This is the second time that Manisha will work with Bhansali, after the 1996 Khamoshi – The Musical, that was the director’s debut movie. Khamoshi, one of my personal favorites, flopped at the box office.

My Friend Pinto, that will go on the floors in end-2009 or early 2010, is set for a 2011 release. The movie will be directed by Raghav Dar, assistant director of Guru and associate director of Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na.

Dar will also script the movie along with Arun Sukumar.

Manisha Koirala was last seen in the absolutely dated Mehbooba – the movie is said to have been in the cans for eight years – in 2008.

Photo: Manisha Koirala

The extremely talented actress has acted in flop after flop in the past 10 years, with the exception of the 2002 Company. Her only other hits have been her first Hindi film, Saudagar (1991), 1942: A Love Story (1994), Bombay (1995), and Dil Se (1998).

Some recent reports say that Manisha Koirala, who hails from the premier political Koirala family in Nepal, is considering joining politics. The actress is reported to have said that she will split her time between Kathmandu and Los Angeles.

Sanjay Leela  Bhansali is currently working on the Hrithik Roshan-Aishwarya Rai starrer Guzarish, that will be released in 2010, and Chenab Gandhi, starring Amitabh Bachchan, John Abraham and Vidya Balan.

Photo: Amrita Rao on the cover of Maxim magazine

The petite actress will now feature on the cover of Maxim magazine in what looks suspiciously like her papa’s banian.

Amrita Rao is best known for her girl-next-door roles in Vivah, Main Hoon Na, Ishq Vishq, and the recent Welcome to Sajjanpur.

She went in for a sexy makeover for Shortkut that was released earlier in 2009. The film in which she costarred with Akshay Khanna sank without a trace.

Amrita Rao's photo from Maxim's October 2009 issue

Amrita Rao has had a pretty decent run in Bollywood, though many of her films have not been box office hits.

Her first two films were Ab Ke Baras and The Legend of Bhagat Singh, that were released in 2002, but she was first noticed in the 2003 hit Ishq Vishq, costar Shahid Kapoor’s debut film.

The pair have had their two big hits, Ishq Vishq and Vivaah, when they starred opposite each other.

Recently, the duo have been in the news for their nude appearance in a forthcoming PETA campaign, called Let Vegetarianism Grow On You. Amrita and Shadid will be shot covered in tomato vines and little else.

Photo: Amrita Rao in Maxim's October 2009 issue

Amrita received critical acclaim for her role in Shyam Benegal’s Welcome to Sajjanpur.

Amrita Rao’s forthcoming movie is Chandra Prakash Dwivedi’s Kunal Avadana in which she will star with Amitabh Bachchan, Tabu, and Arjun Rampal.

She will play Kanchanmala, the wife of King Ashoka’s (Amitabh Bachchan) eldest son Kunal (Arjun Rampal.)

The movie is about the sexual attraction between King Asoka’s wife, Queen Tishyarakshita and her stepson Kunal.

Kunal Avadana will be released in 2010.

Kareena Kapoor in a bikini in Tashan

Ditto for Kidnap: Minissha Lamba in a bikini underwater was the USP of the movie. No wonder it tanked.

Minissha Lamb in a bikini in Kidnap

Dil Bole Haddipa starred a green bikini filled by Rani Mukherjee. Dostana boasted of a gold bikini with Priyanka Chopra in it.

What’s with the frickin’ fuss about the bikini anyway? Bollywood heroines have strutted their stuff in bikinis for ages now.

Sharmila Tagore is famous for her bikini photo in An Evening in Paris, in 1967, with nary a coy look.

Dimple Kapadia has worn bikinis with aplomb and so has Zeenat Aman. Even Rakhee Gulzar has worn a bikini.

Rakhee Gulzar bikini photo

Now, Blue, which releases on October 13, 2009, boasts of Lara Dutta in a bikini; no three bikinis, white, orange, and candy pink. We like to be precise.

Photo: Lara Dutta in a bikini in Blue

The movie, that stars Sunjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Lara Dutta, Kylie Minogue and Zayed Khan, is directed by Anthony D’Souza. The screenplay of Blue has been written by Bryan Sullivan.

