Osian's Cinefan fest ends on a high note

New Delhi: The ninth Osian’s Cinefan Festival, drew to a close on Sunday in the Capital after a week of some good cinema and a tanking celebrity quotient.

“Festivals are so important for cinema. Why do you need a star to make it big? It’s about good cinema,” says actor Manoj Bajpai.

Kiron Kher adds, “People whose movies were screened have already come and gone.”

With the Japanese cinema being the main course this year around, the Hindi films remained nothing more than sumptuous appetiser on the Osian’s menu with just two awards in the kitty. Kay Kay Menon won the best actor award for his role in Shoonya and a film called Frozen, shot on the icy locales in Ladakh bagged the special jury award.

Tamil film Paruthiveeran won the award for best film and also the best actress for its female lead Priya Mani.

The award for the best film in the Arab and Asian section was bagged by Desert dream directed by a Chinese director Zhanglu, and the best actor award went to Arab actor Lotfi Abdeli for his role in the Tunisian film Making of.

But do festivals like this one spell good business for these independent filmmakers?

“We need to create an audience for it, and then its the demand and the supply,” says actress Nandita Das.

And it seems that’s the demand that has been inching up at Osian’s Cinefan.

“I have got a few distributors wanting for me at Mumbai and somebody asked me for Spanish rights of the films,” says director of Frozen, Shivajee Chandrabhushan.

ROWLING EXPLAINS CHANGING LAST WORD IN HARRY POTTER

Spoiler alert: If you haven't finished "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," you may not want to read any further.

It was widely reported that the last word of the final Harry Potter book was "scar" and for years Rowling said that was true.

In the epilogue, which is set19 years after the defeat of Voldemort, Rowling paints a picture of Harry standing on platform 9 3/4, his nearest and dearest surrounding him. In her original draft, the last line was “Only those who he loved could see the lightening scar,’” ….or “something like” that, she told Meredith Vieira in an exclusive interview.

Ultimately, Rowling felt that line was too ambiguous, begging the question about whether the scar was still there or not. She said wanted a more concrete statement that Harry had won; Voldemort had been defeated. The scar was still there, but now it was only a scar.

“I wanted to say it’s over. It’s done.”

Rowling changed the last line to: “All was well.”

“That felt right,” she said.



More from Meredith Vieira's interview with J.K. Rowling:

Rowling's big regret: Never told mom about Harry
Finished 'Potter'? Rowling tells what happens next
Stop your sobbing! More Potter to come
Rowling's mind games with Daniel Radcliffe
Rowling brings Meredith Vieira to tears
Full Harry Potter coverage

Spears' bodyguard 'assaults' Vegas snapper

Troubled singer Britney Spears' bodyguard Julio 'JC' Camera has been accused of assaulting a photographer in Las Vegas on Thursday morning.

A paparazzo was attempting to take photos of Spears and her children Sean Preston and Jayden James as they walked through the Wynn Hotel & Casino just
before noon on Thursday, when Camera alleged lashed out.

America's Us Weekly magazine reports eyewitnesses claim Camera shoved the photographer's partner Kyle Henderson in the chest and accidentally hit 22-month-old Sean Preston.

After his alleged altercation with Henderson, Camera reportedly attacked Henderson's partner and began punching him.

Both parties were asked to leave the Wynn by resort security and Spears has since checked out of the hotel.

The unnamed photographer sustained "minor abrasions" and filed a police complaint against Camera.

The Las Vegas Police Department have confirmed Camera has been cited for misdemeanour battery.

Meanwhile, Spears has accused Henderson of battery of Sean Preston in a police complaint.

'Bow Barracks Forever' is a realistic but badly shot film

Tucked away in a corner of North Kolkata, the anglo-Indian community residing in Bow Barracks, a now-dilapidated building that had originally been built for World War II soldiers, is struggling to survive. The fear of losing their homes looms large over their heads as real-estate agents threaten to pull down this crumbling building which the residents can neither afford to repair, nor are willing to give up and relocate. It is the story of these residents, their individual successes and failures, and their collective spirit of resilience in their helplessness that forms the real plot of this week's new release "Bow Barracks Forever".

