I am game for bikinis and skin show: Anjana Sukhani

Anjana Sukhani says she is game for bikinis if her role really demands it. Though she has adopted a glamorous persona in films like "Golmaal Returns" and "Salaam-E-Ishq", the actress is yet to join the bikini brigade.

"It's not in my wish list either. However, there comes a point in your career where you get a film that requires you to shed your inhibitions. Of course, the role that I play has to be of utmost importance - if it is justified for the character to wear a bikini, then I won't fret about it, " Anjana told.

Skin show has taken a different dimension in the last few months with actresses like Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Minissha Lamba and Amisha Patel getting into the swim wear for their roles. Also with dozens of film and fashion magazines hitting the stands, actresses are making a bee line to be seen on the cover.

"I'm very sure about the fact that posing seductively for the camera doesn't really pay. It can't help you grab work. What eventually matters is how talented you are and whether you can deliver goods on the screen, " said the actress who had grabbed attention in the Cadbury ad with superstar Amitabh Bachchan.

But being in the glamour world where beauty sells, isn't that a dicey statement to make?

"Of course, looking pretty is a valuable thing, but then talent matters as well", said Anjana. "At the end of the day, it is about coming up with a balancing act. Being 'just pretty' or 'just talented' doesn't help because one of them working just in isolation can't take you anywhere. You have to have a good mix of both."

"My dad has always said that you should do things that reflect the goal that you want to ultimately meet. If a small step taken by me helps me get closer to that goal, I won't mind doing that as long as I don't cross any limits, " she added.

In that case, how does she look back at her first few steps when she had just started her career with films like "Humdum" (2005) and "Sun Zarra" (2006)?

"I continue to be emotionally attached to these films because those earlier steps reaffirmed that I existed and paved the way for me to appear in bigger and better films.

I didn't come from a filmy family; nor did I have any supermodel experience that could help me get work. Those were testing times and everything that I decided to do, I had to do it on my own without any godfather supporting me."

With "Jashn", "Tum Milo toh Sahi" and "Allah Ke Banday" in the pipeline, life is certainly looking up for Anjana.

"Certainly. I am glad that these are turning out to be good times. I stand by all my decisions in the past and, regardless of whether they have succeeded or failed, I have no regrets, " she said.

What's Neetu Chandra doing in Apartment with Tanushree

Two months back, Neetu Chandra was at pains to explain to all and sundry that her 13B wasn't a horror film but instead a supernatural thriller. Now she is forced to take the same route of denial even as the shoot of her latest film Apartment is making brisk progress.

"I don't know why some out there are hell bent on placing me in a horror film. I have nothing against the horror genre and who knows, I may work in one as well in near future.

But just like 13B wasn't a horror film, as everyone saw it for themselves, even Apartment doesn't have any inclusion of horror element. Guess people have started associating horror with every film that is set within the confines of four walls in a skyscraper apartment."

She insists that while 13B still had supernatural element attached to it, if not the horror, Apartment is a plain and simple dramatic thriller.

"Jag sir (as Jagmohan Mundhra, the film's director, is popularly called) is really shaping up Apartment quite beautifully. It is an edge of the seat thriller and I am enjoying every day of the shooting.

This is one of those films where I feel like coming in every day the moment I wake up. In fact I get depressed when there is an off day since I am myself so inclined to see which scene is going to be shot next."

Interestingly, Apartment is the same film which was earlier titled Roommates and was supposed to star Gul Panag and Raima Sen along with Pakistani actor Mikaal Zulfiqar of Mundhra's own Shoot On Sight fame.

However, the cast as well as the film's title went through a complete change and Apartment stars Rohit Roy and Anupam Kher along with Neetu Chandra and Tanushree Dutta.

Though Neetu is not willing to talk much about her character in the film, she hints on being prodded further, "Apartment tells the story of this girl (played by me) who comes from a small town to this big city. She sees quite a lot of changes around her which start reflecting in her personality.

Soon, she becomes quite possessive about things and obsession takes over. Now what is she so obsessed about is something for which you would have to wait. It is too early to talk about it."

