Telugu Movie Review: 'Madatha Kaja' has nothing new

Film: 'Madatha Kaja';

Cast: Allari Naresh, Sneha Ullal, Jayaprakash Reddy, Ali, Dharmavarapu Subramanya and Vennela Kishore; Director: Sitarama Raju; 

Producer: K.K. Radha Mohan; 

Music: Vasanth;

Rating: ** 

Telugu film makers are weaving the same type of stories and remixing the content of films already released. They end up making silly movies, but yet complain that well made films do not run. 

'Madatha Kaja' featuring Allari Naresh in the lead role may well remind you of films like Ravi Teja's 'Mirpakaay' and 'Don Seenu' released just a few months ago.

But one thing that is distinctly clear in 'Madatha Kaja' is that the film is made with very poor production values and the hero Naresh just looks like a poor man's Ravi Teja. 

That is the real tragedy of 'Madatha Kaja' as Naresh is really talented and can be a great entertainer if he is properly supported with a good script and if the film is handled by a competent director. 

This is amply clear from the number of hits Naresh and his famous father E.V.V. Sathyanarayana have delivered and you will understand the potential of the former in author-backed roles. 

Besides the hollowness of the script, 'Madatha Kaja' suffers from other aspects as well. 

The dialogues lack the punch and many sequences in the film fail to make any impact. Comedy films need to have good, quality dialogues of great entertainment value. With passive dialogues, the predictable comedy sequences are not hilarious enough to make the audience laugh. 

The film's heroine Sneha Ullal, a look alike of Aishwarya Rai, struggles with acting. 

Kalyan from Visakhapatnam is a police informer who is in love with Sneha. As his mission in catching criminals by tipping off police is hugely successful, the police chief wants him to go to Hyderabad to give information about a notorious don Nanda who is controlling illegal activities in Hyderabad by remote control from Bangkok.

His trusted lieutenants J.P. and K.P. running separate gangs are always fighting which results in bad execution of activities and losses to Nanda. 

Nanda wants to bring in some unity between JP and KP. He decides that KP's daughter Sneha should marry J.P.'s son. 

Then Kalyan decides to bring Nanda from Bangkok and uses his intelligence and guile to eliminate the don's gang. He also gets his lady love Sneha. 

Allari Naresh tries to deliver justice to his routine role and he evokes laughter through some of his funny mannerisms and dialogues. Sneha Ullal is ordinary, but looks good in song sequences. The veterans have put in a good show. 

'Madatha Kaja' is certainly not in the same league as Allari Naresh's earlier films like 'Kitha Kithalu' and 'Seema Thupaki'. 

If you have no other better alternative, you can watch 'Madatha Kaja' once.

Kalki Koechlin gets out of intense roles for her next film

Actor Kalki Koechlin’s last release, That Girl In Yellow Boots got her a lot of critical acclaim, but she confesses that she didn’t think her film would be accepted, let alone expect the praises that came her way.

"It was a difficult film to make and I never knew I would get the kind of response I got for it. It was dark and quite complex, not the usual happy stuff people want to watch, but the feedback I got only makes it pretty evident that there is a market for these films as well. There are people who want to watch these films as well.”

Having said that, Kalki is now super excited about her next film, a commercial film in every sense. She is paired with Prateik in this film and their pairing has been creating a buzz for quite some time. Describing Prateik she says, “He is quite chilled out, but he can get shy at times. He is in his own world most of the time so I call him a dreamer and keep saying that he lives on his own planet — Planet Prateik.”

About working in a typical Bollywood film, she adds, “I know people have this image in their head of me being an intense and serious actor, but trust me, this film has been a joy ride. For a change, I am not trying to shock you. It is a sweet, innocent film that makes you laugh.”

She is romantically paired opposite Prateik in the film, but is she a romantic off screen too? “I am a sucker for romance,” she’s quick to reply. “I watch all the romantic comedies and I am a complete mush pot. I like these really cheesy films.”

Though she has been doing different films, she confesses that she still does not get flooded with offers. There have been times when she didn’t have anything to do, reveals, Kalki. “A year after Dev D I was unemployed for a year. It’s not like I was offered a lot of films. Even now, it is pretty slow. Anyway I am glad it is like that because I would get confused with too many options otherwise.”

In that one year to now, Kalki also gave up smoking and is hoping husband filmmaker Anurag Kashyap too follows suit. “I quit smoking three years back, right after Dev D. As much as I would like Anurag to give up, I know it is not something you can tell or force someone to do. It has to be your own decision and I know that because I have quit too. But it would be wonderful if he stopped as most of his health issues would be solved then.

