Arjun Rampal Celebrates Birthday On Heroine Set

Arjun Rampal who turned a year older on 26/11 isn’t quite sure whether director Madhur Bhandarkar planned it. But when he reached the set for the first day of shooting for Heroine, Arjun was told that it’s his character’s birthday and that he would be doing a cake-cutting sequence with his co-star Kareena Kapoor.

According to a source, Arjun plays an on-the-rise actor who latches on to the top actress of the day. Any resemblance to the equation that Dharmendra shared with Meena Kumari when they did films like Phool Aur Patthar, Kajal, Purnima, Bharaon Ki Manzil Chandan Ka Palna and Majhli Didi together is purely coincidental.

The birthday sequence that Bhandarkar shot for Arjun’s character fell on Arjun’s birthday. Filmy folklore has it that Meena Kumari celebrated Dharmendra’s birthday on the sets of one of their films together and even insisted that they incorporate the celebration in the film that they were shooting together.

Laughed Arjun, “I don’t know if Madhur planned it that way. But we ended up shooting my character’s birthday cake-cutting scene on my birthday on Saturday. Normally you’ve a star cutting a cake on his birthday on the sets. But doing it on camera in character is, I think slightly unusual.”

Arjun is all praise for his Heroine co-star Kareena.

“She looked stunning on the shooting today,” the actor said appreciatively as he headed home for a birthday party after the first day’s shooting of Bhandarkar’s film.

Said Arjun, “Nothing major. Just a small get-together for close friends. The past year has been pretty eventful. I hope the coming year too remains the same way.”

Recently, Arjun turned a TV host for a show called Love 2 Hate U where we hear, he is trying to convince his close friends from the film industry including Karan Johar, Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh Khan to come face-to-face with the one ‘fan’ who purports to hate them the most.

Apparently, the three super-celebrities have expressed misgivings to Arjun about confronting their pet hate.
Says Arjun, “I am sure they all would agree to come on my show. I recorded an episode with Farah Khan and Farhan Akhtar recently. By the end of the show, their supposed haters ended up loving their objects of proclaimed detestation.”

Arjun warns he won’t be taking the Bollywood route alone on his show. “I want to invite cricketers, politicians and celebrities from every walk of life. When I wrap up my season of the show, I want to feel I’ve done something beyond just an ordinary chat show.”

Tony Bennett pulled out all the stops for his Grammy-nominated Duets II album, joining forces with some of the most talented musicians of the last decade such as Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga. And the streak continues as we get a music video for his sonic rendezvous with John Mayer, “One For My Baby (One More For The Road).” The two do some old-fashioned lounge-style riffing as we spy them in the studio (in suits, of course — this is Tony Bennett we’re talking about). Fortunately, there seems to be no nude sketching to speak of. Watch it below.

Tony Bennett & John Mayer — “One For My Baby (One More For The Road)”

Has Tony still “got it”? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments.

Berlocq denies Chela in Chile

Actress Chitrangda Singh: I never said I am Smita Patil

She made jaws drop with her latest role in Rohit Dhawan’s Desi Boyz. But when the shock of Chitrangda’s transformation from the thinking man’s heroine to the out-and-out glam diva settled, she did not quite receive the feedback she would have liked. In fact a major portion of the flak dished out at the film was directed at the actress, who made her Bollywood debut in 2003 in Sudhir Mishra’s Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and since came to be known as the next Smita Patil. However, Chitrangda, not only stands by her decisions but also defends her transformation from what was considered a Smita Patil in the making. She told Mumbai Mirror, “Honestly, it’s a huge compliment to be called the next Smita Patil. But, I don’t take it seriously. I don’t think I am Smita Patil. I have done very little work to be come close to what she has achieved. But, sometimes when people say ‘Oh she is probably not as good as her’, then it sort of hurts a little bit because I never said I am her. I don’t think I can ever be her. I think it is more a physical resemblance. I am just quoting what people said and that is that it’s been a very seamless transition. The feedback has been good. People have pleasantly surprised me by referring to me as ‘hot’ and ‘fab’. So, it’s been very encouraging. I know from what I did in my initial films to this, it is a complete change.”

“I can understand certain people are fond of a particular kind of cinema, so I was doing that. But, they probably don’t like this kind of cinema, so they do not appreciate my move over. They probably still enjoy watching Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, which is a fabulous film and the best offer I could have ever asked for as an actor. But I think you have to stretch yourself as an actor. Sometimes you have to play glamourous roles and then go back, strip off all the make-up and play a more serious character. I think I have done that, but a lot of people seem to like me better in parallel cinema. I wanted a little change from the kind of films that I was doing,” added Chitrangda.

While the kind of cinema that Chitrangda suits is debatable, many have questioned if the drastic transformation included going under the knife. However, the actress claims that the secret to her newfound sexiness her make-up artist. She chirped, “This has got to be the funniest thing I have ever heard. I have a very good make-up artist called Shaan.”

Skiing: Vonn hits 50

Ram Gopal Varma’s blue-eyed boy Abhimanyu Singh who is part of his upcoming film along with Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt is surprisingly not playing a cop but a gangster in the flick.

But the film is about the police department and its working! But you need someone to bully the department and that’s what Abhimanyu’s character will do.