Prabhu Deva goes down the memory lane and confirms, “Yes, I had decided to begin with romantic-comedy, but I was recommended to do an action-thriller by Salman Bhai.”

He goes on to add, “In fact, I did nothing, but kept my promise to Salman Bhai to cast him in my debut venture. I was over-whelmed by his sweet gesture to remind me. I could not refuse and went ahead with Wanted, which is remake of a Tamil film ‘Pokiri’.

” Well, Prabhu, you are not the first one. Salman’s charming ways has mesmerized many a hearts! So, all we can say is all the best with Wanted.

It has been confirmed that Surya has recommended Harris Jayaraj to score music for all the three versions.

So, the biggest sensation comes with an official announcement made by filmmaker Murugadoss that a leading actress from Bollywood would be roped in for the female lead.

Although, the filmmaker didn’t reveal much about it, his closer sources have unveiled astonishing fact that talks are going on with Bollywood princesses Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma.

Meanwhile, Surya has reasserted that he’ll start shooting for this film by March 2010 once he completes his present projects ‘Singam’ and Bollywood debut ‘Raktha Charithra’ directed by Ram Gopal Varma.

A source close to Kats adds, “Katrina is a youth icon of today. The international brand found Kats to be the apt model to market their product.”

This year, Katrina has been the top choice for endorsing brands. Only recently she was chosen by leading jewelry brand Nakshatra as their brand ambassador and now she has bagged yet another plum endorsement deal with Oil of Olay. The future certainly looks bright for this gorgeous actress.

Asked about the habit that is hard to kick, he said: “I’m trying to (quit smoking)… Smoking is something people start to either enter a social circle or to show off.”

But he does have a word of advice for others trying to quit cigarettes too.

“Once you quit, there are also chances of picking it up again because when you find people around you smoking, you join them to be with them. But it slowly and slowly kills you and people stop only when they are advised by the doctor. So everyone should quit it before reaching that stage, ” Salman said.

Rama and Ravan will be played by Hollywood stars Keanu Reeves and Gary Oldman, respectively. Sita was to be played by Shilpa Shetty. But she has opted out since then. The hunt is on for a new international face to play Sita.

Aamir has been keen to do super-hero film specially after Hrithik Roshan’s Krissh and Shah Rukh Khan’s forthcoming Ra.1 (where he plays a desi Spiderman). Hanuman will now be played as a super-hero with the best action directors and special-effects experts ensuring Aamir’s safe passage into super-heroism.

The whole project now depends on Aamir’s nod which he’ll give only after he approves of the script.

The catch is, Aamir’s signature will have to be on every page of the script.

Says a source, “Aamir wants to sign every page of the script to ensure no changes happen during shooting. Only then will he agree to play Hanuman.”

Apparently this is the method of working –signature on every page of the script– that Aamir will adopt in all his future projects, whenever he signs more films. For now it looks like Hanuman will be his first assignment after the blockbuster Ghajini.
Earlier Hanuman was to be directed by Luis Mandoki (of Message In A Bottle fame). Mandoki wrote the first few drafts of the project. But now the chosen director is Chuck Russell whose familiarity with the language of fantasy (Eraser, The Mask, The Scorpion King, Mandrake) qualified him for the job of directing Hanuman.

A hush-hush meeting happened in Los Angeles three months ago at producer Uru Patel’s residence where director Chuck Russell met up with the project’s executive producer Pradeep Guha. The project has now passed into Aamir’s hand and his approval is awaited.

Says Pradeep Guha, “He has been approached. But Aamir will decide after he reads the script.”

Other sources insist that the makers of Hanuman are keen have Aamir on board and ready to comply with all his preconditions.

Once Aamir signs the film formally, the first schedule of Hanuman is expected to be held in Rajasthan at the end of the year. The rest of the film will be shot at Hollywood studios.

“‘Rani Laxmi Bai’, my home production, is indefinitely on hold till I have the funds to make the film the way I want to, ” Sushmita told on phone from Mumbai. ” ‘Laxmi Bai’ to me is a dream, it’s not just a film. So I can’t compromise with it at all.

“The script, the storyboard, everything is ready…it’s just a matter of putting in the money now and making the film.”

The actress admits she is disappointed with the deferment of the endeavour.

“When I open my production house, it’ll definitely be for producing films but I hoped ‘Rani Laxmi Bai’ will be the first one, which as of now, it won’t be, ” she said.

Another project of the actress that has gathered much buzz but is also on hold is a biopic of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto – tentatively titled “Benazir Bhutto: The Movie”.

” ‘Benajir Bhutto…’ is also on hold, ” Sushmita said. “We require the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) permission to make the film and they have issues because it is a controversial subject. But whenever we get the clearance, I’ll play Benazir Bhutto.”

