Deepshikha livid with Dhoom Dhadaka producer Shashi Ranjan

Swears never to work with him again.

By Flynn Remedios – FUTURISTIC MEDIA NETWORK

The hot and sexy Deepshikha - who has had four film releases this year in 5 months – a record for any actress, is livid and fuming with rage. Her anger is directed (with good reason) at her film Dhoom Dhadaka’s producer Shashi Ranjan whom Deepshi’s (as she is known to friends) colleagues in the industry allege has purposely slighted the spunky and never-say-die actress.

Deepshikha who was seen in Partner, Bhram (where she plays the role of an up market socialite journo aka Shobha De with Sheetal Menon), and the recently released Pranali and Dhoom Dhadaka has refused to comment on the issue. She even refused to answer calls from ‘friendly journalists who have known her for ages’.

Apparently, close friends said that Deepshi was so upset and angry that she switched off her phones and locked herself in her room for the embarrassment and humiliation that she was subjected to over the last week. She refused to eat for two days and swore to herself that she will never speak or work with Shashi Ranjan again.

Though she never made any statement throughout against her producer or anyone else in the film, sources say that Deepshikha had enough when during the premier she was not given ‘enough attention’ and other itsy-bitsy good-for-nothing models were fawned upon and showered with unwanted attention.

Her close friends say that though Deepshikha is senior to both Aarti Chabbria and Shama Sikander – having done about 15 films till date - beginning with Koyla in 1997, followed by Baadshah, Dillagi, Mahal, Rishtey, Dukaan, Pyaar Mein Twist, Corporate, Red Swastik, and more recently Partner, Lara, (yet-to-be-released) Bhram and Pranali, deserved to get better treatment.

She was not seen in any of the promos or posters of the film, neither was she given due importance as a senior actress during the on-ground promos and events related with the release of the film. She was not featured in the write-ups and other media activity centered on the film. A humble Deepshikha stayed cool as a cucumber as she wasn’t bothered with all the ‘politics associated with any film release’, but broke down when the film finally released.

While Shama and Aarti were “all about the place, were dotted upon as the leading ladies and looked after by the producer and the rest of the entourage, Deepshikha was not given due respect and pride of place”, according to one of Deepshika’s close friends who was present with her throughout the release of the film and the ensuing activity. The icing on the cake was on the day of the premier when she was almost ‘ignored’ by her producer.

Shashi Ranjan refused to comment when queried.

SHERLYN CHOPRA'S OUTRAGEOUS GOES INTERNATIONAL

By Flynn Remedios – Futuristic Media Network

The Queen of Internet downloads and the most downloaded internet babe Sherlyn Chopra bagged her most 'Outrageous' assignment till date – she was selected as the "Face of Bollywood" to represent the marriage of glamour, oomph and spunk with cutting-edge technology at an annual event - the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona.

Sherlyn Chopra was the only Bollywood actress chosen to represent India at the function. Last year Dia Mirza was the Indian representative at the same event. Her music video "Outrageous" from her debut album by the same name got a standing ovation when it was played at the Global Mobile Awards ceremony. The video was directed by ace adman Prahlad Kakkar and is distributed and marketed in India and abroad by India's largest music company T series.


Sherlyn gave away the award to the head honcho of Yahoo Inc for the “Best Infotainment Portal of the Year.” You can view Sherlyn’s pics at the official Global Mobile Awards website at http://www.globalmobileawards.com/press/gallery.shtml.


Her music video which was played during the Global Mobile Awards function was received with a standing ovation from the entire audience and particularly august members like international comedian Graham Norton, Hollywood legend and Sundance Institute Founder, Robert Redford and Grammy-award-winning rapper and hip hop artiste Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas.


Film Legend Robert Redford, founder of the Sundance Institute, was one of the attractions at the World Congress.


Speaking to this reporter from Barcelona, Sherlyn said, “I have discussed various projects, which I will share with the media at the opportune time.” However, Sherlyn’s managers said that she had signed five deals with international groups and bands to “work together”. Sherlyn said she will “disclose all” at a Press Conference very soon. Sherlyn had one-on-one meetings with lead rapper of Hip Hop and funk band Black Eyed Peas Will.i.am and Robert Redford of the Sundance Institute

Besides Sherlyn Chopra and her music album, two other brands or projects were chosen: south icon Rajnikant's film Sultan – The Warrior and Race was showcased at the same event by the World's biggest mobile content aggregator Hungama.com. Hungama.com provides mobile content to cellular operators in about 56 countries across the world including all major operators in India.


