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Chitrangada Singh gets FICCI achievement award

Bollywood actress Chitrangada Singh, who made her debut with the critically-acclaimed "Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi" in 2005, was conferred the Young Women Achiever Award-2009 here Monday.

"There's nothing like combining our passion with the profession that we choose. And that is exactly what I did. It's very encouraging to receive this award, it will inspire me further to keep my passion burning, every morning and every night," Chitrangda said after she received the award.

Among other recipients for outstanding work in their respective fields were Siddhi Kumari (politics), Malini Ramani (fashion), Pooja Irana (visual arts), Seema Chandra and Nidhi Razdan (media), Anjum Chopra (sports) and Leena Nair (business).

The event was organised by Young FICCI Ladies Organisation (YFLO) in partnership with the Times Foundation at the FICCI Auditorium here.

Six women were also felicitated for their work in community service - Rangu Souriya (community volunteering), Sheila (involvement with self-help groups), Vijaya Rani (for her efforts in vocational training), Shaheena Khatoon and Sujata Burla (skill development) and Kumari P. Tirupathamma (for raising awareness on chemical adulteration in water).

Shobhana Bhartia, chairperson and editorial director of the Hindustan Times, was the function's chief guest. She emphasised that the forum was meant not just for women entrepreneurs but also for the empowerment of women. Kiran Bedi, India's first woman police officer, was also present at the event.

Hollywood milkshake named after Mallika Sherawat

Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat joined the likes of Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, David Beckham and Paris Hilton when she had a milkshake named after her in Hollywood.

The Mallika Shake features blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, chocolate sauce and whipped cream, reported imdb.com.

Mallika is in Hollywood to promote her new horror film "Hisss" that also features "Slumdog Millionaire" star Irrfan Khan.

Aishwarya Rai still rides high on international endorsements

She may no longer be the the face of brands like Coca-Cola and Nakshatra diamond jewellery in India, but Aishwarya Rai is still riding high on successful and long-standing international endorsements.

Aishwarya has completed nearly a decade of endorsing Swiss luxury watch brand Longines and international soap Lux. She has also been the brand ambassador of global haircare brand L'Oreal since 2003.

Noted ad-man Prahlad Kakkar says Aishwarya is sought by well-known brands because she is more than just an actress and is often perceived as an ambassador of India.

"Aishwarya was never a big or major endorser of Indian products. She has an impressive list of international brands to her name and that's because she is not just an actress who can be judged on hits and flops, but the fact that she is a representative of the Indian woman and is an ambassador of the country," Kakkar, who made her famous as Sanju in a 1993 TV commercial for Pepsi, told IANS on phone from Mumbai.

Even representatives of the brands that Aishwarya endorses feel she adds a new dimension to their products.

"Aishwarya has been associated with us since 1999 and it is a big help. Not only in this country but also globally," Charles Villoz, vice president (sales) of Longines International, had earlier said.

"People across the world love Bollywood films and they go housefull. Wherever we have travelled (with Aishwarya) the response has been overwhelming. She is a global face and we would like to continue this association as long as possible," Villoz said.

For Aishwarya, who has made her presence felt internationally through English language films like "Bride and Prejudice", "Mistress of Spices", "Provoked" and "Pink Panther 2", signing films and endorsements has been a very selective affair.

When she was approached to promote L'Oreal's skin whitening cream, the beauty queen-turned-actress refused as she didn't want to endorse such a product especially in India, where one's skin colour is an issue, said a source close to Aishwarya.

"Whether it is films or endorsements, I am - and have been - very selective about my work. I take up work which suits me and fits in my schedule," Aishwarya had told IANS.

"I don't take projects that I cannot handle because I believe in totally fulfilling the commitments made by me," she added.

A lot had been said about Aishwarya's dipping popularity as Bollywood's reigning endorsement queen when 24-year-old Katrina Kaif replaced her as the face of Nakshatra jewellery last year.

And speculation was rife about the reason behind the replacement, with some saying that Katrina was roped in to add more youthfullness to the brand. But it was apparently Aishwarya who decided to dissociate herself from the brand.