F1 racer Daniel Ricciardo wants to meet Aishwarya Rai

Formula One apart, if there’s one thing on Australian racer Daniel Ricciardo’s mind, it’s Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. “I still remember her in Bride and Prejudice. And, I’ve heard a lot about her American films. She’s really pretty. If I get a chance, I would like to meet her when I’m here for the Grand Prix,” says the 22-year-old, who is a part of the Hispania Team that’ll be competing on the Buddh International Circuit between October 28-30.

And, the foodie’s favourite Indian food is “curry”. “Whenever I think of India, I think of curry,” says Ricciardo, who feasted on Indian food at the ITC Maurya, shortly after a prelude to the Indian Grand Prix at Rajpath on Saturday.

Though his girlfriend, whose name he shies away from revealing, will not accompany him for the event, he says she’ll cheer for him on TV. “Like I would not go and spend a day at her office, it’s the same for her. When it comes to drivers, they keep their personal lives private. But some are open about it, like Lewis Hamilton is usually accompanied by Nicole Scherzinger and Jenson Button by his girlfriend,” he says.

A fan of rock music, Ricciardo is looking forward to the Metallica concert in Delhi on October 28. “I’d prefer Metallica to Lady Gaga (who is also performing at the event). I respect the band.” Though he has to be in his team uniform at most events, Ricciardo says when he’s off the circuit, he’s super casual. “I usually roam around in shorts, flip-flops and sometimes even without a tee,” he says. Anticipating a “big welcome” when the Grand Prix starts, he says, “It’ll be a different experience for the crowd, as they’d see such an event for the first time here.”

Who is Ricciardo? 

 
Name: Daniel Ricciardo

Age: 22 

Date Of Birth: July 1, 1989

Number of F1 races: 6

Team: Hispania Racing Team

Recent wins: British Formula Three (2009), Formula Renault 2.0 WEC (2008).

You can race, too
The official e-game for the Indian Grand Prix, launched recently by Zapak, has drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton as characters, and the Buddh International circuit as the venue. Ibibo.com has also added an F1 car to their already live game, Parking Wars.

Complaint over loud music leads cops to Deepika Padukone's new house

MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone's house-warming party ended abruptly early on Saturday after the police landed up at her brand new pad at Prabhadevi. A witness, who was present outside the flat, told TOI, "A police patrolling van stopped outside the building around 3.15am. An officer went to Padukone's flat on the 26th floor. We learnt that local residents had called up the police control room complaining of loud music.''

Deepika Padukone's house-warming party ended abruptly early on Saturday after the police landed up at her brand new pad at Prabhadevi

"Later, another police vehicle came and plain clothed cops went up to Padukone's apartment. Strangely both vehicles and the cops didn't exit from that side of the building where a lot of people were present. They preferred to leave from the other gate of the building, probably to avoid being asked questions by the waiting media on whether the actor was penalized," said the witness.

A few minutes after the cops had left the building, some of the actor's guests, too, made an exit. These included actor Imran Khan his wife Avantika, liquor baron Vijay Mallya, actors Abhay Deol and Preeti Desai. The guest list at the party was top notch with names like Amitabh Bachchan, Karan Johar, Priyanka Chopra, Siddharth Mallya, Shahid Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Riteish Deshmukh, Ranveer Singh and Genelia D'Souza. Bachchan even tweeted about being the oldest guest at the party.

An officer from the Dadar police station told TOI no complaint was received from the local residents. "Our team went to the building as a large number of people had gathered downstairs, including mediapersons, and we didn't want a law and order problem cropping up," an officer said. 

 

Bharati Dubey & Nitasha Natu, TNN

See Video of Pregnant Ash's glowing new look! | Aish's New Ads Lux Soap with Ankita Lokhande and Suashant singh

Pregnant Ash's glowing new look!
Pregnant Ash's glowing new look! | Aish's New Ads Lux Soap with Ankita Lokhande and Suashant singh

Kunal Kapoor helps Sikkim earthquake victims

The actor teams up with footballer Bhaichung Bhutia, who too was caught in the quake, in his initiative to help the victims.

India's star footballer Baichung Bhutia was caught in the devastating earthquake in Sikkim last week which has resulted in the loss of over hundred lives, left thousands of people homeless and left parts of Sikkim completely paralyzed and cut off.

Baichung had asked people all over the country to come forward to help his home state and has also announced plans for a charity match to raise funds.

