private Limited

Director duo Sajid-Farhad, who is stepping into Sajid Khan's shoes to direct "Housefull 3", say the former has been trashed enough and it is time to let him be.

Ever since Sajid Khan's latest directorial venture "Humshakals" hit the screens, not just the critics, but the film's cast including Saif Ali Khan and Bipasha Basu, too panned him.

Sajid said that "it's getting too much for Sajid Khan... it's enough... just let him be now."

"Everybody has to face downfall and the same goes for us as well. If he has given two flops, one should not forget the three hits that he had delivered.

"We should stop criticising Sajid and move on. It's just a bad phase (for him), that's it," he added.

After a fruitful start with "Hey Babyy", followed by successes like "Housefull" and "Housefull 2", Sajid Khan had his first set back when his "Himmatwala" remake bombed and now the failure of “Humshakals” has added to his woes.

Sajid-Farhad, who directed Akshay Kumar starrer "Entertainment", will direct "Housefull 3", but say they have no issues with Sajid Khan.

Farhad said: "Just because we are directing 'Housefull 3' that doesn't mean there is any tension between us. In fact, we got a call from (producer) Sajid Nadiadwala to direct the film. We will start shooting from early next year and since it's a big brand, we will not take it for granted."

"Housefull 3" will feature Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh among others.

The release date of "Daawat-e-Ishq" has been shifted to Sep 19 from Sep 5 and the film's lead actress Parineeti Chopra clarifies that she is not responsible for the change.

"This is the producer's decision, Adi's (Aditya Chopra) decision. The marketing team at Yash Raj Films came up with a brilliant marketing idea and they needed time to execute it," the 25-year-old said here Tuesday at a Whisper event.

"A Sep 5 release was very early and even a week's delay didn't leave us enough time for the promotional strategy. So, we pushed it ahead by two weeks," she added.

There were reports that Parineeti wanted to avert a clash with her sister Priyanka Chopra's film "Mary Kom", which is set for a Sep 5 release.

"Why would I tell Adi and why would he listen to me? I don't have that kind of power and it's absolutely ridiculous," Parineeti said and added Priyanka is a senior actress and there cannot be any competition between them.

"She is my sister and I love her. I have no plans to fight with her or compete with her. She is a senior actress and a lot ahead of me, I can never compete with her," she said.

Directed by Habib Faisal, "Daawat-e-Ishq" stars Aditya Roy Kapur in the male lead.

“Bheja Fry” actress Bhairavi Goswami along with celebrities like Vivek Oberoi, Shilpa Shetty and Mallika Sherawat will feature in the National Anthem video to be released Independence Day Friday.

It will be released in 3,000 plus theatres covering 150 countries through ZEE TV International.

The likes of Prateik Babbar, Zarine Khan, Shiamak Davar, Anu Malik, Mohit Chauhan, Udit and Aditya Narayan and celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor will also be seen in the video, said a statement.

It will also be released in New York at the India Day Parade organised by the Federation Of Indian Authority Aug 15.

After filing a police complaint against the sale of pirated DVDs of his production venture "Poshter Boyz", actor-producer Shreyas Talpade has reached out to his fan following, asking them to avoid downloading movies online.

"Guys pls do not download films online, especially Marathi, till they are officially available. It's a huge revenue loss. A sincere request," Shreyas posted on his Twitter page Wednesday.

"Poshter Boyz" has received rave reviews.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, known for movies like "Dev.D" and "Gangs of Wasseypur", is in "awe of documentaries" and says they can engage the audience now.

The co-owner of production banner Phantom Films is now presenting national award-winning documentary film "Katiyabaaz" that showcases the problem of power theft in Kanpur. It is set for Aug 22 release.

Kashyap believes that the approach of documentaries is not the same anymore.

"Documentaries have become much more engaging. The approach is no longer to just enlighten or educate people," Kashyap said at the screening of the documentary, co-directed by Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar, here Wednesday.

He said that he discovered documentaries much later in life, but now is obsessed with them.

"I am in awe of documentaries. I had a subject. I got it with great difficulty. It takes a lot of effort, focus, strength and courage to make a documentary," said Kashyap, known for making movies that break away from the usual.

