Mandira Bedi Tells You Why You Should Be a Pixie This Monsoon

If a change of look won't drag you out of complacency towards a super-short hairstyle, TV host Mandira Bedi looking hot in her brand new pixie cut, should. italk gets Mandira and the experts to tell you why other than being tres chic, it's the ideal cut for rainy months

"I wanted a change, something radically different. So, I decided I just had to go super short. Don't you think it has been completely worth it?" gushes actress and TV host Mandira Bedi, who's been seen on TV sporting the pixie look.

The IPL coverage on TV saw Mandira in a short crop, a slight fringe framing her face. "Sapna Bhavnani of Mad O Wat, my hairstylist, was a bit apprehensive.

She was like 'uhhh... you really want to go that short. Let's keep it long', and I said, 'No way, cut it all off'. But we went about the whole procedure cautiously, and it paid off," she says.

It's low-maintenance

Mandira's pixie look is easy to manage. "It's basically a wash-and-wear cut. But sometimes, when I wake up, there is a slight tuft that stands up on the back of the head.

To settle that down, I just use a little wax." And for that groomed look, she slathers on a tad of hair polish for extra sheen.

"But it's always great to blow dry your hair after a wash. It gives it that edge and out-of-bed sexy look."

Who will it suit?

If you have a small face but a large forehead that you have been trying to cover up all along, this is the cut to choose.

"I was looking at some old pictures the other day, and I realised that my forehead always stood out.

But this haircut, which has a small, slanting fringe, camouflages it beautifully." Mandira says women with broad jaws should not opt for a super-short haircut.

"This one suits a pointed chin much better," she adds, wondering if age and body shape have any bearing on your decision to go short.

"I have seen slightly heavier girls look pretty with a short cut. And just a few days ago, I met a friend who is slim and gorgeous, but the short cut didn't suit her at all. So, it depends."

Saree or tube dress?

Anyone who has been watching the IPL, has to have noticed Mandira's toned shoulders peeking out of her tube dresses.

"I had been working hard on my shoulders, so I just had to show them off. But truly, the outfit that complements this cut the most has to be the saree.

You end up combining the traditional with the modern beautifully."

Mandira recommends wearing dresses and tops that leave your shoulders bare, drawing attention to your neck to add a zing of sex appeal.

Perfect for the rains

"One of the reasons why I went for this style, was because I was visiting South Africa for the IPL. It was really windy there.

If I had parted my hair to the right, it would have changed direction by evening!" she says, adding that the low-maintenance character makes it ideal for the upcoming rainy season.

Short cuts make you look thinner, taller

Guy Kremer Eyecatchers, an international name in hair styling, has opened shop at Phoenix Mills in Mumbai, and has a celebrity clientele list that includes Gerry Hall, The Duchess of York, First Lady of France Carla Bruni, supermodel Helena Christensen, Roger Walters of Pink Floyd, and Sharmila Tagore, Saif Ali Khan, Mandira Bedi, Sameera Reddy and Riya Sen.

Pablo Alvarez, Guest Artist Director at Guy Kremer tells iTALK why the super-short crop is such a rage:

A short cut is perfect for the urban professional who is always on the move, since it's comfortable and helps fight the heat and humidity of Indian cities.

You can experiment more when you have short hair. You can wear it like Posh Spice spiky, flat or turned out at the ends. You can also go the old-fashioned way, like Indira Gandhi.

If your neck is thick, flick up the ends of your cut to make your neck look slimmer.

If you are short, a shorter hairstyle will open up your neck and make you look taller.

Long hair also makes you look heavier than you are. A shorter haircut will slim you down.

Sania Mirza to tie the knot with Sohrab Mirza

The tennis sensation of India, Sania Mirza is all set to tie the knot with Sohrab Mirza, son of the Hyderabadi business tycoon Adil Mirza, sources revealed. Sohrab was Sania's classmate and they have been friends for a long time.

