Actor Shabana Azmi released the English version of 'Kaifi Aur Main' a biographical account of her father Kaifi Azmi, at the Kolkata Book Fair Thursday evening.

The book written by Shabana's mother Shaukat Kaifi is a memoir of their long marital life.

The same evening, Shabana also released three DVDs, including one featuring late communist patriarch Jyoti Basu's biography.

Author Nabanita Deb Sen was also present on the occasion.

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The wait seems to be over now; we are talking about Mani Rathnam's Raavana/ Raavan. There is no need of any introduction when it come to Mani Rathnam, because his name does the magic at the box office. The veteran director is currently busy with his big budget bilingual tentatively titled Ravaana in Tamil and Raavan in Hindi. Earlier, there were reports that a 90 seconds teaser of the Hindi version would be launched soon. Now the latest we hear is that the film will grace theatres in May; the director plans to release the film simultaneously in Hindi and Tamil. Sources add that the ace director is in a dilemma regarding the title for the Tamil version; Ashokavanam and Raavana are under consideration. Raavana, said to be the modern adaptation of the epic Ramayana, revolves around Raavana, the ruler of Lanka, who kidnapped Sita. The story culminates with Sita taking the side of Raavana instead of Rama, who suspects her chastity after having spent so much time in Raavana's custody. Vikram plays the villain. Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai are the lead pair in Hindi, while Vikram will play the lead opposite Aishwarya in Tamil. Music is by Oscar winner A.R. Rahman. Raavana is produced by Mani Rathnam's sister Sharda under Rathnam's banner Madras Talkies.

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An Oscar ain't enough for the "Mozart of Film Music." Among the truckloads of trophies lining his shelves, another honour will soon occupy pride of place. The Padma Bhushan!

A R Rehman earns the third highest civilian honour of India for his exemplary contribution to music. Incidentally, Rehman shares this honour with Ilayaraja, his mentor!

A visibly thrilled Rehman stated in a newspaper inter phew, "I'm overwhelmed that I have received the honour at the same time that Raja sir has got it. It is a great personal statement for me . He has played for my father Sekhar and I have played under Raja sir. It is a family thing for me."

Close encounters of the musical kind …

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'Jayam' fame actor 'Nitin' has two projects in his kitty, which are yet to hit the screens.

Nitin`s upcoming flicks 'Maro' & 'Seetharamula Kalyanam Lankalo' are in the post production stage and the first one in que to hit the screens is 'Seetharamula Kalyanam Lankalo' produced under the banner of 'Welfare Creations'.

'Seetharamula Kalyanam Lankalo' will hit the screens in the first week of December. Nitin & Haniska Motwani share the screen space and Salim Pande & Suman will be seen playing the key roles in the film. Brahmanandam, Ali, M.S.Narayana, Venu Madhav, Chandra Mohan, Subbaraju, Jeeva, Duvvasi Mohan, Satyam Rajesh, Ranam & Venu will also be seen as supporting characters in this movie. Music is scored by Anoop Rubens and two of the songs are picturised in Europe.

'Seetharamula Kalyanam Lankalo' has created lots of buzz in the industry for its star cast, curious storyline penned by Vikram Raj, skillfull direction by Vikram Raj and comedy being an integral part of the movie, is expected to be a big hit at the box office for a record break.

Watch out the exclusive videos of 'Seetharamula Kalyanam Lankalo'

Don`t miss to watch 'Seetharamula Kalyanam Lankalo' if you are greedy for a grin

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Kareena Kapoor earns reams of newsprint for her size zero frame and fashion aesthetics (sorry Chopra, just a phrase!). But there's a warm, generous side to her too, which few pals will vouch for.

Case in point Lovely Singh, the debutant director of 'Kya Love Story Hai'. Knowing his special love for watches, Bebo babe hunted high and low for a designer edition and … gifted him one which cost a cool seven lakhs!