He had recently presented India-born Canadian filmmaker Nisha Pahuja's documentary "The World Before Her" and says he is willing to support any project that is "good".

"I see a good documentary and I support it. If I can make a difference, I'll be happy," he said.

As far as his next directorial venture is concerned, he said: "Post production
of 'Bombay Velvet' is going on."

Inspired by hand-strung Indian garlands, fashion brand Rouka By Sreejith Jeevans winter-festive collection, to be showcased at the forthcoming Lakme Fashion Week (LFW), will pay tribute to the craftsmanship of artisans who make garlands.

The collection follows the journey of flower to the garland, said a statement.

"The clothes articulate the art of stringing, with garland-like collars, strung together seams, threaded flower patterns and quirky detailing to dress the Indian women this festive winter, very much the Rouka way," the statement read further.

The designer, Jeevan, is a textile graduate from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and the Ecole Nationale Superieure Des Arts Decoratifs, Paris. He works from his studio in Kochi.

His show will be held Aug 21 at the Palladium Hotel here during LFW.

Make-up artist Subhash Shinde, most popular for his work in "Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela", says creating boxing scars with prosthetic make-up in Priyanka Chopra-starrer "Mary Kom" was challenging as it required a lot of time and detailing.

"Mary Kom", based on Olympic bronze medallist boxer M.C. Mary Kom's life, is directed by Omung Kumar. It is slated for release Sep 5.

"This is the first time I've used prosthetic make-up in my work and one of the biggest challenges was to create the fight marks as realistic as possible. Every punch or scar needed to look real, change colour and age with time on screen," Shinde told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

"A fresh punch is not the same after a few days. It changes even in a few hours. I had to take care of all that because at the end of the day, these marks shouldn't look like they were created using make-up. It ought to look original and I'm glad it has come out well," he said.

As part of his research, Shinde spent a lot of time in hospitals to understand from doctors more about injuries on skin.

"I wanted to see and understand how a particular injury/scar on skin changes over a period of time. So, I visited hospitals and even discussed with doctors. A punch is different from a bike fall, and both leave different types of marks on skin and they change with time," he said.

"I strongly believe that make-up is about bringing a screen character to life. These visits to the hospital helped me to make everything look very realistic," he added.

Known for giving actors a glamorous make-over in films such as "Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi" and "Patiala House", Shinde did trials too.

"We wanted to achieve a very bold look using prosthetic make-up. In order to achieve the real look that you'll see in the film, I had to do several trials before trying it on Priyanka. This process was time-consuming," he said.

Right from Priyanka's hair to her overall look, everything was achieved using prosthetics.

"Priyanka has very heavy hair. We had to completely cover her hair using prosthetics and create new hair for her. Nowhere in the posters and the trailer do you realise that all this was done using make-up. It all looks as though we've done threading to her real hair," he said.

Shinde says Priyanka was "extremely supportive and patient".

"We spent a lot of time on creating the fight marks because there are so many fights in the film. We would try it on Priyanka so many times and do it all over again several times. She never had a problem with the time we spent on finalising the look.

"She never asked me to rush. Of all the actors I've worked with so far in my career, Priyanka was the most supportive. I feel she's one of the few stars who doesn't mind going out of the way for a role. When you see the film, you'll appreciate her effort," he added.

The second poster of Aamir Khan's "PK" will come out Aug 20 and he says in that, he's not even holding a boombox, which hid his modesty in the first poster that received flak for the actor's naked look.

In the first look poster of the film, Aamir posed nude with a strategically placed boombox. While some appreciated the dare bare act, some criticised it and even called it a "publicity stunt".

"We are releasing our second poster for 'PK' Aug 20 and in that poster I am not holding any transistor even," Aamir told reporters here Wednesday at the launch of a book "My Marathi".

In "PK", Aamir will be seen speaking Bhojpuri. The actor says he took special training under a dialogue coach for two years.

"I took special training for Bhojpuri language as I am speaking Bhojpuri in 'PK'," the 49-year-old said.

"I took special training for it for almost two years from my dialogue coach Shanti Bhushan," he added.

Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, "PK" also features Sanjay Dutt, Anushka Sharma and Sushant Singh Rajput. It is slated to release Dec 19.