SANIA MIRZA, the youth icon and tennis ace of India has finally found her life-partner Sohrab Mirza. Sohrab, son of Adil Mirza and Noora Begum, is the owner of Universal Bakers chain in the city of Hyderabad. Sohrab was Sania’s classmate and they have been friends for a long time.

The families of Sania and Sohrab also have known one another for a long time and the marriage was discussed some time back and agreed, according to family sources. The talks have reached to a final stage for marriage.

Sohrab Mirza, 23, is pursuing his studies for an MBA degree in a British University. Sources said that Sania will continue with her career in tennis until the boy completes his studies.

The marriage date has not yet fixed, but sources reported that the couple would tie their knot in 2010.

The tennis sensation, Sania was rumoured to be interested in international tennis player Marat Safin, but it didn’t work. After that she was linked up with Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor and Telugu actor Navadip Palaplu. But these relationships did not work out.

Sania Mirza, facing severe injuries and a declining career, wishes to start a settled married life early next year. But, racing away with the love game, Indian tennis player Mirza left many young men with a sinking feeling.

Kareena’s footwear fetish

A lot of your personality is revealed through the kind of footwear that you wear. No wonder Kareena Kapoor is very particular about her footwear. We hear that she sticks to YSL and Christian Louboutin.

The slippers that she wears at home are from Hermes. Kareena bought six pairs of slippers of the same pattern from Hermes recently. “Kareena likes to have the same slippers but in different colours,” says a friend of hers.

Looks like Kareena’s gearing up to do a bit of foot flirting.

Aishwarya to perform at IIFA again

Aishwarya Rai is all set to dazzle audiences with her dance moves at the 10th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards night in Macau, China, next month - her second such appearance at the glamorous event.

She had enthralled audiences by dancing to hit song 'Kajra re' at Amsterdam in 2005.

She will perform at The Venetian-Macau Resort on the night of June 13, an IIFA press statement said.

Aishwarya's father-in-law, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, is the brand ambassador of IIFA.

Also performing at the event will be Sonam Kapoor, who will make her on-stage debut, and Kareena Kapoor, who will show off her belly dancing skills.

Bollywood actors Boman Irani and Riteish Deshmukh, who had the audience in splits with their humour at the awards last year in Bangkok, will play hosts to the glitzy cine event again in Macau. Joining the two would be beauty queen-turned-actress Lara Dutta.

The three-day IIFA Weekend will be held June 11-13 and is expected to draw over 500 luminaries from the Indian film industry.

On why Macau was chosen as the destination for celebrating a decade of IIFA, the orhanisers said they hoped it would 'end the deadlock between India and China over the exchange of cinema'.

'We feel it's (Macau) the Las Vegas of the East. In this 10th year of IIFA's existence we wanted either the US or China to be our venue,' said Sabbas Joseph, one of the directors of Wizcraft, the organisers of the event.

'We chose China because we feel it could be a gateway for Indian cinema to the West. We also hope to end the deadlock between India and China over the exchange of cinema. We haven't come away from one venue without opening up doors for the India film industry. We are confident this would be the case in China,' he added.

Katrina Kaif performs during the closing ceremony of IPL Twenty20

Indian Bollywood Actress Katrina Kaif performs during the closing ceremony after the IPL Twenty20 final match at The Wanderers Cricket Stadium in Johannesburg on May 24, 2009.

Mugdha dances for 'All The Best' despite her injury

Mumbai: Even though her neck injury is yet to heal completely, Mugdha Godse hasn't stopped shooting for her two films ‘All The Best’ and ‘Jail’. Her role in Madhur Bhandarkar's ‘Jail’ doesn't require much physical stress but ‘All The Best’, being a Rohit Shetty film, needs her to everything that a quintessential Bollywood heroine is expected to do.

"Which means lot of music and dance", laughs Mugdha who is getting used to Bollywood scheme of things with her first full on 'masala' fare in the form of ‘All The Best’ that has her paired opposite Fardeen Khan. Just having returned from her Goa stint for ‘All The Best’, she is currently shooting in Mumbai for Jail which is expected to wrap up by month end.