Earlier on, she'd agreed to groove gratis to the 'It's rocking.. 'number for his flick. And true to her promise, KK didn't charge him a single penny for her jiggie wiggie. Lucky, Lovely Singh.

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Bollywood star Aamir Khan and celebrated Tamil composers A.R. Rahman and Ilayaraja were Monday named for Padma Bhushan, the nation's third highest civilian award, While actors Rekha, Saif Ali Khan, Arundhati Nag and sound engineer Resul Pokutty got Padma Shri.

Aamir, 44, who struck gold at the box office with his latest outing '3 Idiots' that grossed over Rs.375 crore worldwide, is already a recipient of the Padma Shri.

Allah Rakha Rahman, who shone at the Oscars last year with his double golden statuette win, seems to be on an award winning spree post the success of 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

In 2008, Rahman scored the music of Danny Boyle's rags-to-riches drama 'Slumdog Millionaire' for which he won a Golden Globe. He also bagged two Oscars for the film, becoming the first Indian citizen to do so.

Apart from the Oscars, Rahman has also been awarded with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award, four National Film Awards and 13 Filmfare awards.

Tamil composer Ilayaraja has been a prominent name in the southern film industry since 1976. He debuted with 'Annakkili' and is known for integrating Tamil folk lyric with Western music. He won the Indian National Film Award thrice for the movies - 'Sindhu Bhairavi', 'Rudraveena' and 'Saagara Sangamam.'

And now Ilayaraja gets the Padma Bhushan.

Bollywood diva Rekha, 55, has been selected for the Padma Shri, the fourth highest honour, after four decades in the Indian film industry.

The daughter of the late southern star Gemini Ganesan, Rekha bagged overnight success with her debut film and went on to become India's sex symbol.

Rekha has acted in over 150 films and maintained versatility in films like 'Do Anjaane' (1976), 'Ghar' (1978), 'Muqaddar Ka Sikander' (1978), 'Khubsoorat' (1980), 'Silsila' (1981), 'Baseraa' (1981), 'Utsav' (1984), 'Khoon Bhari Maang' (1988), 'Ijaazat' (1988), 'Kama Sutra' (1996) and 'Zubeidaa' (2001), et al.

After being awarded with the 2008 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, now Arundhati Nag, a well-known name in the theatre world, wins Padma Shri. She was recently seen in 'Paa' as Amitabh Bachchan's grandmother.

Saif Ali Khan, one of the top notch actors in Hindi film industry, has been honoured with the Padma Shri. He became a sought after name after the success of 'Dil Chahta Hai' (2001). After that there has been no looking back for the actor who also bagged the National Film Awards for his performance in 'Hum Tum'.

Sound engineer Resul Pokutty, who won Oscar last year for his work in 'Slumdog Millionaire', is honoured with the fourth highest civilian award Padma Shri

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If you are a 'follower' of this actor, you were likely to be posted with the news of his arrival in the city and also his fondness for it. "Off to Pune...I love that city..." said his tweet as Riteish Deshmukh drove down last weekend to promote his forthcoming film Rann. Interacting with the fans the star spoke about the film, his makeover and the city where he studied for a year.

Already in news and expected to take news head on, Ram Gopal Verma's Rann is based on media and claims to bring out the intricacies. Deshmukh plays the role of an investigative journalist, a shift from his comic image, which he says, had to be broken and this was the best film to do so with. "The knowledge Ram Gopal Verma has about the subject and direction is extraordinary. He was very clear about what he wanted to show and the projection of the incidents, so once we were briefed, our roles were very comprehensible to portray. Since I play a very intense role who is inherently a strong and serious person I had to be quite responsible other than trimming my hair and growing a beard," smiles the actor.