"There was a lot of buzz when Katrina stepped in as the brand ambassador for Nakshatra. But it wasn't that Aishwarya was dethroned, because the brand was branching out into different accessories," the source close to the former Miss World said.

"Ash had earlier signed De Beers for their brand Nakshatra. Later De Beers sold this brand to the Gitanjali group and they started branching out into accessories like hairbands, clips, etc. That's when she decided to disassociate herself from the brand and later it went to Katrina," the source told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Aishwarya, who celebrated her second wedding anniversary with actor husband Abhishek Bachchan Monday, also had personal reasons to withdraw her association with Coca-Cola, one of the biggest brands she was endorsing in India.

"Aishwarya was never asked to leave endorsing a product, it was always her own decision. When she left Coca-Cola, it was a decision taken only after she was going to marry Abhishek because the Bachchans no longer believe in promoting and endorsing aerated drinks," the source added.According to industry insiders, Aishwarya takes home nearly Rs.1 billion from advertising assignments annually

Bollywood stars add glamour to Bengal campaign

Lok Sabha campaign, a host of Bollywood celebrities has descended on West Bengal to woo the electorate.External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, in the fray from Jangipur in Murshidabad district, roped in veteran star Mithun Chakraborty to sway the voters in the remote rural constituency last weekend.The news of Mithun's arrival created a sensation among the public, leading to a near-stampede at the venues.Amidst the pandemonium, Mukherjee himself could not reach one of the meeting sites, unable to pass through the milling crowd."I have come here because I have lot of respect for Pranabda," Mithun said, as the crowd seemed to go berserk at the sight of their hero."I want Pranabda to occupy a high post after the elections," Mithun said, triggering spontaneous applause from the audience.Bengal's own Mithun also rushed to Krishnanagar in Nadia district to canvas for fellow film actor and Trinamool Congress candidate Tapas Pal Sunday and again received an enthusiastic response.Former glamour queen Zeenat Aman trudged to Purulia and proved a big crowd puller during a roadshow for Congress nominee Shantiram Mahato.People scaled walls, crowded rooftops and windows for a glimpse of the actress, once the heartthrob of the youth for her sizzling performances in films like "Qurbani", "Satyam Shivam Sundaram", and "Hare Rama Hare Krishna".Last week Trinamool Congress candidate from Kolkata North Sudip Bandopadhyay brought in Mumbai actors like Asrani and Prem Chopra.

Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra travel in Mumbai local train

Kaminey - the very term that could actually invoke anybody to bash the person mouthing it, also happens to be the name of the much anticipated film that stars Shahid Kapoor alongwith the Priyanka Chopra and directed by the ever so versatile Vishal Bhardwaj. For many days, after the announcement of the film, not even a single soul got to know of Shahid's double role in it, a much guarded secret that has now become the USP of the film! So much for irony. The adjoining snap has Shahid in one of his most likeable avatars alongwith Miss Chopra, which has been shot inside of a train.Well, the news from our reliable sources also has it that the till now chocolate boy Shahid will be seen as someone who is totally absolutely raw, rigid and sturdy! Not just that, even the locations in which the film has shot have been kept as rustic as possible, which includes local stations, and scarp and junkyards! Word also has it that in this film, Priyanka plays an extremely vocal Maharashtrian girl, who believes in making herself heard. If that wasn't enough, then, hear this one. Kaminey also marks the 'debut' of Amole Gupte as the ruthless villain. For starters, Amole is the very name that was in eternal spotlight for quite sometime, courtesy the 'creative differences' between him and Aamir Khan, during the shoot of Taare Zameen Par.Well, we are just having galore of reasons to yearn for that time machine as we just cannot wait any longer for Kaminey.

