Katrina Kaif says she doesn't have any equation with Deepika Padukone

Ranbir Kapoor might be the common factor between the leading ladies of Bollywood Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone but Kat clears that she doesn't have any equation with Deepika (Ranbir's ex).

A leading tabloid quoted Katrina as saying, "I don't have any equation with her (Deepika). I am cordial with everyone but I have no equation with Deepika. Everyone is here on the merits of their work and if someone has three hit films this year, someone else will have three hit films the next year and so it goes on. The focus will shift to that person accordingly and that's the way it should be."

The actor, who is on cloud nine after her latest release Dhoom 3, has her hands full for 2014.


She has four films-- Anurag Basu's Jagga Jasoos, Siddharth Anand's Bang Bang, Kabir Khan's Phantom and Abhishek Kapoor's Fitoor.

The tabloid also quoted the 30-year-old beauty sharing her thoughts about love and life.

She said, "I live my life exactly the way I want to. Nothing stops me from going out or being anywhere that I want to be. I am doing whatever I want to do. I do not live my life according to any restrictions whatsoever! I just don't want to speak about it in print because I can't see one logical reason to."

Salman and Madhuri fight off Saifai slur

Actors Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit on Thursday defended their performance at the muchcriticised Saifai Mahotsav as an exercise in charity.

The two were among a host stars, including newbies Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh, who took the stage at Saifai on Wednesday, the event's concluding night.

Salman's participation at the 15th Saifai Mahotsav had provoked outrage among his fans, some of whom even threatened to boycott his upcoming release Jai Ho . But in a Facebook post on Thursday, the actor said there was deeper reason behind his participation at the event.

Whenever I visit a place for a performance or a promotion, I see it as an opportunity to help the locals in the areas of healthcare or education," he said.


And in Etawah, Being Human, behalf of all artistes who performed yesterday, has committed fund 200 paediatric heart surgeries... We have also contributed 25 lakh to the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital for the purchase of an echo machine, paediatric and neo- natal ventilator and a portable X- ray machine for their paediatric cardiac ICU," Salman, 48, added.

Madhuri, 46, on the other hand, defended herself on Twitter.

As artistes and celebrities, we believe in using our reach to help others through drawing attention to the needs of the day," she said.

Saifai, a village in Uttar Pradesh's Etawah district, is the home turf of Samajwadi Party SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav his son Akhilesh Yadav, the Chief Minister of the state.

The Saifai Mahotsav is an annual affair conducted by the SP with much fanfare. However, its latest edition has drawn widespread criticism for the ostentatious display of revelry and wealth amid the unaddressed plight of thousands of refugees driven from their homes in last year's riots.

While many riot victims have reportedly been evicted from the relief camps without being adequately recompensed, others continue to languish in the filthy camps without proper medical facilities or protection against the dipping mercury. By the government's own admission, at least 34 children have died at the camps that have been pitched among open sewers.

Cold war between Irfan Khan & Anupam Kher?

We are a democratic country where everyone has a right to speak and looks like Bollywoood celebrities are taking it a bit too seriously. According to the buzz, veteran actor Anupam Kher and Irrfan Khan had a verbal spat during an award function in Mumbai.

Click to read Irrfan bags best actor trophy at Dubai Film Fest for 'The Lunchbox'

The duo were present for the function and were nominated for their films, Special 26 & The Lunchbox.

On asking the actors about the nominations, Kher reportedly chose to talk about his film and his act only while Irrfan Khan got upset and spoke about how Cinema is all also about praising others.

It did not stop here, Anupam Kher went on and said, 'Applauding yourself is important. I am known to be politically incorrect. I have been in the industry for 30 years, and it is important to appreciate your own work.'

Ouch! They were last seen together on the big screen in Apna Asmaan (2007).

Sushmita Sen loses weight; gears up for her next

Sushmita Sen has lost weight and is gearing up for a comeback and says 2014 is going to be her year.

