Katrina has found new confidence

From her break-up with Salman Khan to her link-up with Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif's personal life is constantly under the scanner. The British-born actress says the unrelenting attention does affect her sometimes but she has learnt to cope with the pressures."We are human beings and sometimes it does affect us especially when so much is being said and written that doesn't make sense. But one learns and I have also learnt to cope with it," Katrina told IANS in an interview over the phone from Mumbai.

"I have learnt that media and celebrities go hand in hand and now I don't feel the need to clarify my stance and I am not bothered. Audiences have also become mature and they also understand what is right and what is wrong," added the 26-year-old.

The actress has no films scheduled for immediate release, but will be seen in a new LUX soap ad to promote its new range - Lux Fresh Splash.

This year, her first release will be in June with Zoya Akhtar's Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, also starring Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar and Kalki Koechlin. After that she will be seen in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan.

Katrina was introduced into the Hindi film industry with "Boom" in 2003, but the first hit came only four years later with "Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya". Her career zoomed with "Namastey London", in which she teamed up with Akshay Kumar, released in the same year.

Some of of her big box office hits are Partner,Welcome and Singh Is King. Her item number Sheila Ki Jawani from Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan has got perhaps the maximum publicity, but Katrina has also forayed into meaningful cinema with New York and Rajneeti.

Asked whether she is a director's actor, Katrina said: "Every actor is a director's actor. It's the director who helps the actor in bringing the character alive on screen and then there is the script to support. It is part and parcel of the profession."

As her career skyrockets, expectations have also become higher and Katrina admits to some nervousness.

"If you lose that nervousness or anticipation that means you have reached a saturation point which is the worst thing for any actor. For me, it is important that I live up to the expectations of my fans and I don't let them down."

So does Katrina fear failure?

"Fear is something that drives you to do good work and it is important for a person to maintain a positive attitude and keep on doing good work," she said.

With films, endorsements, performances and media appearances crowding her to-do-list, the actress admits she sometimes finds it difficult to cope with the hectic work life.

"Sometimes it becomes difficult to stay calm, cool; and with a busy schedule I do get tired, but it's part of our job. I keep doing things that help me to relax. I do things that rejuvenate me, things that give me extra help," she said.

Marriage will be my next step: Rani

Rani Mukerji
Rani Mukerji had almost disappeared after three big budget back-to-back box office duds, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic and Dil Bole Hadippa. But one striking performance in No One Killed Jessica and she's back.

Dressed in just a pair of denims and a T-shirt, yet managing to look as gorgeous as ever, the soon-to-turn-32 star met up with Mumbai Mirror for a heart-to-heart at her plush Juhu Bungalow.

Seems you're back from a hiatus...

(Laughs) Main to yahin thi. I was leading my normal life - going for shoots, travelling, reading. When a few of my films flopped, I came under the radar. Like my achievements, my failure too started to make headlines. It was a personal decision to stay away.

Are you getting the roles you want now? I am getting a lot of dynamic offers. Also, an actor never visualises a film with a filmmaker. It's the other way round. I couldn't have told Sanjay Bhansali 'Chal Black banate hain'. Thankfully, filmmakers still see me in marvelous roles.

How was it when people started writing you off? It was a learning experience. Certain sections of the media wrote me off. But that's how the industry works. You need to keep working till luck strikes back. It happened when No One Killed Jessica came my way. But I still stand by the three films TPTM, Laaga... and ...Hadippa. I enjoyed them all.

There were rumours about you fasting for 40 weeks and leaving the Juhu house for luck... (Laughs) What crap. I can't fast for one day. Why would I fast for 40? Also I didn't leave this (Juhu Bungalow) place for a single day. All meetings for No One Killed Jessica happened here. However, the film has definitely changed everyone's perception.

Everyone is talking about your new, glam avatar... I have always been glam. I showed skin in Ghulam and KKHH also. But I am fitter than before. I toned my body when I played an athlete in Dil Bole Hadippa. And this fitness does add to my body-language and confidence.

In KJo's chat show, Ranveer Singh hinted that you are the Managing Director of Yash Raj?

Do you know he was talking about Madhuri Dixit? And people put two and two equals to five. He didn't mean Managing Director at all when he said MD. I would love to be a Managing Director of a company, but there's no truth in me being one.

Are you getting married? If yes, to who? Aditya Chopra or someone else? I wouldn't like to talk about my relationship. I haven't done it in the past and I don't wish to do it today. If and when I get married, I shall tell everybody.

Is marriage important to you?
Of course. If you want to have kids in our country, you need to marry. And I want kids. It would be abnormal as a woman not to have kids. It's a cycle that I have to complete. The next step in my life would be marriage. I sure hope God doesn't make me spend the rest of my life as a spinster.