Rann also has Amitabh Bachchan, Sudeep (seen in Verma's Phoonk), Gul Panag and Neetu Chandra. Deshmukh plays Purab Shastri whose stringent opinions on people centric news clashes with the differing powers. Sharing his outlook on the current news-making he adds, "It is easy to flip channels and comment on news but media is much more behind those headlines. It is all about the struggle that goes into procuring news, easier seen than done. Reporters, based on the sheer fact that they can question anyone from politicians, industrialist, sportsperson to an actor should make it unbiased, since the question is always offensive and the answer defensive. Being in the entertainment industry I at times observe that news are being created to simply fill the space. Media should project the approach of the masses as they are supposed to do, but it is necessary at the same time to not ignore the other side simply because it is apparently powerful."

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Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has expressed disappointment over the apparent snub to Pakistani players by Indian Premier League bidders.

"I truly believe Pakistan players should have been chosen," The Dawn quoted the Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner, as saying.

Although there were "some issues", the matter could have been handled by the IPL "respectfully", Khan said.

"They are the champions, they are wonderful but somewhere down the line there is an issue and we can't deny it," Khan said in an interview with a news channel.

No Pakistani player was bought by the eight Indian clubs during an auction on Tuesday for the third edition of the glitzy IPL.

Khan said it was humiliating to him as a KKR owner that no one bid for the Pakistani players despite them being put up for auction.

"We are known to invite everyone. We should have. If there were any issues, they should have been put on board earlier. Everything can happen respectfully. Everyday we blame Pakistan, everyday Pakistan blames us. It is an issue," he added.

Khan, who had five players from Pakistan playing for KKR in IPL's first edition, said the youth should avoid all that is said about India and Pakistan by the politicians.

"Pakistan is a great neighbour to have. We are great neighbours, They are good neighbours. Let us love each other. Let me be honest. My family is from Pakistan, my father was born there and his family is from there," he added.



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Overjoyed by the success of his two films in a row, actor Jayasuriya will start his new movie ‘Nallavan’ by the 27th of this month with great enthusiasm. The new movie will be now produced by Anil Mathew and S Murugan for Bathestha Productions which produced the last year's super hit ‘Puthiya Mukham’. Directed by Aji John and scripted by Ajith Nambiar, ‘Nallavan’ will be cinematographed by Manoj Pillai. Jayasuriya will don the three stages of the central character “Kocherrukkan”, which is expected to bring out the best of the actor. ‘Palery Manickyam’ fame Mythili is the heroine of ‘Nallavan’ while others in the cast include Siddhique, Saikumar, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Bijukuttan, Sudheesh, Manian Pillai Raju, Bindhu Panikkar, Sona Nair, Prakash Paul, Narayanankutty, Chembil Ashokan and Kollam Ajith. Mohan Sithara is the music director vpost : 02

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Director Priyadarshan has signed a two-film pact with Woodpecker Pictures, a subsidiary of U.S based entertainment fund Woodpecker Holding. The king of remakes in Hindi cinema will add another feather to his illustrious remake cap. He will remake the Tamil super hit ‘Naadodigal’ in Hindi for the USA entertainment company.

Priyan will make the two films under his Four Frames banner with a combined budget of $20 million, which is approximately 80 crore Indian rupees.

‘Naadodigal’ in Tamil was a budget film which reaped profits from left right and centre because of it content value. It gradually improved its stature when it was remade in other south Indian languages. But in Hindi it had become a millions of dollars film.

‘Naadodigal’ Hindi version will be the first project under the agreement and it will start production in April. Nothing has been decided on the second project yet.

