Department will be RGV's most stylish film: Rana Daggubati

By Hindustan Times

Ram Gopal Varma's past few projects have failed to rock the box office, but actor Rana Daggubati, who has teamed up with the director in Department, is confident that the film will turn out to be one of his most stylish movies.

"Ramu (Varma) dabbles in a lot of genres of films. He is very good with his work, and has a wonderful storytelling pattern, which is most often trendsetting. His film Satya broke stereotype, and Company gave Vivek Oberoi such a great launchpad...I think Department will be one of his most stylish film ever shot," Rana told IANS.

In Department, the southern star will be seen as a grungy policeman - a role that was earlier reserved for Abhishek Bachchan. The film's characters include a don, a gangster, a gangster-turned-politician, and shootout specialists. No wonder it was exciting for Rana to work in it!

"I think Ramu is one filmmaker who has complete understanding of the subject he tackles in his films and likes to accumulate extensive knowledge before venturing out into each theme. Be it underworld or any other subject, his films speak of the research he does.

"Usually Ramu shoots his films quickly, but he has spent a lot of time on Department, which is great. It's a project close to him, and it has been a fantastic experience working with him," he added.

Rana, who made his Bollywood debut in Dum Maro Dum, will be seen with Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt in the movie, releasing May 18.

He is also upbeat about the action sequences in the film.

"Department is a heavy-duty action film. I trained a lot for it, and the training was just in the gym. It had a lot to do with marshall arts, and I easily had 10 to 15 action sequences. So it was fun," said the 27-year-old.

Meanwhile he has also been occupied with the dubbing of Telugu film Naa Ishtam, in which he is paired opposite the recently-married Genelia D'Souza.

"I play a young, brash boy in Naa Ishtam....very different from Department, in which each line that my character says, is measured. Naa Ishtam is a commercial project...I am playing my age, and it was wonderful to work with Genelia. She is way more experienced than I am, but we had a great time," said the actor, who enjoys the diverse content offered to him.

"I made an unconventional debut with Dum Maro Dum. As a launch film, it was different as opposed to others, who would go for a romantic project. So I am happy," he added.

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Shekhar Suman's chat show returns after a decade!

By Hindustan Times

Mumbai, Feb. 29 -- Shekhar Suman's popular '90s TV show Movers & Shakers (M&S) returns with season 2 after almost a decade. Starting March 12, it is being planned as a mix of existing formats like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and hit US sketch show, Saturday Night Live.

Shekhar says, "On the show, I voice the common man's opinion and views. We will discuss politics, the economy and entertainment, making it topical." The previous season of the show, which ended in 2001, ran for three years on Sony TV and featured over 1,500 celebs from all walks of life. It will now be aired on SAB TV.

"It feels like a second honeymoon, like coming home and revisiting a friend. We have made some changes in the format with more celebs, and even clips from old episodes of M&S to see how the celebs and I have changed over the last 10 years," adds Shekhar.

The show will also have segments like film analysis, Shekhar's gags, a stand-up comedy act, along with a 10minute chat with the famous guests. "It will be a compact show, and I am keen to have new celebrities, as well as the ones I had in the earlier season. We plan to get Anna Hazare for the first episode. He represents the common man and is a righteous person. Firebrand politician Raj Thackeray is another person on our list," reveals Shekhar, adding they will need 22 celebrities every month.

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Angelina's leg still going strong on Twitter!

By Hindustan Times

Angelina Jolie's right leg has not only carved out its own identity on Twitter, its followers are increasing with each passing hour. The profile that attracted 4000 followers in 3 hours of its creation has now reached 27,190 mark. Thanks to this, the leg is trending heavily on Twitter since yesterday's Oscars ceremony.

People might be going berserk following the Hollywood diva's 'right leg', the profile has just one follower - @JLosNipple. Yes, you read it right! 'JLo's nipple' however has found only 4, 174 followers so far.

Angelina Jolie's right leg not only did the talking but created quite a flutter
So this is what Angelina's right leg was tweeting:

@AngiesRightLeg: Left leg and I talked -- everything's cool. Next Oscars, she gets the slit.

@AngiesRightLeg: Great meeting most of you for the first time last night at the Oscars!!

@AngiesRightLeg: Look at me!

@AngiesRightLeg: I'm right here!!

@AngiesRightLeg: I'm over here!!!!

