Decide Akshay Kumar's 'Rowdy Rathore' look online

UTV Motion Pictures has launched an online hunt for the new look of actor Akshay Kumar for their new film "Rowdy Rathore".

"Akshay Kumar is shedding the uber-cool avatar and is set for sporting a rowdy look in his upcoming film 'Rowdy Rathore'. But he is not able to decide which moustache will bring out the rowdiness in him. Click to help him pick one," reads a post on the UTV Motion Pictures' Facebook page.

And the look that gets the maximum votes would be finalised for the film, which also stars Sonakshi Sinha.

Akshay is also learning traditional combat karate for his role in the film.

Directed by Prabhudeva, the film is produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ronnie Screwvala and designer Shabinaa Khan.

Khiladi Kumar's karate kick!

Mumbai, July 12 -- Currently in Malaysia attending the 12th MILO International Karate Championships, along with the winners of the Akshay Kumar's Karate Tournament 2010, Mehul Vora, the man who helped Akshay Kumar pioneer the biggest ever martial arts movement in Indian karate, is humbled at how the small initiative has turned into such a colossal sporting event.

If that wasn't all, the expert is also very excited with Akshay Kumar 's bigger ambitions of introducing Combat Karate at the Invitational National Karate Championship 2012. Says Vora, chief technical director of the tournament "Combat Karate is traditional style with emphasis on full contact sparring and self-defense techniques for survival, It is know by several names such as Kudo and Daidojuku."

Impressed with the sport popularly practiced in the underground sectors of South East Asia, Akshay Kumar along with Mehul Vora, aim to full fledgedly introduce it in the country with courses that will range from two months to five years, at academies, which will have branches all over India with Mumbai as its headquarter.

Talking about working with his mentor Akshay Kumar on the venture and Vora says, "The Shihan (teacher's teacher), as we call him, is very hard working, extremely dedicated, and down to earth. He expects all of us to excel like him, and is always there, when we need him. It's been an amazing decade knowing and working with him."

He goes on to say that while not many know that Akshay, while working on the 7 Deadly Sins Series, was simultaneously shooting for a film in Manali.

He says, "He (Akshay Kumar) would attend his shoot till late nights, wake at 4 am, shoot for the serial and go back for his film shoot. This made me just look up to the man. I am his follower till date and will be forever."

Bollywood lacks good young actors, says Kabir Bedi

Toronto, June 24 : Veteran actor Kabir Bedi rates Ranbir Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor as the two best young actors in Bollywood today.

"But frankly there is dearth of young bright talented actors coming through. That's what Bollywood lacks today,'' feels Bedi who is one of the few Indian actors to make it to Hollywood.

"The problem could be also due to the fact that older actors keep reinventing themselves. Salman Khan is still there, Shah Rukh Khan is still ruling there. Akshay Kumar is there,'' Bedi told IANS here.

"But Ranbir and Shahid are the two most promising new-generation actors, and I want to see more young actors in Bollywood,'' he said.

However, he feels there is no death of young actresses.

"Bollywood has seen no such problem when it comes to new actresses. We have so many of them. We have just seen Anuskha Sharma come from nowhere. We have Deepita Padukone who too came from nowhere. We have Priyanka Chopra who has been on the scene for about 10 years now. She also came from nowhere. So I think are some very good young actresses.''

Asked what he thought of Deepa Mehta's description of Bollywood as "Indian kitsch'' and not true representative of Indian culture, he said, "Deepa is a great filmmaker of finer sensibilities. These may be her elitist views, but Bollywood does reflect India and its Indian culture. That it is has a huge audience worldwide shows that it reflects Indian culture.''

Later, speaking a discussion on 'Hollywood, Bollywood and Beyond,'' Bedi said Bollywood is a potent symbol of India.

He said though has not worked much in Bollywood, he has no hesitation calling himself a Bollywood actor.

