Nathalia Kaur with her manager

The model-turned-actress has been learning sword fighting and horse riding as preparation for her role.

A source says, "Apart from her training, Nathalia has also been going for jogs regularly on the sets in Hyderabad where the shoot is currently on. Her manager Sumit Vaswani often accompanies her.

She challenged him to lose weight which he readily accepted. Nathalia and Sumit have been jogging at least 10 kilometers every day and Sumit has already shed the kilos."

Says Nathalia, "Besides the gym, the body needs fresh air and walking outdoors is refreshing. My manager lost around three and a half kilos in four days by jogging and balancing his meal intake."

Adds Sumit, "With a little push to my mind and body, it worked out very well. It feels good to lose weight and I will continue with this routine even when I am back to Mumbai."

Insider's view: Karan Johar Producer and director

This is a nation dedicated to cinema, and I, for one, am the blessed to be in a profession where we laugh, dance and cry while still at work! Indian cinema has gone through several changes over the years. What stands out through all the transformations, however, is our rich cinematic heritage.

The '40s and '50s were, in my opinion, the best decades in terms of cinema. Prolific filmmakers like Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, Bimal Roy and Yash Chopra wowed us with their genius and different filmmaking styles. The '60s saw the emergence of hill stations in our films and the "yahoo phenomenon" with actor Shammi Kapoor. The '70s got even bigger with the entrance of two of the most respected and dignified personalities in Indian cinema — scriptwriter duo Salim-Javed and superstar Amitabh Bachchan (the original "angry young man").

Then, of course, we have the '80s. A decade where were we fumbled in terms of technicality, where there was loud melodrama and where we got this mock terminology for our cinema called Bollywood. Thankfully, the '90s were different. Dedicated to family and love, films like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Hum Aapke Hai Kaun stormed their way into the hearts of people.

The next decade was the most defining one -- we had blockbuster films like Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Gadar, Chandni Bar and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. This was the beginning of the 'Golden Age', which I feel has continued till today. Last year, in fact, was very special. We had a brilliant mix of films like Gangs of Wasseypur, Kahani, Vicky Donor, Ek Tha Tiger and Agneepath.

Today, I feel blessed that we have a release in the form of Bombay Talkies. This film -- essentially the coming together of different directors — is the perfect celebration of the 100 years of cinema. We, as filmmakers, have marked the centenary in our own way, pushing the envelope and basically coming out of our comfort zone. It is indeed the magic of cinema!

-- As told to Kunal M Shah (Mid-Day)

Insider's view: Saif Ali Khan Actor

If one looks at the kaleidoscope of luminaries in our history of Indian cinema, one feels admiration and awe at the achievement. I have lived a prince, and all that I have achieved I can honestly credit to the Indian film industry.

We could make a great story from our 100 years of Indian cinema as we've had some phenomenal personalities like Guru Dutt, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan. Films like Kaagaz ke phool, Pakeezah, Sholay, Jewel thief, 3 Idiots are my favourites to name a few.

But let's just not treat the completion of 100 years of Indian cinema as a mere number; we need to introspect because I think we are still a little regressive in our thoughts. I don't think we have taken the mantle forward with honesty from our ancestors. I am sure the celebrations will be done to death, but we should understand that we have a responsibility to fulfill.

The first step should be to drop the 'Bollywood' tag. Why should we be happy with something that sounds like Hollywood! The people we are trying to reach cannot even speak English, so let's just be the best we can be!

Some tremendous developments have happened in the world of cinema in the past few years, but we still need to achieve practical milestones. We have phenomenal talent, but few directors and fewer writers. In a county of billions, we talk about 100 crores when we should be talking about 700-800 crores. I think we should cater to countries like Morocco, Iran and Iraq, which we don't. There is still a lot to be achieved. I look forward to the new talent coming in, when the first-borns will be directors and writers, and when the legacy of our masters from the past will be taken forward with sincerity.

-- As told to Asira Tarannum (Mid-Day)

Insider's view: Farah Khan Filmmaker and choreographer

Even as we celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema today, we have yet to stop blaming the industry for the ills that plague our society. From encouraging violence to social evils, cinema is blamed for everything! In the centenary year, I really hope this mindset changes. As it is, we are becoming even more regressive in our thinking. There are diktats not only on what should be portrayed, but also in what manner it should be portrayed!