This motley group of lower-middle class dwellers includes all flesh-and-blood characters whose stories are instantly relatable. Like the widow who lives in the hope that her older son will one day call and invite her to live with him in London. Or the young wife who's tired of being beaten by her husband everyday, clinging on to the hope that she'll run away with her lover soon. Or the middle-aged woman who's sick of life with her boring husband in her one-bedroom apartment who yearns for a better life. This film peeps into their homes and their lives watching them go about their day, grappling with challenges, but eventually coming together for one another. And that's really the core element of this film - the sense of community, the feeling that we're-all-in-this-together.

Based on what is undeniably an interesting premise, "Bow Barracks Forever" loses much of its appeal because of its amateurish direction. Cliches are strewn around the film generously where there was need for none. Look at how every character speaks with a fake accent, look at how every single line of dialogue ends with the word 'man', reinforcing a stereotype that is so old and so tired. I'm aware that a lot of people do speak that way, but in reality it's out of habit, whereas in the film it just seems forced and fake since it's so repetitive and since every single character speaks the same way.

Also director Anjan Dutt attempts to force a sense of drama into his edit, where once again there is need for none. Cutting alternately between a song and a dramatic scene - and using this device three times in the film - he delivers no sense of climax at the end of each song, thus defeating the entire purpose of this editing pattern.

There's an unwritten rule in filmmaking - that the director must be committed to presenting his actors respectably on screen. But it's evident Anjan Dutt, the director of "Bow Barracks Forever" feels no such obligation towards his actors. In fact, he shoots his actors so unflatteringly, you feel sorry for the poor guys who've probably taken a pay cut to star in this low-budget film.

Moon Moon Sen is filmed from all the wrong angles, and I'm not talking here just about the ample display of her bosom that we're treated to, but just the careless and irresponsible manner in which the director captures her excess weight for all to see. There's a scene in which a schoolgirl in uniform comes bouncing into camera, and it's reprehensible how the director has filmed that scene. But perhaps worst of all is that scene in which a young man gets out of bed after a love-making session, his underwear just barely hanging off his bottom.

Whether mistakenly shot in this manner, or intentionally shot like this for effect, I have to say these scenes are tasteless and they only point to the fact that the film's director has neither shooting skill nor judgement. As for the gratuitous sex scene between Moon Moon Sen and her lover, I suppose it was meant to be filmed in that urgent, impassioned style, but why subject us to that scene in which her middle-aged, over-weight lover roams about her home in his tight blue speedos? Surely that was a sight we could have lived without.

Despite all its shortcomings, "Bow Barracks Forever" is still an engaging film to watch because it's got an old-world charm to it that you don't find in many films today. It holds your interest till the very end because you can sympathise with the protagonists and relate to their pain. I'm not in agreement with the film's marketing, which positions it as a story about people who love their home too much to let it go. That's not what I got from the film. I see it more as the story of these unfortunate people who cling on to their home because they have nowhere else to go.

They're united by the fact that this is the best they can do. It's left pretty much to the actors to make this film work, and barring a few wrong notes, it is the ensemble that is the film's major strength. Debutant Clayton Rodgers plays Bradley the simmering young misunderstood boy, but apart from one good outburst scene in the end, he pretty much leaves you cold and unaffected. As Peter the Cheater, the alcoholic small-time con, Victor Banerjee is in parts delightful, but hams it up occasionally.
Lilette Dubey constructs an endearing character out of Emily Lobo, but at times you cringe at the lines she's been asked to deliver. The finest performance in the film, ironically comes from Rupa Ganguly who appears in only two scenes, but she's just marvelous and spontaneous and she brings tears to your eyes by the way she brings to life her doomed character.

In the end if "Bow Barracks Forever" works for you it's in spite of director Anjan Dutta, not because of him. Dutta botches up too many scenes carelessly, even sets off the subplot of a murder in the film, then doesn't take it anywhere. If the film holds its own, it's because the plot itself has meat to it and because you fall in love with its characters. With a more competent director at the helm, this film could have been so much more. That's two out of five and an average rating for director Anjan Dutta's "Bow Barracks Forever", give it a chance and you just might be pleasantly surprised.