So how has the experience been in Goa? "It was great fun though I had to be extra careful during the song shoot", says Mugdha who didn't quite get to show her dancing skills in her debut flick ‘Fashion’, "I continue to wear neck band when I am off the sets. It is quite comfortable and the healing process has been faster too. In any case, I can't afford to take much risk, what with shooting of both Jail and ‘All The Best’ happening in parallel."

She still did risk her neck though as she danced non-stop for a racy number in ‘All The Best’. "In fact director Rohit Shetty and the choreographer were quite considerate and suggested that I pick up lighter dance steps. But then that would have been unfair on my part, especially because everyone else who participated in the dance shoot were working so hard."

"In any case, I myself didn't want to miss out on the opportunity of giving my best for ‘All The Best’. I have seen Rohit getting such fabulously choreographed numbers like 'Tha Karke' and 'No Vacancy' in his last release ‘Golmaal Returns’. Why should I have settled for anything lesser", questions Mugdha who ensured that she took adequate precautions to save her neck injury from further getting aggravated.

The song that she features in is extra special for Mugdha as it was shot on outdoor location of Goa and boasted of the entire star cast comprising of Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan, Bipasha Basu, Fardeen Khan and herself.

"Watch out for the song. It's going to make waves on its arrival", declares Mugdha before signing off.

Dev is a ‘really really great guy’: Freida Pinto

'Slumdog Millionaire' star Frieda Pinto who has been romantically linked to her co-star Dev Patel says he is a great guy but stops short of admitting their relationship.

Dev's mother recently confirmed that Pinto-Patel who play childhood sweethearts in Danny Boyle's Mumbai potboiler are dating each other.

Pinto who is shooting for Israeli film 'Miral' in Tel Aviv was pictured cozying-up to Patel during a lunch date.

But the 24-year-old star still calls Dev as her co-star, ‘Daily Mail’ online reported.

"One thing I have found difficult is the lack of privacy. I'm constantly asked if Dev and I are in a relationship, and I don't know what to say," Pinto said.

"He's a really, really, great guy, and I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful co-star. He's adorable, and a good friend. He always will be," the actress added.

The star was earlier engaged to actor Rohan Antao but broke-up after finding success.

"I was engaged to actor Rohan Antao, but we broke up at the end of last year. Things happen and you have to learn to deal with them," Pinto said.

Kareena's passionate kiss with Akki

Kareena Kapoor performs on stage in Ahmedabad. Kapoor performed as part of a promotional tour for film Kal Kissne Dekha.

The actress, who is set to sizzle the screen in Kambakkht Ishq, has reportedly done a passionate kiss with co-actor Akshay Kumar.

Barring a peck with Fardeen Khan in Dev, the only time Bebo has done a kissing scene was with ex-beau Shahid Kapur in Jab We Met.

Reports also suggest that the actress has done another one with current beau Saif Ali Khan in Rensil D'Silva's film based on terrorism.

Bebo has admitted in one of the interviews that she was a bit reluctant on kissing Akshay because Akki was her sister Karisma’s co-star.

Reports also suggest that both stars informed their respective partners about the kissing sequence and the importance of it for the film.

No more movies, no more children: Sonali Bendre

Happy doting on her three-year-old son Ranvir, Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre says she is neither ready for another kid nor willing for a second innings in the film industry at the moment.

"I don't think we (herself and husband, producer Goldie Behl) are ready for another child yet. I don't feel the need for one as of now," Sonali told IANS in an interview.

"When I am ready for a second child, I will probably have one. God willing, if I am meant to have another one, I'll have it. But if not, I am quite happy with one and giving him whatever I can," she added.

Sonali, who was last seen in a cameo in Karan Johar's 2003 hit Kal Ho Naa Ho, was in the capital Wednesday to speak of her association with Colors' new reality show India's Got Talent. She is one of the judges on the show that is based on popular British talent hunt show Britain's Got Talent.

The final leg of the Delhi auditions of the show were to be held here on Thursday and the actress brought her son as she felt he will get an opportunity to familiarise himself with diverse Indian cultures and traditions.