I was watching Talaash recently and it was annoying to have the statutory warning keep popping up whenever any character pulled out a cigarette. As if to say that by showing that line, people will quit smoking! I am sure there are other ways to help people realise what is injurious to health. Now there are even issues about item numbers in films! I dread to think what is next?

Over the decades, films have always held a mirror to society. The early '70s spawned the hippie culture. Case in point -- Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Earlier, it was more of family dramas including the "pativrata" films of the '60s. The '80s I feel was the worse decade of Hindi films as all kinds of rubbish seemed to have seeped in suddenly, also the reason why parallel cinema flourished in those days.

It was Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (released in 1988) that made people realise the need to make characters more believable. The '90s heralded a stylish decade, where more attention was paid to styling like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998. This was also the time when choreography and song picturisations underwent a sea of change. In the last decade, the entire look of the industry has changed with more and more people from non-filmi backgrounds stepping in.

Today, a filmmaker can make a project he/she believes in for a limited audience and still be successful. There are films now being made only for multiplexes. In this more-the-merrier scheme of things, there is place for everyone. I don't consider myself a woman filmmaker anymore. I consider myself simply a filmmaker.

-- As told to Shaheen Parkar (Mid-Day)

Insider's view: Sujoy Ghosh Filmmaker

Growing up, I didn't watch too many films. To be honest, I did not understand cinema much those days. As long as a film (be it Hindi or Bengali) was entertaining and the hall air-conditioned, I was game.

It was during my university years that I became a movie buff. What I liked and still love about cinema is that it makes me happy. That is still my only demand as an audience. As a maker, I love the fact that I am allowed to create a world, to tell a story which has been told before and to convince you, maybe even manipulate, but essentially make you listen to me. It's great fun.

Over the years, the audience has changed and so have the techniques of filmmaking. Sound, cinematography, editing, visual effects etc have progressed incredibly. They have become crucial to the presentation of a film and if used properly, they really help you to tell a story. Content is also diversifying -- this was earlier unique to regional cinemas, but is now getting stronger in Hindi cinema as well.

All this is possible because the audience is changing. We have a much more global audience now who allow us to be more brave. I don't think I would want to bring back anything--the past is good as a reference, the future is what we should work towards. I would like to continue the creative search for the perfect film.

Today our cinema completes 100 years -- it's a great number to achieve. The idea, however, is to go beyond a 100 and in our case hopefully the fantastic cinema that we have now will only get better and better in the years to come.

-- As told to Jigar Shah (Mid-Day)

Insider's view: Prasoon Joshi Lyricist

What does 100 years of Indian cinema mean to us? I'll say it means that we are celebrating a century of popular culture. One cannot probably imagine what Indian society would be like without the presence of cinema.

Every part of our life -- be it the way we dress up, speak or comb our hair -- has a certain reflection of films we watch. This phenomenon is not restricted just to Bollywood or its Hindi-speaking populace. It's spread across the country. That's what's so great about Indian cinema. It has not only been mirroring us, but also shaping us.

As someone who writes for a living, I've noticed how cinema influences a language. The Hindustani parlance, if you may, has gone through remarkable changes over the years all thanks to Hindi films. The phrases people use in their daily life are hugely borrowed from what released in the cinema halls. It's almost funny how words subconsciously percolate into your personality just because they were heard in a film. It's as if the writers decide not only an actor's dialogues, but also the public's! We influence the way the audience speaks.

This marriage between cinema and language can be traced back to the 1930s, when talkies were blooming and songs were introduced with visuals. But what is worth noting is that the lyricists were smart enough to write simple songs with profound expressions. There was mundane wisdom in their lyrics. Take Ek bangala bane nyara or Har fikr ko dhue mein or Zindagi kaisi hai paheli or Ek din mit jayega maati ke mol....All these songs were deeply philosophical and avoided the religious discourse. A majority of our population was illiterate then and yet could relate to these songs.

Due to these lyrical achievements by faceless songwriters, Hindi cinema could transcend the lingual barrier and enter the national psyche. I come across elderly people from the South who can't speak Hindi, but fondly sing these songs from an era they refer to as classic. Even in the Parliament, we often see our politicians using lines from ghazals to make a point.

This practice only strengthens our age-old oral tradition and is not a new trend. What Indian cinema has done is continue the rhythm with songs from all genres. Of course, there will be a clash in opinion with respect to what is acceptable and what's not. But then, an item number is surviving alongside a Sufi track today because the right to express oneself remains uncompromised. To me, that's something to be proud of.

