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When 32 years back, Umrao Jaan released, starring Rekha as ravishingly beautiful, tragedy-stricken courtesan of Lucknow, the film broke all records at the box-office, and is still remembered for its uniqueness. The film was helmed by Muzaffar Ali, and written by Javed Siddiqui.The duo had planned that they would come up with a sequel to Umrao Jaan someday, and now they have united again for another film on a courtesan, however, it won’t be a sequel to the 1981 classic. In fact, buzz states that the director has abandoned the idea of the sequel altogether.Earlier, Ali had planned a sequel where Umrao returns to the 'kotha' and continues her life. He was to show Rekha as the aged Umrao. Siddiqui told the sources, "Two years back, we started working on the second instalment. And Rekha was more than glad to do the film. But now, the plan has changed. Rekha doesn't fit into my scheme of things now."It is learnt that Ali and Siddiqui were not happy with the fate met by JP Dutta's Aishwarya-Abhishek starrer Umrao Jaan, which was on the same topic. "Frankly, it is difficult to live up to the high standards of the original film. Also, most sequels or even remakes are not well received," Ali said.We’re sure it must have come as huge disappointment for Rekha and Umrao Jaan’s fans!

Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman, who is most remembered for his role as Wolverine, may quit the quit the franchise soon, as he says that playing the character has been very compelling for him. It has been for a decade since Jackman has been playing the heroic mutant.Recently he spoke in length about his thoughts on reprising the iconic role. "Great parts always outgrow the actors that play them. If you forget that, it`s at your own peril. They are working on it now, and it would have to be very compelling for me to do it again. I`ve been doing it for 10 years," he said.On the idea of switching comic book characters or doing a crossover, the 44-year-old, said, "The great thing about comic books is that they threw Batman in with Wolverine or Spiderman. I have people ask me all the time, `Do you think Spider-Man can beat Wolverine?` It`s part of the DNA."He was speaking at the Spain film festival, where he had accompanied director Denis Villeneuve to promote his new movie Prisoners. There he was to receive the Donostia Award for the lifetime achievement at the special screening of the movie on September 27."Humbled and honoured by the award. My wife Deborra-Lee Furness won the Silver Shell in Los Angeles in San Sebastian in 1991 for her role in `Waiting`, so we`re going to just call it the Jackman-Furness Award if that`s alright with you."Keep up the good work!

From the moment Anil Kapoor bought the Indian Version official rights of the famous American T.V Series 24, The Trade, Press, Media and Viewers started drawing certain comparisons. Some started comparing Anil Kapoor with Keifer Sutherland, while others started analyzing Indian Viewer's acceptance towards the show. Anil Kapoor's '24' premiered its first episode tonight at 10 pm on Colors. It also replaced the popular comedy show, Comedy Nights With Kapil.So how is the show? Will it shatter all Daily Soap records with its TRP? Will 24 bring a new revolution in the history of Indian Television? Can 24 become a platform where a T.V watching viewer starts accepting big stars on small screen (On a Serial Format, of course and not in some Game or Reality based shows)?The serial's first episode starts with an explanation from its protagonist Jai Singh Rathod (Anil Kapoor) where he explains how India has faced some major terrorist attacks and for which Indian Government has formed ATU (Anti-Terrorist Unit) to protect our country from any such future damages. Jai Singh Rathod is the head of this ATU.Jai Singh Rathod is celebrating his wife Trisha Rathod's (Tisca Chopra) birthday along with his daughter Kiran (Sapna Pabbi). Jai get's a call from Nikita Rai (Mandira Bedi) who is a government agent at ATU. The minute Jai reaches the ATU Wing, He is informed about a serious threat on PoliticianAditya Singhania (Neil Bhoopalam) who is a Prime-Ministerial candidate and a youth icon. Aditya Singhania's life is in danger. Jai (While his way to ATU) get's a call from Wasim Khan (Anupam Kher) who is a Research and Analysis wing (RAW) officer informing about a "Rat" in ATU wing.Irritated by his father's behavior, Kiran goes out to party with her friends without informing her mother. The result is she goes missing.Aditya Singhania is ready to take his oath the next day with a prepared speech by his Mother (Anita Raj). But all hell breaks loose when he gets an immediate call from a T.V Channel head (Suchitra Pillai) who informs him about some of his dark crime which he committed 12 years back.A contract Killer is on his way from Thailand but killed in the Flight itself by another Femme Fatale. The Indian adaptation of '24', retains all the elements of the international series, the real-time, pulse-pounding, fast-paced format with split screens and complex interweaving storylines, with 24 episodes capturing 24 hours.Director Abhinay Deo does full justice with his dedicated direction along with tight screenplay by writers Rensil D'Silva and Milan Milaap Zaveri. This one does not at all looks like a T.V Series but it looks like a One Hour feature film on TV. Full marks to the Direction, Writing and Production team for creating a wonderful extravaganza on small screen. Performance wise, The show totally belongs to the one and only Anil Kapoor who makes you sit tight without touching your Remote Control buttons with his charm and persona. Keifer Sutherland as Jack Bauer might have been good there, but here Anil Kapoor is extra-ordinarily amazing as Jai Singh Rathod. Tisca Chopra, Anupam Kher, Mandira Bedi are superb in their respective parts. Neil Bhoopalam is just outstanding as Aditya Singhania and trust me, this first season belongs to him after Jai Singh Rathod. We are yet to see Shabana Azmi, But it was nice to see Anita Raj in a mind blowing role after a long time. Special mention to the actress who played Femme Fatale, The one who killed the contract killer and jumps from the flight. She hardly had 10 minutes in the First Episode, but she made her presence felt real strong.It is reported, some major channels initially refused to buy the idea of Indian Version of 24, At least not until Colors swooped in. I am very much sure those channels now regret it. I really have no clue or will not lay a challenge if 24 beats other Thrillers running strongly on other TV Channels with huge TRP's, But 24 will be the most exciting, The most talked about and the most interesting TV Mini Series India has ever produced.Prepare yourself on every Fridays and Saturdays at 10pm for a Thrilling roller coaster ride of 24 as this one is most Powerful, Gripping and an Honest show you will ever come across.