Rajeev Masand

Lindsay Lohan Claims She's Innocent

In a July 24 e-mail to Access Hollywood host Billy Bush, the 21-year-old actress wrote "I am innocent...did not do drugs they're not mine. I was almost hit by my assistant Taryn's mom I appreciate everyone giving me my privacy."

Lohan was arrested and released on bail early that morning in Santa Monica for driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, and felony cocaine possession. The arrest occurred less than two weeks after she completed her second stint at a rehab facility.

Police found cocaine in one of Lohan's pockets during a pre-booking search, according to Sgt. Shane Talbot. Police initially said Lohan was being booked for transportation of a narcotic, but later said she was not.

Authorities received a 911 emergency call from the mother of Lohan's former personal assistant saying that Lohan was chasing her in a sport utility vehicle.

The assistant had reportedly quit hours before. Lohan still faces charges of driving under the influence, stemming from a May hit-and-run crash in Beverly Hills.

Her attorney, Blair Berk, said she was wearing an alcohol-detecting ankle bracelet since her July 13 from a rehab facility, and received daily sobriety tests. She said Lohan had relapsed and was receiving medical care at an undisclosed location. Lohan's publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnik, had no comment.

Sienna Miller ‘shell-shocked’ by poverty in India

London, July 23: Brit star Sienna Miller was shocked at the extent of poverty in India, during her recent visit as an ambassador for Global Cool.

The 25-year-old who is set to do her bit on spreading environmental awareness revealed that she was ‘shell-shocked’ to see the Bandra Kurla slum in Mumbai.

“I’m feeling a bit shell-shocked. It was unbelievable to see poverty on that scale, especially as it was combined with such a sense of togetherness. There were all these children running around, giving us hugs and asking our names,” Timesonline quoted Miller, as saying.

The actress insisted that she felt ‘sick’ sitting in the luxurious Taj Lands End hotel knowing the condition of the people suffering in the slums.

“What’s scary is that the river flooded two years ago and if it floods again the entire slum will be submerged. God forbid, because the water is ridden with disease and filth. Now I’m back here in the hotel with the air-conditioning and the elevators and the room service, I’m feeling completely sick,” she said.

Kate goes house hunting

Kate Moss has spent the past week viewing houses in St John's Wood in North London, according to reports.

She already has a rather swish pad in the area but it's thought the supermodel has decided she wants a place with a bit more privacy.

Neighbours of the Croydon-born beauty have said she's sick of the paparazzi camping on her doorstep.

Meanwhile, her ex-boyfriend Pete Doherty is rumoured to be having another heroin implant to try to beat his drug habit.

The rocker's apparently back in rehab to try and overcome his addiction.

A video has been posted online showing Doherty egging on his friends as they confronted a photographer.

Pals of the former Libertines frontman threw an egg at the cameraman as he waited outside his Hackney flat.