"Bollywood is the most potent symbol of India. It has promoted (communal) unity. It has promoted Hindi as India's national language. Bollywood unites India,'' he said.

Indian Cricket Team Special Request To Akshay And Aishwarya

On Monday morning, producer-director Vipul Shah was chalking out the last days pre-release promotions for his forthcoming film, Action Replayy. That’s when a friend called to inform him that the Indian cricket team, which is currently playing in Ahmedabad, was keen to see his retro rom-com later in the night.

At the time of going to press, Shah confirmed the report, saying that he was working out the logistics. "We’re just in the midst of planning our short-term-notice trip to Ahmedabad," he smiles, adding that his team is figuring out an appropriate multiplex for Mahindra Singh Dhoni and his men in blue.

Happy to host Excited about the special request from the Indian cricket team, the filmmaker says he’s all the more pleased to play host to them because the title of his movie is a derivation of one of the game terms - ’action replay.’

However, Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan won’t be able to make it. Instead, Aditya Roy Kapoor and Ranvijay Singh, who play pivotal roles in the film, will accompany Shah. "Akshay is shooting for the grand finale of his show, MasterChef India, while Ash is celebrating her birthday. So I can’t expect her to travel out of town," he explains.

Nonetheless, he asserts that the two actors will be driving around Mumbai in a vintage car on Tuesday afternoon. Initially, this promotion was planned for October 25. "The Kaun Banega Crorepati shoot was happening, so now we’re conducting the vintage car drive on Tuesday as both Akshay and Aishwarya’s dates matched," says Shah. "All the while, it was Aishwarya who was pushing us to make this drive happen," recalls a thrilled Shah.

Akshay Kumar’s Wonderful Chemistry With Aishwarya Rai

Akshay Kumar’s upcoming film Action Replayy is just like an ‘action replay’ of his wonderful chemistry with his co-star Aishwarya Bachchan, when they were paired on the screen in the movie Khakee (2004).

The chemistry between the two was a treat to the eyes in Khakee. Though the film was not a romantic, both the actors managed to put up a good show on-screen. However, this time the audience will probably get to see more of them in their upcoming film Action Replayy.

Akshay, who has worked with almost all the leading heroines in Bollywood, expresses his great respect for his co-star Aishwarya Bachchan. He explained the experience of working with her to be ‘fabulous’.
He is full of praises about the Bachchan Bahu revealing that he shares a wonderful compatibility with her and she always carries a positive energy with her. He added that Ash is a focused women with a disciplined work strategies by connecting to the work entirely.

The reaction of Akki suggests about the wonderful relation that the actors share and hopefully that compatibility will reflect on their work and impress the audience. Action Replayy will hit the theaters on this Diwali.

Akshay Kumar Unlike Aishwarya Rai Diva Image

From Shilpa Shetty to Katrina Kaif, Akshay Kumar has worked with most of the leading ladies in Bollywood but the star finds it odd that filmmakers never thought of pairing him with Aishwarya Rai.

The duo are coming together for a full-fledged romantic film for the first time with Vipul Shah’s ’Action Replayy’ that comes after their brief track in ’Khakee’.

"Our on-screen relationship in ’Khakee’ was quite unconventional and actually came with a chilling twist. Still, people had really liked us in ’Khakee’ and it is rather odd that Aish and I did not work together after that," Akshay told PTI.

Talking about his co-star in the movie, Akshay says that unlike her diva image, Aishwarya was fun to work with.

"Ash is simply fabulous and one of the reasons that we shared incredible compatibility as actors and people is because she brings in the same focus, energy and discipline to her work as I do," Akshay said.

They will play a bickering couple onscreen in the movie but Aishwarya was devoid of starry tantrums on the sets of the movie, which is slated to release this Diwali.

"Aishwarya is not a diva. She does not throw tantrums. She does not come with any baggage whatsoever and is an extremely easy person to work with. It’s refreshing to work with someone with whom I have not worked with for a while."

