Ash might sue Elle for ‘whiteface’

The beauty queen is verifying claims that her face was whitened on the cover of a fashion glossy to meet Caucasian

The racial controversy surrounding Ash’s face on the cover of a leading fashion magazine has just gotten darker.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is apparently furious with the bleaching botch-up that the fashion bible carried on her face. Not one to show emotions easily, the former Miss World is visibly upset when told about this possible doctoring. Says a source close to her, “Aishwarya’s first reaction was disbelief.

She believed that these things don’t happen anymore. Not in this day and age when women are recognized for their merit, and not for the colour of their skin. She is currently verifying this skin-whitening allegation. If there is any proof of this, she might even take action.”

Ash has been caught up with her father being ill. As a result, she has not had the time to ascertain the veracity of this race row.

Apparently the doctoring was noticed by fans and not the media. Avid fashion victims grabbed copies of this month’s issue of the magazine, only to notice that the beauty pageant was not looking right; she was looking white. Enraged, they began posting livid messages online.

They felt that her image had been doctored by the magazine to appease Caucasian standards of beauty. It might be recalled that in September this year, the US edition of the same magazine featured on its cover an African-American actress, Gabourey Sidibe, with a much paler complexion.

This created an uproar on the internet. When questioned on this, the magazine claimed that it had not whitened the Academy Award-nominated actress’s skin any more than those of the other models (white) clicked along with her.

Closer home, a close friend of Ash says, “No one in any part of the world look at Ash with culture-specific eyes. Though she has represented India on many international forums she is regarded as a world citizen. She is clearly the global face of the contemporary Indian woman. The last thing she’d want is to have a global image coloured by a racial suggestion.”

Katrina rejects film opposite Ranbir

Katrina Kaif saw one of the biggest successes of her career last year with ‘Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani’ but now she has refused to do Raj Kumar Santoshi’s next.

Santoshi is planning another movie titled ‘Ajab Haseena Gajab Deewana’. Ranbir Kapoor was the first choice for the film and he is also on board. However, when the filmmaker approached Katrina to pair opposite Ranbir, she turned down the offer.

Apparently, the actress is not interested in doing the film and so she has sighted the classic date problems as an excuse. The team is still looking for the female lead.

There have been lots of hide and seek play when it comes to the alleged relationship between Kapoor Khandan’s youngest charm Ranbir Kapoor and the beautiful actress Katrina Kaif.

However, the reports suggest that Ranbir and Katrina are in a romantic relationship for more than a year now and they prefer to meet each other at their houses to avoid public gossip.

Lakshmi Rai loves to do a Lingerie ad

She was seen in one Telugu film many years ago and after that she disappeared only to appear in few dubbed movies. She is none other than Lakshmi Rai and it appears that this luscious bombshell is keen on exposing and skin show rather than taking up few fetching offers.

It is heard that recently, a popular Sari showroom folks approached Lakshmi Rai to model for their latest collections. However, Lakshmi reportedly ignored the request and took it light. This response from Lakshmi has not gone down well with many who heard the reaction.

They said that while there is someone willingly coming forward to drape Lakshmi in a Rs 4 lakh sari, the actress is more interested in sexposing and showing her thighs at public event. The talk is that maybe Lakshmi will show interest when she is approached to do a lingerie ad as she likes bare and showing off her private parts to public

SRK celebrating the failure of 'TMK'!

Shah Rukh Khan apparently hosted a party weekend gone by to celebrate the failure of " Tees Maar Khan" with close friends.

Says a source, "There were many cars parked outside Mannat and quite a bit of happiness was expressed over the failure of "TMK". SRK has been made fun of in the film, so it's only understandable he's pleased that it isn't working."

But those who're close to SRK opine, "He's a very cautious man and will wait and watch because he knows "TMK" will recover its money. He'd never do anything where he'll have to eat his words later. It was December 24, so a few friends may have come over."

Aishwarya Rai said no to Autobiography !

One of the foreign publishing houses has offered Aishwarya Rai Bachchan a bomb to write her autobiography. 

And why not! Ash is one of the leading actresses of her times and also having made India proud on global level. She has also a lot to share even on personal fronts. So far she has never shared her views on whatever ups and downs she has seen in her life and she is still is not sure of whether this is the right time.

We hear one of the publishers had been to her with a blank cheque and asked her to quote her price but as of now Ash wants to continue being private person. Hope we soon get to leaf through her life!  

“Ash is unsure whether it is the right time to write a book. She respects her privacy and this is the major roadblock in sealing the deal," adds the source. 

