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: Zoa Morani

The movie will be co-produced by the Morani brothers.

The flick will be directed by successful radio and television host Roshan Abbas, reports desibollywood.in.

Always Kabhi Kabhi will be based on a play Roshan Abbas had written and directed in 1999.

The movie explores life in high school and the joys and angst youngsters go through in their most sensitive years.

The cast of Always Kabhi Kabhi has not been completely firmed up but Abbas has said that the movie will star Karim Morani’s daughter Zoa, Archan Puran Singh, Satish Shah and so on.

Zoa Morani, who was the assistant director of Om Shanti Om, will debut with Always Kabhi Kabhi.

Always Kabhi Kabhi will go on the floors in November 2009, and will be released sometime in 2010.

Shahrukh Khan’s last production was the 2009 Billu and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, both of which were reasonably successful but did not set the box office on fire.

Sharukh Khan will be next seen in My Name is Khan, produced and directed by Karan Johar, and co-starring Kajol. My Name is Khan will be released in December 2009.

Photo: Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean

Topping the list of the World’s 50 sexiest male movie stars is, unsurprisingly, Johnny Depp, followed by Robert Pattinson at No 2.

Photo: Robert Pattinson

Frankly, I cannot for the life of me understand the so-called sex appeal of this dopey-eyed boy but then I belong to a different generation, the one that wants to pick him up by the scruff of his neck and throw him in a bath or check him into rehab.

Number three, four and five on the list are Robert Downey Jr., Brad Pitt and Christian Bale.

Sixth on the list is Hugh Jackman, followed by George Clooney, Alan Rickman, James McAvoy, and Gerard Butler.

Photo: Gerard Butler

Of these I would definitely nudge George Clooney and Gerard Butler to number 5 or so.

As for the sexiest female movie stars, the numero uno sexiest star is again, unsuprisingly, Megan Fox.

Photo: Megan Fox

Number two in Angelina Jolie and three is Emma Watson (huh?)

The number four to ten top 50 sexiest female movie stars ever are:

Photo: Scarlett Johansson

4. Scarlett Johansson (I would put her at 2 or 3, as would most XY chromosomes)

5. Zoe Saldana
6. Natalie Portman
7. Kristen Stewart
8. Mila Kunis (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
9. Helena Bonham Carter

The movie will bring back the central cast – Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, and Paresh Rawal – along with Katrina Kaif.

Hera Phera 4, produced by Firoz Nadiadwala, will be directed by Anees Bazmee. Hera Phera, and its sequel Phir Hera Pheri was directed by Priyadarshan and Neeraj Vohra, respectively.

Anees Bazmi is the director of hits like No Entry, Welcome and Singh Is Kinng.

Hera Pheri 4 will go into production in March 2010, reports say.

Photo: Katrina Kaif, Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Paresh Rawas in De Dana Dan

Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Paresh Rawal and Katrina Kaif will be next seen in Priyadarshan’s De Dana Dan, set for a November 27, 2009 release.

De Dana Dan has been produced by Vipul Shah.

Akshay Kumar has had an unexpectedly bad run at the box office, in 2009.

The actor who gave back-to-back hits in 2007-2008, gave back-to-back flops in 2009. All his movies released in 2009 so far – Chandni Chowk to China, 8×10 Tasveer, and Kambhakht Ishq-  have flopped.

The fate of his latest movie, Blue, made at a whopping cost of Rs 100 crore plus, is as yet undecided.

A lot rides on De Dana Dana for the superstar.

Photo: Robin Wright Penn will star in the The Conspirator

The Conspirator is set in the time after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Mary Surratt (Robin Wright Penn), is charged as a co-conspirator in President Lincoln’s assassination.

Surrat is charged because she owns the boarding house where John Wilkes Booth (played by Tony Kebbell) and his accomplices had planned the attacks.

James McAvoy plays a not-quite-sympathetic defence lawyer, Fredrick Aiken, assigned to the case, who later comes to believe in Surratt’s innocence.