Former Victoria’s Secret supermodel Heidi Klum has made an announcement that she has decided against walking the ramp in lingerie anymore. Klum, 40, who in the past has been most sought-after bikini model, says that now she finds it all quite uncomfortable now."I wouldn`t model with my underwear down the runway anymore. I think I would find it a little uncomfortable, maybe," said Klum, who also pressed on the fact that she wouldn’t discontinue taking modelling assignments. "I still do photoshoots for covers and different things or advertising stuff," she added.On the other note, even though the actress once turned up dressing as a 95-year-old woman for Halloween bash. She was dolled-up with wrinkles and age spots, still, she isn’t scared of getting old. In fact, the model says that she won’t ever go for plastic surgery, as she finds the idea very scary. "I've never done anything," said the 40-year-old on Thursday. "I've been too scared, to be honest with you." While speaking to the sources recently, the model said that she has not yet taken fillers or injections for those pesky lines on her forehead. "Botox or bangs," she laughed. "I go for bangs. I'm scared that all of a sudden you're changing too much, your face starts changing," the mom of four said. "I would have a hard time looking in the mirror and seeing something that I'm not used to seeing. I'd be afraid!"Well said!

Porn star Sunny Leone is coming back with her ultra sizzling appearance in Kaizad Gustad’s thriller Jackpot. It would be her second Bollywood film after Pooja Bhatt’s Jism 2. She has also done an item song Leela Teri in Shootout Out Wadala.She has impressed director Kaizad Gustad, who is making his re-entry in filmmaking after a long period. His last film was Katrina Kaif starrer Boom, released in 2003. About working with Sunny Leone, he said, “Excited may be the wrong word. But yes, I'm happy to have worked with her. Sunny is a professional and it was fantastic directing her because she is always trying to give every shot her best. She is always asking questions and I like that about her. I'm blessed to have worked with her.”Producer-turned-actor Sachiin Joshi has been roped in to play opposite Sunny in the film that also features Naseeruddin Shah. About casting, Kaizad said, “I had written the script of Jackpot two years ago in Goa, during the rains. Then I just let it be. Most filmmakers are very possessive about their scripts. I usually leave my first draft sitting for a while. And, then I revisit it. Also, I do not write scripts with an actor in mind. I usually write and then do my casting. Coming to the bit about why Sachiin, well, we met socially and he asked me whether I was working on something. So, I told him about Jackpot. He liked the idea and was ready to roll almost immediately. And, I felt that he suited the role of a street-smart Goan local.”Jackpot is releasing on December 13, 2013.