"I have been preparing actually since 2013. I know everytime an actor loses weight or starts looking fitter or thinner, it is always for a reason. But this is me getting ready for the most fantastic time of my life in all aspects. Professionally and personally 2014 is going to be my year," the 38-year-old said here Thursday at Rouble Nagi's art exhibition.

Sushmita is eagerly awaiting the announcement of two projects, one of which goes on floors in July. "Professionally you are going to see me back this year for sure. We have two very nice announcements, hopefully they should happen soon. The filming for one of them begins in July and the rest of them is more of combining the entrepreneur side of me and the actor and the mum side of me, all of it together," Sushmita said.

Sushmita is known for hits like Biwi No.1 and Main Hoon Na and has two adopted daughters - Renee and Alisah.

Aamir Khan's recipe for India's biggest blockbuster

In the weeks before the release of "Dhoom 3", actor Aamir Khan got a message from his dentist, who was concerned that his patient's new film wasn't being promoted enough.

That was exactly what Khan, who plans the marketing of his films as meticulously as he prepares for roles, wanted to hear.

"When people are concerned enough about your film that they ask you why they aren't promoting it more, you know you've achieved what you wanted," the 48-year-old Bollywood star told Reuters in an interview.

Read Story: Aamir Khan wants to make film on great grand uncle Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

As each big-ticket Indian film tries to outdo previous box-office records, shouting about the latest premiere has become routine.

Before "Chennai Express" opened in cinemas last year, actor Shah Rukh Khan appeared on popular reality TV shows, toured several cities and ensured newspaper coverage for the film. "Chennai Express" became the highest-grossing Bollywood movie, raking in 2.27 billion rupees ($36.6 million) in domestic ticket sales.

Six months later, "Dhoom 3" - the third instalment of Bollywood's only action franchise - has surpassed that record, netting at least 2.7 billion rupees ($43.5 million) by employing the opposite strategy. In the run-up to the film's release, the lead stars didn't do any road shows, and hardly any interviews or appearances on TV shows.

Instead, Aamir Khan was spotted in public wearing a fedora - which his character sports in "Dhoom 3" - for nearly a year before the film's release. Production house Yash Raj Films didn't release the official soundtrack, distributing 30-second video snippets instead.

Read Story: Aamir Khan to bare all for his new film P.K.

"What was really innovative was that they held back on the music. Most movies rely on music videos for free play on radio and music channels, which ensures traction, but they took that risk," said Shailesh Kapoor of Ormax Media, a media research firm.

(Related story - Q&A: Aamir Khan on movie marketing )

Kapoor's firm estimates that 420 seconds of "Dhoom 3" footage were distributed in the form of trailers and song promos before the film's release, compared with 700 seconds on average for big-ticket Bollywood movies. "Chennai Express" handed out 820 seconds of footage.

"We want you to enjoy this film in the theatre. If I have seen the song on TV 20 times and on YouTube 20 times, when it comes in the film, I have lost interest in those five minutes. But when you are seeing it for the first time, your curiosity is piqued," Khan said.

The other reason to skimp on music previews, Khan said, was to draw repeat audiences to cinemas with the spectacle of elaborate song sequences.

"These are the two things you do - you release the songs, you get them popular and you get a big first day. You go on big-ticket shows, you create awareness of a film, and you get a big opening. We got a big opening without that - that means our tests were correct. And 36 crores (360 million rupees or $6 million) is a huge opening. You cannot go higher than that," he said.

Figures released by Yash Raj Films this week show that "Dhoom 3" grossed more than 5 billion rupees ($80 million) worldwide, a first for an Indian film.

Aamir Khan often teams up with film producers to brainstorm on marketing strategies. In 2008, the actor ensured that ushers and food vendors at cinemas playing arch rival Shah Rukh Khan's "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" sported haircuts like his character in the film "Ghajini", which released the same year.