Harry Potter buzz explodes with book release

But record demand for 7th Rowling book not a magic potion for profit

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Move over, iPhone -- Harry Potter is the new king of hype.
In an event that likely eclipsed the hyped launch of Apple's (AAPL : Apple Inc
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AAPL143.75, +3.75, +2.7%) iPhone, hundreds of thousands again took to the streets around the world Friday night to snap up copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the last in the seven-book series by J.K. Rowling.
The fictional boy wizard -- who launched an unprecedented number of marketing opportunities and five blockbuster movies so far-- got his final chapter in the struggle between good and evil when the book went on sale at 12:01 a.m.
Buzz surrounding the book had been so intense that several photographs of leaked pages already appeared on the Internet before the release date. The New York Times and Baltimore Sun also published early reviews of the books Thursday, claiming the novels were purchased legally.
A small percentage of books also were shipped to customers earlier this week, prompting U.S. publisher Scholastic Corp. (SCHL : Scholastic Corp
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SCHL33.80, -0.41, -1.2%) to take legal action. See full story.
But the threat of spoilers didn't ruin the party. Advance orders for the latest book broke records and release celebrations were held around the world.
"We expect the largest crowd in history to be at our stores Friday night at the stroke of midnight," said Barnes & Noble Chief Executive Stephen Riggio in an interview.
Potter parties
Several companies in New York City spent millions on marketing campaigns and parties for the book's midnight release.
Scholastic transformed the city block in front of their flagship Soho store into Harry Potter Place. The publisher featured attractions from the books, such as the Knight Bus and Whomping Willow, along with face painting, jugglers and stilt-walkers. Inside the store, children participated in wand making, while company executives who helped with the book's publishing and others attended a party in the VIP section on the second floor.
Author Salmon Rushdie arrived at the Scholastic Store in the early evening with his 10-year-old son Milan in anticipation of the final book.
"My son is the Harry Potter expert," Rushdie said. "He's so excited that he's made me promise not to cheat by looking at the end."
Rushdie added that because of his son, he also is a fan of the Harry Potter books and is happy with its frenzied launch. "If you're a writer, you can only celebrate that. I can't imagine the last time that so much [hype] was generated by a book and not a TV series or movie."
Outside the Scholastic Store, Justin Gray, 26, of New York, sat in line reading the sixth Harry Potter book for the fifth time. Gray got to the store after work at 5 p.m., and was ready to for the long haul until midnight.
"I've been waiting on this book for eight years," Gray said. "I don't want to wait another 30 minutes to get it."
Demand 'unprecedented'
Scholastic expects to break both printing and sales records with the seventh book. The company said it has printed 12 million copies in the U.S., surpassing records held by the sixth book, which had a first-print run of 10.8 million in 2005. More than 6.9 million copies of the book were sold in the first 24 hours.
By comparison, "a very large first printing for a children's book would be 50,000," said Maureen O'Connell, chief financial officer for Scholastic. "This is unprecedented."
In years that the books are published, Harry Potter accounts for between 8% and 10% of Scholastic's $2 billion in revenues, O'Connell said. In years without a new book, sales account for less than 1% of revenues, she said.
But while Harry Potter creates significant business for its U.S. publisher, the impact on a retail chain's bottom line is "hard to quantify," said William Armstrong, an industry analyst with C.L. King and Associates.
Retail stores are deeply discounting the book between 40% and 50%, hoping to convert the large spike in customer traffic into sales of other higher-margin items.
But the increase in hype and number of printings has meant that "with more recent Harry Potters, the number of days when you have a huge rush has been compressed, which is not favorable to them," Armstrong said.
'Deathly' discounts
Meanwhile, three hundred people lined up early outside the Borders store at Columbus Circle for the Grand Hallows Ball. The event, held at the Time Warner Center, included live performances by alternative band Lifehouse and vocalist Colbie Caillat. The ball was bathed in orange light, and magicians, palm readers, ice sculptures and floral displays were on hand.
In the second-quarter of 2005, Borders Group Inc. (BGP : Borders Group, Inc
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BGP18.45, -0.20, -1.1%) said that same-store sales in its book category increased by 6%, four points of which stemmed from sales of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."
But those swift sales don't necessarily spell profits for retailers. Borders, for one, said its gross margins in the period when the last Harry book was published declined because steep discounting on the book ate into its profits.
Borders pre-sold 1.5 million copies of "Hallows" in just its U.S. stores, said President and Chief Executive George Jones in an interview at the party. That handily surpassed first-day sales of the sixth book, which including preorders totaled 850,000.

Carry on, David!

David Dhawan. The name itself evokes laughter. Doesn’t it? Year after year he conjures up scripts that make no sense to the critics but are lapped up by the masses, for David Dhawan’s name has become a sort of guarantee for fun at the box office. This week is no different. In fact, with “Partner” he has come with a double dose. In a rarity Salman Khan and Govinda have joined hands on the silver screen. So how did he manage the coup?

“Not difficult. I have worked with both of them in many films, so both had faith in me. My idea was to bring two styles of comedy together to create a new style! Salman is always stylish in whatever he does, and Govinda has an earthy sense of humour. I wanted to see what happens when the two meet.”

It’s difficult to talk about the script with David. Still he suggests that the comedy centres on how a ‘love expert’ teaches a naïve man to hook a girl. Shades of Will Smith’s “The Hitch”? “Well, it’s about male bonding. So many Bollywood films have been made on the subject before ‘Hitch’. Was ‘Hitch’ inspired by them?”

Miscasting?

