Reality World

Mohali (Punjab), (IANS) Preity Zinta, Bollywood star and now one of the four co-owners of the Mohali team of the Indian Premier League (IPL), was a lonely host at her squad's first tie Saturday evening with the stadium here virtually without any stars or many spectators. The over-35,000-capacity Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium had some stands virtually empty, particularly those with expensive tickets. The pavilion terrace block, which is overcrowded during any international match, was almost empty. Only a few people sat in the Rs.3,000 per ticket block. Out of the few thousand spectators, most were in the students' block, where each ticket cost Rs.50, the general block (Rs.250) and another block with tickets costing Rs.750. "The empty stands have more to do with the free pass culture in Chandigarh and Punjab, particularly among VIPs and their families. With not many free passes being given by the IPL, people did not turn up," a member of the PCA organising co

New Delhi, (IANS) Studies are the first priority for 11-year-old Darsheel Safary, who endeared himself to audiences in "Taare Zameen Par". Having fun is second on the list and movies, surprisingly, come last. "My studies are the most important thing for me. I can't think of anything which is more important than these," Darsheel told IANS here. His priorities are quite clear. "For me, studies come first, then I want to do 'masti' (have fun) like my friends and doing movies come last," quipped the child actor. Darsheel, a Class 6 student, was in the capital to promote health drink Horlicks, of which he's just become the brand ambassador. His mother Sheetal Safary is also very particular about his studies. "Darsheel has a weekly test every Thursday in school. We try our best to make him concentrate on his studies at least on Wednesday. Otherwise, he mostly works on weekends," she said. With his recent tie-up with Horlicks, he has ent

Mumbai, (IANS) Hrithik Roshan is a strict dad as far as his son's diet goes. Little Hrehaan, who turned two recently, is not allowed to indulge in chocolates. But on his birthday last month, he was given a real treat - chocolate cake, something he's kept away from usually. Said Hrithik: "He can have all kinds of cake...except chocolate. I feel his body doesn't need it for the first few years. Actually you don't need chocolate at all at any stage of your life. It just displaces your hunger for proper food. That really bothers me. The moment a child has a chocolate he grows addicted. "As it is, from the time he (Hrehaan) has a life of his own with his friends he'll have all the access to chocolate. Believe me I know." So is Hrithik a strict father? "Only as far as Hrehaan's diet is concerned. As a child I ate the wrong kind of food. In my later years I really had to clean myself up. It was really tough, and I don't want Hrehaan to go throu

Mumbai, (IANS) Director Vishal Bharadwaj, known for his Shakespearean dramas, plans to make a feel-good love story now. And Shahid Kapur and Priyanka Chopra are the stars he has in mind this time. But contrary to reports, his film is not a new version of "Romeo and Juliet". "People would love to see me complete my Shakespearean trilogy after 'Macbeth' ('Maqbool') and 'Othello' ('Omkara'). But I'm not doing 'Romeo & Juliet'," says Bharadwaj. "Omkara" starred Ajay Devgan and Kareena Kapoor, while "Maqbool" had Pankaj Kapur, Tabu and Irrfan Khan in the lead roles. Both won much critical acclaim. While Shahid is confirmed for Bharadwaj's next project, talks are on with Priyanka, who is currently shooting in Miami for Tarun Mansukhani's "Dostana". She is expected to give her nod when she returns to Mumbai in May. After his break-up with Kareena, Shahid has been cast opposite various lea

New Delhi, (IANS) Actress Katrina Kaif, who features in the promotional video of Vijay Mallya's Indian Premier League (IPL) team 'Royal Challengers', surprised everyone when she played a prank while shooting the song. She took the mike, changed her voice and announced that Katrina had fainted due to the non-stop shooting in the sweltering heat. The shoot had started at 7 a.m. at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai owned by the Cricket Club of India (CCI). The whole unit panicked and frantically started searching for her but couldn't find her for nearly half an hour. Director Sanjay Gupta and choreographer Bosco were tense since they had to finish the shoot in the limited time allotted by the authorities. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief when they saw Katrina emerge, having a good laugh. When contacted, Gupta laughed and said: "Hey who told you that? Katrina was lovely to work with." Last year Katrina gave hits like "Namastey London", "Apne", &q

Newcomer Sikander Kher's introductory scene in his debut film "Woodstock Villa" reportedly cost a whopping Rs.15 million to shoot. Director Hansal Mehta confirmed that the producer spent quite extravagantly for the introductory scene, which is expected to be similar to Tom Cruise' entry in the 1990 classic film "Days of Thunder". In the scene, Sikandar is seen riding an imported Yamaha MT 01 bike with smoke in the background. The scene required three days of shooting. Mehta feels that Sikandar, son of actors Anupam and Kirron Kher, is a powerhouse of talent and a natural born star. He is however not surprised by Sikandar's capabilities, as he believes that the actor has a certain pedigree, given the work of his parents.

Mumbai, (IANS) After a fairy tale wedding and a busy and eventful year, Bollywood's most talked about couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai took a break to celebrate their first wedding anniversary Sunday - away from the prying eyes of the media - in Miami. "Not that they planned so. It just happened," said Amitabh Bachchan of the location. "Abhishek is shooting in Miami for 'Dostana'. And Aishwarya is with him on their marriage anniversary," he added. While the two are enjoying their anniversary in Miami, Amitabh has chosen the day to unveil the first look of "Sarkar Raj", which stars three Bachchans - Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya. Ram Gopal Varma's long-awaited "Sarkar Raj" will be released June 6. A few days before its commercial release, the film, which is a sequel to Varma's "Sarkar", will be premiered at International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) to be held in Bangkok. The couple was seen in Mani Ratnam&#