News is that actor Kunal Kapoor has taken initiative and come forward to lend a helping hand. The actor has joined hands with footballer Baichung Bhutia to help raise funds, through a relief fund started by Baichung Bhutia.

The actor makes a fervent plea for help, "The situation in Sikkim is quite bad. Lots of people have lost their lives and homes. Baichung Bhutia has started a fund. It's the USFC And Sikkim express fund a/c no 24950100005733, Bank of Baroda and RTGS BARB0GANGTO, Bank code 012. Every contribution no matter how big or small will help. And you can be assured it'll go to the right place. Thanks."

Baichung Bhutia was quoted as saying "Sikkim is going through a tough time. But we are resilient people and there are numerous people that are going out of their way to help us. Hopefully with all the support we'll tide through these difficult times."

I don't want Salman's help: Zarine Khan

Zarine Khan is currently living with her family in Bandra but is looking for a new, bigger house in the same locality. But ask her whether good friend and "Character Dheela Hai" dance partner Salman Khan is helping her in the house hunt, and the actress clams up. Zarine says she is fed up of Salman's name cropping up in every story connected to her.

Khan has been searching for a larger home in Bandra for the past year but hasn't been successful so far. When quizzed about whether she has asked Salman for help, Zarine says, "Can we please keep him out of this? I don't want to answer questions related to Salman anymore. We are very good friends but people keep asking me about him, which is not right. I don't like using his name and our friendship. I don't want Salman's help in finding a new home. I am capable of doing that myself!"

Zarine prefers to open up about the new house she is seeking, instead. "Right now, I am living in a one BHK apartment. I have been living in Bandra for years, so I'm looking forward to finding a new house here itself. It's been almost a year but I haven't come across something that I've liked in my budget. The rates in Bandra are sky-high and I don't have a lavish budget. Affordability is important, especially since it is a three-BHK flat that I am looking for."

Zarine won't be living alone in the new apartment. "My mother will be moving in with me. I just want some open space around me and no constructions around. Most houses are so close to one other that one can see what others are doing in their homes. I don't want that."

The actress will next be seen in "Housefull 2" and the Tamil film "Karneekaran" with Vikram. 

Upala KBR, TNN

Mumbai Indians look strong: Ameesha Patel

"Though I wanted Kolkata Knight Riders or Royal Challengers Bangalore to win the Nokia CLT20 trophy this time, but it seems unlikely as Mumbai Indians are looking stronger.

Anyhow, it will be nice to see an Indian team winning the world championship of club cricket."

My shelf life is limited: Ayesha Takia

Mirror reader Vinay Vishwanath meets a content Ayesha Takia who talks about doing all the things she loves after marriage

He paced anxiously outside the cafe where we were to meet Ayesha Takia. He tapped his foot against the wooden floor nervously. Finally, he walked up to her as she turned to him with a warm smile. For three years, Vinay Vishwanath harboured the desire to meet the bubbly and doll-like Ayesha.

From the word go, Vinay was comfortable chatting with Ayesha. He told her about his job as a research analyst, which impressed her, as she too has turned to research in the last few years to understand the restaurant business better. "Research is especially important when we're deciding on a new menu. But the most fun bit is the tasting, which becomes more like eating for my family and me," she laughed.

After her marriage to restaurateur Farhan Azmi, Ayesha took a backseat from films to learn the ropes of the business. "I had been working for ten years and though I love films, I needed a break. Everyone should do more than one thing so that life becomes more fulfilling. I knew that my shelf life is limited; someone else would soon take my place. I had to make sure that I had my life sorted."

As she spoke about her work, Vinay got curious about her journey from the Complan girl to becoming an actress. "That was by sheer chance. The director of the ad film was my father's friend, so when the main girl for the ad didn't show up, he begged my dad to send me. There's been no looking back since," she recounted.

She is a self-proclaimed spoilt girl, who lives in a bubble. But despite the glamour and the fun she had between the words 'action' and 'cut', she wanted more. "I didn't like waking up at 5 am and taking three hours put on make-up. Now, I'm enjoying life."

At the tender age of 23, right before the release of one of her biggest films, Wanted, Ayesha shocked (and disappointed) many by getting married. "I don't know why people say you can't have a career and a marriage. Farhan and I loved each other so I didn't see why it wouldn't work," said Mrs Azmi.

