Raaz 3 release cancelled in the UAE
The third instalment of the Bollywood horror series Raaz did not release in the UAE last week as scheduled. "Raaz 3 has not been cleared by the UAE Media Council yet. Approval is pending," said Wassim El Jurdi, the marketing manager for the local theatre operator Cine Royal. Directed by Vikram Bhatt, the film tells the story of an actress who turns to the dark arts to revive her career. It stars Bipasha Basu, Esha Gupta and Emraan Hashmi. The film's cast and crew were in Dubai last week to promote the movie.
Bhatt, D'Cruz, Sinha on September covers
Bollywood stars headline the September fashion issues of Indian magazines. The young actress Alia Bhatt, who will be making her Bollywood debut in Karan Johar's forthcoming romantic comedy Student of the Year next month, is the cover girl of Vogue India. The 19-year-old stars with fellow newcomers Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra in the movie. Meanwhile, the southern actress Ileana D'Cruz is on the cover of Harper's Bazaar. She makes her Bollywood debut in Barfi!, which opens in the UAE on Thursday. Fresh from the success of her recent films Rowdy Rathore and Joker, Sonakshi Sinha appears on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine. She will next be seen in the drama Son of Sardaar, which will be released in November.
Aishwarya scotches film rumours
Indian tabloids and gossip websites were abuzz with the news last week that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is only interested in film projects that also star her husband, Abhishek Bachchan. The 38-year-old actress has released a statement denying the rumours. "A certain section of the media has been wrongly reporting that I will do films only with my husband. I would like to state for the record that this information is incorrect," said Bachchan. Her representative told reporters: "It's disheartening to see such tactics being employed by people threatened by her. Aishwarya is a professional and will not let personal equations affect her work."
Ravi Kissen is more than ready for his first lead role in Bollywood
The Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kissen says he is looking forward to the release of his first Bollywood project, the crime thriller Jeena Hai Toh Thok Daal. "After more than 170 films in Bhojpuri cinema, I am ready to take my career to the next level. I need to prove myself in Hindi cinema and this movie will do just that. In Jeena Hai Toh, my fans will see me doing action, romance and drama," said the 41-year-old actor, who plays a criminal gang leader who takes on Mumbai. The film also stars Yashpal Sharma and Hazel Crowney. - IANS
Leone and husband may star together
The Canadian star Sunny Leone, who made her Bollywood debut last month in the director Pooja Bhatt's romantic thriller Jism 2, says her husband Daniel Weber is considering entering the industry. "A few people have approached him and want us together in a film. He is open to it," said Leone, who last week announced her next project, the sequel to the 2011 horror thriller Ragini MMS, produced by Ekta Kapoor. - IANS