Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Ranbir is a blind friend, Sonam Kapoor

Ranbir Kapoor is Sonam Kapoor's childhood friend. Though news of their brewing love relationship hit the gossip column many a times, they never cut off their friendship and always remained connected. While Ranbir joined hand with Deepika Padukone, Sonam took a new path and concentrated on her work.

She never made a hue and cry over the matter but has placed Ranbir in the top list of her friends. Sonam's Delhi 6 promo is on and looking at her charisma, Ranbir cannot stay away from complimenting her. He called her up and congratulated sonam for her acting.

"He loves them. He saw Masakali and called me up. Ranbir can't see anything wrong in what I do! He’s a blind friend", says Sonam. Papa Anil Kapoor also can't stop raving his daughter's simple look and he called up Rakeysh Mehra to congratulate him for the project.

Speaking about her father’s reaction, Sonam said, He was happy with them. He liked it not because it was my film, but because he felt that it would be a good venture. He felt Abhishek and I share a great onscreen chemistry.

On asking how much she gelled with Deepika, Sonam replied, "I didn't know Deepika too much. She started seeing Ranbir, who's one of my best friends. We started hanging out together in a group and that's when we started knowing each other."

Monday, February 16, 2009

Kareena voted PETA's sexiest vegetarian alive

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor and cricket star S Sreesanth have been crowned the winners of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' (PETA) annual Sexiest Vegetarians Alive poll.

The online contest was conducted by petaDishoom, PETA India's youth arm. Kareena captured the female title for the second year in succession, while fast bowler Sreesanth beat out fellow vegetarian cricket stars Ishant Sharma and Anil Kumble to win the title.

Kareena and Sreesanth narrowly edged out 2007 winner R Madhavan, model and doctor Aditi Gowitrikar, Pentagram vocalist Vishal Dadlani, and singer Kailash Kher, among others.

Other top contenders included Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar, actors Alicia Silverstone, Pamela Anderson, Hansika Motwani, Mallika Sherawat, Mahima Chaudhary and Rajneesh Duggal, musicians Sir Paul McCartney and Moby and designers Anita Dongre and Hemant Trevedi.

"When you look at the dozens of gorgeous celebrities in this year's poll, there are no bones about it - a vegetarian diet makes you beautiful inside and out", said Anuradha Sawhney of PETA India.

"After all, going vegetarian is the best thing you can do for the animals, the earth and your health," Sawhney added.

Nandita's 'Firaaq' named best film at Pakistani film festival

Bollywood actress Nandita Das' directorial debut "Firaaq", based on the 2002 sectarian violence in Gujarat, has won the best feature film award at Pakistan's KaraFilm Festival.

The film, which Das describes as an outcome of her involvement in social work, is yet to be released in India and had its premiere at the seventh edition of KaraFilm Festival.

"To come to Karachi was a big struggle. But it was very necessary to come, not just to screen 'Firaaq' here but to make it clear that contacts between the people should continue. Artistes should talk on these issues at a different level," said Das, who was in the southern port city to attend the closing ceremony of the festival last night.

"Till the world is completely peaceful, neither can we be. And that is not going to happen in our lifetime. So we will keep struggling and living," said Das, who is popular on this side of the border because of her performance in "Ramchand Pakistani".

Tensions generated by the Mumbai attacks curtailed the Bollywood presence at the festival though Das and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt travelled to Karachi to participate in the event.

In past years, Bollywood stars and directors have been among the main draws at the festival, which was first held in 2001.

"It is a tense atmosphere and sometimes the role of the media and the politicians becomes dangerous because they have their own agendas. But we must retain our sensitivities and sensibilities and not fall into their traps. We should understand that people on both sides of the border are affected by same problems. People should not detract us from these issues," Das said.

KaraFilm founder Hasan Zaidi said he was happy that Das decided to bring "Firaaq" to Pakistan even before its release in India.

"Firaaq", starring Naseeruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal, Deepti Naval and Sanjay Suri, interweaves the stories of Muslim couple Hanif and Muneera, middle-class Hindus Sanjay and Arati, an older Muslim musician living in a Hindu neighbourhood and a Hindu-Muslim couple.

The film traces the tensions these characters have to grapple with over a 24-hour period in the aftermath of the violence in Gujarat.

Das said she was "very excited to see what dialogue and questions arise" after the screening of "Firaaq". "It's very timely after 26/11 to show the prejudices and perceptions that arise after a period of violence occurs," she added.

Referring to the tensions between India and Pakistan, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt said, "These are dark times, and it has brought back the things we had thought we had put behind us years ago.

"It is important that the platform of KaraFilm, where we started seeing the dream of Indo-Pak co-productions, continues," he said. Bhatt said he remained hopeful that things could improve on both sides of the border through a "long and sustained engagement".

Pointing to the lack of barriers and travel formalities in Europe, Das said there is a dream for something similar in South Asia. "Some people will not benefit from something like this, how will they sell arms then?

"Both India and Pakistan spend so much money on their militaries. If this money could be spent on the poor, education and health, then both countries could reach a new level," she said.