What’s more is that Aishwarya too confirmed that she got the offer but refused to give a definite comment by saying, “There is a right time for everything to happen”.

Kathak in a new avatar

Experience the new-age jugalbandi combination through the performances of two young kathak dancers

Hindustani classical performing artistes have been undertaking many new and different experiments to reach different layers of the audience. In the past the ‘jugalbandi’ format was widely used and it is still in demand.

Fusion concerts comprising of Hindustani, Carnatic and Western, African or Spanish musicians are very much in vogue. Tabla players who have been traveling abroad are often exposed to the prevailing fashions in world music and thus they are inspired to try their hands at new combinations.

Following this trend, senior tabla exponent, Kalinath Mishra, who belongs to the Benaras gharana, has been accompanying reputed Kathak dancers like the legendary Birju Maharaj or even those like Uma Dogra and Keka Sinha, who dominate the Mumbai Kathak scene.

“The Benaras gharana of the tabla has a close association with the Kathak dance form. My guru Kishen Maharaj used to provide tabla accompaniment to the great Birju Maharaj or Sitara Devi,” says Kalinath Mishra.

Kalinath, through his long association as a tabla player, has developed insights into the dance form and has been guiding young Kathak performers. Arpana Rao and Priya Chauhan, two prominent young dancers who have initially learned from Mita Bannerjee of the Jaipur gharana of Kathak, will present a performance at the Juhu Iscon Auditorium on Sunday January 2.

Arpana Rao has been an actor on the English language theatre, having acted in plays like, ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ‘ and ‘I Do and I Don’t’. She has had her earlier training in the Kathak dance form from Asha Joglekar and Uma Dogra.

Arpana Rao will present a ‘Saraswati Vandana’, an invocation to the Goddess Saraswati. “It is a kind of a ritual but it is an essential part of a dance performance of every kind. We find ‘Vandana’ in Odissi or even in ‘Bharatnatyam’,” says Arpana. The pure dance segment will include a 16 beat teen taal presentation by Arpana and also 14 beat dhamar taal presentation by Priya Chauhan.

“The 16 beat teen taal is quite familiar to the lay audience, because most of the musical compositions in classical music are set to teen taal. However, dhamar is an ancient taal and a part of the dhrupad repertoire. It has its own dignity and character. To synchronize one’s steps to the beat of dhamar is a challenge to one’s skills as a dancer,” says Priya.

The Kathak dance has been influenced by the folk culture of the eastern Uttar Pradesh. The song forms like the kajri or thumri have their origins in this soil. The dancers will enact a ‘Kajri’, which is a love song of the monsoon season, during their performance. They will also enact the song, ‘Nirtat Dhang’, an ‘ashtapadi’ in the raga ‘Des’, was composed by the pioneer of the Kathak form, Binadadin Maharaj.

The language-independent syllables of the tarana form lend themselves ideally to the rhythmic variations, which a Kathak dance performance demands. Priya and Arpana will also present a tarana duet to the resounding beats played on the tabla by Kalinath Mishra. On a cool winter afternoon the duo will charge up the atmosphere with their energetic footwork.

Aishwarya 'whitened' for fashion magazine?

Did Elle digitally lighten her skin for their cover? 

Fashion magazine Elle is being accused of stirring up a race row following alleged digital lightening of Aishwarya Rai's skin for the glamourous cover page.

The 37-year-old, who achieved global popularity after winning the Miss World crown in 1994 and following it up with films appears on the cover of this month's Indian edition of the magazine.

Though Aishwarya looks picture perfect in a flowing gown and a stunning hairdo, readers started reacting with fury after it was suggested that the fashion magazine might have used digital technology to enhance her complexion, reports dailymail.co.uk. Inside the magazine, she is pictured in a series of shots with light skin.

However, fans have been posting angry comments online about the latest cover.

One comment read: "It's ­annoying because it seems like lighter skin is always in fashion as if darker skin is ­something to be frowned upon."

Colour discrimination is quite a sensitive issue in India, and it is often percieved that those with a lighter complexion are more successful and wealthy.

­This isn't the first time that the magazine has been attacked for appearing to lighten the skin of its non-white models.

In September this year, Afro-American actress Gabourey Sidibe appeared on the cover of the US magazine with a much paler complexion than her usual.
 

Katrina's 'Sheila' brings crowds to 'Tees Maar Khan'

The movie had 90-95 per cent occupancy on its first day of release

Katrina Kaif's sensuous 'Sheila Ki Jawani' number brought in the audiences in droves to watch Farah Khan's 'Tees Maar Khan', with the movie garnering 90-95 percent occupancy on the day of its release December 24.