Meanwhile to further consolidate its presence in India and its association with Priyadarshan, Woodpecker is also in discussions to do a mainstream international movie with top stars from Hollywood to be shot in Mexico. Priyadarshan may direct this also as part of an extended agreement. But nothing is confirmed to this bit

Priyadarshan who has made more than 60 films in Hindi, Malayalam and Tamil is a revered name in Indian cinema. Last year his Tamil film ‘Kanchivaram’ won many awards including the National Award for best film


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David Germain

Jackie Chan. Boring pen salesman named Bob Ho. But really an ace CIA agent who's retiring from the spy game to marry the single mom next door. Only her kids can't stand him because they think he's a boring pen salesman named Bob Ho. So she goes away and he volunteers to baby-sit to win over the little ones. Except these Russian spies come after him and the children ... You buying any of this? Neither are we. Like many action stars, Chan is looking for a piece of the lucrative family market with The Spy Next Door and his upcoming The Karate Kid. Maybe he'll have some luck with the latter, a remake with some built-in appeal, because The Spy Next Door is the sort of slop to make you long for a less-irritating neighbor, like Barney the dinosaur or some Teletubbies. Maybe Jar-Jar Binks. In fairness, Chan is no more tiresome than anyone else in The Spy Next Door, from Billy Ray Cyrus as his good old boy spy ally to George Lopez as his grinning CIA boss to Madeline Carroll, Will Shadley and Alina Foley as the supremely annoying children. It's not nice to make fun of kids, so let's blame the young ones' obnoxiousness on director Brian Levant, who specializes in bringing out the worst in performers for family fare (Jingle All the Way, Are We There Yet?). The screenplay credited to Jonathan Bernstein, James Greer and Gregory Poirier (Really? Three guys to write this mess?) centers on some top-secret formula accidentally downloaded by one of the children Bob's minding for his girlfriend, Gillian (Amber Valletta). That sends the villains calling, putting Bob and his young charges on the run for their lives. Chan's halting English made for an endearing chuckle or two in his Rush Hour movies, but here, it's just a chore to decipher what he's saying. The language barrier is compounded by the sometimes incomprehensible mutterings from Magnus Scheving and Katherine Boecher, doing miserable Boris-and-Natasha imitations as the main Russian villains. Odds are, given the dumb dialogue that you actually can understand, we're not missing anything when the accents obscure the lines. This sad little movie is built entirely to set up Chan's stunt sequences as he fights with pots, pans, ladders and other found objects or hurtles stairways to chase bad guys. The action stuff is more tolerable than the jokes, but barely. Parents, there are so many better ways to entertain your kids for an afternoon than shelling out for this. Think sock puppets and go from there. Farren sums things up nicely at the outset of The Spy Next Door, shouting, "I hate this family!" Yeah, know the feeling. The Spy Next Door, a Lionsgate release, is rated PG for sequences of action violence and some mild rude humor. vpost : 08

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South Indian hottie who became the choice of many Hindi movie watching males after the super success of ‘Gajani’ is taking time to announce her next.

Anyways the lady is also waiting for someone who will ask her to pose with the King Khan.

The lucky actress has already shared the screen with Aamir amd Salman is waiting to be cast against SRK.

While waiting for a proper script, she rates the three Khans as follows -

On Aamir she says, “Aamir is very focused.”

And on the handsome Salman the girl replies, “Salman has a cool attitude.”

But according to us, the girl has reserved the best comment for SRK, she says, “Shah Rukh, from what I have seen of him, seems to be very charming.”

The lady seems to be in no hurry to work with her charming SRK and is looking for a good role for her.

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Bollywood producer Pahlaj Nihalani, credited with launching actors like Govinda, Chunky Pandey and Suniel Shetty, says the profit-driven attitude of multiplexes is leading to the downfall of quality cinema.

'Multiplexes are gradually eating away good cinema and new talent. They are charging exorbitant ticket prices and show only those movies that have strong cast. Other movies with fresh and experimental subjects wither away after just one or two shows,' Nihalani told IANS here.

He added: 'The public is getting less and multiplexes are earning more. In fact, this is a big jolt to the entertainment industry and a major reason why most of the movies are not doing well these days. Once a movie reaches the multiplexes, a distributor or producer, who treats a movie like his own baby, has no say.'

Nihalani also demands a ceiling on the ticket prices of multiplexes. 'A middle class person is totally out of reach of a multiplex screen. State governments should come forward and introduce some ceiling price, like, say, multiplexes could not charge more than Rs.100 for a movie ticket,' he said.