"The format of this show is so different - it's like a catalogue of the diverse Indian talent and this time I got my son along with me. At the Kolkata auditions, we had Chhau (traditional dance form) dancers, Bihu dancers, tribal boys doing a skit, martial arts - it was awesome.

"This is the kind of thing I would love my son to see because this is the culture of India and if he can see this, he would know the heritage of the place where he comes from. I think that is really important for him," said Sonali, who has earlier judged Sony's music-based reality show Indian Idol.

Apart from spending time with her son and husband as well as judging the reality shows, 35-year-old Sonali satisfies her creative instincts by working on her play Aap Ki Soniya along with seasoned actor Farooque Sheikh.

But she has no immediate plans to get back to the big screen.

"I go to Bangkok in between the auditions of the show for my play - I get my creative satisfaction when I do the play. I am not interested in films right now," she said.

Sonali forayed into Hindi films with the 1994 movie Aag and later featured in films like Duplicate, Major Saab, Zakhm, Hum Saath Saath Hain, Sarfarosh and Chori Chori.

Want Mallika Sherawat's Milkshake?

Last month, Mallika Sherawat became the first Bollywood personality to join the ranks of likes of Miley Cyrus, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Perez Hilton and others after she got a milkshake named after her, thanks to Millions of Milkshakes.

Image: Mallika Sherawat


Mallika Milkshake comes with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.


So how did she get a milkshake named after her? Could it have something to with Mallika's upcoming film Hissss, directed by Hollywood director Jennifer Lynch?

Mallika's Hissss, co-starring Irrfan Khan, sees her in a snake avatar. The trailer, in fact, looks quite promising. Mallika greeted visitors at the store as well. After all, it's not everyday a milkshake gets named after you!

Mallika shows us how to nibble at a cherry, and look while at it!
This is one of the few public appearances the actress has done in a while. And we love it!

Head out to Hollywood, and try out a Mallika Milkshake. Or else, just wait for her to seduce you with Hissss.

'Sonam has a very good complexion'

Sonam Kapoor has a very good complexion. I have styled her parents -- Anil Kapoor and Sunita -- and that's how I know her.


I worked with her during her debut film, Saawariya. She was very professional.
Image: Sonam Kapoor

'Shilpa has the best body in town'

Shilpa Shetty has the best body in town. She is very trendy and has changed drastically from her Baazigar days. Everything happens through trial and error, and that's how people change with changing trends.

Besides Shilpa, I think Karisma Kapoor can other actresses a run for their money with her looks. She looks more stunning now than during her film career.

Image: Shilpa Shetty

'I have known Kareena since Jeena Sirf Mere Liye days'

I think Kareena, Katrina, Deepika and Shilpa Shetty look great without makeup.


I have known Kareena since Jeena Sirf Mere Liye (2002) days. That's the only film I did with her.


I am basically an ad film make-up artist. If I do good work with an actress, the word spreads and I get to work with other actresses because the ad world is very small. That's how I have worked with all actresses.
Image: Kareena Kapoor

'Since Katrina's from a foreign background, she knows how to gel with people'

I have known Katrina Kaif for the past five years. I like her innocent smile -- it's a killer. I love her complexion too. I worked with her on the Veet ad.


She is very friendly and gets along very well with everyone on the sets. She's very easygoing. I think since she's from a foreign background, she knows how to gel with people.
Image: Katrina Kaif
Photograph: Manav Manglani/ Reuters

'Deepika is gifted with beautiful sparkling eyes'

I have known Deepika Padukone since her first film, Om Shanti Om. Actually, I knew her before that as well -- I met her at a photoshoot with Atul Kasbekar when she was a model. 

I haven't done any film with her but thanks to the ad world, you get to work with every actress. 

She is gifted with beautiful sparkling eyes. I love her dimples and her smile. She is a warm person and very affectionate. She's the new generation kind of girl, who gels with everyone.