-- As told to Shakti Shetty (Mid-Day)

Insider's view: Onir Filmmaker

Independent cinema is thriving across the globe, except, of course, in our country. When you travel to Europe, you notice institutions being built specifically to support indie filmmakers.

They do it not because it's mandatory, but because they acknowledge the fact that cinema is an art form -- not just a commercial outlet. In India, we have no such avenue. At best, indie films are confined to film festivals with limited screenings. We, therefore, have to ask: Will independent cinema fade away like several other art forms gradually are? When will the government wake up to our realities and lend a helping hand?

Yes, we are celebrating the completion of Indian cinema's 100 years and it's a huge milestone for us as a nation. But, at the same time, we have to realise the need to change certain things, starting with our mindset towards non-mainstream cinema. After all, these are the kind of films that dare to ask the difficult questions and make society look at itself with a broader perspective. Being an independent filmmaker, I genuinely feel that independent cinema deserves dignity.

When you make a film, the least you can expect is a proper release. Thanks to our complex business structure and money-centric policies, however, indie efforts are neglected even though there is an audience out there. How else can one explain Anand Gandhi's Ship of Theseus not being released yet? It was one of the best -- if not the best--Indian film of 2012. Similarly, of the three Indian feature films that went to Cannes last year, only Gangs of Wasseypur managed to get a release. The other two -- Peddlers and Miss Lovely -- are yet to witness the darkness of a cinema hall. Don't you think that's sad?

Also, Indian cinema has been grossly insensitive towards homosexuals. More often than not, homosexual characters are portrayed as caricatures and in the end, mockery is what's presented to the audience. In the early days, homosexuality was considered a taboo although there were effeminate characters on screen. Over the past few years, although gay roles are seemingly common in terms of number, none of the films manage to break the proverbial ground. And this is the case with religious and racial identities too. A stereotyped image is set in stone and nobody cares to go beyond it.

In my opinion, this is an institutional problem, not a financial one. Take Prithvi Theatre, for instance. Despite the financial crunch, it has grown over the years to epitomise theatre in Mumbai. Can't we have a similar platform for independent films as well? Come to think of it, even Dadasaheb Phalke was an independent filmmaker....we are primarily celebrating our first independent film today.

-- As told to Shakti Shetty (Mid-Day)

He's a dashing star alright, but looks like Ranbir Kapoor is out to prove that in more ways than one. On Monday night, the Kapoor boy was obviously in a mood to show off his new baby -- a brand new white Mercedes Benz, G class SUV to his favourite girl Katrina Kaif.

He offered to take her for a spin too, but what could have been a cosy little ride in a new car, ended up being a near disaster. Ranbir apparently took his new car off to Film City where he was shooting for a commercial. On his way back, he offered to drop Kat, who was also shooting in Film City.

Once in Pali Hill, Bandra, the couple apparently were so caught up in conversation that they didn't realise that in the vicinity, that very night, Imran Khan was hosting a party to celebrate his maamujaan Aamir Khan's Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak completing 25 years. And there were hordes of cameramen stationed outside Imran's house! Once Ranbir realised that they might be caught on camera, he apparently panicked and speeded up and almost ended up colliding with a car coming from the opposite direction.

According to an eyewitness, thankfully the other car was not being driven fast. "Katrina was sitting in the passenger's seat and when Ranbir spotted the media outside Imran's house, he pushed the accelerator to avoid being photographed. He was driving on a steep slope and in panic he almost collided into a car towards his SUV. Ranbir was a bit shaken but he continued driving and then they went to his house."

Looks like Ranbir likes to spend most of his money on cars. A few months back he had taken Sanjay Leela Bhansali for a spin in another new car. And not so long ago, it was his mother Neetu Kapoor who was the lucky one to get driven by him in a new Audi. What is interesting is all of Ranbir's cars come with number 8 and the new Mercedes SUV that he has bought costs a cool R 1 crore 40 lakh. Ranbir was not available for comment.

Ranbir's mean machines

Range Rover sport

Audi G63

AMG R8 Audi (sports car)

In spite of star cousin Priyanka, Meerra Chopra went through a rough patch of frustration and helplessness when her debut Hindi film did not take off. Looks like now that's a thing of the past.

