His performance in movies has surely made people stand up and take notice of is talent, for he is Rehan Khan. Rehan, who is gearing up with his next release, the Aamir Khan starrer Dhobi Ghat, bares out his heart and soul in the latest issue of the magazine Fun.

The newly (re)launched magazine, which has started to create waves is fast becoming popular for its easy readability, and not so explicit content. The mag which features Rehan on the cover also features Celina in the girl’s edition called Fantasy.

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A still from Lamhaa

All the fanfare and controversy around Lamhaa turned out to be a flash in the pan eventually. At least for producer Bunty Walia. And he has no qualms in admitting it and that too, quite vociferously.

“I don’t know why I’m confessing but people didn’t turn up to watch Lamhaa,” sighs Bunty. “I am shocked. Despite the strong line of stars and the relevant subject of Kashmir, the film didn’t get any eyeballs. It is clear that Indians are not interested in what is happening in their country.”

Turns out, Bunty isn’t the only one lamenting. Lead actors Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu and Kunal Kapoor, have not been paid.

While Walia doesn’t deny this, he says, “But how can I pay them fully when I haven’t got a single paisa from this film? I have lost Rs 30 crore. Lamhaa has taken my life back by 10 years.”

Bunty Walia

Despite the loss, the producer stands up for director Rahul Dholakia and the actors. “They all did a fine job,” says Bunty, “I have no complaints with their work.”

Now that Walia is done rummaging for the silver lining, he’s starting afresh. He says, “I will definitely continue to make films but no issue-based ones hereafter.” Bunty and Karan Johar should probably catch up.

To get under the skin of his character in Rockstar, Ranbir Kapoor is frequenting AR Rahman’s studio

Rana Chakraborty

While Aamir Khan is known to take interest in the music of a film, rather every film he’s acting in, Ranbir Kapoor is doing it for personal reasons. The actor plays a rockstar in Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar and is working hard to get under the skin of his character.

So, the actor decided to give it his best shot. Since music plays a very important role in the film and AR Rahman is composing it in this one, Ranbir wants to understand it thoroughly. That is why he has started making frequent trips to AR Rahman’s studio.

An insider says, “Ranbir is taking keen interest in the music of the film. The actor knows that music is the soul of this film and that he needs to understand its pulse to really get into his character.”

Apart from taking guitar lessons, Ranbir is also brushing up on his rock music knowledge. Talking to Saif Ali Khan might help?

But just being in the presence of AR Rahman, must prove to be a music lesson in itself for Ranbir.

AR Rahman

Sure enough, the actor apparently just sits quietly at Rahman’s panoramic studio, while watching him work his magical fingers on his digitised equipment.”

Apparently, the character Ranbir plays is a Jim Morrison fan. But for a Rahman-besotted Ranbir, that might just prove to be another challenge.

The music legend’s son Shahid Rafi is launching a music academy in his father’s honour on July 31

Mohd Rafi

All Mohd Rafi fans, pay attention. Shahid Rafi, son of the music legend Mohd Rafi, is all set to launch a music academy in his father’s memory on the 31st of this month, which is Rafi’s 30th death anniversary. An apt tribute indeed.

Shahid Rafi has joined hands with 11 other people from the industry to launch this academy, which will double up as a Rafi museum of sorts. A musical night will kickstart the launch and will see many prominent people from the film and the music industry.

When contacted, Shahid Rafi said, “I have been getting this request for the last 25 years. Everywhere I go, people come up and tell me that their love and respect for Rafisaab is immense. That’s why I decided that we should do something like this. We have zeroed-down on a place in Lokhandwala, Andheri.

We will renovate the place and then start the academy. We are planning to get prominent people from the music industry to come and teach students there.

Apart from this, we will host shows in honour of musical legends, who are not amongst us now and will also felicitate members of their families.”

And guess what? The museum will have exclusive pictures, videos, many of his unused songs and his musical instruments on display among other things. Shahid Rafi added, “The museum will be like a walk down memory lane for his fans.”

Shahid Rafi

Apart from Shahid Rafi, the academy will have relatives of legends from the Indian music industry like Raju Naushad (Naushad’s son), Andalib Majrooh Sultanpuri (Majrooh Sultanpuri’s son), Ruhan Mahendra Kapoor (Mahendra Kapoor’s son), and Firdaus Shahid Rafi (Mohd Rafi’s grandson), amongst others in the governing body members of the Academy.

Sonakshi Sinha has broken up with boyfriend Aditya Shroff and is trying hard to not be affected professionally

Shatrughan Sinha’s daughter Sonakshi Sinha, who will be seen romancing Salman Khan in Dabangg, may be happy professionally but her personal life has come to a grinding halt. The actress called it quits with her boyfriend Aditya Shroff (the Head of Programming and the advertising division of Fame multiplexes) two months ago.

A source reveals, “Sonakshi and Aditya were dating each other for over two years. They parted ways two months ago. The couple had a major fight over some internal problem.

Sonakshi Sinha

Aditya’s behaviour really angered Sonakshi and she decided to part ways with him.

Moreover, the actress didn’t want her personal life to affect her work. So she ensured the relationship ended on a good note.”

Apparently, both Sonakshi’s and Aditya’s families were aware of their relationship, but Sonakshi’s father Shatrughan Sinha never openly acknowledged their relationship.

The couple spent a lot of time with each other despite that and hence have a lot of common friends. Although they have parted ways, they still maintain their friendship and are in touch on and off.

Aditya Shroff

The source adds, “Recently, Aditya was seen at many Dabangg-related events but Sonakshi has now asked him not to be a part of any in future.