The film stars Katrina Kaif opposite Govinda, and Lara Dutta with Salman Khan. Isn’t this miscasting from the commercial sense, considering Katrina and Salman are making waves in real life? Laughs David, “No, I have gone by the script. It requires Govinda’s character, a poor guy, to woo a princely girl played by Katrina. Both fit the bill.”

The careers of David and Govinda have been intertwined for long. They have risen together and shifted genres together. From an action-packed “Taqatwar” to a melodramatic “Swarg”, and a potboiler like “Shola aur Shabnam” to a crass comedy like “Raja Babu”, the duo has defined chemistry on celluloid. But after “Ek Aur Ek Gyarah” there has been a long pause. “The industry might have taken him just as a comedy star but I have given him all kinds of roles and we have succeeded most of the time. It is just that he became busy with politics that we could not work together, otherwise there is nothing that can keep us apart,” grins David.

And Karisma Kapoor, who was the vital cog in the Govinda-David wheel of fun? David called her the actress with the best comic timing. “I stand by my statement but she quit acting. Katrina and Lara are not bad either. There are two kinds of actors, natural and malleable. These two are malleable.”

Films like “Swarg”, remind us of the serious side of David. Few people know that he is the same guy who has edited films like “Saraansh” and “Naam”. And that his real name is Rajinder Dhawan. “I learnt editing at FTII. As an editor you are supposed to edit all kinds of films with the same effort. But my heart always craved for Manmohan Desai’s cinema, films that are complete entertainers and are commercially viable.”

As for the name, he reveals his parents used to call him David at home. “Slowly my pet name became my professional name.”

On the rise of comedy — Tabu calls him her favourite director — David, who calls it the most difficult genre, says, “I feel flattered. When I started making comedy films, film critics didn’t take the genre seriously. Even in film awards the actor of the comedy was not nominated in the best actor category. See, today it has become the most commercially viable genre. Most of the comedy films are doing reasonably well at the box office.”

Critics raised eyebrows when his comedy turned crass with films like “Aankhen”, “Raja Babu” and “Khuddar”. “It’s true, but in those days such things were working. A director delivers what is in demand. Still, I made sure even in those times to have some message in my film.”

Turning chic

Of late his films have turned smart. Films like “Mujh Se Shaadi Karogi” and “Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya” have the quintessential David Dhawan spirit but are packaged with latest trends in fashion and music. “This is the contribution of my son Rohit. He brings fresh thoughts on the sets. We have our creative differences but the result has been successful. He has contributed to ‘Partner’ as well.”

Next in line is a remake of “Amar Akbar Anthony” with Salman and his brothers, but David doesn’t want to leak anything. “Main to bas aam admi ko khush dekhna chahta hoon, (I just want to keep the common man h appy)” he sums up.

Carry on, David!

Harry Potter book leaks on to internet

Despite a massive security operation, the final book of the Harry Potter series has been leaked online three days before its worldwide release.

Neil Blair, a lawyer for the author JK Rowling, confirmed today that some genuine material from the seventh Harry Potter book had been posted on the internet - but said that there was also much bogus content circulating.

It is the first time that material from any of the hugely successful boy wizard books has leaked onto the internet before publication. The book itself goes on sale in bookstores around the world on Friday at midnight, before when all copies are supposed to be closely guarded.

For the past two days, photographs of what are claimed to be pages of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows have appeared on a number of file-sharing websites.

One set of images purports to show each of the 36 chapters - and a seven-page epilogue - from a 759-page version thought to be the American edition, published by Scholastic.

According to people who have read that version, several characters meet their end, and others get married. Rowling herself has revealed only that two major characters die.

In one of the photos, still available on several sites, a hand is seen holding the book open at the bottom of each double-page spread as it is photographed above a patch of tight-knit carpet.

Another, which purports to be the opening of Chapter 23, entitled 'Malfoy Manor', shows the first sentence as starting: "Harry looked around at the other two..."

A 33-year-old Canadian man who claims to have downloaded hundreds of the book's pages from one of the so-called 'Torrent' sites, told a Canadian news service : "What some guy did was take pictures of it, 500 little files, each with a picture of a page. Someone took the trouble to do that."

Today, a search for 'Harry Potter Hallows' on one of the largest so-called 'Torrent' sites, isoHunt, revealed 61 hits, many of which claimed to be the 'Full Book'.