Meerra who was scheduled to start shooting for the third part of 1920 as her debut film will now start shooting for Satish Kaushik's Gang of Ghosts. Apparently Meerra had earlier declined the offer as her dates were clashing with Vikram Bhatt's film. Now that Vikram's project has got delayed by a couple of months, Meerra will be doing Gang of Ghosts first.

Meerra says, "I had met Satishji just a few days after I signed 1920. The film was to start on May 1 and Satishji was starting his project as well around the same time. However just a couple of days later, I got a call from Vikram's office informing me that the film has been pushed back. I then called Satishji, we met and everything fell into place."

About her long wait she says, "I have been looking for the right film for over a year now. However I have been regularly working in the South with my Telugu film releasing this Friday and one in June. I was confident that the moment I would land in Mumbai, I would sign multiple films. However, reality stuck me when I reached the city. After about a year, 1920 happened which is a career-defining role for me and I am thankful to Vikram for believing in me. I am so happy that I have two different films, which are distinct from each other."

About her star cousin Meerra says, "Priyanka and I belong to the same family but we are not really close. I am very proud of what she had done in her career without having a godfather. She deserves all the success that she due to her hard work. It took me a year to get these two films and although there was a long struggle and there were frustrations, I am glad that I have these two films. I know that comparisons will be inevitable when my film releases. I have realised that until and unless you are good enough, the fact that you are a brother or sister or son of anyone doesn't matter."

Kaushik adds, "I knew that she is the girl when I met her recently. However, I was disappointed that she could not do it. Than I got a call from her informing that 1920 has been delayed and so she could do my film. I told her that if Vikram does not have a problem then we are on."

Gang of Ghost is the remake of the Bengali film Bhooter Bhabishyat and goes on the floors today.

In Pic: Satish Kaushik

Other fiends Vishal and Shekhar composed the music for free. Anubhav had directed SRK's Ra.One in 2011.

When contacted Anubhav says, "Yes, SRK's company did the animation and visual effects for the logo of my company. When I asked him about the money he said he will not do it for free and will charge me R 1. Earlier, it was designed by my friend Jeetendra Singh Baoni and even he didn't charge me anything."

The director-producer further says, "This is a company for friends and I believe in giving and seeking love from them. In fact, Harry and Ketan from SRK's company gave me this whole idea of Shiva, the damroo and the trishul. It is very beautiful."

The late star Dev Anand had once said that without Koishore Kumar's singing capabilities he wouldn't have achieved the kind of success he had. Ironically, in the special title song of Bombay Talkies, which commemorates the 100 years of Indian cinema, the names of the singers are not even mentioned!

The special song of Bombay Talkies which stars Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and several other leading stars, has some of the most renowned playback singers like Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, SB Balasubramanium, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shaan, Shreya Ghoshal, Sukhwinder Singh, Shilpa Rao and Mohit Chauhan. But unfortunately the CD has neither the mention of any of their names, nor are they part of the video. The album credit simply chooses to credit it to 'various singers'

Sonu Nigam says, "I have no issue except that we all sang free of charge out of our own free will for that song, not to be called 'Various Singers' in the credits. Just mentioning all our names, would have made us feel that our gesture in goodwill was appreciated. I'm sure it's not asking for too much. is it?"

He adds, "Also, if they had given the credits, it would have added value to the song, as each singer has his or her own fan following." Shilpa Rao, however, chose to be magnanimous about it. She says,"Yes, I'm aware that there are no names mentioned but it's ok. We are celebrating 100 years of cinema and being a part of it is enough."

Other singers were not available for comment.

To celebrate the success of Aditya Roy Kapoor's latest film Aashiqui 2, sister-in-law Vidya organised a family dinner at her Juhu home on Monday.

As Aditya's first solo film as a hero has been receiving a positive feedback, the Kapoors wanted to celebrate and Vids suggested a family get together.

Says a source, "Rajma chawal is Aditya's favourite dish. So Vidya ensured it was on the menu along with his other favourites like aloo tikki, dahi boondi and kulfi falooda for desert. The topic of conversation was but naturally, the movies."

Aditya says, "It was a small celebration which came as a sweet surprise for me. We all had a great time."

He may have penned several yesteryear Bollywood hits as well as acted as a sounding board for scriptwriters.