Lara Dutta bikini photo from the movie Blue

Blue is said to be the most expensive Bollywood movie ever made so far, with a budget of Rs 100 crores.

Kylie Minogue has sung two numbers in the movie, a solo for a promotional
video and a duet, Chiggy Wiggy, with Sonu Nigam.

Photo: The Bride in Kill Bill: Vol. 2

Tarantino announced the movie during a press meet for Inglorious Basterds, at the Morelia International Film Festival in Mexico, on October 3, 2009.

He said that Kill Bill: Vol 3 will be set ten years after the Bride’s last violent encounters to allow her some peace time with her daughter.

Before he starts filming Kill Bill: Vol 3, Quentin Tarantino will make another movie.

There is a lot of speculation about the story of Kill Bill: Vol 3.

Now that Bill is gone and the Bride has eliminated all her targets, who will she fight in the third instalment?

Some reports say that Vernita Green’s four-year-old daughter, Nikki, whose life the Bride spared when she killed Green, will be back for revenge. This is the most likeliest scenario.

Photo: Venita Green's daughter, Nikki, in Kill a still from Kill Bill: Vol.2

Other say that Sofie Fatale and Crazy 88, whose left arms were chopped off by the Bride, will return for vengeance. Maybe, maybe not.

Or will the Bride die in Kill Bill: Vol 3, passing on the mantle to her daughter? Remote chance.

All is possible, except Bill’s return from the dead, that is if he really died, a big stretch. No way.

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2, that were released in 2003 and 2004, starred Uma Thurman as Beatrix Kiddo or The Bride, David Carradine as Bill, Lucy Liu as O-Ren Ishii, Vivica A Fox as Vernita Green, Julie Dreyfus as Sofie Fatale, Daryl Hannah as Elle Driver, Michael Madsen as Budd, and Gordon Liu as Pai Mei.

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 collectively grossed over US$300 million worldwide.

Photo: Main Aur Mrs. Khanna poster

The movie, that stars Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Sohail Khan, will be released on October 16, 2009.

Preity Zinta will do a cameo in Main Aur Mrs. Khanna.

UTV’s website has described  Main Aur Mrs. Khanna as the story of three people, Raina, Samir an Akash, whose lives intertwine at an international airport. Each has to make a decision that will change their lives.

Samir Khanna (Salman Khan) has to decide if he is ready to walk away from a city (Melbourne) that gave him so much and then took everything away.

Raina Khanna (Kareena Kapoor), his wife, has to choose between her love and loyalty for a husband who has no time for her or her faith in her new friend Akash
(Sohail Khan).

Akash has to figure out if wants to make a play for a married woman or not, at the risk of destroying her marriage.

Main Aur Mrs. Khanna is helmed by first-time director Prem Soni, produced by Sohail Khan and Ronnie Screwvala, and distributed by UTV Motion Pictures.

Salman Khan was last seen in Wanted in the second week of September 2009.

The movie has had a good opening at the box office and is expected to be a hit.

After Main Aur Mrs Khanna, Kareena Kapoor will be seen in Rensil D’Silva’s Kurbaan starring Saif Ali Khan, Om Puri, Vivek Oberoi, Diya Mirza and Kiron Kher.

The movie will be released on November 27, 2009.

Aries: Priyanka Chopra as Anjali

Photo: Priyanka Chopra's Aries character in What's Your Rashee?

Taurus: Priyanka Chopra as Vishakha

Photo:Priyanka Chopra's Taurus character in What's Your Rashee?

Gemini: Priyanka Chopra as Kajal in What’s Your Rashee?

Photo: Priyanka Chopra's Gemini character in What's Your Rashee?

Cancer: Priyanka Chopra as Hansa in What’s Your Rashee?

Photo: Priyanka Chopra's Cancer character What's Your Rashee?

Leo: Priyanka Chopra as Mallika in What’s Your Rashee?

Photo: Priyanka Chopra's Leo character in What's Your Rashee?

Virgo: Priyanka Chopra as Pooja

Photo: Priyanka Chopra's Virgo character in What's Your Rashee?

Libra: Priyanka Chopra as Rajni in What’s Your Rashee?

Photo: Priyanka Chopra's Libra character in What's Your Rashee?

