Aishwarya Rai will now be seen as Rani Laxmibai in Ketan Mehta's next historical. "We have finalized Aishwarya for the film," says Mehta. Aish has been advised to take horse-riding and sword-fighting lessons for the role.  Star seems to be on her side,  she is s the new cover girl of America, a relatively new magazine for the hi-end urban readers.

Sonya Jehan , the grand daughter of the legendary singer-actress Noor Jehan, is making her Bollywood debut in Akbar Khan’s movie Taj Mahal.  Can you guess the star cast? It includes model-turned-actor Zulfi Sayed and Kim Sharma -- and veterans like Manisha Koirala, Kabir Bedi and Pooja Batra.

Priyadarshan, who is just out of hospital after a sinus problem, laughs sarcastically at rumours doing the rounds in the film industry that Akshay 'chopped off' his co-star John Abraham's scenes in Garam Masala.  Sighing deeply Priyan comments, "This is nothing but a figment of a troublesome journalist's imagination. It may be some people's idea of publicity, not mine. I've been around for too long to let actors dictate to me. Akshay never showed the slightest inclination to invade John's territory. In fact I've been in touch with John. Not once has he expressed any grievance against Akshay. So who are these people spreading these rumours? I want to know their identity."

Model-turned-actress Lisa Ray is set to star in a new film 'Water', but don't expect her to come out of a swimming pool in a bikini, for the film has been directed by crossover filmmaker Deepa Mehta.  Nandita Das and Shabana Azmi shaved off their heads to give their 100 percent in 'Water', but destiny didn't want them to star in the film, and Lisa Ray got Nandita's role. The former Miss India, who was voted as star of the future at the Toronto International Film Festival for her lively performance in Mehta's 'Bollywood Hollywood', is very excited about her role in the film, opposite hunky John Abraham.

So is Adnan Seeing Amisha Patel? Squashing rumours that Adnan's lady love is Amisha Patel, Vikram Bhatt says, "This stupid rumour started when Amisha accompanied Adnan on his world concert tour. Believe me there's nothing between them. I should know. Because Amisha is with me. We are doing just fine together.These rumours aren't healthy for any relationship. But I guess all high-profile relationships have to go through these cycles of public scrutiny. Amisha and I are very much in love. And if she wasn't busy with her career we'd have made it official without a second thought."

First, it was Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapur and then Riya Sen and Ashmit Patel . Now, it's Koena Mitra and Fardeen Khan whose intimate bedroom behavior is circulating as an MMS clip on mobile phones. The producers of the forthcoming film Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena have created an MMS clip or a video clip containing a steamy song sequence (see the picture again) filmed on Fardeen and Koena, who play the lead roles in the film. Koena, who set the screen on fire with her sizzling number ‘Saaqi’ in Musafir , said, “I think it was a great idea. There is nothing wrong to show what I have done in the film. I am not at all of the view that it will have any perverting affect on school going boys and girls. It's better to talk about sex rather than suppress it. I think today's kids need to be more educated about TV and Internet exposures rather than be restrained from accessing the new electronic medium.”

Packed houses for Amitabh's debut film in Kannada. Amrithdhare has redefined the commercial boundaries of Kannada cinema. It is a bitter sweet story of a newly married couple, their sweet tiffs and fluffy fights, and the wife's undying wish to meet her idol Amitabh Bachchan.

|