Read Story: Dhoom 3 vrooms to global success, crosses Rs.500 crore

In 2009, Aamir Khan announced a nationwide treasure hunt for fans to find clues to the character he was playing in "3 Idiots". He was also one of the first Bollywood actors to promote films through reality TV shows, a formula he rejected for "Dhoom 3".

"The marketing team at YRF (Yash Raj Films) was terrified. They were convinced we were doing something disastrous. They wanted to go all out, and I am not blaming them," said Khan.

Kapoor of Ormax Media said heavily promoting a film like "Dhoom 3" could have increased expectations or given away a plot twist, affecting ticket sales after the first weekend.

"But since there was so much mystery surrounding the plot and the film, it carried on. It is only now, in the third week, that the content is catching up, and collections are falling," he said.

Bollywood might need to take a leaf out of the actor's book. For an industry that relies heavily on the first weekend for most of its revenues, marketing is a crucial tool, and not too many films innovate in that department.

"We need to realize that marketing a film is as important as making it," said Khan. "People think...our story, concept is unique, but when it comes to marketing, we will do the same thing that 25 other people are doing. It doesn't work like that."

B-Town's femmes fatales foraying uncharted terrain even off-camera

Madhuri Dixit as Begum Para in Abhishek Chaubey's Dedh Ishqiya not only fluttered hearts with her sublime beauty, she also announced that the 40- plus married actress can be powerful enough to score at the box- office unlike what Bollywood normally loves to believe.

The year 2014 kickstarted on a pleasant note with Dedh Ishqiya , riding largely on the effortless performances of Madhuri and co- star Huma Qureshi.

Madhuri's presence in particular confirms that Bollywood has broken the stereotype of not casting 40- plus actresses in lead roles. In the process, she underlined again what Sridevi hinted at a while back with English Vinglish - age and gender actually have nothing to do with popularity.


The trailer of Madhuri's other upcoming film, Gulab Gang , was launched with Dedh Ishqiya , only establishing the actress's sustained popularity even after all these years. The trend normally is to launch trailers with big films starring male superstars.

In male- centric Bollywood, which follows an unwritten code of chauvinism, such change is good. Women in the centrestage, however, are not restricted to starring roles only anymore. They are also making their presence felt even off the camera.

After emerging as queen bee of Bollywood in 2013, Deepika Padukone is out to take her career to its next level with Homi Adajania's film, Finding Fanny Fernandes . She has reportedly struck a profit- sharing deal with the producers of the film. Again, profit- sharing deals till now were prerogative of male superstars only.

" Heroes have been demanding profit shares for ages now. Producers and big studios willingly strike a deal with saleable heroes because they guarantee profits. Heroines demanding profit share is still unheard of in the industry," says trade analyst Komal Nahta hinting that Bollywood still has more faith in leading male stars when it comes to earning mammoth returns at the box office.

The relatively- new Anushka Sharma has decided to turn producer with a small- budget film, NH- 10 , directed by Manorama Six Feet Under maker Navdeep Singh. The script appealed to Anushka so much that besides coproducing the film along with Vikramaditya Motwane, she even slashed her fee and charged only one- third of her market price. Anushka's agenda to don a producer's hat is " to produce small films with strong scripts which would rarely be offered to me". " As a producer, Anushka may not get into the nitty- gritty of filmmaking but she will have a say in giving chance to offbeat content," adds Nahta.


STAR wives such as Gauri Khan and Malaika Arora Khan have been prominent producers for a while now. While Gauri is credited as producer of Om Shanti Om, Ra. One and Chennai Express , Malaika is officially a producer of the Dabangg series. However, they have never made any attempt to be in the forefront. Their names have only been restricted to the credit rolls.

For new- age Bollywood heroines, it is no longer about strong characters in films. Vidya Balan, Kangna Ranaut, Parineeti Chopra and Priyanka Chopra have long taken the onus so far as single- handedly pulling a film is concerned.