Wishing Arshad Warsi a very happy Birthday

He is one of the most 'A'rguably 'R'eal 'S'pontaneous 'H'ero 'A'nd 'D'irector's actor! Well, if you were to pick only the initials of the above, then, all the roads will surely lead to the domain of today's Birthday boy Arshad Warsi! He is the man who gave the term 'circuit' a total makeover, courtesy the hugely successful 'Munnabhai' series!After having stepped into Bollywood, with the mega musical treat called Tere Mere Sapne, Arshad went on to do films which only paved the way for him to become every cine goer's earnest dream come true! Films like Hero Hindustani, Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, Salaam Namaste, Kabul Express, Dhamaal, Golmaal Returns, Sunday etc… will always stand as glowing testimonies to this. It was only after the 'Munnabhai' series that Arshad got his mega superstar status, something that he has kept alive till date, with his choice of films and his dedicated and sincere performances in the same. With an array of films under his belt, the year 2009 only surely promises to be a super cool year for Arshad, the multi talented actor!

Guess Who

Good 'Monday' Morning to one and all. After a relaxing weekend its back to the grind and to make your Mondays anything but mundane, Bollywood Hungama bring you its unique, special weekly feature - Guess WhoToday we have for you a gorgeous beauty who is not only a versatile actress but also a gifted singer and a super-talented performer. Having started her career as a VJ, she soon got bitten by the Bollywood bug and made an impressive debut in a big banner multi-starrer.She also simultaneously kept herself busy with her music album and numerous stage shows. Giving out any more would spoil all the fun so we leave it to you to Guess Who the celebrity is?

Rohit Roy reprises Big B's role in 'Abhimaan' adaptation

Rohit Roy is all set to step into Amitabh Bachchan's shoes for the Bengali adaptation of 1973 hit film "Abhimaan", best remembered for its songs like "Teri bindiya re" and superlative performances by the Big B and Jaya Bachchan."I'm doing a major project called 'Pa Ma Ga Re Sa', which is a modern musical love story. It will be my first Bengali film and it is special because it is based on 'Abhimaan'. It is basically an adaptation of the film," Rohit told IANS over phone from Mumbai."The film has Gauri Karnik, who was seen in 'Sur' before. And former Miss India (Earth) Reshmi Ghosh will be seen as the other woman. It is being directed by Surajit Dhar," he added.The first schedule of the film has already been shot and Rohit, who has recently stepped in as the host of the third season of TV dance reality show "Jhalak Dikkhla Jaa", will soon head to Kolkata to shoot a few more scenes of it.Rohit has joined "Jhalak..." midway and is co-hosting the show with TV actress Shweta Tiwari."This show is very close to my heart. I watched the first season, hosted the second and now I'm hosting the third mid-way. I think even the producers have grown to like me and I'm really excited to be back on the host's seat," he said.On the Bollywood front, the actor has a bouquet of films like "Mittal Vs Mittal", "Apartment" and "Alibaug" in his kitty. And the actor, who had made his first stint with the arclights with popular TV show "Swabhimaan", is excited about essaying different roles in each of these movies."In 'Mittal Vs Mittal', I'm playing an abusive husband to Rituparna Sengupta, in Jagmohan Mundra's 'Apartment', I'm playing a very jovial, guy-next-door sort of a role and in 'Alibaug', my role is of a doctor who cheats on his wife. As an actor, I can't draw a line and decide a set kind of roles that I want to do, I have to be diverse and I am enjoying doing it," said Rohit, who also featured in hit film "Shootout At Lokhandwala".Besides this, he is also toying with the idea of scripting his next directorial venture, which will be a remake of Basu Chatterjee's 1981 classic "Shaukeen".Chatterjee's film, about the adventures of three old men in Goa, starred Ashok Kumar, Utpal Dutt and A.K. Hangal, but Rohit's "grand wishlist" for the cast of his "glamorous" version of the film includes Rishi Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah and Boman Irani."We are trying to finish the scripting of this mad comedy. Though the idea of the film will be based on 'Shaukeen', the reason for their adventures would change and the setting would be more glamorous - maybe they would go to Las Vegas instead of Goa."As for the cast, I hope these people in my wish list would want to work in the film after hearing the script," said Rohit

Sumber: https://bolliwoodstories.blogspot.com/2009/04/news.html