After a string of movies with Katrina Kaif, Akshay was seen opposite Deepika Padukone (Housefull), Trisha Krishnan (Khatta Meetha), Aishwarya Rai ( Action Replayy), Anuoshka Sharma (Patiala House) and Sonam Kapoor (Thank You).

Does not he believe that his pairing with Katrina has been over exposed?
"When I do a movie with Katrina, people say ’What? You are working with her again?’. On the other hand when I don’t do a movie with her for some time, people say, ’Oh, why didn’t you take Kat, you’re the best onscreen couple’."

While Akshay looks for the release of ’Tees Maar Khan’ in 2011, the wait continues for the leading lady of ’Joker’. As things stand today, it won’t be Katrina as the toss up is between Deepika Padukone and Sonakshi Sinha.

Akshay Kumar is highly amused but others are cooking up stories!'

Akshay Kumar is highly amused. And tickled pink too with all the culinary tattle being served up on the mediavine as regards, 'MasterChef India' and his anchoring status.

Even as the telly show revvs up for an October 16, 2010 release, rumours suggest that Action Kumar isn't likely to host the entire three month season and that other canny replacements are being readied on the sidelines.

States Akki sarcastically in a media chat, "I'm the MasterChef, but others are cooking up all kinds of stories against me.

I'm told that I'm being replaced by Rohit Roy and Kunal Kapoor too. I'm very amused at these reports. I'm happy to help if it gives them publicity.

Maybe, next time around, they can even call me up personally to give interviews on my behalf!"

Khatta Meetha Made Waves In The Goa Assembly

Bollywood film “Khatta Meetha” made waves in the Goa legislative assembly Monday as legislators drew comparisons between corruption in the state and contractor-oriented systemic corruption theme shown in the Akshay Kumar-starrer.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Damu Naik exhorted all members to watch “Khatta Meetha” because of its similarity to the corruption in Goa’s corridors of power.

“Everyone among you must see ‘Khatta Meetha’. It is a movie about a contractor and his struggle with corruption. A lot of the things seen in the movie are just like what happens in Goa,” Naik said, while speaking during a discussion on public works-related demands during the monsoon session of the assembly.

Naik, a film producer himself, said “Khatta Meetha” had lessons to be learnt for legislators, officials and the common man.

Ruling legislator Dayanand Narvekar also made allusions to the Bollywood film, saying that one of the characters shown in the movie even looked like state Public Works Department Minister Churchill Alemao.

Akshay Kumar Turns Hollywood Producer

He's consolidated his status in Indian cinebiz. And after savouring success as a leading man in Hindi movies, Akshay Kumar is all set to forge a cinematic bond with Hollywood and Canada as a producer.

Akshay Kumar, Canada Tourism Brand Ambasssador, will deepen ties between the two nations as he turns producer with the Indo Canadian venture 'Break Away' helmed by Robert Lieberman ('The Tortured') and will showcase Canadian actress Emily Van Camp, who made her mark with the winning telly series 'Brothers And Sisters'.

Crafted under his home banner: Hari Om Productions, 'Break Away' is unlikely to star Akki in any of the roles, as per reliable sources.

Action Kumar, who recently played host to a dinner meet between the top politicos of the two nations, viz.

Manmohan Singh and Stephen Harper, is said to enjoy an enviable reputation in Canada. Reportedly, Akki left a great impression on Canadian minds after he turned brand ambassador of the 2010 winter Olympic Games in Canada.

No Film Stars In Commonwealth Games

No glamour and no film stars. Much to the disappointment of Bollywood fans, the Commonwealth Games 2010 in Delhi will not have a filmy face as its brand ambassador.

Chairman of the Games Organising Committee, Suresh Kalmadi told HT City, "The face of the games won't be anyone from Bollywood. We will have 5-6 sports stars promoting the Games."