In the film, Neetu's character is shown to be sharing an apartment with Tanushree Dutta. Now whom does she get obsessed with? Is it the apartment, Tanushree, someone else or herself? Well, time should tell!

I’m tired of being the sweet girl now I am going hot: Amrita Rao

Shocking as it may sound, Amrita Rao who has been in two of the most successful films of the decade –Farah Khan’s Main Hoon Na and Sooraj Barjatya’s Vivah and whose success rate and iconic status is certainly higher than most of her contemporaries, was not asked to part of Karan Johar-Tarun Mansukhani’s Vote Aapke Haath Mein Hai campaign.

When asked about this surprising omission Amrita laughs away the query. “You’ll have to ask them why I wasn’t part of it.”

Amrita, it would seem, has antagonized the Johar-Chopra’s by refusing to do Bachna Ae Haseenon. She a was offered the role that Minissha Lamba finally did.

Says Amrita, “I won’t say I’m tired of playing the sweet girl nextdoor who looks at life each day with wide-eyed wonder. But I do crave for a change of image. In my next release Short Cut I play a very glamorous girl.

For the first time I’m being dressed up by Manish Malhotra. That does say something about the characters I’ve played so far. So yes I declined Bachna Ae Haeseenon. I couldn’t relate to the character.”

No one says no to a Yash Chopra presentation. Amrita’s behaviour was secretly described as “high-handed” and “reckless”.

And now she was refused a place among Bollywood’s 30-minus icons in Karan Johar’s voting-awareness film although everyone from Kareena Kapoor to Ritesh Deshmukh featured in it.

Not that Amrita was brooding over being left out. On Thursday Amrita Rao voted for the first time. So excited was she by the prospect of casting her vote that she reached the polling booth even before the gates had opened.

“At 7 am I was the first voter at the booth in the municipal school in Mahim.I feel so proud of being able to vote for the first time. I keep looking at the black mark on my finger proudly. For years I envied that tell-tale mark on my parents’ finger.”

Amrita’s chosen candidate had to fulfil three prerequisites. “He had to be well-educated, young though not inexperienced, and without a criminal background.”

Interestingly she says she attained a voting consciousness from a electorally-galvanizing website jaagore.com.

Did Kangana Ranaut really go nude?

These are completely false and baseless reports. There has been a variety of speculation in the media that critically acclaimed actor Kangana Ranaut will be doing a nude scene in her upcoming Telugu film Ek Niranjan. These are completely false and baseless reports.

Kangna Ranaut has no nude scene in this or any of her upcoming films and has clearly stated that she will not be essaying a role in cinema that requires nudity in any of her movies.

In the film, directed by Puri Jagannath and produced by Aditya Ram, Kangna essays the role of a guitar teacher opposite South Indian actor Prabhas.

An out-and-out commercial movie, Ek Niranjan gives equal importance to romance, action, fun and emotion.

Meanwhile the actress has slowed down on her projects. She has just two movies on hand. Kangana has complete shooting for Rakesh Roshan’s Kites and is concentrating on her next venture Once Upon A time with Ajay Devgan being directed by Milan Lutharia.

John to do love scenes with director's wife in 1-800-Love

After director Sam Mandes' spectacular spousal success directing his wife Kate Winslet in the richly resonant Revolutionary Road in '1-800-Love' John will be romancing his director Abbas Tyrewala's wife.

And he is cool about it. "I know Abbas and Pakhi well. They make a beautiful couple. There's absolutely no awkwardness about doing a love story with the director's wife.

Pakhi has co-written the script and knows her character and mine, in and out. She's an unknown face and extremely pretty. These are her biggest advantages. A beautiful woman whom the audience hasn't seen."

John is dead serious about this project. "I'm going to sit on script readings with Abbas, do workshops and rehearsals with Pakhi, just like Abbas did with the cast in Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na. 'm hungry for acting challenges.

But most of the time my physicality comes on much too strongly on screen. People haven't really seen the performances I'm really proud of, like No Smoking, Kabul Express, Zinda and Aashayein.