'Corruption has also entered at various levels of cinema. Now a good script or subject does not decide the fate of a movie, but it is in the hands of a critic or multiplex owner. One cannot rely on these critics, who give three- or four star-ratings. The sad part is that after reading their analysis, people decide whether to go for a movie or to buy a pirated CD,' stated Nihalani.

Nihalani was here to promote the filmmaking and acting institute, Dream Whistlerz. He is on the board of the institute.

About young talent, Nihalani said: 'Every individual on this earth has a dream, but unfortunately people do not find the right medium or direction to fulfil it. Some lose their way in between and some switch to other careers.

'The entertainment industry has grown very big. Earlier, people moved to Mumbai, but now they do not need to leave their place. Times have changed and so many avenues are available in TV, radio and in different departments of filmmaking at every place.'

Nihalani cautioned the youngsters about unscrupulous people. 'Many people from our film industry have also opened such acting or filmmaking schools, but they don't even teach basics. They are selling false dreams and ruining the future of our children,' he said.

About acting talent in this part of the country, he said: 'The talent that we have in Punjab you will find nowhere else. Superstar Dharmendra's family in Bollywood is one example. Moreover, Punjabi language, music and songs always have a universal appeal and attract others.'

Nihalani, who had made the blockbuster 'Aankhen' with Govinda and Chunkey Pandey, is now planning 'Aankhen-II' with director Anees Bazmee.

The ace producer also expressed his anguish over the big corporate houses and international names venturing into filmmaking.

'I have a strong feeling that genuine single producers will soon make a comeback. One cannot be a master of so many things at the same time, he has to concentrate on only one aspect if he wants to succeed,' said Nihalani.

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Here is a good news for all Rahman fans. Some latest reports suggest that the audio of the much awaited Endhiran will be released in April. They also add that the Mozart of Madras has in fact finished composing the theme music and the rest is in progress. Endhiran (also spelt as Enthiran) brings back the famous duo of Superstar Rajinikanth and director Shankar after their blockbuster Sivaji, the boss. The movie will also see Aishwarya Rai after a long gap in Tamil paired opposite our superstar. Endhiran is also is special for its choreography by Prabhu Deva. Lyrics by Vairamuthu, art direction by Sabu Cyril and cinematography by Ratnavelu comprise a regular Shankar team. The stylish director has also roped in Oscar winner Resul Pookutty for sound effects; it is also said that a unique sound effect has been created for the film. Sources say that the story of Endhiran is set in the future, when new and bizarre fashion fads would come into existence. And that is the reason Rajinikanth walks the sets of Endhiran in costumes that are quite hard to initially appreciate, but look absolutely great on him. Envisaging future fashion fads, costume designer Manish Malhotra and Aalim have worked extensively on Rajinikanth's look in Endhiran. There are also reports that the film will be a Diwali treat


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British actress Jean Simmons, who starred opposite Laurence Olivier in "Hamlet" during a career spanning 60 years, has died in California, Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday.

Simmons, who was 80 and had lung cancer, died at her home in Santa Monica on Friday night, it quoted her agent Judy Page as saying.

Born in London, Simmons started acting in British films as a teenager and later moved to the United States to star in movies such as the 1955 musical "Guys and Dolls" with Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, and Stanley Kubrick's "Spartacus" with Kirk Douglas in 1960.

Simmons won a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for playing Ophelia in "Hamlet" in 1948 and a best actress nomination for her role in "The Happy Ending" -- a 1969 film directed by her second husband Richard Brooks.

Her marriage to Brooks ended in divorce in 1977. She married Brooks in 1960, months after divorcing actor Stewart Granger.

"As a 14-year-old dance student she was plucked from her school to play Margaret Lockwood's precocious sister in 'Give Us the Moon' (1944)," according to a biography of the actress on IMDb.COM movies website.