Now Salim Khan takes on a new role as a guide for the Siddarth Kumar Tewary's small screen epic Mahabharat which will air on a Hindi entertainment channel. His superstar son Salman Khan has hosted reality shows on TV, Salim has preferred the mythological route.

Says a source, "Salim Khan is available as and when needed for his valuable inputs as a creative person and writer. He is said to be appreciative of the subject and doesn't want any undue limelight with regards to the project. He is said to be fond of both epics the Mahabharat as well as the Ramayan."

Adds the source, "Salim Khan got involved with the project a few months ago. He is like a guide and recommended a friend Jay Prakash Choksey to get involved in the project as he himself could not provide the needed time."

A permanent set of the show is set up in Umargaon in Gujarat but the unit has also shot in Kashmir. Veteran designer Bhanu Athaiya is the costume designer for the show which is likely to air after the ongoing Indian Premier League season ends.

The Mahabharat line up

Arav Choudhary - Bheeshm Pitamah

Shaheer Sheikh - Arjun Ratan

Rajput- Amba Puneet Issar - Parshuram

Sayantani Ghosh - Satyavati

Sameer Dharmadhikari - Shantanu

The film directed by Sanjay Gupta and starring Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, Kangana Ranaut, Sonu Sood and Tusshar Kapoor promised to be star studded but due to this untimely rain, the premiere has been cancelled.

Our source says, "The IT officials landed up at Ekta Kapoor's Juhu residence early in the morning and also raided Tusshar Kapoor's residence near by along with the office in Andheri. Ekta was already stressed with the release of one of her most ambitious film. Due to these episodes, the premiere has now been cancelled."

When contacted Sanjay Gupta, the director fo the film, says, "Yes it is true we have cancelled it as Ekta was too stressed. We had planned a massive premiere and we were to put up a huge set at the theatre. In fact, every screen was to be named after every character and unfortunately we now do not have the time to execute all these things."

Gupta adds, "However, we have called all our friends at a theatre in Juhu to watch it with audiences. We have some of our friends watching it on Friday as well."

Anna Hazare's fast until death at the Ram Leela Ground in Delhi had shaken up the country, people from all the walks of the country were trying to reach out to Anna.

Some were going to meet him, while others were writing poems on him and one such man is Prasoon Joshi. He wrote a poem called Mashaal which was about the awakening of common public. If sources are to be believed, his verses are now going to be used in a song for Prakash Jha's Satyagraha.

Sources from the sets inform us, "Director Prakash Jha was apparently so moved by the poetry that he immediately bought the rights from Prasoon."

The film already has Indian Ocean and Salim Sulaiman composing one -- one track each for the film. Though it is yet to be decided as to who will compose for Prasoon's work.

The President of India Pranab Mukherjee will be handing out the honours at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

The Gangs of Wasseypur (GOW) star, who is presently shooting for her next film Abhishek Chaubey's Dedh Ishqiya, has adjusted her shoot schedule accordingly for the event. After all, it was something that she would have not missed at any cost!

Says Huma, "When I got a call from the team at the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, I was both surprised and thrilled. Any kind of association with the National Awards, especially hosting, is a huge honour. And like any other citizen of the country, I am excited to meet the President."

What's also of significance for her is that the awards are held in New Delhi -- her hometown. So her folks are equally excited to see her on stage with the best of the film industry as well as the country's bigwigs. Huma was apparently pencilled in for her ability to converse fluently in Hindi.

Huma is meanwhile in a tizzy deciding on what to wear for the big occasion. Among the winners from the Hindi film industry are Irrfan, Anu Kapoor and Huma's GOW co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

While mum Sussanne planned a lavish birthday bash, dad Duggu ensured Hridaan and his friends had a whale of a time. Hridaan on his part thinks May 1 is a public holiday, because it is his birthday! A star kid, indeed.

The former model, VJ and theatre actress featured in Sudhir Mishra's Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin and Kaizad Gustad's Bombay Boys. After getting married to an American citizen Daniel Tennabaum in 2001, she moved to Boston where she runs a catering agency along with her hubby. She may be looking well-fed but her flowing mane still remains!

Maryam wanted her farewell gift to be special and after a lot of thought she came up with the idea of getting a custom made painting done of her beloved 'Saroj-ji.

From her career being a question mark, now she has landed a film called Question Mark! "I am here to do good work and if a good opportunity comes my way I will definitely do it," she chirps. Well, we hope she manages to make it after the long gap.

