When she first came into limelight as Miss India and then Miss Universe, Lara Dutta seemed to be a terribly intelligent dame. But after eight long years it seems she just doesn’t know how to play her cards right.

Priyanka Chopra who came second to her at the pageant that year (2000), went on to become Miss World, made her debut alongside Lara in 2003 and left her miles behind. PC has worked in big films and with almost every big hero in town, while Lara seems to be stuck in the same place! After working in flop movies and doing bit parts in multi-starrers what more could she expect anyway?

She is sultry, she is seductive, and more than that, she is sexy siren Shilpa Shetty’s lil’ sis. But lil’ sis of late seems to have taken up a fun masti number in a peppy Mirchi Movies’ children’s film ‘Hari Puttar - A Comedy of Terrors’ starring young leaders of the bratpack, Zain Khan and Swini Khara.

A tete-a-tee with the actor on the eve of the release of ‘Hari Puttar - A Comedy of Terrors’.

Once upon a time there was a film maker called Vikram Bhatt who hit gold with whatever he made. Films like ‘Fareb’ (adulterous drama), ‘Ghulam’ (action social), ‘Kasoor’ (courtroom drama), ‘Raaz’ (musical horror) and ‘Awara Paagal Deewana’ (action comedy) traversed genres and proved to be blockbusters.

Then started a bad professional phase for this Bhatt protégé who has now delivered an astonishing 11 back to back box office duds. With his last success being ‘Awara Paagal Deewana’ (2002), it has been nothing short of a harrowing five years for the film maker who is longing to taste success.

Akshay Kumar has given the maximum number of hits in the last one year and now the box office collections of his new release ‘Singh Is Kinng’ has cemented his position as the number one star.

“But I don’t want that. I’m not a superstar. I’m not saying this for effect. I’m only here to entertain people. I keep telling my wife I don’t want to be either No.1 or No.2. I just want to be alive and kicking in the film industry,” Akshay told us.

Akshay describes ‘Singh Is Kinng’ as an entertainer.

The Venus produced ‘De Dana Dhan’ will have Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif coming together for the fifth time. This jodi has emerged as one of the most successful on screen jodis of all times in Bollywood what with their three back two back hits, ‘Namastey London’, ‘Welcome’ and ‘Singh Is Kinng’ having done record business at the box office world wide( though most of the above can only be called surprise hits!)

Akshay Kumar has become no less than the raging black clouds which cover the whole of Mumbai during the monsoons. His movies are becoming major hits, he has become a hottest property in the advertisement world and now he has even given the smartest and the best models of the country a run for their money.

He recently was the only male model to walk the ramp for international brand ‘Levis’ along with a mixture of Indian and International models; a chance which only one in thousands get (and deserve). Akshay was seen flaunting his ‘bare and dare’ body along with the sexy and bold looking international models.

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Director: Anees Bazmee

Producer: Vipul Shah

Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Neha Dhupia, Javed Jaffrey, Ranvir Shorey, Om Puri, Sonu Sood, Kirron Kher

Rating: ***

The much awaited comedy flick of 2008, Sing Is Kinng has got all the ingredients needed to make a good masala film. It has the maximum dose of laughter with a mixture of drama and emotions which will definitely keep you glued to the silver screen. But like most of Bollywood’s comedy movies, you would have to leave your brains behind before you occupy your seat in a theatre and one is sure to have a satisfactory smile, once he or she vacant the seat and step out of the theatre. The only loophole in this otherwise master piece is its second half. Where the first half of the film is extremely entertaining, one expects an even better second but unfortunately, it pales in comparison.

Producer: Suneel Darshan
Director: Raj Kanwar
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra, and Lara Dutta
Music: Nadeem-Sharvan
Lyrics: Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Babul Supriyo, Alka Yagnik, Sapna Mukherjee and Kailash Kher

Andaaz features with a very impressive and noticeable star cast, Akshay Kumar with two internationally recognized beauty queens making their debut with this movie, which include Priyanka Chopra (Ex-Miss World) and Lara Dutta (Ex-Miss Universe) respectively whereas Akshay plays a lead role opposite both of these beauties. His role is considered to be fully action packed but here until now, what trailer shows, it is a love triangle and romantic movie. If so, then it would be a new and nice change in his career. The last movie of Akshay ‘Talash’ couldn’t make a big boost at the box office and so the whole crew including him is focusing on this glamorous venture to hit the jackpot!

Karishma and Kareena Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty, Shushmita Sen, Sanjay Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Rishi Kapoor and Neeto Singh, Yash Chopra, Rakesh Roshan, Mahesh and Pooja Bhatt are just some of the Bollywood giants who have been invited by their Lollywood counterparts to spend this Basant in the city.

Most of these actors already have a Pakistani visa and others were in the process of getting one, said film director and writer Asif Ali Pota. He said the proposed programme includes a night at the Lahore Fort, which will be recorded by Prime Television, UK, and a dinner in Karachi hosted by the designer BG.

The first Bollywood concert to be held in Lahore, earlier scheduled for mid-February has been rescheduled to March 25.

When Concord 2004 was suddenly postponed last month, Bunty Walia, Managing Director of GS Entertainment had cited “technical reasons” for the deferment.

But the new date means that the first show of Bollywood stars in Lahore will take place the day after the one-day cricket match between India and Pakistan in Lahore (March 24).

Organised by Delhi-based Entertainment Works, Walia’s GS Entertainment is managing the stars, their stage acts and the script of the show.