Director Sai Kabir, who directed Kangana Ranaut in "Revolver Rani", says his new film starring her -- the French production "Divine Lovers" -- is very much different from his last movie.

In an interview, he has spoken about getting the French Film Commission (FFC) on board for the film, its content and its actors.

Excerpts:

Q. How did the French Film Commission (FFC) come into your Kangana-Irrfan starrer "Divine Lovers"?

A. When I finished writing the script for "Divine Lovers", I thought it had the potential to cross over. I showed the script to French producer Leonard Glowinski. Now "Divine Lovers" is certified as a French production. When it releases in France, it would be released as a French film.

Q. Would it be dubbed in French?

A. No, it would be subtitled in French. The FFC is okay with subtitles. Everything, including post-production, will be done in France. Even the crew and the music composer would be from France. But the film will be shot entirely in India... In Bhopal and Mumbai.

Q. Isn't that rather contradictory. Technically, a French film and yet not shot in France?

A. That is because the French like to patronize good cinema. They're interested in an authentic Indian film. The whole idea is to do a completely Indian film. Film audiences in France are open to all kinds of foreign stories. For them realism is important.

Q. Would you be looking anxiously over your shoulder at the French market while you make "Divine Lovers"?

A. No. I'll just make the film I want to. Because that's what the French want. My "Revolver Rani" was a homage to the mainstream Bollywood cinema of the 1980s. "Divine Lovers" would be far more straightforward. It's not bizarre or ironical. In that sense, it is the opposite of "Revolver Rani". It's my homage to Sayajit Ray's "Mahanagar".

Q. Irrfan has an international appeal. Would that help your film?

A. Oh, absolutely. Until I came to Paris, I didn't realize how popular he was outside India. "The Lunchbox" is the most successful Indian film abroad. The regular French, German and other European audiences know about him. I am so happy to have him in my film. We start shooting early next year.

Q. Hopefully your "Divine Lovers" would repeat the global success of "The Lunchbox"?

A. I hope so. I had a screening of "Revolver Rani" in New York. The most prestigious film school, the School of Visual Arts, has invited me to do a workshop in November.

Actor Ranveer Singh, who has decided to go bald for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Bajirao Mastani" and devote a year to the movie, says if the "risk" works, it could go down in "history" of Indian cinema".

Ranveer told IANS: "People were telling me, 'How can you shave your head for 'Bajirao Mastani'? How can you give more than one year for shooting at this stage of your career? Is it advisable?'

"I said, 'I know it's a lot to give, I know it's a huge commitment... first go bald, then give a year's time when you can make three films. But I do know if this works, 'ithihas bana dega' (it will create history)."

Ranveer has earlier featured in movies like "Band Baaja Baaraat", "Ladies vs Ricky Bahl", "Lootera", "Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela" and "Gunday", says: "I have been known to be a risk taker."

"I always wanted to do film which is credible and not art house, it should be accesible to a wide audience. I want it to be a blend of both. It should live on forever. I know some films are more special to me than others," he added.

"Bajirao Mastani" will also feature his "...Ram-Leela" co-star and rumoured ladylove Deepika Padukone.

Meanwhile, Ranveer, who will also be seen in the multi-starrer "Dil Dhadakne Do", believes in being grounded.

"I understand success and failure is part of our life, but we should be grounded and not get carried away by success. If you don't get too carried away by success and if you don't get bogged down by failure, if you can just maintain it... I think that's a good way to move about," Ranveer said.

Actor Ranbir Kapoor finds his legendary grandfather Raj Kapoor's life "entertaining" and "interesting" enough for a short film.

At the inauguration of a short film festival, named 'Shuruaat Ka Interval', here Wednesday, Ranbir was asked about the one person on whom he'd like to make a short film.

To that, the handsome heartthrob of Bollywood said: "I would like to make a short film on my grandfather. His life was very entertaining and interesting. I think that would make for a good short film."

The late Raj Kapoor, one of the country's most formidable actors and filmmakers of his time, remains alive in people's hearts with his evergreen films like "Shree 420", "Mera Naam Joker", "Anari" and "Barsaat".