Last seen in English film “Karma, Confessions and Holi”, Sushmita is at present geared up with the release of “Do Knot Disturb”.

Produced by Big Pictures and Vashu Bhagnani, the film has been directed by David Dhawan. Releasing Oct 2, it is a comedy on marriage. It also stars Govinda, Lara Dutta and Riteish Deshmukh.

This is Sushmita’s fourth film with Dhawan after “Biwi No.1″ (1999), “Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta” (2001) and “Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya” (2005).
Asked if the Bengali beauty was drifting away to comedies with her repeated teaming-up with the director, Sushmita said: “After the kind of films I have done in the past, the last thing that can be done is brand me in any particular genre.

“I have done very different kind of films from experimental, non-experimental to commercial. If I look at commercial films then I either look at a love story or a comedy.

“Having said that, there is also ‘Dulha Mil Gaya’ and Aness Bazmee’s ‘No Problem’ and all of them have a touch of comedy, but I just hope that I don’t get branded into doing just that. It’s just that I enjoy doing comedies a lot, ” she said.

In “Do Knot Disturb”, Sushmita will be teaming up with another former Miss Universe, Lara Dutta.

Asked if the combo would add to the oomph factor of the movie, she said: “Why not? Anything that adds to a film is a good thing. It’s ironic that after all this time we finally come together and Chichi (as Govinda is fondly called) gets to be the lucky guy to have a Miss Universe on both sides.”

The music composer bagged the top prize for the soundtrack in the film ‘Godfather’ (Varalaru) in the ‘Best Indian album’ category at the ‘Just Plain Folks 2009 Music Awards’ held recently.

Bangla band ‘Krosswindz’ and Illayaraja were among others nominated in the category. Rahman also won the third place in the ‘Best Indian Song’ category for ‘Innisai’ (Radio Mix) from ‘Varalaru’ while his ‘Ilamai’ was fifth in the same category.

Illayaraja’s ‘Music Journey: Live in Italy’ was third in the ‘Best Indian album’ category. In ‘Indian Classical and Traditional Album’ category Shweta Jhaveri’s ‘Avishkar’ clinched the first position.

With over 50,000 members worldwide, the ‘Just Plain Folks 2009 Music Awards’ is aimed at supporting Grassroot songwriters and musicians through networking, education and promotional support. The awards received responses from over 163 countries.

As widely known, the pretty actress has been busy composing music for her father’s film ‘Eenadu’, the Telugu remake of ‘A Wednesday’. But Shruthi sure doesn’t believe in restricting talent… in the process she even conceptualised the music video of the film!

And that’s not all, the leggy actress has also co-directed the music video! Well, having inherited the lethal combination of beauty and brawns from her parents, we sure are not surprised!!!

And we have it from confirmed sources that the song is a hip-hop number titled ‘Vaanum Ellai Illai’. Also called ‘Easier Said than Done’, it features the very popular International Rapper Blasé!

Insiders claim that the music video is a modern take on the theme of the film and contains lots of elements from the film. It’s actually a contemporary expression of the same subject and the actress is using hip-hop to spread a political message.

To add to the finesse of the music video, Shruthi’s very pretty sister – Akshara has been roped in for the project too! The junior Haasan is a trained hip-hop and jazz dancer. Hence, it’s no surprise that Akshara is the choreographer of the music video!

Sources reveal that the actress will shift permanently to Spain to be with her hubby after marriage. For, the sources say, “Carlos has a promising career unlike Kim’s acting career, which has been declining steeply. It’s only practical that she moves to Spain post-marriage for good.” But Kim is keeping mum about the whole issue. However, she is said to be making preparations for the big day and spreading invite through word of mouth to her close buddies. As of now, she is hopping in and out of Mumbai and Madrid, to spend her time with her would-be, who lives there.

“There is so much Saif-Kareena going on even off-screen that no good director will be least interested in casting us,” Saif makes a candid admission to a tabloid.

He adds, “We have to be very clear about this thing. It is a profession, and though Bebo and I personally involved but professionally we are not stupid. I want to work with her, once in a while.”

Saif reveals that his next home production is totally different genre from Love Aaj Kal.

“Agent Vinod is edgy, so it will be cool to see us together in that. But obviously, I have to work with other actors and so must she. It is more interesting to see.

I mean I don’t want to name other people but there have been star couples in the past on screen, that weren’t so exciting. But when you see them with other people, it is refreshing. Actually I think I will take names.

At one time John and Bipasha were seen together a lot but one time when they did ads with other people, it was very nice, great and they looked good together.

So we learn from other people, and we don’t do that much work together. We have done one Airtel ad together, and a movie. But it feels like we have done ten movies together because of the perceptions.

Saif will be next seen with Kareena in director Rensil D’Silva’s film Kurbaan. Apart from that, Saif’s second home production Agent Vinod will have Bebo playing a spunky role opposite him.