Sanjay Dutt enters politics

It was a surprise announcement from Samajwadi Party on Thursday when it came out that Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt would be its candidate from Lucknow for the Lok Sabha elections “subject to clearance by the Supreme Court and the Election Commission.” Mr. Dutt, who had been sentenced by the High Court under the Arms Act, would be the party’s star campaigner in the elections.

Announcing the party’s first list of 29 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections after a meeting of the Central Parliamentary Board here on Thursday, party general secretary Amar Singh said, “Like a BJP MP, who is a known cricketer, was allowed to contest despite being convicted, we too will try our best to field Sanjay Dutt. If we fail, he will certainly be our star campaigner.”

He also claimed that Sanjay Dutt had agreed to contest. “Dutt told me you are like my elder brother. He said he would do anything I ask him to though he said he was not a political person,” Singh said.

Mr. Singh also said that recently the United Nations made him their global ambassador on malnutrition. “Since we are an ally of the Congress and Sanjay’s sister Priya is a Congress MP, we hope the party would be happy.”

Dabboo Ratnani 2009 calendar launch

The launch of Dabboo Ratnani’s 2009 calendar was a glamorous as the calendar itself with the leading faces of Bollywood gracing the occasion. The occasion seemed complete in itself as it saw Vidya Balan looking graceful as ever in a white embroidered salwar suit. Kangana Ranaut seemed to be coming from a corporate meeting when she was spotted in a black formal business suit at the Launch. Handsome men, Shahid Kapoor and Dino Morea with girlfriend Lara Dutta were also spotted at the occasion. All three came together at the function. Also present were cute Amrita Rao, sultry Sophie Chaudhary, Ayesha Takia with fiance Farhan Azmi, sexy Riya Sen, Raveena Tandon and so on and so forth.

Glam Dolls in the swimming pool for ‘Trump Card’

Glam dolls of Bollywood and the upcoming models Urvashi Chowdhary, Yashika and Manasi came together at the Madh Island in Mumbai for the shoot of a song sequence in their upcoming movie ‘Trump Card’. The three male actors in the movie are also new faces in Vikram Kumar, Pankaj Gupta and Haider Khan.

The movie is a suspense thriller and a murder mystery. Although it is being made on a low budget, nonetheless the actors and actresses are all excited about the project as they hope that the film will make their presence felt in the tinsel town.

 

Shabana Azmi keeps her date with Nepal

Though Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan dropped his plans to visit Nepal in view of the growing dispute over the revered Pashupatinath temple, another cinema icon from India, Shabana Azmi, has kept her date with the Himalayan republic.

Shabana, who had first come to Nepal in 1974 to take part in the filming of Dev Anand's "Ishq Ishq Ishq", Monday returned on a three-day visit to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.

Shabana, who is also a former member of parliament and social activist, is in Nepal as the SAARC Goodwill Amabassador for Uniting against HIV/AIDS and TB, an honour she shares with renowned Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya.

"I feel fully committed," she told the media Tuesday.

"The human rights aspects of living with HIV/AIDS are responsible for my involvement in these 18 years."

Shabana, who was the first Bollywood actor to take part in a public service film 15 years ago that projected the message that AIDS does not spread by touch, said myths still abound about HIV/AIDS.

"There are doctors, lawyers, politicians and mainstream people who still think people with HIV/AIDS deserve to die because they are immoral," she said.

"People still believe AIDS is a product of western culture and satellite TV and it's only truck drivers and prostitutes who have AIDS.

"It is unjust, unfair and untrue."

Contrary to the perception that stigma about AIDS prevailed in the poor segments of society, it is the middle and upper classes who show greater prejudice, Shabana said.

"There are horror stories," said the star who acted in the 1997 film "Positive", that was part of the four-film "AIDS Jaago" project conceptualised by director Mira Nair to generate awareness about the disease.

"People have been tied in chains and kept in dungeon-like situations like they used to do with lepers (in the past).

"An entire village was not allowed to vote because one person had AIDS. No official was ready to go there."

The rise of HIV/AIDS is also related to sexual discrimination and lack of empowerment for women, Shabana said.

She pointed out that while AIDS cases had decreased among commercial sex workers after they were educated about condom usage, it had gone up among housewives.

"It is alarming," Shabana said. "It shows housewives can't negotiate condom usage."

Shabana believes that she has a role to play in sensitising the media and women empowerment.

She also underscores the need for a united approach to battle AIDS.

"The porous border (between India and Nepal) shows how susceptible we (all) are," she said. "It is not the day of nations fighting AIDS but regions (fighting together)."

Shabana, who met Nepal's Health Minister Giriraj Pokhrel Tuesday will also call on Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda Wednesday.

Besides, she is scheduled to visit an orphanage.

Javed Akhtar does 'bhangra' on son Farhan's show

Writer-poet Javed Akhtar, who usually shies away from breaking into dance and song, will now be seen doing the bhangra on the small screen to celebrate son Farhan's birthday Friday.Javed paid a surprise visit on Farhan's show "Oye! It's Friday!" and spoke about his son's growing days. He even shared some secrets about Farhan before the father-son duo broke into a 'bhangra' jig.
The special episode, to be aired on NDTV Imagine Friday, will also have actress Deepika Padukone as a guest.

'Victory' is about India's obsession for cricket: Director
Director Ajitpal Mangat says his forthcoming film "Victory", starring Harman Baweja, Amrita Rao and over 30 cricketers, is an attempt to showcase India's obsession for cricket.
"Cricket is a sport that is a year-round celebration. It is the lifeline of India, which is put across very well in the songs of my film," Mangat said.
"We are a nation that might get disappointed by a loss, but the very next day we get glued to the TV screens again for the next match. So I have just made a film about the same obsession for the game," he added.

Sudha Chandran now in supernatural TV show
After playing a scheming mother-in-law, actress-danseuse Sudha Chandran has now joined the cast of a supernatural thriller "Kaisi Laagi Lagan".
Sudha, whose popularity on the small screen catapulted when she played Ramola Sikand in Ekta Kapoor's "Kahin Kissi Roz", plays Ambika in "Kaisi Laagi Lagan" that airs on Sahara One.
Known for her distinct dressing style, Sudha will once again be seen wearing elaborate jewellery and her trademark large, stylised bindis

Govinda resumes shooting for 'Naughty At 40'

Putting an end to all the speculation over the future of "Naughty At 40", actor Govinda resumed shooting for director Jagmohan Mundhra's movie this week."It was never Govinda's fault that the shooting had halted. We had some production problems which have now been sorted out. Govinda has never been troublesome. For a 3 p.m. shift he arrives at 2.30 p.m," Mundhra said.
He said it is time the industry realised that they are in the throes of a recession. "Actors within the industry have realised it and are working accordingly. There are reports of how Govinda has been troubling my project 'Naughty At 40'. But the truth is that the project being in trouble has nothing to do with Govinda. On the contrary, he has been unfailingly disciplined and punctual."
The shooting is now taking place in Punjab.
"We shoot for 25 days and the film will be done. The days of stretching a film and its budget are over. Stars now need to cut their prices and give their dates at a stretch. It's the only way to work."