Today, two-and-a-half years into her marriage, Ayesha seems more in love than ever. "What was your first date like?" asked Vinay. "I don't like bikes but he had arranged a number of Ducatis and Harley Davidsons to take me out on a ride. All his friends were there at Marine Drive too and we went for a ride around Mumbai. It was fun, but I still haven't learnt to enjoy bikes or speed," giggled Ayesha.

Though she told us how she gets along with Farhan's friends, she admitted to not having too many herself. She said, "We moved around a lot as kids and I didn't go to college to make life-long friends. Now it's difficult to make friends because you don't know whether or not to trust the person's intentions. I am close to my family but I don't have too many friends."

This seemed to surprise and disturb Vinay, who told Ayesha how amazing it is to have 'chaddi buddies'. "You can call up your friend at 2 am and say 'let's go to the dhaba'. Last night we brought in one of our friends' birthday," he said. Having missed out on this herself, Ayesha enjoyed listening to Vinay's stories.

But she is contemplating going back to college. "I'd love to have the complete college experience, though I don't think it would be possible now. I want to study psychology. I like to peek into people's minds and see what they're thinking," she said, winking.

Finally, it was a common belief that made Ayesha and Vinay really bond. Ayesha's opposition to kissing, lovemaking scenes and item songs is well known. But having one of her biggest fans endorse her views made all the difference. "If the content is good, you don't need an item number to spice things up," said Vinay, inviting a high five from his favourite star.

Ayesha said that she didn't have too many ways to interact with her fans, except via social media. Vinay suggested she create a fan website. And he offered to develop it too. "Your movies make me happy, now I want to give something back to you," he said. 

Baishali Chatterjee, Mumbai Mirror 

I have my own destiny and life: Katrina Kaif

In an industry that is still slave to dynasty and lineage, a British-Asian girl emerges from nowhere and attains vertiginous heights in Bollywood.

Katrina Kaif has defied all conventional film wisdom - she barely spoke Hindi, her acting skills came up for debate and she is politically correct in interviews to the point of boredom. But Katrina has the X-factor, accentuated by an angelic face and a body that could tempt the devil. Who else could pull off a raunchy Sheila ki Jawaani with lyrics like 'khudko pyaar karoon main' with such playful innocence?

Katrina's box-office track record is enviable, as proved again recently by Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. Considered a good luck mascot, she is much in demand and is probably among the few actresses who can boast of working with all the Khans. But her superstar status today is by no means a fluke.

Perhaps the fact that Katrina has not grown up with a sense of entitlement, like other star kids, has contributed to her success. She never seems take her success for granted. Directors vouch for her commitment, and her acting skills and diction have amped up over the years. And she seems to have mastered the art of Khan management. No mean feat, if you think about it.

Katrina has delicately worked around temperamental boyfriends, bloated egos and fickle relationships and built goodwill that spans diverse camps. Yet for all her astute networking, few seem to know the real Katrina. Vague information filters in about her past, she hides behind a veneer of correctness. What we don't know about her just seems to add to her mystique.

The early days
Katrina first floated into the industry with her debut, Kaizad Gustad's Boom (2003). The director though, refuses to talk about his discovery as he tersely says, "I don't want to hurt anyone."

Boom's producer Ayesha Shroff is more forthcoming, "During the course of some research, Kaizad chanced upon her. He tells me that a few days later, she went to his house and asked him, 'I'm interested in India.

Do you think I have a future in India as a model or in films?' She came down to Mumbai, auditioned and got the role. I think she had done some modeling in London. I thought she would have a career here. At that time, there was nobody with a good body, no one was wearing bikinis."

But where did Kaizad meet her? Ayesha refuses to say. "I can't talk about it. What's the point? What she has achieved is admirable and it's not easy for a woman to pull herself out of nothing and make such a huge name for herself."

What she does talk about is how Katrina got her last name. "Her passport says Turquotte. We created an identity for her. She was this pretty young English girl, and we gave her the Kashmiri father and thought of calling her Katrina Kazi. We thought we'd give her some kind of Indian ancestry, to connect with the audience. Those times were different, now people are more accepting. But then we thought that Kazi sounded too... religious? We were to introduce her to the press and at that time, Mohammad Kaif was at the top, and so we said, Katrina Kaif sounds really great. In fact, the brochures for the press say Katrina Kazi. We passed that off saying, 'Oh that's a printing mistake," says Ayesha.

Is Katrina in touch with her? "No. But that's a personal choice. What hurts me is that she distances herself from Boom. When Boom released, she was seeing Salman, she dismissed her debut saying she didn't know what she was doing and so she did the bikini scene, the smooching scene. No one put a gun to anybody's head. She is a very intelligent young woman, she knows what she has going and doesn't want to jeopardize it."