By the 1980s, she mainly appeared in TV mini-series and won an Emmy for her role in "The Thorn Birds" in 1983.

Simmons "made a comeback to films in 1995 in 'How to Make an American Quilt' co-starring Winona Ryder and Anne Bancroft, and most recently played the elderly Sophie in the English version of Hayao Miyazaki's 'Hauru no ugoku shiro'," a 2004 animated film, according to IMDb.COM.

Simmons is survived by her two daughters, Tracy Granger and Kate Brooks, Los Angeles Times said. She lived in Santa Monica with her pets, a dog and two cats, according to IMDb.COM.

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Namrata Shirodkar, former Miss India and actress of Hindi and Telugu films, celebrates her birthday today. Though she has been away from movies for the past six years, Namrata Shirodkar is still in the limelight thanks to her marriage to the Prince of Tollywood Mahesh Babu. Though she debuted in films in a miniscule role in Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai along with Salman Khan, her claim to fame was the Sanjay Dutt starrer Vaastav. She continued to play interesting roles in movies like Pukar, Astitva and Bride and Prejudice. She also acted in Malayalam and Telugu films. It was during the filming of Vamsee with Mahesh Babu that she fell in love with him and the couple got married in 2005. They have a son Gautham. So what is Mahesh planning for his wife's birthday today? Though Mahesh has been busy with his films, we are sure that he will definitely find the time to spend this special day with his beloved wife.


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Legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan Saturday said that he prefers to act in films that not only excite him but also suit him.

'Ram Gopal Varma (director of 'Rann') creates characters that excite me and 'Rann' is a film that I have really enjoyed working in,' said Amitabh, while participating in a promotional press meet for his much-awaited film 'Rann' at the Taj Residency Hotel here.

Seated along with Varma and Kannada film actor Sudeep, who plays his son in the movie, Amitabh said that he is happy that he is getting roles that suit him.

Complimenting Sudeep on his role, Amitabh said that the Kannada actor has done a very good job in the film.

'Sudeep is very talented and an intense actor. He has a bright future,' he added.

Talking about his role in the film, Amitabh said that he plays a media baron, Vijay Harshavardhan, in the film.

'Rann is Varma's story idea. I am only an actor playing a character in the film. Vijay Harshavardhan is an honest person who is committed to certain values. His voice is truthful. I have tried to work in the confines of the script written by Varma,' he said.

'I think the media represents the conscience of the Nation. And Varma has a right to look and analyse the work of the media in his platform,' Amitabh said in reply to a question.

'Media is doing its job as much as we are doing our job. We get married and media covers it,' Amitabh said, adding that celebrities in the public domain should not feel unhappy because they are covered by the media.

Varma conceded that the film is closely inspired by the life of people working in media.

'I have not done a film focusing on any particular channel. I have made a film based on my own perception of the media. The characters may look realistic to some people, but some others may feel it to be a fantasy or fictional. I will leave it to the people to understand it the way they like it,' he added.

Commenting on his role, Sudeep said: 'I have played a character in the film which forms an important component of the story. I don't think I have played a negative role. It is a powerful character. I really loved the character.'

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in New York Saturday, the last thing Priyanka Chopra was expecting to hear was that she had won her first National Film Award. She jumped out of bed in sheer joy when she got the news.

'It feels soooooo fantastic! It's 5 in the morning here (New York) and my phone has been ringing non-stop since about an hour. I am so excited,' Priyanka told IANS over the phone from New York, where she has been shooting for Siddharth Anand's 'Anjaana Anjaani'.

The 27-year-old has won her first ever National Film Award for her performance in Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Fashion'. She says she is glad that she agreed to do the film.

'When Madhur approached me for this film, I was terrified about how complex the character was. But I am glad that I did it,' she said.

Though Priyanka has already won several awards including a Filmfare best actress award for her portrayal of a struggling model in the film, she says the National Award is most special.

