Cool Bollywood

Bengali beauty Riya Sen has been a godsend to struggling airlines recently as she has been working hard on the modeling circuit, becoming a showstopper in cities as far apart as Simla, Pune and Kolkata. “Well, it’s just been all work and no play recently,” she says, “But I’m quite content with that.”

Riya was also a judge at the Bombay Times Fresh Face competition semi-final in Mumbai on Friday. Over forty contestants fought for one of the final places on offer. It was tough for Riya to decide as she was looking for personality, raw talent and attitude as the three leading criteria, something that the contestants had in abundance. “Not even our film industry has so much talent,” she said.

After her amazing cameo in the exceptional Abhomaan, Riya says she would now like to do more Bengali films and is happy about the way her career is progressing. “I have lately been very choosy about my films,” she says, “When you start your career, you act in all kinds of movies. You don’t pick and choose. But later on, you may feel that there were some films where you should have given a second thought before saying yes.”

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is totally upset with the false rumor of her pregnancy. She is fed up of giving explanation that she is totally alright and is not suffering from stomach tuberculosis. The former Miss World says, “I am absolutely fine… rocking.”

Ash got an opportunity to speak her mind at an award function hosted by NDTV in the Capital on Wednesday. She won the Entertainment Icon at the event and in her thanking speech she said, “Please don’t pay heed to reports about my ill-health. This time, the media has really gone overboard with the whole thing. And I doubt if anyone even knows anything about the disease I am supposed to be suffering from!”

Clarifying about her health issue, Ash said, “Abhishek had to clarify for me. Do people even know the difference between stomach and womb to be saying this?”

Ash was present with her in-laws Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan but Abhishek Bachchan was absent during the event, she said, “Abhi didn’t want to miss the function. Our family tries to spend as much time as possible together. But he’s busy working double shift.”

Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor spent his 29th birthday with his family. He was especially delighted with the presence of his mother with whom he has “a great emotional connect”.

Referring to all the plans that had been reported for his birthday Thursday, Shahid says: “Everyone made plans that I didn’t know about. It was quite annoying. Even my guest list was prepared.”

“But no, the truth was there were no plans beyond the family.”

About his mother’s presence on this birthday, he says: “Me and my mom used to live together. Now we live separately. But we have a great emotional connect. So “aal izz well” on that front.”

“My brother Ishaan stays with my mom and we’re always hanging out together. In fact, I was at his annual day hours before my birthday. I feel I’m terrible to my family and friends because I don’t give them enough time.”

Shahid’s closing thoughts on his birthday: “This is going to be a year of learning for me. In the last couple of years, I’ve been going on the sets and trying to behave as if I know my job.”

He is also excited about acting in his father Pankaj Kapoor’s film “Mausam”.

“Now this year I’m going to be a student to my father as he makes his film. I want to go on the set with an attitude of learning. I want to come out a better human being and an actor. And I know I will because there’s no better teacher than my father.”

In a bid to save the environment, actress Gul Panag Thursday appealed to Mumbaikars to shun plastic.

“I believe that the type of people who stay in Mumbai and earn their living, are all aware of their surroundings and if we appeal to them with the objective of this project “Say No To Plastic”, I think they will surely be a part of it. With their cooperation, we can take forward this responsibility,” Panag told reporters after the official launch of the Green Commandoes project here Thursday.

Green Commandoes will start its first initiative “Say No To Plastic”, which will be carried out in 400 areas of Mumbai. Green Commandoes will engage themselves with local communities to make their neighborhood plastic free and eco-friendly.

“I will truly be associated with all the activities of Green Commandoes,” said Panag.

The actress maintained that people keep their homes clean but don’t do the same while on the road. “People never give a second thought before spitting or littering on the road. We must think of it. If there is no cooperative movement, there is no difference between us and animals,” said the actress.

Asked if there should be a legislative ban on the use of plastic, Panag said: “There hasn’t been any legislative ban on plastic till now. It is very important that every state show their will to enforce a ban on plastic.”

“Maybe in the near future we will see a legislative ban on plastic. But until then, I think it is our civic responsibility to try and bring whatever change we can bring. We can stop spitting or littering on the roads, we can stop using plastic. These things are in our control, so we should start doing that from today.” she added.

Ever since she made her debut with the film Slumdog Millionaire, Freida has been creating waves from the film’s victory at the Oscars, to her being signed on for Woody Allen’s next. She is certainly going places. However, the latest news is that Freida has been signed on for yet another Hollywood film War of The Gods.

While Freida has completed her shooting Woody Allen’s You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger opposite Josh Brolin and Naomi Watts, and Israeli film Miral, which has been directed by Julian Schnabel, she will be working in War of The Gods which is based on Greek mythology and will be directed by Tarsem Singh. It begins production in April.

The story revolves around the warrior Theseus, who leads his men into battle with the Greek gods to defeat evil and the other elder gods in order to save mankind.

Freida who plays a Greek priestess in the film, portrays Phaedra, an oracle priestess who joins Theseus, to prevent the cataclysmic war from erupting.

The film which is scheduled to go on floors this April is being produced by Gianni Nunnari of Hollywood Gang Prods, Mark Canton of Atmosphere Entertainment and Relativity topper Ryan Kavanaugh.