He says, "Sasha is my good friend and it's her debut film. I will go to watch her movie and will request all my friends to watch it because it's the least a friend can do." Some love never dies. Sigh.

Salman Khan: Freedom at last. Hope they give him (his body) to his family. We all tried, guess not hard enough. May god give his family strength and his soul rest in peace.

Farhan Akhtar: With Sarabjit's death, Pakistan has painted itself a heartless villain, even in the most forgiving Indian's eye. Unforgettable insensitivity. RIP.

Javed Akhtar: Some day I may forget Kargil but will never forget Sarabjit's murder. It is an act of extreme meanness by a very petty minded establishment.

Mahesh Bhatt: Sarabjit Singh's death has pushed the Indo- Pak relationship to the brink. The Pak civil society needs to push their govt to act humanly!

Jackky Bhagnani: RIP Sarabjit Singh. It's shameful such a incident can even happen.

Sanjay Gupta: My outburst last night was an instant reaction against the cowards that killed Sarabjit and not their country. Prayers, best wishes and blessings for Sarabjit's family. Please be strong, your son is a martyr.

Madhur Bhandarkar: Pakistan should've sent his body earlier to India. Feel sad for Sarabjit Singh's family. For them the long wait has come to a sad end. His death will always be a reminder of petty minded politics. RIP Sarabjit Singh.

Sophie Choudry: RIP Sarabjit Singh. Strength, prayers and condolences to the family. Hate may have killed him but red tape let him die.

Kunal Kohli: Dear Sarabjit's family, like the family of Nirbhaya, the beheaded solider, the 5 year old raped girl, your son too will not get justice.

Punit Malhotra: Woken up to the sad news of Sarbajit passing away. Angry yet again about the way our government handled the situation.

Kabir Bedi: Mourn the tragic death of Sarabjit Singh. 22 years of prison is a travesty of Pakistan's own laws: all convicts free after 14 years.

Suchitra Krishnamoorthy: Sarabjit Singh, what a tragic story, what a horrific end. And what a difference in the way Qasab was treated in our jails like a VIP.

Her extremely busy schedule in recent times did not leave Anushka with much time, so she's glad to be with her folks. The star felt the best way to usher in her big day was to be with them and what better place than Goa -- the country's party hub!

Says a source, "Anushka has taken off for two days to make merry. She was shooting for Rajkumar Hirani's film and later was busy with her ad shoots and photoshoots for magazines. The past year has been busy for her with two releases, but for her birthday she ensured that she take a well deserved break."

Sunny Deol with son Karan on the sets of an upcoming sequel in which Karan is assistant director

After not being on good terms for nearly 20 years, Sunny Deol and Aditya Chopra have let bygones by bygones. The Yash Raj head honcho will be launching Sunny's son Karan (better known by his pet name Rocky) in one of their upcoming productions.

This follows close on the heels of the recent announcement of YRF taking over the music of Santosh Sivan's sequel which features the Deols.

To go back, Sunny and the late Yash Chopra had a huge fight after they did Darr together. Sunny felt that Shah Rukh Khan was given more prominence and Sunny never worked with them again. Although Bobby worked with YRF in Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Sunny avoided the YRF banner. However after the demise of Yash Chopra, Aditya and Sunny met and they resolved their differences."

A source says, "Adi has expressed his desire to launch Karan and a deal has been cracked. However the youngster is not bound by any contract by YRF. He will only feature in one film unlike other new actors who have to sign a three-film deal."

When contacted, YRF folks preferred to deny the development.

Sanjay Dutt may have sought an extension to complete his pending film projects including Rajkumar Hirani's film in which he stars with Aamir Khan.

But a source close to Aamir at his 25th anniversary bash in the industry points out, "Sanju's portions were already shot a while back over three days at the CST station in Mumbai. He is no longer required for the shoot.

So why did Sanju mention Peekay as one of his pending films and sought extension before undergoing the remaining sentence in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case?"

Adds the source, "Raju's film has wrapped up. Where is the question of Sanjay shooting for it during the extension?"

Kangna Ranaut stepped out for a cast and crew screening of Sanjay Gupta and Ekta Kapoor's upcoming film on Monday. But all is not well still between her and the producers.