Sherlyn beat established brands like Bipasha Basu, Mallika Sherawat, and Priyanka Chopra to make it to the "A-list". She attended the conference, celebrity cocktail dinners and other sub events in Barcelona recently.

In Barcelona, Sherlyn hob-nobbed with the cellular and digital world's head honchos like our very own Sunil Mittal, Anil Ambani, Azeem Ghosh and Arun Sarin to name a few. Almost every other cellular brand from India had a presence at Barcelona and so did international brands like Verizon (one of the largest operators in the United States), Singapore Tel, Mobi Tel, Telefonica, etc.

Besides these, every other Media brand worth its name was present at the event as were the CEOs of most Fortune 100 companies.

Said Anand Jhinghan, senior vice president-International, Hungama Mobile, "We are delighted to have Sherlyn Chopra's video 'Outrageous' featured at the Mobile World Congress at Barcelona. She is amongst two other power brands chosen for the event. Her connect with the youth on the mobile and online medium continues to grow and her brand value on the digital space in increasing leaps and bounds. She is the next big thing on the Bollywood horizon and is one of the most powerful digital brands."

This event is the biggest international gathering of telecom operators, service providers, mobile content aggregators, handset manufacturers, value added resellers and deals worth millions of dollars are expected to be negotiated and cracked at the venue.

I did not sleep with Yuvi, says actress Anjali

Responding to a report in a popular Mumbai tabloid about her so-called affair and relationship with the handsome ladies man and cricketer Yuvraj Singh, well-known model and actress Anjali Pandey said that she did not sleep with Yuvi. Clarifying about what she was quoted as saying in the published article, she said that she meant that “she shared a great working relationship with Yuvraj Singh during their photo shoot and not a physical relationship”. “I was misquoted,” she added.

Some of super model Anjali Pandey’s campaigns include the Seagrams Imperial Blue TVC, the UTV Bindass campaign, a campaign for Kalyan Silks – a very well known brand of silk garments in South India and of course the Hero Honda television commercial with Yuvraj Singh. She has done thousands of print ads and other lesser known television commercials. She is known for her Idea Cellular campaign with the line “Dad can you pick me up”.


“Yuvi and I were shooting for the Hero Honda commercial and during our interaction; Yuvi came across as a perfect gentleman. He was very kind and helpful and even went out of his way to make everyone feel comfortable and at ease. He was very good to me. We bonded very well and became good friends. But I did not go to bed with him, as wrongly alleged in the report,” said an agitated Anjali Pandey.


“I meant that we shared a fantastic working relationship during the shoot and Yuvi was very down-to-earth and helpful. He is very sophisticated and yet friendly and simple. “It is true that we chatted a lot and even flirted with each other, but that does not mean that we were sleeping together,” she explained adding that during that time according to the best of her knowledge, Yuvi was going very strong with actress Kim Sharma.

“I was definitely attracted to him. He is simply so perfect, but I knew that he was seeing another woman and didn’t even try to cross the Lakshman Rekha. Yes if he was single and available at that time, I would have definitely taken a step further,” she stated.

But at that time, there was nothing more between us besides a good friendship. We didn’t have any thing physical to do with each other. After the shoot was over, we packed our bags and unfortunately haven’t been in touch with each other as Yuvi is very busy and I keep traveling all over for my work,” explained Anjali.

Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan to catwalk for Ms Bikini India 2007

BY KINJAL PANDYA – FUTURISTIC MEDIA NETWORK

International hotties Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan are all set to step foot in Goa, and do the catwalk for international lingerie designers and brands like CK, Vanity Fair, Aubade, etc making the Ms Bikini India 2007 a much-hyped international event, say sources. A spokesperson for the event organizers said that a fashion show showcasing international lingerie brands will be part of the event. While the brands being paraded are not yet finalized, we heard that Paris Hilton and Lohan were chosen for their Oomph value and ability to "make news".