Image: Deepika Padukone
Photograph: Punit Paranjpe/ Reuters

'Ash's tribal look in Enthiran is very glamorous'

Make-up artists have a gift -- they can make everyone look good!
And while Bollywood boasts of some gorgeous looking women, these artists can up the glam look even more.
Ask Ojas Rajani. He's done the make-up for many actresses, and done a very good job at that. While his favourites remain Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Urmila Matondkar and Malaika Arora Khan, he loves the younger actresses as well.


He tells Nithya Ramani how he makes heroines look hot.


Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

I am working with Aishwarya on Action Replay and Enthiran. Even though Enthiran is my first film with Ash, I have known her for about eight years. I have done her make-up for her ads.


She has a fantastic face. She's very professional and allows you to do anything with her face. She's very open. She is one of the few actresses who has an international as well as an Indian look. She's like a princess -- she looks stunning even in minimum make-up. She knows how to carry herself well.


She is blessed with beautiful coloured eyes, eyebrows and a great pout -- they look simple yet glamourous.
We have tried 57 costumes and different looks for her in Enthiran. Her tribal look is very glamourous. She has to look like a Mexican tribal. Manish Malhotra has styled the film and done an awesome job.


Image: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Enthiran

Mallika Sherawat Playing in Mud in the Movie 'Hissss'

'Yahoo'- Jiah Khan is out

Mumbai: Hooking on to her cell phone has made Jiah Khan pay a heavy price. Bollywood actress Jiah Khan lost Ken Ghosh's film ‘Yahoo' for not taking interest in the activities on the sets.

According to the unit insiders, Jiah Khan was always disinterested in the activities going around on the sets. She was always seen chatting on her mobile phone while her co-star Shahid Kapoor rehearsed his lines between the takes.

According to the sources, the senior members of the unit paid much more attention during the rehearsals while Jiah would always be busy with her phone. This annoyed the director and the members of unit.

It is hoped that Jiah Khan's ousting from ‘Yahoo' is an eye-opener for unprofessional actors in the industry.

Aishwarya not behind Sonam`s broken Cannes dream

Mumbai, May 18: There were rumours that actress and L`Oreal ambassador Aishwarya Rai may have held back Sonam Kapoor from walking the Cannes red carpet. But sources close to the former beauty queen say she didn`t even know that Sonam was to visit the French film festival.

"She (Aishwarya) did not even know that Sonam was going to be at Cannes because she was there for just two days (May 13-14) where her days were packed with back-to-back interactions with the international media, fashion shoots for various European fashion magazines and other business meetings besides attending all the events at the festival," a source close to Aishwarya told reporters.

"Anyone can go to the Cannes Film Festival as a visitor and that is how many in the film fraternity and normal public go from across the world."

Confusion ensued when L`Oreal issued a list of those ambassadors that were to represent the brand at the French festival and Sonam`s name was missing from it. This, despite a formal announcement made by the company officials on Sonam`s presence at the Cannes at a press conference in Mumbai on May 10.

Sonam, who was earlier set to leave for Cannes Monday and was excited to rub shoulders with Aishwarya and Hollywood A-listers like Elizabeth Banks and Eva Longoria, finally did not go for the film festival when company officials asked her to stay back.

According to media reports released thereafter, Aishwarya was not very upbeat about the fact that Sonam would share the same stage with her as the face of L`Oreal and asked company officials to deny her the opportunity of being there.

But clarifying their decision of holding back Sonam to go for Cannes, a spokesperson from L`Oreal said in a press release, "We do not want to take part in or encourage any controversy involving our spokespeople. There were adverse reports in certain sections of media after some comments by Sonam Kapoor, which were presented out of context.

"Following this, in order to avoid further escalation, we have advised Sonam not to go to Cannes as was planned earlier, bearing in mind that there would be more interesting opportunities for future appearances in Europe for her."

Zublee bubbling in Kochi

KOCHI: Three-and-a-half-year old Zublee Baruah loved to listen to her mother sing. Once when the little one accompanied her to a show in Guwahati where she was to perform, Zublee insisted that she too would sing. While her mother said she’ll let her sing some other time, little Zublee pestered her so much that she had to give in. ‘‘Thus began my singing career,’’ says the 25-year-old singer from Assam who was in the city recently for a recording.