@AngiesRightLeg: Don't forget about me!!

@AngiesRightLeg: Hey, check me out!

@AngiesRightLeg: Look at meeee!!

@AngiesRightLeg: Leg here!

@AngiesRightLeg: Behold: it's me!!

@AngiesRightLeg: Check out this leg over here!

@AngiesRightLeg: Still here. Great view, but thank god for the slit in this dress.

@AngiesRightLeg: I'm a leg, get a load of me!!

Admirers' talk

@ladydior1: umm, I think we all got pretty well acquainted w/ u and ur, err, "neighbours" during "Gia" #nosurprises #seenitallbefore

@vVfishVv: oh dear... you must have already forgot about this classic. imdb.com/title/tt012386… we are long lost friends we are ;)

@kmiry: u ar dude lady :-) is amazing :-)

@BigBadEd: You should have won best supporting.

@Lorna_N78: Angelina Jolie's leg is very famous this morning!

@lindsaypereira: Tried imitating Angelina Jolie's pose in the local train this morning. Was asked to get off at Dadar.

Haters' talk

@fashionsnobish: I wonder when the ranting about Angelina Jolie's leg is going to stop #Oscars

@marc0leptic: Angelina Jolie's leg is just too funny

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Rajasthan police arrest paraplegic woman they allegedly tortured earlier

Jaipur:  In a case that has sent shockwaves through Rajasthan and made national headlines, police in Jaipur have arrested a paraplegic woman. The 22-year-old girl is charged with abetting the abduction and sexual abuse of another woman.

But the arrested woman was herself allegedly a victim of sexual abuse by policemen in January last year. She was allegedly thrashed and molested by three police men in Jaipur. She then tried to commit suicide; an attempt that left her without the use of both her legs and 80 per cent paralysed.

Women's group say yesterday's arrest is an attempt to save those policemen, who are now in jail. "She has been arrested only to weaken the case against the policemen, demoralize her and break the witnesses in her case. This arrest is really shameful," said Kavita Srivastav, General Secretary of People's Union of Civil Liberties, Rajasthan.

Her mother says she is completely bed ridden and needs constant care. She says the police forced the other victim to name her daughter in the case in an attempt to save their colleagues. "The police has been pressurising us to compromise in this case. They have also been threatening us. In the exploitation of the other girl, my daughter had no role at all.  

But the police refute the charges and say the arrest was made on the basis of a complaint. The complainant had alleged that the 22-year-old paraplegic had conspired in her abduction and repeated sexual exploitation by six men last year. "The Court had constituted a Medical Board to examine her condition. The Medical Board found that she is mentally fit though physically disabled. On that basis we questioned her and after that as she is an accused in that case we had to arrest her," said Deputy Commissioner of Jaipur Police, Mahendra Singh.

A lower court has rejected her bail plea. She is being kept in the Sawai Man Singh hospital in Jaipur.

The Rajasthan High court will now decide whether to give her bail. If she's sent to jail, this victim of sexual abuse will face the trauma of staying on the same premises where the policemen who tormented her are already lodged.

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Shiv Sainiks police film set to ensure no foreigners

Mumbai:  There were some unexpected guests on the sets of Tezz at Filmistan Studios yesterday.  A couple of Shiv Sainiks arrived to check on the foreigners who were present for the shoot.

Mallika Sherawat, who is doing an item number Laila in the movie, was shooting when the Shiv Sainiks arrived. The film stars Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, Zayed Khan, Kangna Ranaut and Sameera Reddy.

A unit source said, "They (Shiv Sainiks) said that they would not allow foreigners to shoot for a Hindi movie in Maharashtra."

The source adds, "The production head explained to them that the foreigners were there for a couple of shots that would be wrapped up in just an hour."

But according to an insider, "The production personnel told the Shiv Sainiks that there were no foreigners on the sets. The dancers present were all members of their respective association.

It was just that since the film's story is set in London, we had a couple of foreigners playing cops coming to check the pub for Ajay and Zayed's characters, while Mallika is performing."

Fortunately for the Tezz team, the issue was sorted out by late afternoon. "After we had finished couple of shots featuring the foreigners, they left. And the shoot continued as normally as before," informs the unit source.

Producer Ratan Jain confirmed that some Shiv Sainiks had arrived on the sets. "My people spoke to them and it was sorted out. The shoot is going on and will be wrapped up in three days."

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