My physicality always takes precedence. But you know what? I'll change that. I've been in this industry only five years. People have started looking differently at me after Dostana. The body was talked about. But when they praise my performance it really feels good."

Where next? "Nagesh Kukunoor's Aashayein. I'm very proud of it.Yes, it has been delayed. There's a problem between Reliance and Percept that needs to be sorted. We're working on a solution.

Aashayein is a beautiful film and we have to release it. Another film I'm really excited about is Kabir Khan's New York. I know I've got it right this time.

Kabir says so. It's an awesome film. And I'm thankful to Aditya Chopra for showing faith in me at a time when I didn't have Dostana."

John describes himself as an off-roader. "I travel my own road. Like I'm doing Abbas Tyrewala's 1:800 Love. When he offered me that film he was directing Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na. The film's producer Madhu Mantena had Ghajini in the making and I was doing Dostana.

By God's grace we all have a success on hand. So we're a proud team and very comfortable with.

It's my intense love story and it's such a wonderful space to be in. Before Dostana I was only doing films that kept me within my comfort zone. Now I'm going to test myself as an actor as much as possible."

When questioned whether he would feel any awkwardness directing love scenes between his wife and John, Abbas Tyrewala said, "I hope not! If I can't remember they're acting then I lose the moral ground to ever a direct a girl in a love scene. Luckily I've never written explicit love scenes in my film.

The only explicit love-making scene I've conceived was for Vishal Bhardwaj's Maqbool.

That apart I like my writing to be benign. It doesn't matter whether my wife is acting or not. I can't forget my parents will be watching my film."

Kiddie times again for Aamir

Things you never knew about Ayesha Takia Azmi

Ayesha Azmi born as Ayesha Takia (April 10, 1986 is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood movies.

Takia appeared in "I'm a Complan Boy. I'm a Complan Girl" advertising campaign alongside Shahid Kapur and also in a music video, Falguni Pathak's Meri Chunarii Udd Udd Jaye, when she was fifteen.

She then appeared in the video, Shake It With Me Daddy, when she was sixteen, which brought her to the attention of the movie industry, and a few film offers followed.

She signed a contract for Socha Na Tha, then for Taarzan: The Wonder Car. However, delays in making Socha Na Tha meant that Taarzan released first and was therefore her "debut" film.

She won the Filmfare Best Debut Award in 2004 for her performance in Taarzan: The Wonder Car.

Ayesha Takia was born on April 10, 1986. She comes from a mixed family. Her father, Nishit, is Gujarati, and her mother, Faridah, is half British and half Maharashtrian, an Anglo-Indian.

Takia went to St. Anthony's High School. Her father interacts with her producers and handles her dates. She has a younger sister named Natasha.

On March 1, 2009, Takia married Farhan Azmi, a restaurateur and the son of Muslim politician Abu Azmi, a Samajwadi Party leader.

The couple had originally planned to marry in December 2008, but the wedding was delayed due to the Mumbai attacks.

Hrithik and Kangana's Kites at Cannes

BIG Pictures is gearing up to market KITES to the international buyers, distributors and media during the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.

To begin with, BIG Pictures will host a press conference and an elite cocktail event at Cannes. BIG Pictures has also purchased time slots to screen the KITES teaser on two digital screens adjacent to the red carpet entrance of the Palais, for the entire duration of the festival.

This is a regular feature for big-budget Hollywood films, but for the first time ever, an Indian studio will showcase their film publicity on that screen.

KITES stars Hrithik Roshan, Barbara Mori, Kangna Ranaut, Nick Brown and Kabir Bedi in pivotal roles. The film is produced by Rakesh Roshan's Filmkraft and directed by Anurag Basu. KITES is being readied for release in the last quarter of 2009.

Apart from KITES, BIG Pictures will market and publicize its art house film slate.

The International Distribution team has also lined up meetings with officials from Hollywood studios such as Fox, Sony, Paramount, Disney, Warner, Universal, Lionsgate amongst many others in order to explore business propositions.