The organisers haven't yet officially announced their names, and only said that "they were talking to international celebrities" to "partner" with them for the event, the proceeds of which would go to various charities.

The managers for Hilton and Lohan confirmed that the Indian organizers were in talks with them "but nothing has been confirmed as yet" they said. Apparently, both Paris and Lindsey were "thrilled about setting foot in exotic" Goa. "We hope the project works out for all," said a spokesperson for Hilton.

Many other international starts are likely to set foot in Goa - their names would only be known at a later stage. Keep your fingers crossed for more news on this Mega Glamour event.

BIPASHA BASU, NEHA DHUPIA MAY BE SEEN AT MS BIKINI INDIA 2007

KINJAL PANDYA - FUTURISTIC MEDIA NETWORK


Mumbai's hottest faces and sexiest bods are likely to be seen on the ramp for Ms Bikini India 2007. According to the organizers, a non-competitive round for celebrities, models and actresses will be held during the grand finale of the event during mid-December 2007. While we were not able to confirm any names, we heard that Anupama Verma, Sampada Vaze, Jesse Randhawa, Carol Gracias, Gauhar Khan, Alecia Raut, Malaika Arora, Amrita Arora, Dipanita Sharma, Sheetal Malhar, and hold your breath – Neha Dhupia may walk the ramp during this event.

A buzz doing the rounds also said that Mallika Sherawat and Kareena Kapoor may also be "specially invited" and so may be Sherlyn Chopra and other bombshells. It would be a treat to spot so many "hotties" rubbing shoulders with each other.

None of the girls were able to confirm their participation though, and the organizers were tight-lipped. "We are in the process of organizing the entire event and wouldn't want to comment on anything unless it's official," said a spokesperson for Nikson Infomedia, the organizers of the event adding that "we will announce all details at a Press Conference soon."

However, Bipasha Basu is also expected to do a "special performance", say sources in the organizing committee, though Bips hasn't confirmed this. Other bollywood celebrities and top models will also strut their stuff for Ms Bikini India 2007 which is slated to be one of the most eagerly awaited shows on television. The event will be telecast on a popular lifestyle and fashion channel and a Reality Show is also on the cards prior to the event.

MS BIKINI INDIA CONTEST FOR CANCER PATIENTS

The much-viewed and much-awaited international glamour event Ms Bikini International will now have an Indian version. The Ms Bikini India International 2007 is slated to be held in Goa in November 2007. While other prospective locations including Mauritius and Seychelles are being considered, our sources tell us that Goa tops the list for its scenic beauty. The idea is also to promote tourism in Goa rather than divert the business to any other country, explained an insider associated with the event.

Speaking exclusively to this journalist, Sanjay Manocha, (www.lacenlingerie.com) Editor and Publisher of Lace-n-Lingerie Magazine - a classy, niche trade publication which caters to the intimate and inner wear industry in India - while confirming the news, said, "Yes my events and publishing company Niksan Info Media Pvt Ltd will be conducting the event."

Giving some details about the event, Sanjay said, "The inner wear and undergarment industry is booming and is worth several hundred crore in India. Several international inner wear and intimate apparel brands and products have already launched and the event will be a boost to the industry. It is being held under the auspices of the lace and lingerie Industry in India which till now was an untouched, taboo subject confined to the bedrooms of both men and women."

"A majority of the proceeds and profits of the event will be donated to charity - to women's causes, and for NGOs working in the arena of prevention of Breast Cancer and AIDS and HIV awareness. This is not a voyeuristic event as it may be promoted in some other parts of the world. We are Indian and we respect Indian culture and traditions. This is a trade event and is towards a noble and humanitarian cause," explained Sanjay

He emphasized that, "We have to change with the times. Such contests are held even in other conservative countries, so why not in India. We are not promoting it to cater to the carnal interests of a few unbalanced individuals. It is being held to promote the Indian lingerie, intimate wear and under garment industry, which till date was a 'dirty' topic."

Elaborating further, he added that the Indian event will be comparable or even better than some of the best events in terms of production, management, integrity and display. "It's an all-India event and all eligible participants are welcome to send in their entries. A special website is being launched for the purpose and is expected to go online soon."