In the past, several 'spoiler' attempts claim to have released plot details prior to a book's publication, but a manuscript itself has never been procured and posted online.

A spokeswoman for Bloomsbury, the book's UK publisher, would not confirm or deny today that the leaked version was the real thing, but said that "vast quantities" of material purporting to be the book were circulating.

"People are being very clever putting stuff online. There are many different versions and it's easy to use Photoshop [photo editing software] to make something look very real. We're asking people not to spoil the book for fans," she said. "We're getting phone calls from people in tears saying: 'I don't want to find out what happens.'"

A spokesman for Scholastic, the book's US publisher, said: "There's so much out there that is confusing for fans. Our lawyers are trying to keep down the amount of spoiler traffic and clear it from places where fans might be reading."

Harry Potter fan sites such as theleakycauldron.org, and mugglenet.com have vowed to keep spoiler material off their pages.

William Hill, the bookmaker, said today that it had stopped taking all bets on who would die in the book because it could no longer be sure punters had not already read the final chapters.

"Up until now the list of insiders was probably less than 10, but now that's obviously no longer the case," a spokesman for the firm said.

Meanwhile in internet forums, a war of words raged as to whether the version that had been posted was genuine.

"Yes its real, yes it works, yes its in a pdf. Have fun," one comment on thepiratebay.org read.

Another user wasn't so sure: "I'm going to have the burst the bubble on this being real. I was positive it was, until I found this on page 156: "Auntie Muriel, who seemed to be enjoying herself *hugely*, snapped her fingers for more champagne." To my knowledge, the word 'hugely' does not exist. Surely, a book as anticipated as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows would have been edited multiple times."

"Hugely" is a rather common British expression," a rebuttal came back. "Nothing strange about it."

More than two million copies of the Deathly Hallows have been pre-ordered on Amazon, and the Royal Mail has said it expects to deliver 600,000 books on release day - about one for every 100 people in the UK.

Phoenix mill mayhem

Hello again, Harry Potter. Even as millions of readers around the world are giddily anticipating the release, on July 21, of the final volume of J.K.Rowling's bonanza-sellers, here's the fifth installment of the formidable film franchise.

David Yates, a veteran of British TV, makes his directorial movie debut with the $200 million magic-and-mayhem adventure. Taking over from Mike Newell, The Goblet of Fire helmer who declined to return, he displays more of the visual panache of the previous Potter-fare.

Although the labyrinths of the plot are a tad difficult to traverse, both the eyes and the senses are seduced by the sophisticated special effects and wondrous set design.

Faced with the Herculean task of adapting the hefty 890 page novel, scriptwriter Michael Goldenberg has excised plenty of extraneous material, narrowing the focus on the overtly political aspects of the story. Incidentally, at 138 minutes, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the shortest film in the series.

So what's the news from Hogwarts this time around? Returning for his fifth semester at the school of witchcraft and wizardry, the teenage Harry (Radcliffe) finds his credibility compromised when the powers-that-be at the Ministry of Magic refute his claim regarding the return of their arch-nemesis (Ralph Fiennes, sinister as ever).

It's now up to our bespectacled hero and his best buddies (Rupert Grint-Watson) to defend the titular order against the rampaging evildoers. The trio with brio also has to contend with the school's new dictatorial Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher (Imelda Staunton). And in the midst of the malarkey, Harry even gets his first proper kiss from one of his classmates.

Rabid Potterphiles are bound to quibble about the missing Quidditch action. Also, kids, especially those under 10, may find the mood a bit too grim for comfort.

Reliable regulars, including Michael Gambon as the benign headmaster, Alan Rickman as Hogwart's resident occultist and Gary Oldman as Harry's heroic godfather, reprise their roles with aplomb. While Rupert Grint and Emma Watson barely make an impact in severely curtailed roles, Daniel Radcliffe has never been this assured before. However, the thunder is stolen by Imelda Staunton. Attired in shocking pink from head to toe, the Oscar-nominee from Vera Drake, has a blast.

Go ahead, make your multiplex matinee.

Bips snapped kissing soccer star Ronaldo?

After Shilpa Shetty, it’s Bipasha Basu who’s making news in the UK.