Earlier, there were reports that various Bollywood stars were in contention to the brand ambassador. Actor Amitabh Bachchan was the initial choice, but was later turned down by the committee, as they wanted a younger face. Akshay Kumar's name was also doing the rounds.

At the HT-Commonwealth conclave last month, Kalmadi had said, "We shall go with a filmstar who won't charge us to be the brand ambassador."

The film fraternity seems to be fine with the organising committee's decision. "The landscape is infested with Bollywood icons. It would be a relief to see someone else play the role of a brand ambassador", says filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. "Why should there be Bollywood brand ambassador to begin with?" asks actor Gul Panag.

Director Anurag Kashyap feels it's the right decision. "It's not a snub to the film industry if they are looking out for fresh faces," he said.

Star struck fans, however are disappointed. "It's a big event, how can we not have Bollywood stars," asks Preeti, a media student. "Only cricket stars can be a fair replacement now", says Harshita Sethi, a DU student.

Action Replayy Has Been Set For A Diwali

Akshay Kumar-Aishwarya Rai starrer Action Replayy has been set for a Diwali release on November 5. Shooting of the film was completed on July 15 in Manali.

Apart from Akshay and Ash, it stars Neha Dhupia, Kirron Kher, Rajpal Yadav, Om Puri, Randhir Kapoor and others.

The wrap was announced in a stylish way in Manali, where the last leg of the shooting took place.

Both Akshay and Aishwarya were in a cheerful mood and were in no mood of changing their costumes as they didn’t seem to be ready to say goodbye to the retro look, sources said.

They informed that Vipul Shah arranged for a bonfire party for the entire cast, which went on till the wee hours in the night.

The Motorcycle Diaries Of Akshay Kumar

After Toronto, Akshay Kumar has found another paradise on earth. He’s so impressed by Jammu that he intends to return there for a trekking holiday with his wife Twinkle. He intends to explore remote areas of Jammu with his wife, that too on a motorcycle.

Whether he will write his own motorcycle diaries on the way, Akshay won’t say, but maybe his articulate wife could do the needful. But Akshay is certainly kicked by the idea of exploring Jammu as soon as his new film is released.

The brainwave came to Akshay last week while he was shooting for a song for Action Replayy.

“I returned to Jammu after five years. Nothing had changed. I was stunned by the natural unspoilt beauty of the place. Jammu has not turned into a concrete jungle. It was so soothing and peaceful. Sometimes I just want to get away from all the stress,” says Akshay.

The actor is especially impressed by the hinterland in Jammu. “There are endless stretches of mountains and valleys waiting to be explored. And the only way to do it is on two wheels. As we travel we’ll pitch a tent anywhere in the night. It would be fun and adventurous,” he says.

As for being recognised and accosted on the way, Akshay has come to terms with pitching his tent in crowds. “My promotion of Khatta Meetha as a common man has taught me how to deal with crowds.

Last week I was in Nagpur and there were at least 15,000 people in an open field. Not once did anyone make a grab for me. People are fine as long as one doesn’t behave like a star in crowds. Yeah , we’ll be fine traveling alone.”

Nagpur Claims To Have Some Dope On Akshay Kumar

Excuse moi while I answer this call on my kaaliberry. A khabru from Nagpur claims to have some dope on Akshay Kumar, who was recently there to promote his forthcoming flick, Khatta Meetha. Yawn!

A huge crowd had gathered to have a dekko of the Khiladi Kumar, who was in his avatar, complete with a black umbrella.

And among the many, was a guy who seemed to be more than just a fan of the actor. Apparently, he threatened to jump off from the parapet he was standing on, if Akki didn't talk to him.

When the actor heard about this, he went to meet his fan and talk him out of his threats.

But that wasn't easy, for the guy refused to let Akki go. My jasoos tells me that it took the abhineta nearly half an hour to convince the man that he would return soon and spend more time with him.

That's when the fan obeyed his idol's request and got down from the building. Chalo, good for the fan. I dread to think of what would have happened if he actually jumped. Shudder shudder!