As women power in Bollywood reaches its next level, girls get more innovative to make their presence felt.

Deepika Padukone has reportedly struck a profitsharing deal with the producers of Finding Fanny Fernandes
Deepika slashed her fee for the film, only to strike a profit-sharing deal with producers Illuminati Films and Fox Star Studios. The small film made on a budget of Rs.15 crore is targeted at a crossover audience.

Profit-sharing essentially means the star will be paid a predecided percentage of the film's profit, if it becomes a hit. The trend is unheard of for actresses in Bollywood though male superstars regularly strike such deals. Kareena Kapoor reportedly signed a similar deal for Heroine, but the film failed to make profits.

Watch out for:
More such deals in future for leading actresses who can boast of running a film on their own.

Anushka Sharma turns producer with Navdeep Singh's NH- 10
The film was originally planned as a Bollywood launchpad for Slumdog Millionaire girl Freida Pinto, but was finally offered to Anushka. Looking at the strong script, Anushka slashed her fee and charged only one- third her market price and also decided to co- produce it with Eros International and Vikramaditya Motwane. Replacing Rajkummar Rao with Neil Bhoopalam as hero, the film is ready to roll. Anushka plays a young detective who operates on the highway between Delhi and Haryana. Her production house Clean Slate Films will be making many more such small films on unusual themes.

Watch out for:
Some more strong characters for Anushka in small- budget films produced by her home production, Clean Slate Films.

Divya Khosla Kumar makes her debut as director with the teenybopper flick Yaariyan
Being the wife of T-series honcho Bhushan Kumar, Divya insists, was the biggest hurdle when she decided to don the director's hat. People start judging you and write you off before actually seeing your work only because you happen to be associated with a big surname," she claims. Making a film a budget of Rs.11 crore with newcomers in the lead was always a challenge, she adds.

Watch out for:
More films directed by the late Gulshan Kumar's bahu.

I'd never work with any other actor, says Rakesh Roshan on son Hrithik

As Hrithik Roshan turns 40 Friday, his father and filmmaker Rakesh Roshan says that he would never work with any other actor, unless he is making a women-centric drama like "Khoon Bhari Maang".

Rakesh had launched his son with the blockbuster "Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai". Later they worked together in the "Krrish" series.

Getting emotional, he said: "He can work with outside directors. But I'd never work with any other actor, unless I am making an out-and-out heroine-oriented film like 'Khoon Bhari Maang'. I might be tempted to make a film with a female protagonist, but only if Hrithik is too busy to work with me."


"When I was an actor, I could feel a filmmaker lurking within me. But I was never satisfied as an actor. I had a big hit like 'Kaamchor'. But that helped Jaya Prada's career, not mine. I knew god wanted me to be a director," he added.

Rakesh predicts that Hrithik too will direct a film some day.

"Now I feel Hrithik, who is such a successful actor, far more than I ever could be, has a filmmaker lurking within him. He will one hundred percent direct a film some day. Mark my words, he'll be a very fine director. I am sure of that. He may not be a good producer, but he'll be a terrific director," he said.

The father-son duo's recent hit was "Krrish 3".

Rakesh has enjoyed Hrithik's films outside the family banner.

"I liked his performance immensely in 'Jodhaa-Akbar', 'Agneepath', 'Guzaarish' and specially 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' in which he had to play a normal regular guy. That's really difficult to do. He never let us feel a superstar was playing that role," he said.

Recently, Hrithik announced that he and his wife Sussanne have parted ways after the latter decided to annul their marriage.

"My wife and I want Hrithik to be happy and at peace with himself, no matter what," said Rakesh who looks forward to launching Hrithik's sons - Hrehaan and Hridhaan - as heroes.

"Provided they want to be in films. I'd love to launch them. My blessings are with Hrithik. Whatever he does in life, my wife and I want him to never change. He's kind, helpful generous. He deserves happiness," he said.