On tha fateful night of November 30, Hollywood actor Paul Walker passed away in crash, which took place after a charity car show in Santa Clarita, California. Undoubtedly, it came as a huge shock for the entire world, as the Fast and Furious star was a big name worldwide.And now the latest the sources have managed to gather has that the star-actor’s family is keen to honour tha late actor in a special away and plans to hold his funeral in a grand scale. Walker was aged 40 when he died.The autopsy report said that the actor died from traumatic and thermal injuries following his horrific car crash. However, his family is yet to come in terms with his sudden demise. Now the family is looking forward to bid an emotional final goodbye to Paul. "They have not decided when the funeral will take place, it is still a work in progress," said a source. "They want to make sure that everyone who wants to mourn will be together and all schedules match. They hopefully will have more of an idea next week," the source added. We hope his family successfully copes up with the big jolt!

The British singer-cum-actress Sofia Hayat, who entered as a wild card entrant a few weeks back, is dropped out from Bigg Boss 7 house. Though initially, she entered the caravan section of the house, she soon stepped into the main Bigg Boss house where she mingled with all the contestants. She came out with a lot of spunk and never-say-die attitude in the show.However, post her fight with housemate Armaan Kohli, she was not feeling good in the house. Even at a point of time, she managed to create controversies and demanded to evict Armaan from the house. During a task Armaan supposedly hit the lady with the mop stick and she wanted to move out of the house.Sofia also made good friends in form of Gauhar Khan, Kushal Tandon, Andy and Kamya Punjabi. She joined Gauhar and Kamya’s hands and played the game while adopting the divide and rule tactic. But situations did not work in her favor and she ended up switching sides between Armaan-Tanisha and Gauhar-Kamya. Owing to her double-faced and deceitful nature, she attracted a lot of criticism from the housemates and was often referred to as Kerosene. Over all, she receives mixed feedbacks from her followers. Talking on her experience, Sofia Hayat said, “I had never watched a single season of Bigg Boss and had a very little idea about what I was getting into. But at the end of my journey in the house, I have learned a lot of things and was able to sail through all the testing times. Having said that, I do not regret a single moment spent in the house, though I faced disagreement with many people in the house.”Wish you luck for the future endeavors.

From dearest Daddy’s death to a series of flop films or item songs, Priyanka Chopra has also experienced some of the sheer adventures in the year 2013 that has been turning a mix of failure and success for the actress.She has launched her second album Exotic, which was opened on a great note. She has also become the first Indian celebrity to endorse the international fashion brand Guess. She brought a Roll Royce worth Rs. 2 crore that raised many eye-brows around the country. Well, this is a short list of PC’s most talked stints she had done in the year. A lot has been written about PC’s new car. Google has been flooded up the odd story on 'who gifted PC the Rolls? Priyanka explained, “It's the first one I'm getting. It's not like I'm a car fiend. This one was to commemorate... well, my mom said I deserved one now. It was her idea.” “Why can't a woman be an achiever enough to buy herself a car, a diamond, a home - and I work bloody hard to get everything I do. I mean, I have no problem if someone gifts me a car, either, but if it is a gift, I'll say it is. I have nothing to hide. But it's mine,” she added.In that context, has 2013 been the most happening year of your life? “It's been the worst year of my life. Personally, I don't think there has been a worse year. It's such a dichotomy,” concluded Priyanka.“I think people want honest points of view now,” said Priyanka Chopra when sources asked her to put flesh light on her recent statement- “If art inspires crime, than Ajanta and Kamasutra should be banned,” said Priyanka adding, “As a film actor, people have a certain expectation about what your opinions will be - but I usually have contrary opinions, and hence, am always in trouble.”

All set to be seen in upcoming action-comedy Boss, superstar Akshay Kumar revealed while promoting the Anthony D’Souza directorial, that he has this greed of doing good work, and it is in his nature to not take success for granted.He also revealed that he feels a sense of thrill doing stunts in his films, on his own, and exclusively for Boss, he has also avoided cable action. “In Boss, there is no cable action because youngsters are getting bored of it. They feel that the actors are not doing much — the cables are in all the jumps etc. In this film I have avoided cables. I just sit with my 10-year-old son and he gives me so much input. I get introduced to new music, new cinema, short films on YouTube courtesy Aarav (his son),” says Akshay.With Boss, he has turned mentors to two actors, Shiv Pandit and Aditi Rao Hydari, on the same, he said, “Shiv and Aditi are both very good. The team and I thought that they would be perfect for the parts they play. He's a handsome, good-looking young boy. I really enjoyed the first film that he did —Shaitaan—he had done a very good job. Aditi works from the heart, is a very good actress, with a vulnerable face so we decided that they should be a part of our film. Shiv and I are brothers and sons to Mithun Chakraborty. As for mentoring talent, I like people with bright ideas.”Boss releases on October 16!