Akshay Kumar Paying Bribe For Car Registration

He may be mocking the social evil of corruption in his new film Khatta Meetha but Bollywood's very own 'Khiladi' Akshay Kumar admits to paying bribe once.

Akshay, who has teamed up with filmmaker Priyadarshan for the sixth time with Khatta Meetha, says that the film is a comedy with a cause which is hatke (different) from their earlier collaborations.

"Our country is said to be a growing superpower with the fastest growing economy but still we do not have good roads because corruption has seeped deep in our system," Akshay, who plays the role of a road contractor in the film, said.

When asked if there was any occasion where the actor had to pass money under the table, Akshay admitted, "Yeah...it was way back when I had to get my car's registration number that I had to bribe." But the 42- year-old actor added that he would not do it again as he is scared of getting caught the next time.

The star, who is also producing Khatta Meetha, would prefer to make films and speak about such issues. Akshay also chose to ignore the recent controversy where he was called a 'jackass' by a film critic for posing with ailing cartoonist RK Laxman as a publicity gimmick for Khatta Meetha at a Mumbai hospital.

"It is all part of so called journalism. Whether it is good or bad, it is your opinion. I rather choose to ignore it and not react," Akshay said.

Akshay was thankful to Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who had taken offence regarding the usage of the word and had reacted on microblogging site Twitter.

The actor silenced another controversy regarding the track 'Bullshit' in Khatta Meetha which takes potshots at corrupt politicians. "No one has come to us and said anything about the song as yet. We are not taking names of any individual or political party in the track. We are just commenting about the corruption," Akshay said.

Khatta Meetha which also stars south Indian star Trisha is set to hit the theaters on July 23.

Akshay Kumar Will Be Seen In STAR Plus Popular Show

Yes you read that right! STAR Plus' popular show 'Sasural Genda Phool' recently completed 100 successful episodes and is getting great feedback from its viewers.

To add to the celebrations, the entire cast is thrilled and super excited to welcome Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar home. Akshay will be seen in an episode of Sasural Genda Phool where he will be promoting his upcoming film KHATTA MEETHA.

Speaking about the famous Khiladi, Suhana says, "I am happy and excited to see him. The entire team is busy planning things to impress him." Ishan adds, "Everyone is excited to see Akshay Kumar. I can't wait to see him face to face."

The Bollywood Khiladi will be seen mingling with the entire family and surely viewers can expect a fabulous episode.

Indian Cricketers Refused To Act In Akshay Kumar's Movie

Akshay Kumar's Patiala House will be shot at London's Oval and Lord's Ground and Trent Bridge in Nottingham. It is the first Bollywood film ever to be granted permission for shooting over there.

The film Patiala House, directed by Nikhil Advani will release in Diwalia 2010 to clash with the releases of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish. The movie is set entirely in London and revolves around a generation conflict within an immigrant Punjabi family that resides in Patiala House in Southall. Akshay's character Gattu wants to be a bowler for the England cricket team even though his family opposes the idea.

There are two test matches in the film and it was not difficult getting permission because only a few permits had to be in order. Bhushan Kumar of T-Series applied for the permissions 4-5 months ago.

A source reveals that 12 professional cricketers will make an appearance in the film. They include Andrew Symonds, Dirk Nannes, and Simon Katich from Australia, Nasser Hussain, Graeme Hick, Alex Tudor, and Graham Gooch from England and Pakistan's Kamran Akmal, among others. Commentators Alan Wilkins, Sanjay Manjrekar and Nikhil Chopra will also be part of it.

Bhushan Kumar said, "We wanted the scene to have an authentic feel so we roped in the cricketers and decided to shoot on those grounds. We had get permission from the Cricket Boards. Sadly, MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh could not get permission from the BCCI."