The Daily Star on Tuesday ran a front-page picture of Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, 22, kissing Bipasha, 28, in Lisbon where they’d gone for the Seven Wonders show recently.

The picture — titled Ronaldo Plays Away — was taken on stage when the two were naming Mexico’s Chichen Itza pyramid as one of the new Wonders.

According to the Daily Star, the two were spotted later in the evening at a party at the Belem Club getting physical with each other. Cristiano Ronaldo is reported to be in a relationship with glamour model Gemma Atkinson.

Another tabloid, Metro, ran a similar story and picture titled Are You Playing Away, Cristiano? The Mirror and The Sun have also carried the story with the same photograph.

The Asian community snapped up the story eagerly. On being contacted on her cell phone, Bipasha said: “Yes, it is me in the picture. It was taken at an opportune moment and has been taken out of context. Again, it looks like a case of irresponsible assumptions.”

Bipasha is back in Mumbai.

Potter waves his wand at Tussauds!

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, who turns 18 later this month, has become the youngest person to be immortalised in wax at Madame Tussauds museum.

Radcliffe's statue shows that the museum has tried to distance him from the character of Potter. He is sporting a simple suit rather than the clothes and the wand of a magician.

His wax figure will stand alongside Hollywood legends Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, contactmusic.com website reported.

Ben Lovett of Madame Tussauds said: "With his 18th birthday around the corner and stage roles like Equus under his belt, Daniel has become a young British acting force to be reckoned with.

"It's been great for the studio's sculptors to recreate someone who we've all watched growing up on the big screen."

Tell me what else Saif did for me?

Bipasha is as nervous as hell.

"I'm in London, just hours away from the 7 Wonders event in Lisbon, and I'm so nervous I'm gorging on muffins, scones and whatever I can lay my hands on."

Bipasha is about to board the flight to represent our country and its luminous relic the Taj Mahal at the New Seven Wonders Of The World Event.

"I'm wearing contact lenses for the first time just so that I can read the teleprompter. Now I'll be able to see those 60,000 people at Lisbon far more clearly. My eyes are watering, and it isn't because I've become emotional."

Bipasha had still not met her co-host Ben Kingsley in London. She hoped to get comfortable with him on the flight from London to Lisbon.

"Come on, we don't have to get that comfortable with each other! It's just for an event, not a film….But seriously, I can suddenly see everyone far more clearly now. Not nice. Everyone looked much cleaner before," she jokes.

Sobering down, Bipasha informs that the contact lenses are only for the Lisbon occasion. "They don't suit me. I'll be taking ten days off soon to get laser surgery done."

In the meanwhile she has her designer Rocky S accompanying her to Lisbon. "Rocky has done a simmering pink sari for me. My gown was supposed to be done by Armani.


But I decided at the last minute to let two very young and talented designers Gauri and Nanika from Delhi do my gown. I thought it was better to let Indian designers do my clothes since I'm respresenting my country on at an international forum."

Finally the rumours back home. It's being whispered that Saif Ali Khan has abandoned his own gym to join Bipasha at her gym every day.

Bipasha's chuckles waltz across the seven seas. "So Saif now accompanies me to my gym, is it? As far as I know he goes to Barbarian gym and I go to Gold. And that has remained unchanged until the time I left Mumbai for London.

Now while I'm away the status quo might change. And Saif may start going to my gym. I'm dying to know what-all I've done with Saif in Mumbai while I'm away in Lisbon," she jokes before boarding for Lisbon.

"You know I've never anchored any event before, let alone one with an audience of 60,000 people live and millions at home. Like they say, it's always good to start at the top."

Harry Potter arrives in London

The European premiere of the new Harry Potter film is set to hit London's Leicester Square.

Hundreds of fans are expected to greet JK Rowling, Daniel Radcliffe and the remaining cast members of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

The film sees Harry Potter return to Hogwarts with his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, played by Rupert Grint and Emma Watson respectively, for their fifth year at the magical school.

Harry's integrity is called into question when some of the wizard community believe the story of the teenager's recent encounter with Lord Voldemort is a lie.

The world premiere took place in Tokyo last week.

The seventh and last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is released on July 21 with around 1.6 million people worldwide believed to have pre-ordered the book.