The rise
After Boom, her early success was David Dhawan's Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya and later Partner, both starring Salman. The director fondly recalls, "She was young when I met her, but her presence was very strong. She's very beautiful. She barely knew enough Hindi to save her skin. But her dedication was very strong and she was a good learner. She had the making of a heroine."

Dhawan says that it was her attention to scenes and rehearsals that was endearing. She didn't throw tantrums and she was friendly and warm. He adds with a laugh, "I took her for granted when we shot Partner. She hasn't changed, so much respect she gives me. She is looking very good, is still very insecure and that is important for an actor. It becomes difficult to hold on and live up to the success tag."

Salman at that time was always teaching her a thing or two on the sets, but the director insists, "Just being in someone's good books doesn't work. The audience really loves her."

This sentiment is echoed by her Tees Maar Khan director Farah Khan, "Katrina has the X-factor. There are prettier girls who haven't made it. She has the same fire that actresses like Sridevi and Madhuri had. The audiences love her, especially the kids."

Farah adds that no one promotes a film like Katrina does. And that she has never heard Katrina backbite. She says, "Katrina stresses about the way she looks. But she never frets over petty issues like my vanity van is too small."

Though Akshay Kumar had recommended her, Farah was initially hesitant, "I thought they'd done too many films together." On the sets, Farah was no closer to knowing Katrina intimately. She laughs, "I don't think anyone in the industry really knows her, give or take one or two people. But I've met her mother. Katrina is quite the family girl."

Managing relationships
Akshay and Katrina's chemistry had also proved to be a hit with films like Namastey London and Singh is Kinng. In past interviews, she has acknowledged Akshay and Salman's contribution to her career. She makes for a good leading lady with the younger heroes like Ranbir and Imran as well. And she can boast of a Yash Raj film with Shah Rukh and Dhoom 3 with Aamir. Add to the that, she has the instinct for the right scripts and working with the right people.

To maintain relationships with the big boys of Bollywod calls for immense dexterity. Her dignified silence and denials about link-ups has ensured that she doesn't tread on anyone's toes. There were reports of Salman having slapped her at a coffee shop in 2008, but she denied the incident. Now as they shoot for Ek Tha Tiger in Ireland, they are reportedly fond of each other and there is no bitterness as they shoot together.

In an earlier interview with Mumbai Mirror, she said, "All my life I have judged my worth by how much I have been loved by a man. It's so with a lot of women, that their self-esteem is measured by how much they are loved by a man, their partner, their boyfriend or may be their husband. In my case, it may be because I grew up without my father. But now that I am more mature and not eighteen any more, I have learnt to overcome that and understand that I have my own destiny and life." Destiny's child has come into her own. 

NAMRATA BHAWNANI, Mumbai Mirror 

Katrina Kaif to miss the kiss?

It's not just the bikini that Katrina Kaif has a problem with in Dhoom 3. It is learnt that Kat is now expressing her reservation over a kiss scene as well.

While the franchise had a kissing scene in the last film between Hrithik and Aishwarya, this time around, Kaif is putting in a special request to do away with the scene. Will Aditya Chopra give in?

Ujjwala Raut On The Cover of Verve Magazine.

Hot Pics of Veena Malik in Sexy outfit with Deep Navel Show

Veena Malik hot photo in Sexy outfit with Deep Navel show.

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bigg boss house Season 5

Priyanka thinks working with Kareena can be fun!

Mumbai: Actresses Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor have always been on a sour note. They have been rivals on screen as well as off the screen. But Priyanka now says that she would love to work with Bebo.

Since Priyanka was dating Kareena’s ex-beau, Shahid, media often reported about the animosity between the two divas. But their bitterness reached another level when PC refused to do an item number in Saif’s home production ‘Agent Vinod’.

According to the sources PC did not want to do an item number in ‘Agent Vinod’ since it was also Bebo’s film.

When Saif was recently asked by media at an event, if he was upset that PC didn`t want to do the song, and he replied, "I am completely fine with that, as most actresses do not want to share screen space with Bebo."

On the other hand Priyanka said, working with Kareena would be fun if it happens. "I was approached for the item song, but it never went further than a conversation. I would love to do a song with Kareena in her film; it would be fun. I believe Agent Vinod is shaping up to be a fantastic film, but I haven`t even heard the song yet. So please, stop the speculation."