There has been buzz how Kangs had been feeling left out after the makers were only promoting certain members of the cast. She had then made herself unavailable for film promotions. Kangna was also apparently upset with Gupta and Ekta for roping in Priyanka Chopra, Sunny Leone and Sophie Chowdry to do item numbers in the film.

According to a source close to Kangna, "She was shooting in Chambal and then in Wai for her other films, so she could not be present for the film promotions, however she gave interviews."

But an industry insider maintains, "Kangna did come for the screening but it does not mean all is well between Kangs and Ekta. There are still several issues and Kangna still feels let down by Ekta especially when she took on the offer after other actresses had turned it down."

The action star however will not be acting in it, but be on board as consultant and advisor.

As Akki is synonymous with action, Vipul is keen to have the star's guidance. At present the Khiladi is working in the Hindi remake of a South film being produced by Vipul.

Says a source, "When the sequel was announced, Vipul felt there was no one better than Akshay as consultant for the action sequences. He'll be guiding Vidyut too."

The filmmaker and the Khiladi have earlier worked together in films like Waqt: The Race Against Time and Singh Is Kinng.

Director Nikhil Advani and his crew had arranged for a body double for an action sequence in his film

But actress Huma Qureshi insisted on doing it herself.

A unit member says, "We were rehearsing a tough scene with Huma's body double. The shot required her to drive a car through a gate. However during the rehearsals, the stunt girl had a car collision and hurt herself. Huma watched it and decided to do the scene herself."

Nikhil says, "The car sequence was an essential part of a scene but I do not believe in compromising an actor's safety for it. But Huma was determined."

The actress says, "Actors don't do stunts often because they are not trained to do them. However I wasn't trying to act heroic. I just felt that I could do it."

Over cups of green tea, Ismail Darbar takes time out from his busy schedule at the recording studio for Subhash Ghai's upcoming movie. The music composer talks about returning to film music after eight years, his personal life and the controversies that surround him.

You are giving music after eight years, how did this project happen?

The first time when Subhash Ghai called me I became very emotional. Dil ko mere baat lag gayi aur bahut dil se duwayien nikli. I was not in touch with him and after eight years he called me to give music for his movie. I felt the Almighty has sent someone from above to help me.

Devdas was a huge success, yet you gave music for only one movie after that. Why?

Yes, Devdas was a huge hit. Eight months later I signed Subhash Ghai's Kisna. The number eight plays an important part in my life, which I don't understand, ha ha! I tried calling a few people in between but when they didn't revert I stopped calling them. It depends on my mood also. I am not egoistic but I have a certain attitude. People in the industry thought I have a lot of ego. The struggle I did also was with dignity. But yes, I am short-tempered.

You had a fall out with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, but you were seen at his birthday bash this year?

Sanjay and I share a Tom and Jerry relationship. Even when we did not record the first song... from that time we have been fighting. We fight and don't talk for months and then whenever we meet, we meet as if nothing ever happened. This time also it was the same. I refused 28 films to do Devdas! I got a lot of offers at that time which I refused.

What did you do in these eight years? I did reality shows which became a hit. People gave me a lot of respect from across the globe. I was part of a Bigg Boss also, which was the need of the hour. I had to run the house so I went in Big Boss. I was to direct a movie also but it didn't kick off.

You were surrounded by several controversies in the last few years. Do you think your name was misused?

I have still not understood how it happened. My case is still going on. I will keep on fighting till the time I am alive. I was a mentor and people called me bhagwan aur phir unhi logon ne mujhey shaitaan bola.. But till when will they run? I am sure one day the Almighty will support me. I will not spare them! They will have to apologise to me. I still get so upset when I think about it. My family also got dragged into it. But the only good thing Almighty blessed me with in these eight years was my wife and a son. I did not have work but I was very satisfied within because I am blessed with a good family.

What are your kids doing now?

I have four children from my first wife and one from my second wife. One son is an instructor at Shaimak Davar's dance academy, the other is assisting Subhash Ghai, two of my daughters are studying and my youngest son is also studying in grade 2. He also sings and is learning to play the piano.

The actress had signed a contract with the company for two years (2010-11). But she was shocked to see her snapshots in the ads on the front page of leading newspapers.

Says a source, "Her contract expired in mid-2011. She tried settling the matter amicably but since there was no response from their side, she had to file a case."

Sagarika says, "Yes, a case has been filed but since I am not in Mumbai, my manager is taking care of the issue. The company is still using my pictures even after my contract with them has expired."