Zublee vividly remembers her first performance on stage. ‘‘The audience asked me to sing a Hindi song.

I didn’t have a clue and began singing Yemen raag that I had heard my mother sing during riyaz.’’ Needless to say, she won hearts. With her mellifluous voice, Zublee has been winning hearts from then on.

She has lent her voice to more than 1,000 Assamese albums (her solo album ‘Pranipat’ is a tribute to the late Jayanta Hazarika) and a couple of Assamese films including ‘Ranangini’ and ‘Joonda Emman Goonda’. Zublee tours the country for her shows every now and then with her band. ‘‘Every month, we have at least seven shows. Since it’s the time of Bihu, I have been busy with shows in Assam from April. It’s a hectic schedule till mid-June,’’ says the singer who has to he credit Bihu albums such as ‘Tora 2006’, ‘Tora 2007’, ‘Joontora’, ‘Ringaringa Mon’, ‘Soru Phool’ and ‘Kolija’.

‘‘I’m here to record a song for composer Sunny Viswanath. It’s a duet with Shaan. The song has terrorism as its theme.’’ Zublee is excited about her first visit to Kerala. ‘‘All I have to say is wow! Am looking forward to more projects in the south. And yes, more frequent visits to this lovely place. I’d love to sing a song in Malayalam too!’’ In 1997, Zublee was awarded the Nabin Surya award for the best female singer of Assam.

The pretty singer has also stepped in front of the camera in an Assamese film, ‘Maharathi’, and has acted in several serials (including ‘Mongolu Mohajanar Biya’ telecast on Doordarshan) and plays. She also anchored the musical show ‘Saaz’ in NE Hi-Fi channel. ‘‘It was an exclusive show on musicians in Assam.’’ Zublee started learning Hindustani classical from the age of eight and earned herself a Visharad degree.

While music is her passion, the singer has never ignored academics.

After completing LLB from Guwahati university, she went on to get an MBA from Symbiosis, Pune. ‘‘Im planning to do Company Secretary course as well.’’ But music remains her priority. ‘‘I’ll soon be shifting base to Mumbai to try my luck in Bollywood.’’ Ask Zublee about Assam and she says that it’s pretty much like Kerala. ‘‘I find a lot of similarity between the two states.

As in Kerala, food is served on banana leaves during rituals and functions. We too use coconut in plenty.

Men in Assam use lungi as their counterparts here do. The climate isalmost the same. Like you have Vishu here, we have Bihu which also falls on April 14.

Above all, both Assam and Kerala are beautiful!’’ Setting aside time off from a busy schedule, Zublee is exploring the possibilities of learning Western and Carnatic music. ‘‘I want to take music and academics hand in hand.’’ Coming up next for Zublee is a Hindi album with Zubeen Garg of ‘Ya Ali’ fame. The singer is positive about making it to the big league of Bollywood. ‘‘Let’s see what lies in store!’’

Shriya Saran at Raghavendra Rathore’s Zoya launch

Shriya Saran at Raghavendra Rathore’s Zoya launch. Shriya Saran is going to blaze all guns this year to turn the tide and ensure that 2009 belongs to her. The actress is shooting for three films in Tamil now and would release at regular intervals. Shriya Saran is currently shooting for the film ‘Kutty’ opposite to Dhanush, the remake of the Telugu hit ‘Arya’.

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Kambakkht Ishq Movie Posters

Kambakkht Ishq is a forthcoming Indian Bollywood film directed by Sabbir Khan and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. This will be an action packed comedy film which has a whoping budget of $18m.

Sajid Nadiadwala has left no stone unturned to make this an International Movie. An English version is also planned.

Get ready for the biggest film of 2009, Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kambakkth Ishq. Starring Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor along with the who’s who of Hollywood right from Slyvester Stallone, Denise Richards, Brandon Routh, the film is the most awaited release of 2009.