Salman to take on Katrina by stripping on Television

Bollywood machoman Salman Khan will soon strip on television to take out his frustration after breakup with Katrina Kaif.

According to the sources, Salman Khan, who has kept mum over his breakup with girlfriend Katrina Kaif, will finally take out his aggression by what he loves to the most- Ripping off T-shirt.

Salman will soon attempt to break the Guinnesse World record of ripping off maximum T-shirts on the television show ‘The Guinness World Records Ab India Todega’.

The show will be launched on television on March 18 and will be hosted by Bollywood actress Preity Zinta.

Earlier, a man has set a World record of ripping of 14 T shirts in one minute.

Salman is said to be the man behind Katrina's sucess and after she left him for Ranbir Kapoor after a long relationship, Salman was left all alone and depressed.

Salman, this is the best way to show the world that you rock even after your lady left you in pain. We wish you all the luck for yuor life ahead.

Age does not matter on screen: Sonakshi

She debuted with much older Salman Khan in Dabangg and Sonakshi Sinha will be seen as the wife of Kamal Haasan, who is 33 years her senior, in Tamil-Telugu director Selvaraghavan's film and says once an actor is in front of the camera, age should not matter.

"Yes, I'm playing Kamal Haasan's wife in Selvaraghavan's film. Why should that be a problem," asked the confident newcomer Sonakshi, who is just 23.

"Once you are in front of the camera, your age should not matter. I never felt like a child while working with Salman Khan (who is 45) in Dabangg and now with Akshay Kumar in Joker. I will be respectful but an equal on the sets with Mr. Kamal Haasan," she added.

And no, Kamal Haasan and Sonakshi are not doing an Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore routine from Hannibal.

"I don't where the speculation started from. No, this film is a complete original. When I heard the script, I was blown away. I'd be very stupid to turn it down, just because the hero, a legend in his lifetime, is much older than me. Aren't we over these trivial matters?

"In real life, age makes no difference in a marriage. On screen too your biological age is of no consequence. I've been acknowledged for being different from my female colleagues. Let me enjoy this difference," she said.

As part of her preparation to feel maturer, Sonakshi has requested the entire crew of Shirish Kunder's Joker in Chandigarh to stop treating her like the baby of the family.

"I'm not letting them treat me with kid's gloves. I've made it very clear that Akshay, Shirish, Farah Khan, Shreyas Talpade, Sanjay Mishra and the entire team are my friends. It's the only way to work," she said.

Sonakshi also intends to spend as much time as possible with Kamal Haasan to get comfortable in his company.

"It's Kamalji I would like to get to know. I need to establish a comfort level with him. Of course, there's a lot of initial nervousness. Naturally. Kamalji is legendary. Acting with him is difficult enough. But to play his wife, I need a lot more guts. But then I've a legend at home," said Sonakshi referring to her actor-politician father Shatrughan Sinha.

Her dad is helping her to get a hang of Tamil and Telugu.

"It is impossible for me to get a grip on Tamil and Telugu in such a short time. My father couldn't speak either language when he did Rakht Charitra. He read out the lines from cue cards. But no one could make it out. He's teaching me how to read the words in Tamil and Telugu without looking like you're reading it," she said.

Sonakshi will also be watching Kamal Haasan's film Hey Rama where the actor was married to Vasundhara Das, at least 25 years his junior, to see the on-screen chemistry between the legendary actor and a much younger co-star.

"But I'm not supposed to be the least ill-matched with him. It's a film that pushes the envelope. I want to do roles that take me ahead as an actor. I am not here to do routine stuff," she said.

Sonakshi is not the least conflicted by the fall-out between her Dabangg producer Arbaaz Khan and director Abhinav Kashyap. In fact, the buzz is, she's been finalised for Kashyap's next as well as Dabangg 2.

"Both Arbaaz and Abhinav are dear friends. I'm glad Arbaaz is turning director. He'll make a terrific sequel to Dabangg. As for Abhinav, I'd love to be part of anything he does next," she said

Shahid: Please forgive me!

Shahid Kapoor has been trying to get back into PC's good books.... unsuccessfully, so far
PS: Maybe an apology would work?
Shahid Kapoor is going all out to woo Priyanka Chopra back into his arms, confirm sources. In fact, when she returned on Friday from her Don 2 shoot in Malaysia, he kept bombarding her with 'miss you' and 'let's work it out' SMSes.



Her absence from his birthday party (on February 25) has affected him to such an extent that he's been sending her flowers and texting her constantly.

Says a source close to the couple, "Their constant fights and arguments led to the break up.

She didn't want to be in town during his birthday. That's why she planned her US holiday around the same time. Hence she travelled with friends who didn't have any connection to the industry.