'This is a National Award! I was just not expecting this and especially because there are several regional films and actors competing for it. One can't keep track of the nominations at all. But this feels just great. After having won 15 awards for 'Fashion' so far, I feel I have come full circle with this one,' she said.

Instead of celebrating her success, the actress says she was looking forward to the morning shoot scheduled for 'Anjaana Anjaani', in which she is featuring opposite Ranbir Kapoor.

'I have a shoot tomorrow morning. So I just want to sleep right now so that I wake up fresh. I will be in a mood for celebration, but the shooting will definitely happen. It is my bread and butter - and also what will hopefully - yes hopefully, fetch me my next National award,' she joked.

Priyanka, who made her Bollywood debut in 2003, says she received the most special congratulatory call from her parents. Her father Ashok Chopra had shed tears after watching 'Fashion' in 2008 because he was touched with his daughter's performance, and he cried now again after hearing about her victory.

'My father called me up and said he is ecstatic and extremely proud of me. He had tears again. He is happy because I have achieved so much in such a short span of my career, and that makes him really proud,' she added.

Priyanka, who won the Miss World title in 2000, made her Bollywood debut with 'The Hero: Love Story of a Spy' and then featured in 'Andaaz', for which she even won a Filmfare best female debut award.

In 2004, she delivered a critically acclaimed performance in 'Aitraaz' and later did commercial films like 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi', 'Bluffmaster', 'Krrish', 'Don - The Chase Begins Again', 'Salaam-E-Ishq', et al. But it was 'Fashion' that brought her into the league of top-rated actresses in Bollywood.

She has, since then, given commercial hits like 'Dostana' and 'Kaminey' and also featured in films like 'What's Your Rashee', and more recently in 'Pyaar Impossible', which didn't fare too well at the box office.

She is hoping to strike gold again with 'Anjaana Anjaani' and Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Seven Husbands'.

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Bengali film 'Antaheen' was declared the best feature film at the 56th National Film Awards announced Saturday.

The film bagged two other honours for Shreya Ghosal and Avit Mukhopadhyay who got the best female playback singer award and the best cinematographer award respectively.

Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, who directed the film, said: 'I am extremely happy. I never expected this. Its a big pat on my shoulder. Given such an honour it seems as if you are the best filmmaker of the country,' Aniruddha told IANS.

The film was awarded the Swarna Kamal and a cash prize of Rs 250,000. Ghosal and Mukhopadhyay were honoured with the Rajat Kamal and a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each.

The film revolves around Abhik Chowdhury (Rahul Bose), an IPS officer, who is honest and upright, but laidback. Having lost faith in the real relationships that he sees around him, Abhik seeks solace in the virtual world. While navigating through this virtual world, Abhik develops an online relationship with a young woman, Brinda (Radhika Apte), without knowing anything about her. Brinda is a young, dynamic television journalist.

The film also features actress Aparna Sen and Sharmila Tagore.

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Superstar Amitabh Bachchan's film 'Paa' has been granted 50 percent tax exemption in Karnataka as it has created public awareness about the disease progeria. The legendary actor, who was present in the city, thanked the state government for recognising the sensitive elements of the film.

'We have made a film like 'Paa' with lot of professional commitment and hard work. I am really happy that the Karnataka government has decided to make an exemption of tax for this film,' said Amitabh at a joint press conference with Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa here.

'I am also happy that the film will be viewed by him and his cabinet colleagues besides the honourable members of the legislature,' he added.

Yeddyurappa said though he has not yet seen the film and would be seeing it later in the evening with the legislators and ministers, he has heard that the film has been able to create awareness on the disease progeria.

'I am sure Amitabh will make and act in such meaningful films in future also,' he added.

Replying to a question, Amitabh said there is no political angle in his meeting the chief minister. 'I had gone to Kolkata to promote my film. That does not make me a communist. I have steered away from politics and distanced myself from all the decisions taken by my wife (Jaya Bachchan) and friend Amar Singh,' said Amitabh.

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