Photo: James McAvoy on the sets of The Conspirator; Photo Credit: The Playlist

Alexis Bledel plays Fredrick Aiken’s wife, Justin Long his best friend, and Rachel Wood plays Mary Surratt’s daughter.

Photo: Evan Rachel Wood on the sets of The Conspirator Photo credit: The Playlist

Kevin Kline is Abraham Lincoln’s War Secretary in the movie, while Tom Wilkinson will essay the rold of Reverdy Johnson, an U.S. senator and ex-attorney general who is sympathetic to Surratt.

The Conspirator has been written by James D. Solomon and produced by Brian Peter Folk, Robert Redford, Greg Shapiro, Robert Stone, and Webster Stone.

The movie will be released in 2010.

Photo: Mel Gibson's Edge of Darkness poster

The movie is an adaptation of a BBC TV series of the same name, that was aired in 1985.

Edge of Darkness stars Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, and Bojana Novakovic.

The movie is about a homicide detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) who sets out to investigate the death of his activist daughter, Emma Craven (Bojana Novakovic), and unearths a plot to hush up the murder.

Ray Winstone plays Matt Jedburgh, an agent sent to destroy all evidence of the crime.

Edge of Darkness has been produced by Graham King, Tim Headington, and Michael Wearing.

The movie will be released on January 29, 2010.

It has been a long time since Gibson has appeared on screen. He will also be seen in The Beaver in 2010.

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: Chetan Bhagat's 2 States: The Story of My Marriage book cover

The book is already getting Bollywood offers. Bhagat’s previous three books have all been adapted for movie versions.

His first book, Five Point Someone – What not to do at IIT (2004), is being adapted as Three Idiots by Rajkumar Hirani, starring Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor.

His second, One Night @ Call Center (2005) was adapted as Hello starring Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Gul Panag.

Chetan Bhagat’s third book, The Three Mistakes of My Life (2008), will be adapted by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment, and directed by Rock On director Abhishek Kapoor.

2 States: The Story of My Marriage is the author’s autobiographical take on inter-community love marriages.

The book revolves around Krish and Ananya who fall in love but face opposition from their parents because they belong to different communities. The situation is unique to Indian societies where the young lovers set about to convince their parents to bless the wedding.

‘Indian love marriages are not easy. It’s not just the boy and the girl who fall in love. Everyone – both their clans – have to fall in love. In the end, the boy and the girl start questioning whether there’s anything more left to it and even fight. But it’s important – at least for me – what parents think of your marriage,’ Bhagat was quoted as saying in an IANS report.

The book draws from Bhagat’s own marriage to a Tamil Brahmin. Chetan Bhagat has said that he had dedicated 2 States: The Story of My Marriage to his in-laws.

The book, published by Rupa, will be available in book stores for Rs.95.

If  2 States: The Story of My Marriage is adapted for a movie version who is most likely to pick it up? Karan Johar or Aditya Chopra? Better be Karan Johar, else the two states will turn out to be two villages in Punjab.

Farhan Akhtar in Luck By Chance

The movie is written and directed by debutant Vijay Lalwani, and produced by Excel Entertainment (Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar). Karthik Calling Karthik will be exec produced by Miriam Joseph.

The movie will star Farhan Akhtar, Deepika Padukone, Ram Kapoor and Shefali Shah.

Frankly, there is not much to tell about the movie or its storyline. Some reports claim that Karthik Calling Karthik is a pyschological thriller. Others say that the movie is about a broody man who gets “phone calls from himself.”

Farhan Akhtar has described his role in the movie as that of of an average Joe trying to make his way through life. The thriller comes with dash of humor and an interesting romance angle, Akhtar added.

Apparently, to get into the character he plays in Karthik Calling Karthik, that of a lonely brooder, Farhan Akhtar cut himself off from people around him during the filming of the movie.

Method acting and all that. Pity there is no Laurence Olivier around to tell him, “Try acting, son,” the way he said, famously, to Dustin Hoffman.