With their curiosity whetted by Katrina's moves in television promos of the film, the Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif starrer was a hit on its first day.

However, industry insiders predict the huge turnout is mostly due to Katrina's dance number.

"We are having good advance bookings for 'Tees Maar Khan' and the initial response is good, with almost 90 percent occupancy, but the content is not at all as per expectations," Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (cinemas) of Wave Cinemas, said.

"Audiences are mostly queuing up to watch Katrina Kaif in 'Sheila Ki Jawani', and that's about it," he added.

Amit Awasthi, senior manager (programming and operations) of Spice Cinemas, said: "The movie has opened to a fantastic initial with over 95 percent occupancy and the audiences are coming in mostly due to the hot item number," said Awasthi.

A source from PVR cinemas also said: "The initial for the movie is good at about 80-90 percent but the content is not getting appreciation. The audiences are only here for the item song and not for the movie per se."

Co-produced by Three's Company, Hari Om Entertainment and UTV Motion Pictures, the previews for the movie held on Dec 21, Dec 22 and Dec 23 in select cities in Britain have, however, grossed over Rs.7.5 million.

In the US, the previews grossed Rs.4 million on Wednesday alone, according to a statement by UTV. While in the Middle East, it has made around Rs.9.5 million on its opening day.

Another movie that was released is Ajay Devgn-Kajol starrer live action animation 'Toonpur Ka Superhero' that is still waiting to pick up with only 20-30 percent occupancy on an average.

Shah Rukh wants comedy

King Khan will be in seen in Golmaal series' hit director Rohit Shetty's remake of a hit '80s flick

Rohit Shetty and Shah Rukh Khan are set to come together for the remake of an '80s superhit comedy but with RS's consistent collaborator and buddy Ajay Devgn's blessings.

Says our B-Town source, "Rohit and Shah Rukh have had a few meetings over the last few months since the release of Golmaal 3.

Shah Rukh loved G3 and approached the filmmaker to direct his endorsement ads for his production house Red Chillies. Incidentally, Rohit is also on its board of directors.

When the two met, the megastar expressed a desire that the director and he come together for a feature film. SRK told Shetty that he wanted to do a comic family entertainer and asked him to look around for a script."

The Golmaal director zeroed in on a hit '80s comic entertainer. "Rohit and Red Chillies have approached the producer of the hit film for remake rights. Negotiations are in progress and he hopes to finalise the deal soon.

After that happens, the filmmaker and his team of his scriptwriters will begin work on the screenplay."

Rohit, being the straightforward person he is, didn't want close friend Ajay Devgn to hear about it from someone else.

After meeting Shah Rukh, he met AJ at Mehboob Studios where the latter was shooting and apprised him of the situation.

The source adds, "Ajay is never upset about Rohit working with different actors like Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh as he knows he can't suit every script and role.

In any case, Rohit starts shooting the remake of the Tamil super hit film Singam with Devgn in February."

Asin 'marries' Salman Khan!

She says after Malayali, Tamil and Telugu weddings, this is her first Punjabi shaadi

The press in the South is claiming that Asin tied the knot with Salman Khan earlier this week in the presence of close friends.

According to these reports, her parents weren't invited and stormed into the wedding mid-way and tried to stop it.

The actress sighs deeply when responding, "At last, the rumours are coming true. Salman and I are finally married. It's a first for both of us."

Too bad, it is only in a movie (Anees Bazmee's Ready). But Salman can't stop joking about the "solemn" occasion.

"Hey guys, I've finally done it," Salman has been shouting across the location at Film City to anyone in hearing distance.

The "news" of Asin's wedding has reached her native place Kerala.

When a local paper announced Asin's "marriage" with Salman with photographic evidence, the actress was flooded with congratulatory messages, with her fan base and relatives in Kerala wondering why she chose to marry without inviting near and dear ones.

She laughs, "You know, I'm quite enjoying the joke about my wedding. I've been in my bridal outfit taking the saat pheras, for a week now.

I almost feel I'm really married. The family opposition that is being talked about is also part of the script."

Asin adds that she never knew that getting married was so much fun and adventure. She says, "I've gone through Malayali, Tamil and Telugu marriages.

But this is my first Punjabi wedding. And I love it. I even danced at my sangeet to Laung Gawacha."

In fact, both Asin and Salman have decided they will get married Punjabi style, if and when it happens. "It's a pact. It will be a big fat Punjabi wedding."