Scorpio: Priyanka Chopra as Nandini in What’s Your Rashee?

Photo: Priyanka Chopra's Scorpio character in What's Your Rashee?

Sagittarius: Priyanka Chopra as Bhavna

Photo: Priyanka Chopra's Sagittarius in What's Your Rashee?

Capricorn: Priyanka Chopra as Jhankhana

Photo: Priyanka Chopra's Capricorn character in What's Your Rashee?

Aquarius: Priyanka Chopra as Sanjana in What’s Your Rashee?

Photo: Priyanka Chopra's Aquarius character in What's Your Rashee?

Pisces: Priyanka Chopra as Chandrika in What’s Your Rashee?

Photo: Priyanka Chopra's Pisces character in What's Your Rashee?

Who do you think is going to be Hurman Baweja’s perfect love? I would put my money on Aquarius girl, Sanjana. Sundar hai, susheel hai, padhi likhi hai, khate peete ghar se hai and so on. Modern enough to be flaunted, yet traditional enough to please pa and ma. What do you think?

What’s Your Raashee? is a romantic comedy based on a Gujarati novel Kimball Ravenswood by Shri Madhu Rye. The movie is about a young Gujarati man (Hurman Baweja) looking for his perfect love.

And he has only 10 days to do so else his family will be ruined.

The movie has been directed by Ashutosh and produced by UTV Motion Pictures and Ashutosh Gowariker Productions.

The screenplay of What’s Your Rashee? has been written by Naushil Mehta & Ashutosh Gowariker, and dialogues have been penned by Naushil Mehta, and lyrics by Javed Akhtar.

UPDATE: Toni Collette is the surprise winner of the 2009 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Here is a list of nominees for the 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series:

1) Tina Fey, 30 Rock, NBC, produced by Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios

Tina Fey: Winner of the 2008 Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

In 2008, Tina Fey won three Emmy awards for writing, producing, and acting in 30 Rock. In 2009, she has already won the Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy and two SAG awards.

Tina Fey has also won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a TV series in 2009, for playing Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live.

2) Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program Comedy Central, Central Productions/Eleven Eleven O’Clock Productions/Oil Factory Inc.

Photo: Sarah Silverman

This stand-up comedienne, writer, singer, and actress won the 2008 Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for Jerry Kimmel Live!
3)  Toni Collette, United States Of Tara Showtime, produced by Showtime presents in association with Dreamworks Television

Toni Collette has been nominated for role as Tara Gregson in Showtime’s original series United States of Tara.

4) Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds, produced by Showtime Presents in association with Lionsgate Television and Tilted Productions, Inc.

Mary-Louise Parker, who plays Nancy Botwin in Weeds, has been nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for three years in a row from 2007-2009.

5) Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures Of Old Christine, CBS, produced by Kari’s Logo Here in association with Warner Bros. Television

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won two Emmys so far:
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Seinfeld,  in 1996
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for The New Adventures of Old Christine
in 2006.

6)  Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?, ABC, produced by ABC Studios

Christina Applegate, who plays Samantha Newly, in Samantha Who?, has won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Friends, in 2003.

UPDATE: Glenn Close has taken home the 2009 Emmy award trophy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

Is it going to be the seasoned Glenn Close, Mariska Hargitay, or the rookie Elisabeth Moss? I would say Elisabeth Moss.

Take a look list of nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and decide for yourself.

1. Glenn Close, Damages, FX Networks and FX Productions and Sony Pictures

Glenn Close: Favorite to win the 2009 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama series

Glenn Close is top of the list for obvious reasons. She has been nominated for her work in Damages where she plays Patty Hewes, a brilliant lawyer who runs her
own law firm.

Close was nominated last year as well for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Will she score this time? Very likely, I think.

2.  Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men, AMC, produced by Lionsgate Television

Photo: Elisabeth Moss in Mad Men

Elisabeth Moss plays Peggy Olson in the award winning drama series Mad Men. She may just be the surprise winner that the Emmys pull out every year.

3. Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, NBC, produced by Wolf Films in association with Universal Media Studios

Photo: Mariska Hargitay

Mariska Hargitay plays Detecitve Olivia Benson in  Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Mariska has been nominated ever year for the Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, since the TV series debuted in 2004.