She does not want the media to see them together.”

While Aditya remained unavailable for comment, Sonakshi declined to say anything about this.

The actress is working with rising star Brian White in a film titled The Politics of Love, set during the Obama

Brian White and Mallika Sherawat

Well, this one is for those who were skeptical about Mallika hanging out in Los Angeles.

The sultry seductress it turns out is acting in a film called the Politics of Love with Brian White. It’s about a romance between a black Republican (White) and an idealistic, Obama-worshipping Democrat (played by Mallika), set during the 2008 US Presidential election in which Obama, making history. And opposites as they say attract (check out the poster).

Brian White is an African-American actor, dancer, football player, lacrosse player, stock broker and youth activist.

And quite a star on the rise. And from the photos we have here the on-screen chemistry between the two seems to be quite palpable.

Mallika for her part has been quite clear that she has been wanting to have an international innings with her career.

Likewise, in keeping with her spirit of ‘flaunt what you’ve got’ Sherawat has certainly made the most of the star-spangled banner; there are many photographs and stills of it covering her sizeable assets.

The film is currently under production and has a Facebook page that enjoys a fanbase of around 500 admirers.

The page also has photo stills of the film in progress. After the hissy naagin avatar, this seems like a pretty slick move. Incidentally, one of the producers is a Vikram Singh Lamba. Mallika was Reema Lamba once, but that must just be a coincidence…Or it could be the politics of love!

The up-and-coming fashionista in fact chose the wrong gear, forcing a near wardrobe malfunction at a promotional event for the film Aisha

Recently, we had posted how Sonam tends to copy Blair Waldorf of Gossip Girl fame for her sartorial flourishes. But this latest truly pushes the envelope as far as the ‘fashion victim’ tag goes.

Our lady, usually well turned out, miscalculated perhaps what girth her pants needed to be. Add to this the fact that she might have lost weight (again, more vanity?).

Either way, the pants kept slipping off, and Mademoiselle Kapoor was quite preoccupied with her slipper pantaloons.

Yesterday afternoon, at a promotional event of her film Aisha at a radio station, Sonam Kapoor was dancing and interacting with her fans and the usual crowd of admirers and technicians, when her pants started slipping.

She kept pulling them up again and again, but finally had to resort to pinning her trousers.

In the meanwhile, do have fun with our pictures.

The grapevine says Harbhajan Singh is reportedly good friends with starlet Geeta Basra even now…

Meena Iyer | TNN (BOMBAY TIMES; July 29, 2010)

Harbhajan Singh, the Team India offbreaker, has bowled a googly to the media which is still wildly speculating over his reported relationship status with Bollywood starlet Geeta Basra.

The two, if some media reports are to be believed, are no longer an item. But that is baffling, because the ace spinner has been taking a keen and undue interest in Geeta’s Bollywood career of late.

BT has reason to believe that between his very recent and truly hectic Zimbabwe and Sri Lankan cricket tours, Bhajji found time to actually hobnob with a couple of important Bollywood  personalities. And the reason for his networking is simple. A source says, “Harbhajan is keen to see that Geeta’s career which virtually ground to a halt after her appearance in Mukesh Bhatt’s The Train with Emraan Hashmi, gets back on track again. Harbhajan has spoken to a few people who he knows in Bollywood requesting them to take Geeta in their projects.”

Now if a A-list cricketer is going out of his field to give a maidenin-distress such importance, it could only add up to one thing. That the bowler and the Bollywood beauty continue to be friends. Harbhajan, who is in the midst of the Sri Lankan tour, couldn’t be reached for comment. But Geeta said, “He’s a well-wisher but that doesn’t mean he’s helping me in my career.

The actor, who’s turned producer, is busy working on his b’day

Subhash K Jha | TNN (BOMBAY TIMES; July 29, 2010)

Only Karan Johar could have managed this…

Meena Iyer | TNN (BOMBAY TIMES; July 29, 2010)

Can two mothers make a home? And can two powerhouse actresses exist peacefully on the same set? Yes, if you have Karan Johar trouble-shooting. Once again Bollywood’s premiere filmmaker has managed to pull off another first. Dharma Productions’ We Are Family that will hit the screens on September 3, is an intimate, emotional film. “UTV and I decided to release it on September 3 because it’s a film meant for women and family audience, and we wanted an opposition-free clean week,” says Karan. He adds, “It’s the first official adaptation in Bollywood of a Hollywood film — Step-Mom in this case.” He points out that Dharma is fortunate to have a good equation with Hollywood giants such as Fox (My Name is Khan) and now Sony Pictures (We Are Family).

And whether it is getting the lyrics of a song — like he did with Pretty Woman for Kal Ho Na Ho or whether it is adapting the 1998 Susan Sarandon-Julia Roberts film Step-Mom, Karan believes it must be done officially. “There is just no other way to do it than in collaboration with the foreign studio or with getting the official remake rights,’’ says he. He is happy, too, that UTV Motion Pictures is also on board this project that brings together two of his favourite actresses — Kajol and Kareena Kapoor.

“These two return as a pair after they worked with me in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Siddharth Malhotra, my director, has brought these two women of substance, in substantial roles, for the first time. And, as a viewer and a cinegoer, I was truly excited to see their pairing. I’m also happy that Arjun Rampal has solidly held his own despite being thrown in with these two solid performers in what I describe as an intimate family experience.’’ Karan is particularly proud of the fact that the debutante director has managed to get the desired performances from his actors. “I personally think WAF will provide the audience a happy laugh and a good cry.’’