Internationally the event is a big hit and guests pay up to Rs 25,000 per ticket to gain entry. When queried, Sanjay refused to elaborate, "We are talking to a few big corporate houses for sponsorship and do not want to give any details at this stage," was all that he would say. According to industry insiders a large corporate having interests in the spirits and aviation business is in advanced talks with the organisers. So also are a packaged drinking water company and a music and aviation training major.

Apne well received in the the City of Gardens

By Jamila Hussain/Flynn Remedios

FUTURISTIC MEDIA NETWORKS


The verdict is out. The people have spoken. After much ado over whether or not the "Jats of Punjab" would work their magic over the Indian audiences when they came together in one film, the overwhelming audience (in some parts of the country) has proved once again that Garam Dharam is still a force to reckon with and could give the Khans and Bachhans a run for their money.


Finally one of the most awaited movies "Apne" released on 29 June 07 and it seems to be doing really well at the box office after over two weeks of running House Full in many places. The film has got good reviews from film critics and Apne is doing seemingly well with family audiences. As claimed by the director of the movie, Apne is just not another movie, it is a representation of the importance of Dharmendraji and his emotions, and his relationships with his near and dear ones.

'Apne' is the story of a disgraced boxer (Dharmendra) who wants to win back his honour by making his elder son (Sunny Deol) a boxer of international repute. Though as fate would have it, ultimately it is the younger son (Bobby Deol) who steps in to fulfil his father's dream when the elder one refuses to become a boxer. The movie also features Shilpa Shetty and Katrina Kaif in interesting roles. The music by Himesh Reshammiya seems to be a hit among audiences. Tracks like "Apne" and "Mehfuz" were quite liked by the audience. The romantic number "Dekhoon tujhe toh pyaar aaye" is also nice though not an overall hit with the junta. The music is slow yet not overly boring.

Most viewers had very similar takes on the movie. Prateek, an engineering student from Bangalore who claims to be a movie buff says, "the movie is well made but too lengthy, it is a family entertainer and the boxing sequences were shot very well." "Dharmendra is simply outstanding. He delivers a heart warming, emotional performance. His expressions in the emotional scenes are just amazing and natural; he has not lost his charm even though he has been away from the big screen," says Hussain, an IT professional.


"Every aspect of the movie is well shot, even the supporting actors, Kiron Kher and Aryan Vaid have done a good job with their characters. Aryan's performance is good on screen and he has done justice to his Role, " opined Maria, an undergrad student in Bangalore. Shruti, a freelance journo and Mass Comm student said that most of her friends who saw the movie came out happy. “It was a nice, family entertainer and left you with a nice feeling including a patriotic fever. I think almost all my friends have seen the movie and loved it – given the fact that most screens in Bangalore charge Rs 150 to Rs 250 per seat, it was paisa vasool,” she added.


"Apne" has been accepted and loved by most audiences, there are hardly a few who were not impressed. Maybe the movie was not ‘impressive’ for some but none were disappointed. Sunaina Sen, again an undergrad from Bangalore, opined that she had great expectations from the Deols and wasn’t impressed with the entire package. “Though I wasn’t disappointed either,” she explains. The Deols’ screen presence has made an impact not only on Indian audiences but also appealed to audiences abroad in the U.K , U.S of A and Canada. Dharamji has empowered the film with his overwhelming personality and real life acting. Sunny and Bobby have kept pace with their father and have been well appreciated for their characters. "Bobby's dancing is just amazing but he needs to work on his body," says Tasneem a student from Christ College. Katrina's presence is absolutely wasted, she has no role in the movie, same can be said for Shilpa who seemed to be over doing her role as "bahu" in the family. But, these flaws have not affected the overall presentation of the film. The boxing sequences were well shot and also well appreciated by audiences, though not all of them. Shruti says, "There is too much blood shed and gore which looks gross and the movie seems to be filled with only boxing which was a slight put-off."

Even though the movie has done better than average at box offices in Bangalore in the first two weeks, the idea of real life families working together on screen seems to click well with the audiences. Trishaala says "the Deols are looking simply superb on the big screen, they stand as equal to the Bachchans or even better on screen"


On the whole, "Apne" is rich in emotions and has struck a chord with families. Those who love emotional fare loved the theme. At the end of the day "Apne" is a movie to be watched with your own apne..