Abhishek Bachchan is very close to her dad, and more than a dad, Big B is a friend for AB, whom he is glad to have. The star-kid recently talked about his childhood memories during the launch of Vimala Veeraraghavan and Shalini Singh's book Teenage Blues, where he went on to admit that his father always treated him as his buddy, and now he wants to be exact same to his daughter, Aaradhya."I wore my father's shoes when I was just 11 and since then he has always been a buddy and his idea of parenting was and he said this to me at a very young age. He said I will never hide anything from you. I will incorporate you in all your decisions and I will always ask you my opinion but your job is to make sure your opinion is something I can listen to," he said.He also revealed that Big B always treated him and his sister as equals. "And he always treated me as equal. Although we knew that we weren't but his behavior towards my sister and I was always the same. Everyone knows that fathers and daughters share and special bond and sons and mothers share a special bond. So for my father my sister was always the apple of his eye but I was always his friend and that's something I hope I can incorporate with Aaradhya," he said.Well said, AB!

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has always been respectable towards women, and he proved it to the world when he ensured that the actress’ name in his movie, came first in the credit roles, and it came true when Deepika Padukone’s name appeared before his name in Chennai Express’ credit roles.And now the actor intends in doing the same in award shows next year. The sources had recently quizzed the actor that he wanted the actress’ name to come first in awards as well, he replied in affirmative.He said, "I think they should do it. I am hosting an award show next year and I will ensure that the best actress award should be saved for the last. It is a nice thing. Hindi films, and films at large, are a little patriarchal. But don't worry. It will change in the next ten years. Women will rule."While speaking to the sources, he revealed that director and good friend R Balki's Tata Tea ad inspired him to put Deepika's name in the beginning of the film. "Balki had made that ad for Tata Tea and I got the idea. Since Chennai Express is our film, I could take the call. We will do the same thing with Farah's Happy New Year," he added.Respect for you!

Tinseltown actor Robert Di Niro is seen playing memorable characters like The Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. However, when he was quizzed about his real-life heroes, he named out Nelson Mandela, Indira Gandhi and Mahatma Gandhi.Niro, 70, is presently in Goa, India, where he will be participating at the ongoing THiNK Fest 2013. Sharing his thoughts, he said, "I have many real life heroes as my inspiration. Mandela, Peres, James Dean, Marlon Brando and from India... Indira Gandhi and Mahatma Gandhi. They are strong people with a big heart," De Niro said on the sidelines of the festival. "I try to be more empathetic towards my characters. I try to understand its position by putting myself in their shoes. I feel I am lucky to get into these lives without having to pay a real price," he added. When confessed that he doesn’t remember his early film days, he said, "I really don't remember..." He also said that he has no idea why he wanted to be in cinema and he started his career at the age of 16. "I dropped out of school and enrolled in Stella Adler's acting school, to the surprise of my friends and family. When she (Stella) asked me why I joined this profession, I didn't have an answer. She answered on my behalf that since I wanted to express myself so I chose this profession. I nodded and repeated the same line," he said. Speaking of Indian trip, he added, "Indian people are very nice. I came here 35 years ago and promised that I will be back in couple of years. I got busy and even tried to come last year. But it didn't happen." Glad you came now!

After watching Deepika Padukone dancing ardently in Ram Leela, we can easily speculate how tough it is for an actor to step into the shoes of their character in the movie. Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor is also categorized herself in the list of actors, who never think twice before cracking their heel to depict the role, perfectly.First, she went to indulge into the books of physiotherapy as per the demand of her upcoming film Khoobsurat, a remake of 1988’s Rekha starrer same name. It was also reported that she is also doing up things for the costumes of her character. If this is not enough, Sonam has had her earlobe and cartilage pierced specially for the movie. “Getting our ears pierced when we are kids is easy but to have the cartilage pierced is an extremely painful exercise,” said Sonam, who was given an option to wear artificial jewel in the film. However, despite the fact that it would be extremely hurtful, Sonam was not at all daunted by the whole idea. She immediately agreed to do it as it adds spunk to her character.She plays a physiotherapist and we must say the real life diva is quite kicked about her non-glamorous role in the film. It looks the film will also be seen reflecting in her role in the film.Sonam was last seen in Raanjhanaa and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.