After that she took off for Malaysia to join the Don 2 unit. It was important for her to take a clean break from her guy."

Shahid, however, hasn't taken the split as well. Realising he is at fault, he's even ready to apologise. But PC is in no mood to forgive just yet.

The source confirms, "When she's in love, there's no holding back. With Shahid, she decided to go that extra mile and make it work.

That said, this hasn't been their first break up, but it's definitely the most painful. At the moment, she's not responding to his calls or messages. But common friends are trying to get them back together."

Who knows? Maybe this on-off jodi will have one more go at it!
A PLAYLIST FOR PC: OUR RECOMMENDATION
Must've Been Love by Roxette
Love The Way You Lie by Rihanna
Apologize by One Republic
Goodbye My Lover by James Blunt
Gives You Hell by All American Rejects
Irreplaceable by Beyonc ©

SONG SHAHID SHOULD BE CROONING TO PC
Need You Now by Lady Antebellum

Deepika Padukone is the new Zeenat

Vidya Balan retrospective at Indian film fest

Sydney: The spotlight is on acclaimed Indian actress Vidya Balan at the ongoing 2011 Indian Film Festival (IFF): Bollywood and Beyond, which is screening a special retrospective of her finest films from Parineeta to Ishqiya.

Over over 30 films will be screened at the fest, including 15 Australian premiers. The 10-day festival, which is screened in Sydney (March 9-19), Melbourne (March 11-20), Adelaide (March 22-29) and Auckland (March 24 to April 3), kicked off this week at Hoyts Cinema Paris in the Entertainment Quarter, next to the Sydney Cricket Ground, with the Vidya starrer No one killed Jessica and British producer Leslee Udwin's West is West.

Since making a dream debut in Parineeta, Vidya has mesmerised audiences with her powerful performances.

"The most exciting thing as an actor is to do diverse roles. A film has to be engaging and entertaining as for me cinema is ultimately about hope," said the 33-year-old, who is looking forward to the June release of Sujoy Ghosh's thriller Kahani in which she plays a six-month pregnant woman, and Milan Luthria's The Dirty Picture, based on the life of Silk Smitha, south Indian cinema's ultimate sex symbol.

For Vidya, who has travelled the world, Australia's Gold Coast, known for its sunny surfing beaches, is the favourite locale to shoot. "I had the most chilled out time in Surfer's Paradise. I also enjoy shooting in Toronto, which has a lovely energy with cultural activities all around," she told, recalling the time she had while shooting for Heyy Babyy in Sydney.

She feels the more independent voices Indian cinema embraces, the more universal appeal it will have.

Director Raj Kumar Gupta, on his first visit to Australia, told: "It is a privilege to have No one killed Jessica as the opening film of this festival. The landscape of cinema is changing and how the audience receive the film, connect with the emotions and identify with this journey is important for me."

Australians and Indians have been coming with friends, partners and spouses to the festival, which is showcasing a sizzling mixture of comedy, romance, action and drama - from hardcore blockbuster Dabangg and the critically acclaimed No One Killed Jessica, to West Is West.

Rituparno Ghosh's Bengali film Abohomaan and Ananth Mahadevan's Marathi film Mee Sindhutai Sapkal too is a part of the bouquet.

As festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange told: "This year we've made a conscious effort to bring you films that eloquently express a new sophistication in contemporary Indian cinema; a hugely exciting seismic, cultural shift that must be shared. The aim is to showcase just how absolutely versatile and unique is our film industry. We have ventured beyond Bollywood to include some of the finest regional films."

The credit for bringing Indian films into mainstream cinemas in Australia goes to Mind Blowing Films, which has also been promoting Australian locations to Indian film producers and directors.

The festival director called on the Diaspora to ditch pirated two dollar DVDs sold at South Asian spice stores and support filmmakers by watching their works on the big screen.

Audiences also warmed to West Is West, a sequel to Udwin's much loved East Is East, which opens in India next month (April).

Udwin, who now lives in Copenhagen, told: "I always knew there was going to be a sequel. People recognise that this film is about their story. It is a crowd pleasing film with a heart and spirit, which makes the audience cry and laugh. It is where comedy and tragedy fit in the same frame, an absolute reflection of life. In fact, I feel there is a trilogy in East Is East."

Also screening is the winner of the Western Union Short Film Competition, Mumbaikar Ganesh by Indian director Collin John D'Cunha.

"Acknowledgment of 'Mumbaikar Ganesh' means a lot to me as I am able to share my work with family and friends in Australia through this festival," said Kush Badhwar, the cinematographer who was born and brought up in Sydney and is now working in Mumbai.

The festival closes with producer-actress Juhi Chawla and director Onir's I Am, an innovative film that explores the issues of homosexuality, prostitution and child abuse.