By Jilawatan

There are two films being made on heroines and their lives. One is The Dirty Picture which has Vidya Balan in the lead and the other is Heroine that stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the lead role.

While Vidya essays a Silk Smitha-type character in Milan Luthria’s film, the second sees Ash playing the role of a superstar whose career is fading away in the Madhur Bhandarkar directed flick.

Now both directors have stepped up their pace to ensure that their project goes on the floor as soon as possible. Madhur wants to release the film after Ra.One while Milan is working with Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn.

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan’s Malayali heritage is what has her as the frontrunner to play Southern siren Silk Smitha in Ekta Kapoor’s new film. It seems director Milan Luthria, who helmed Ekta’s ‘Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai’, feels that Vidya has the face and body needed for the role. And Ajay Devgn has been approached for the role opposite her.

Silk Smitha, who was known for her bold roles in the South, died in 1996, and it’s suspected that she committed suicide.

In the movie, Ajay will play a filmmaker who has a relationship with Silk Smitha.

Though Vidya is the first choice for the role, she hasn’t officially signed on for the project. The star raised her price after ‘Ishqiya’ and that’s apparently the reason she walked out of ‘Double Dhamaal’. The ‘Dhamaal’ producers weren’t willing to pay her new and improved price of Rs 1.5crores. So will she compromise on her price for the Silk Smitha biopic, coming as it does from hitmaker Ekta Kapoor? Watch this space for updates.

By Jilawatan

It is common knowledge that Priyadarshan is only too eager to make a film ‘The Bullet’, and has already cast Ajay Devgn and Vidya Balan for it. However, talks have it that Vidya hasn’t been able to sort out her dates and so her cousin, actress Priyamani was signed on for the role. And all hell broke loose.

Apparently, Priyadarshan who has given an opprtunity to many a South actress in Bollywood is facing flak for the same. The producers of the movie, too, put their foot down and insisted that they wanted a Hindi film actress to play protagonist in this one. Priyan has given in to his demands and has opted for Kangna Ranaut to work with him.

Kangna is excited about the opportunity. With the ensemble in place now, it’s just a matter of time before this team begins shooting ‘The Bullet’. Let’s watch out for this one.

By Jilawatan

Vidya Balan is out of Inder Kumar’s next Dhamaal 2 . The buzz in the trade is that Vidya was neither too happy with the money she was being offered for her role, nor with the role per se. A source says, “Vidya asked for a price which she deserves after she catapulted to the top bracket of actors, post the success of Paa and Ishqiya . She asked for Rs 1.5 crore (approximately). Like any other actor would in her place, she too has hiked up her market price.”

According to the film industry standards, the market prices of Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif are believed to be Rs 1.5 crore (approximately) and that of Priyanka Chopra’s around Rs 1 crore. Hence, given Vidya’s career graph in Bollywood, it is surprising that neither Inder Kumar nor Ashok Thakeria, the producer of the film, objected to Vidya’s exit from the film. “Inder and Ashok failed to understand the need of the hour. Despite discussions, the makers of the film and the actress could not meet at a common consensus,” adds the source.

Meanwhile, Vidya’s friend insists the actress quit the project for qualitative reasons. She stands up for Vidya and says, “Yes, the news is true. Vidya is definitely not doing Dhamaal 2. But that’s simply because she didn’t find any meat in the portrayal of her character. She would have loved to attempt comedy with this film but it’s okay. There is always a next time.”

Interestingly, Vidya has locked horns with her Dhamaal 2 co-star Kangna Ranaut in another film Bullet Train, which is to be directed by Priyadarshan. Bullet Train, which stars Anil Kapoor and Ajay Devgn, is largely going to be shot on a train from London to Glasgow.

Producer of Bullet Train, Ratan Jain has clearly worked out the economics of his film much in advance. He has no qualms in giving the lead role to the actress who is willing to settle for the price he has to offer. He confirms, “Between Vidya and Kangna, whoever agrees to do the role at a lesser price, will get to play the part in my film. The availability of dates will of course be another important factor.”

Despite repeated calls and text messages, Vidya remained unavailable for comment.

By Jilawatan

It needed the Bombay Times to make this happen… bring all of Bollywood that was in Mumbai on December 4, under one roof for the
merriest party of the year! They came to celebrate BT’s 15th anniversary. And to say the party rocked would be an understatement. True, the who’s who of B-Town have made it under one roof for several causes and celebrations in the past. But what made the BT bash exciting and exclusive was the camaraderie that was witnessed between the legends, the badshahs and the beauties of Bollywood at Mumbai’s historic landmark, the Taj Mahal Hotel & Tower, that night.

The sultry Bipasha Basu promised she would there at 10.45 pm with hunky beau John Abraham, and this striking twosome did exactly that. Ajay Devgn wrapped up his shoot at 10 pm on Versova Beach, took a detour to Juhu to fetch wife Kajol who had just returned from Sydney. And before the clock hit 12, lo and behold — this superstar couple were with us.

Karan Johar made a solo entry, looking dapper as always, talking animatedly on his cell phone, unmindful of the bevy of beauties who longed for him to include them in his power gaze. Priyanka Chopra came in like Pretty Woman with her efficient entourage trailing silently behind. We were warned that Shah Rukh Khan would make a back door entry; gates were checked… and yet nothing could check the madness and the mayhem when the Badshah arrived. Akshay Kumar was almost making it to another location, or so said his manager… but the Khiladi rarely goes wrong when wife Tina is around. So there they were in the midst of our revelry, this handsome pair… cordoned off by their own personal security, causing a mini pandemonium.

The security cordon at the Taj gates crumbled for a few minutes when the biggest Bollywood phenomenon to have walked the earth arrived. Fresh from the accolades of Paa, and driving down from Lonavala just for us, Amitabh Bachchan came with his superstar son Abhishek. And, as if on cue, the diminutive bundle of talent Vidya Balan followed, causing a flutter in the lobby. Next morning, even while Bollywood slept off the effects of its BT hangover, the energy-plus Big B flew off to Chennai.

Aamir Khan, of course, warned us he’d be late. But for the second time in one evening the crowds on Apollo Bunder outside the Gateway of India broke into a midnight dance when the numero uno drove in. Dressed in a Tee-shirt that he designed, Aamir came in solo from his own fashion show…

Interspersed by the glittering arrivals in between of Bollywood hotties Sameera Reddy, Kangna Ranaut, Shriya Saran, Neetu Chandra, Payal Rohatgi, Anupama Verma, Riya Sen, Mugdha Godse, Sushma Reddy, Sherlyn Chopra, Shenaz Treasuryvala, former Miss Indias Parvathy Omanakuttan and Simran Kaur Mundi, Miss World Diana Hayden… this was a show that even the most hardcore cynic would have to admit was the party of the year. Tellyland’s glitterati also turned up in force, from Ronit Roy to Urvashi Dholakia. Truly, if the BT Party was filmed, it would have a golden jubilee run..