Bollywood

Who knew Aishwarya Rai was a horse lover?The stunning Bollywood actress mingled with the British elite (and their hangers-on) on day one of the Royal Ascot in England on Tuesday.More...

Bollywood movie buffs can now enjoy their favorite blockbuster movies anytime, anywhere, without the need for a credit card. read more

CANDID CAMERA It’s all about candid shots. Apparently, many new-age couples bring in additional photographers who are specialised in ‘people photography’ to click photos that capture candid expressions of guests and the bridal party. “Of late, there is a move towards Western concepts with regards to wedding photography, where candid pictures play a huge role in official wedding albums. In our weddings, where often, upwards of 1,000 people turn up for the event, to capture impromptu expressions is a bit of a task and a challenge. You’ve got to have a keen eye to spot these instant reactions and be quick on the trigger too,” says Kozhikode-based photographer S.L. Anand. He adds that post and/or pre-wedding photo shoots in casual wear, often set in beaches, parks, and even underwater, are also mandatory these days. STYLE STATEMENT In bridal wear, designers observe an experimental blending of cultures. They say that brides nowadays shed traditional notions about bridal colours such as reds and maroons and are open to wearing more vibrant hues such as fuschia and tangerine. Explains designer Shalini James: “Chantilly lace and crystals lend a French couture look to Christian bridal sarees. We also have the Mughal princess look with elaborate embroidery such as aari work and zardozi spread extensively on ghagras and anarkalis for occasions such as the engagement, the wedding eve and the reception.” Boutique owner and designer Shanthi Ramasubbu says Kanjeevarams are her choice for weddings. “Some youngsters are in a dilemma whether to buy Kancheevarams or materials like georgette with embroidery and so on. But I always advise them to choose Kancheevarams. It looks richer, colourful and better than any other material in the photographs too. Such snaps are for keeps and one should choose carefully.” Her colours for brides are shades of red, pink, orange and maroon. “Blues and greens are for receptions, engagements and parties but for weddings, it is the brighter shades that look winsome.” GLAMED UP The trend in wedding makeup seems to be looking ‘au naturale’ – foundation in nude shades to give a subtle look, with bright lipstick (preferably red) to add that touch of drama. Eyes are in focus, says Kochi-based Shoba Kunjan, one of Kerala’s top beauticians. “Brides tend to go for bold eye make-up – finely etched kohl offset with colours that suit their costumes, and perhaps a hint of gold shimmer to highlight,” she says. “Brides are very particular about the quality of make-up. A lot of them now insist on international brands that suit Indian skin such as MAC and Bobbi Brown,” she adds. As for hairstyles, Shobha says, that many prefer to leave their hair loose, especially for receptions, or at least, do something playful with their hair. Bouffant and plaits are quite popular on the wedding day but buns are a no. There’s also a trend among the women in the bridal party, to have the same make-up as the bride. “I insist on it. It makes the entire party look picture perfect,” says Shoba. SET THE PRECEDENT Themes are in: from concepts based on Bollywood, Arabian Nights, greeting cards, Koothambalams, peacocks and Hampi to weaving in themes around materials such as jute, the more extraordinary the theme for stage décor the better, it seems. The idea is to look modern and classy yet traditional, and all without being ostentatious. As such wedding décor has acquired “depth”, according to city-based set designer Sabu Sivan. “It has to be as realistic as possible. 3D is the name of the game and even 4D that involves playing with perfumes and athars to add a sensory dimension to the whole event. In the Hampi theme, for example, each ‘stone’ that makes up the mandapam has to have the textured and weathered look of the original,” he explains. It’s also the era of high-tech décor, augmented by video walls that depict moving elements – from picturesque scenery and soothing classical dance performances to wispy clouds and even a slide show of childhood p

The postmortem report confirmed that Bollywood actress Jiah Khan hanged herself to death and no external injuries were found on her body.

The makers have released the trailer of the much awaited movie, ‘Issaq’ which is an Indian adaption of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet.

