Bollywood Gossips

Vidya Balan Hot Photoshoot for M Magazine

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 05:30 AM PDT

Bollywood Actress: Vidya Balan on the cover of M Magazine 2012. Latest Vidya Balan Hot photoshoot for M Magazine. The sensuous Vidya Balan on the cover of 'M'. Enjoying the best phase of her career with two back-to-back hits like 'The Dirty Picture' and 'Kahaani', Vidya Balan is likely to sweep most awards this year too. Her next appearance will be in an item number in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Ferrari Ki Sawaari.

Vidya Balan Hot Photoshoot for M Magazine

Salman Khan to Endorse Yatra.com

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 12:24 AM PDT

Bollywood News: Bollywood Superstar Salman Khan, who will be the brand ambassador of yatra.com, has also picked up a minority stake in travel agent Yatra Online Pvt. Ltd. "Since we are targeting customers in smaller towns, Salman Khan is a great fit considering his mass appeal across the country," said Sharat Dhall, president, yatra.com.

Dhall did not specify how his company would be using Salman Khan's investment or the remuneration being given to the actor for his multiple-year contract. He, however, said yatra.com would support Salman Khan's charitable organization called Being Human.
Yatra Online is in the process of consolidating operations in larger cities such as Mumbai and Delhi and entering smaller towns in India. Pratik Mazumder, head, marketing and strategic alliance, said McCann Erickson India has been given the mandate for the advertisement campaign while his company dealt directly with Salman Khan to make him the brand ambassador and an investor.
"This could be first instance where a Bollywood star is picking up a stake in the brand he is representing," Mazumder said.

While airline firms such as Jet Airways (India) Ltd and Kingfisher Airlines Ltd have had Bollywood actors such as Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone as brand ambassadors, none has been known to pick up a stake in those companies. In Hollywood, actor Justin Timberlake, who had acted in the movie The Social Network as a Facebook Inc. investor, had bought a small stake in another social media network, Myspace Inc., in June 2011.

Salman Khan's investment comes at a time when the Indian travel industry is seeing turbulence, with domestic airlines posting losses because of high jet fuel cost, intense competition and a slowing economy. A $2.5 billion loss will be added in the current fiscal by domestic airlines, and existing providers of capital are increasingly nervous about the sector's viability, according to consulting firm Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Dhall termed these as "short-term hiccups" for the Indian airline industry.

"These is a huge potential in terms of online travel space. Now, we sell air tickets, rail tickets, hotel stays and holiday packages," he said. "We are growing in line with customers' demand." Yatra.com is backed by investors including Promod Haque's Silicon Valley-based Norwest Venture Partners, Anil Ambani controlled Reliance Capital Ltd, Raghav Bahl-promoted Network 18 Media & Investments Ltd, and Intel India Pvt. Ltd, the strategic investment arm of Intel Corp.

Last year, it had raised Rs. 200 crore to propel its hotels and holiday booking business with the help of funding led by San Francisco-based Valiant Capital Management L.P., with Norwest Venture Partners and Intel Capital participating as well.

Bollywood Gossips

Bollywood set to take on IPL with string of releases in next two months

Posted: 31 Mar 2012 06:30 AM PDT

Bollywood News: Bollywood filmmakers have put up a brave act this year by lining up a string of big and small budget films for release in the next two months even as the cricket fever kicks off from April 4 with IPL season 5.

This year, films which will face the IPL, mainly include Sajid Khan’s multi starrer comic caper, ‘Housefull 2′ (April 6), actor John Abraham’s maiden home production ‘Vicky Donor’ (April 20), Viacom 18 Motion Pictures’ ‘Bittoo Boss’ (April 20) and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ‘Ferrai Ki Sawari’ (April 27).

On the risk of releasing a film during IPL, Sajid Khan told PTI, “Its OK to release a film during IPL..its a myth not to release a film during that time. IPL will also do well and even ‘Housefull 2′ will be a superhit film.” According to actor-turned-producer John Abraham, “the IPL opens very strong and dips in the middle after the first fortnight, and that is when we have decided to release the film. Because we know there is going to be a fatigue factor somewhere in the middle and we are going to cash in on that.”

“It is not a social film (Vicky Donor)..its a commercial one. The concept of sperm donation is first of its kind, we needed it to be treated with care. We know that our target audience is mainly colleges. We will market this film effectively,” he said.

Priyadarshan’s action-thriller ‘Tezz’ (April 27), Emraan Hashmi-starrer ‘Jannat 2′ (May 4), Karisma Kapoor’s comeback film ‘Dangerous Ishq’ (May 11), Yash Raj Films ‘Ishaqzaade’ (May 18) and Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Department’ (May 18) are other releases.

“This time around we have a fantastic variety of films lined up for release during IPL. Its great that filmmakers are not afraid of IPL anymore. Usually it is vacation time, summer holidays..so everyone wants to relax.. have a good time, so what better than a good dose of entertainment through movies,” Trade Analyst Taran Adarsh said. ”This is a great trend as a mix of both big and small films are releasing during this time. Films should release whether IPL or no IPL,” he said.
Now its wait and watch on who scores high on audience attention — cricket or films. (PTI)

Anti-tobacco campaigner Vivek caught smoking

Posted: 31 Mar 2012 12:31 AM PDT

Bollywood News: In a surprise midnight raid at the Mabrook restaurant in Vile Parle on Thursday, police officers from the Social Service (SS) branch rounded up 23 people for allegedly smoking hookahs, the use of which is banned is public areas.

Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi and two of his friends were also among those caught in the raid. However, Oberoi, who is an ambassador for the World Health Organisation’s anti-smoking movement, denied the allegations stating that he was not smoking but had just come to the restaurant to meet his friends.

Based on a tip-off, a team of cops led by ACP Vasant Dhoble entered Mabrook restaurant located in Sahara Hotel at midnight. Around 23 people present in the restaurant were smoking shisha, which is a blend of molasses, fruit and tobacco. Customers made a mad scramble for the exit when they noticed the police, but were barred from leaving. Fifteen hookahs were seized and the 23 people were rounded up.

Actor Vivek Oberoi, who was among those present, asked the ACP to let him go stating that he had not consumed tobacco. When the police refused, he told them that the incident would tarnish his image as he was part of an anti-smoking campaign. The police then warned him against interfering in their investigations.

After the raid, the police took down contact details, addresses and statements of the 23 customers after which they were allowed to go. The restaurant’s manager, Jagdish Patoshi, 31, was booked under sections 394, R W (471) of the BMC Act.

When contacted, DCP B.G. Shekhar (Enforcement) confirmed the incident saying, “Investigations are on. Every customer named in the FIR filed by the SS branch will be called for proper questioning. A case under section 4 R W (21) of Tobacco Act has been registered.”

An official from the Sahara Star Hotel denied having any knowledge of the incident. “Nothing of this sort has happened to my knowledge. Selling of hookahs is banned and we don’t resort to such activities in Sahara Star,” said Rajesh Mohan, head strategy manager of the Hotel.

Despite repeated attempts, Vivek Oberoi remained unreachable. However his father, Suresh Oberoi, said, “My son does not smoke or drink, he is the anti-tobacco ambassador appointed by the UN. We have received a letter of apology from the hotel for the inconvenience caused to my son.”

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