She was the winner of the 2006 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, for her role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

4.  Holly Hunter, Saving Grace, TNT, produced by Fox Television

Holly Hunter who plays Grace Hanadarko in Saving Grace, that debuted in 2007, has received a Golden Globe Award nomination, two SAG nominations, and an Emmy Award nomination.

5.  Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer, TNT, produced by The Shephard/Robin Company, in association with Warner Bros. Television

Photo: Kyra Sedgwick in The Closer

Kyra Sedgwick stars as Brenda Leigh Johnson in the drama series The Closer.

The actress is the winner of the 2007 Golden Globe for Best Actress in a lead role. Kyra Sedgwick has been nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emmy award from 2006-2009. She is another strong contender to win the award this year.

6. Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters, ABC, produced by ABC Studios

Photo: Sally Field in Brothers & Sisters

Sally Field plays Nora Walker in TV drama series Brothers & Series, that debuted in 2006. She is the winner of the 2007 Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

The 2009 Emmy Awards will be held on September 20, 2009, at the Nokia theatre in Los Angeles, and will be aired live on CBS at 8 PM.

Photo: Bipasha Basu to play urban Mandodari in Raavan

Bipasha will start shooting end-September 2009.

She is likely to do an item number as well (no surprises there) in the movie. In case you are wondering what an item number is doing in a mythological film, Raavan is a modern-day adaptation of the epic Ramayana, from Raavan’s point of view.

Raavan will loosely draw from the epic, pretty much like what Mani Ratnam did with the Rajnikanth-Mamootty starrer, Dalapathi, which was based on the Mahabharata.

The movie should be interesting if Mani Ratnam can pull it off, for Raavan is a very intriguing character, a man of many contradictions.

He was extremely learned and accomplished, yet arrogant to the point of being a violent tyrant.

Raavan stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who plays the modern-day version of Sita to South Indian actor Vikram’s urban Rama.

The movie also stars Manisha Koirala, Govinda, Ravi Kishan, Tejaswini Kolhapure, and Ajay Gehi.

Govinda will essay the role of Hanuman – in the movie he will be a forest officer who guides Ram in his search for his wife – while Ravi Kishan and Ajay Gehi will play the role of Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana, Raavan’s brothers.

Raavan will be released sometime in 2010.

The movie is being shot as Raavan in Hindi and Ashokavanam in Tamil, at the same time.

Some reports say that that the role of Mandodari was offered to Sushmita Sen and Shilpa Shetty initially, which both of them declined.

Raavan is scripted by Mani Ratnam and Rensil D’Silva and directed by Mani Ratnam. The music of the movie will be composed by AR Rahman.

Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator

In March 2009, Variety had reported that Joe Wright (Atonement, The Soloist) will direct Indian Summer.

Indian Summer will be written by William Nicholson (Gladiator). The producers of Indian Summer are Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan with Hilary Bevan Jones.

The movie is based on the book “Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire” by Alex von Tunzelmann.

Indian Summer will portray the summer of 1947 when India won Independence and the British were evicted.

It was in 1947 that Lord Mountbatten, the last governor general of India, came to India, accompanied by his wife Lady Edwina Mountbatten, to hand over power to Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister.

Photo: Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire cover

There have always been rumors about the alleged love affair between Lady Edwina Mountbatten and Jawaharlal Nehru. It is likely that Indian Summer will explore the relationship between the two as well.

While the Mountbatten family denied the allegations of the romance, later Lady Mountbatten’s daughter, Lady Pamela Hicks, did confirm the relationship in her book – India Remembered – that she co-wrote with her daughter, India Hicks.

She has written in the book that the alleged love affair between Jawaharlal Nehru and Lady Edwina Mountbatten started in 1947, during a trip to Mashobra, a hill station in Himachal Pradesh, in India.

She also clarified that the two did not have a physical relationship.

Indian Summer will go on the floors in 2010.

Academy-award winning actress Cate Blanchett will be next seen in Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood (it was earlier titled Nottingham) starring Russell Crowe.

Hugh Grant who was last seen in the rom com Music & Lyrics will be next seen in Did You Hear About the Morgans?, which will released later in 2009.