Salman Khan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s rivalry dates long back from the days of ‘Guzaarish’ and now it seems their enmity has reached the saturation point when both are desperate to make the Hindi remake of south Indian movie, ‘Kanchana’.

“Ever since I was a young child, I’ve been addicted to vinyl.” “I’ve always had lots of records….at one point I had 10,000 or so. The funny thing is that I can remember where and when I bought most of them. Perhaps all of them, if I think hard enough. Records have taught me a lot over the years – not only about music, but about cultures and eras and languages, about styles and how they change, and about sound and vision. How technology has changed and how it has changed us. Records have taken me to other lands, other worlds, other sounds, both in my mind and in reality. They’re an obsession, I’ve traveled the world in search of them. There’s something about the thrill of the hunt, especially when you’re digging through piles and piles of dusty platters. You never know what you’ll find! Yeah, I know a lot about collecting and rarities and monetary value – hell, I spent nearly a decade working in used record stores. While there are many factors that go into why people collect things, the bottom line is that it’s still about the music. Those years I spent working in used record stores provided me with a greater musical education than any school could ever offer. Just imagine spending your days surrounded by thousands of records (and getting paid for it, albeit minimally), most of them unsealed and waiting to be dropped onto a turntable. Looking through stacks of LP’s and 45′s and wondering “what does this sound like?” – and then discovering the answer. Back in the pre-Internet days, that was amazing. Now its easy to hear so much via YouTube or samples on iTunes and more, but it’s a different process. Oftentimes you’d just pick up something because of the album cover art, and check it out – out of curiosity. I started collecting tiki/exotica records 30 years ago because I loved the covers, but soon I discovered I loved the music, too. Or there’s the hundreds of albums by Sun Ra with homemade, often hand-drawn, covers. I have a large collection of X-Rated “party records” on labels like Laff and Weird World, with lewd and lascivious covers. I own every weird synthesizer record of the 70s, like The Plastic Cow Goes Moog! and The Genuine Electric Latin Love Machine. I have hundreds of film soundtracks, mostly genre stuff like spy movies, blaxploitation, kung fu, and biker flicks. I have boxes and boxes of punk rock 45′s I bought in the 70s on DIY labels with DIY covers. Disco records, early hip hop singles, and thousands of electronic dance music 12″ singles—I’ve been a DJ for 20 years. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been able to feed my record addiction with a constant source of fresh product to choose from. Working in a store, you’re in the proverbial cat-bird seat, as customers constantly bring in stacks of records to sell. But it’s because of my work as a touring musician and DJ, that I’ve been able to go record shopping all over the world (I get to go to liquor stores, too, but that’s another story). I’ve had some wild experiences out there. One of my favorites is when The Singhs (who I play with now, and whose album Science Fiction has just been released) got a deal with Sony/India, and we headed off to South Asia to tour. I had been pretty obsessed with Bollywood film music for a good 20 years or so, after being exposed to it in Indian restaurants and via UHF TV. I found something wildly intoxicating about the East-Meets-West mashup of sitars and guitars, synthesizers and harmoniums, disco/funk beats played on tablas and dholaks alongside Western drum kits and Afro-Cuban percussion, topped off with high-pitched women’s voices. It sounded to me like a psychedelic Hindi remix of Shaft or Saturday Night Fever. During our first trip to India, I found a record dealer at a sidewalk stall in Bombay’s Chor Bazaar (

Mallika Sherawat will be seen in a desi look for the first time in her upcoming flick The Dirty Politics .

Advertising is an art and to make an art more beautiful than it already is, all you gotta do is add a Bollywood diva to it! Kareena Kapoor Ms Kapoor looks fresh as a daisy in the new Limca commercial. The way she says Pyaas Badhao and waltz around is just too cute. We just hope the other soft drink companies don’t run out of business! Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra filled the commercial with life! In the ad we also get to see Chris Gayle who usually lightens up the stadium with his big sixes.

After the super duper success of ‘Aashiqui 2’, Shraddha Kapoor has bagged another promising project.