Akshay Kumar Is Dedicating Singh Is Kinng 2 To Prime Minister

Akshay Kumar is eager to get the next installment of Singh Is Kinng rolling. The movie will see Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif reprise their roles. The sequel is expected to begin where the first Singh Is Kinng trailed off.

The sequel will be directed by Vipul Shah himself. As per reports Vipul has stated, "Yes, after much planning and plotting, and two years since the first film, we've finally cracked an idea that works. My writer Suresh Nair and I are happy with what we've come up with. And yes I'll be directing the sequel."

The sequel is slated to roll early 2011, as Katrina is completely booked till next year.Akshay is currently busy with Patiala House and Katrina Kaif is in Spain shooting for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. It has been reported that Akshay is dedicating 'Singh is Kinng 2' to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ji.

Akshay Kumar To Represent Canada Tourism In India

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar has got a new role to play -- he will represent Canada tourism in India and is quite happy to do so.

"Feeling extremely privileged by the honour bestowed upon me by the Canada Tourism Commission to represent Canada tourism in India. I feel a strong connection to this great country and its extremely warm people. It's truly a memorable moment for me," Akshay posted on micro-blogging site Twitter.

In May 2008, Akshay had received an honorary doctorate from the University of Windsor in Ontario for his work in the film industry and his social service.

The actor has even shot a few of his films in Canada including "Bewafaa", "Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi", "Humko Deewana Kar Gaye" and "8 x 10 Tasveer". Akshay recently shot for Anees Bazmee’s film "Thank You" in Canada.

England's Cricket Grounds Opened Doors To Bollywood

Three of England's top cricket grounds have opened their doors to Bollywood for the first time. The Oval and Lord's in London and Trent Bridge in Nottingham will be the locations for Akshay Kumar's Patiala House. The film will release post Diwali, alongside Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows.

The movie is set entirely in London and revolves around a cross-generation conflict within an immigrant Punjabi family that lives in Patiala House in Southall. The son, Gattu (Akshay Kumar), wants to be a bowler for the England cricket team, while his family completely opposes the idea.

"We have two Test matches in the film," informs Bhushan Kumar, chairman of T-Series, who is producing the Rs 50 crore film with Mukesh Talreja. "It wasn't difficult getting permission to shoot in these legendary cricketing grounds. You don't have to pull strings or go through the bureaucratic hurdles that you usually face when shooting in India. Filming in England is a cakewalk, it just takes time to get the permits in order."

Bhushan Kumar applied for the permissions three to four months ago. "We completed a 14-day shoot at The Oval, part of which was shot at night," he informs. Kumar's friends who are professional cricketers coached him in the intricacies of bowling prior to the shoot. These included former Pakistani captain and fast bowler Wasim Akram.

A professional cricketer was on the sets to ensure that director Nikhil Advani was following the rules of the gentleman's game to the T. Akshay Kumar is a natural cricketer who has played matches at IIFA and bowls to his son, Aarav.

Twelve professional cricketers will make an appearance in the movie with him. These include West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard, South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs, Australia's Andrew Symonds, Simon Katich and Dirk Nannes, Pakistan's Kamran Akmal, England's Nasser Hussain, Graham Gooch, Graeme Hick and Alex Tudor. Commentators Alan Wilkins, Sanjay Manjrekar and Nikhil Chopra are also a part of the cast.

"We wanted the matches to look authentic. People should feel that an actual cricket match is in progress, which is why we roped in so many cricketers," points out Bhushan Kumar. "It was very difficult because they had to take permission from their Cricket Boards. Unfortunately, even though we were in talks with MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, they could not get permission from the BCCI."

Canadian Prime Minister To Meet Akshay Kumar

Akshay Kumar is the host for a prestigious event at the Presidential House in Toronto, Canada, on June 27.

The Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will be present at the gala. The summit offers several opportunities to improve bilateral ties.

The Bollywood star has been officially invited by the Canadian Prime Minister and will be the guest of honour at the event.