'Well groomed' Sonakshi impresses with her 'single take' act

Though the title of the film in which Sonakshi Sinha is working is called 'Joker', it is her co-actor and director who are smiling the most. Quite fresh and raw when roped in to play the leading lady in Akshay Kumar starrer 'Joker', she has managed to impress the veteran actor as well as director Shirish Kunder to such an extent that they can't help singing praises about her till date.

“Right through the shooting of 'Joker' which had kick-started early this year, Sonakshi has turned out to be a stunning revelation,” says a senior unit member.

Though in the initial days Shirish wanted his relatively newcomer lady to feel a little comfortable and hence picturised song and dance sequences with her, he was amazed to find her totally prepared when it came to some complex talkie scenes as well.

“Sonakshi was not just punctual on sets but also totally prepared when the scene was ready to be canned,” the source adds.

“In fact the very first scene that required her to mouth dialogues, Sonakshi was presented with a three page read. To everyone's surprise, she rehearsed it all by herself in her vanity van for some time before stepping on the sets. When Shirish called action, she managed to deliver her scene in a single take.”

Sources close to Sonakshi say that she doesn't make big deal about such so-called accomplishment because of active grooming that she went through before beginning work on the film.

“What's the big deal in saying your lines properly? Isn't that what you get paid for eventually,” comes a back handed compliment for her.

“What Sonakshi is managing is basically doing her job well. Yes, it is sad that not many actresses of past or present generation acknowledge this basic virtue of being an actor but Sonakshi isn't leaving anything to chance. For her, 'Joker' is as serious an affair as was 'Dabangg'. She isn't relaxing at all.”

No wonder, people close to her are happy repeating her in their subsequent projects as well. While Akshay has roped her in for 'Rowdy Rathore', Shirish would be working with the actress again in 'Kick'.

“On sets, there is no additional effort required from me to hone her acting skills any further. In fact during her scenes, she doesn't even refer to any paper before I call action. I thought that in her scenes with other actors she may need a cue or anything but there was no such requirement from her either in between shoots or different angles from which she was being captured. She is up there when it comes to saying the dialogues right and taking the right pauses. Very few actresses can manage that,” says Shirish.

Joginder Tuteja 

Source: Expressindia

SRK's promotional drive for 'RA.One' on small screen

Mumbai: Shah Rukh Khan returned to his roots - the small screen, to promote his most ambitious film project 'RA.One'. The Bollywood superstar took to the finale episodes of three reality shows Saturday night, and added glitz and glamour to them with his inimitable style, wit and dance. 

The 45-year-old, who started his acting career with TV shows like 'Fauji' and 'Circus' in the late 1980s, appeared on the finales of Star Plus' 'Just Dance', Colors' 'India's Got Talent 3' and Zee TV's 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs'. 

While Shah Rukh's presence on dance reality show 'Just Dance' and talent contest 'India's Got Talent 3' was pre-recorded, kids' singing reality show 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs' was aired deferred live from Surat. 

Shah Rukh was at his jovial best on all the shows as he danced, sang, cracked jokes as well as interacted with the audience to promote his mega-budget film 'RA.One', releasing this Diwali Oct 26. 

The actor, who plays a superhero in the film, grooved to his film's most popular number 'Chhammak chhallo' and made the shows' participants dance as well. Apart from presenting the winners' trophy on the shows, he also distributed his film's merchandise, especially a G.One doll based on the movie's villain, essayed on screen by actor Arjun Rampal. 

A true entertainer, Shah Rukh was in full form as he performed vigorous dance steps, much to the delight of the viewers. 

'RA.One' also features Kareena Kapoor, and Shah Rukh is leaving no stone unturned to market it well across all possible platforms.

Azmat Hussain is the Winner of `Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs`

Crowned India’s “Sabse bada chhota singer” by Shah Rukh Khan at the LIVE grand finale in Surat.

The most popular musical extravaganza on Indian Television has finally concluded with a nail biting finish. Among the three finalists – Salman Ali from Haryana, Azmat Hussain from Jaipur and Nitin Kumar from Himachal Pradesh; Azmat Hussain was declared as the L’il Champ of 2011by millions of viewers.

The Grand Finale of Hero Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs marked the end of a thrilling musical journey for 18 super-talented kids from across the country, who dazzled your TV screens with performances that established them as superlative forces in the arena of sur and taal. The highlights of the evening included Azmat’s spectacular Robot act where he loses his memory and singsMain Aisa Kyun Hun.  The world’s fastest keyboard player, Adnan Sami played a tribute to the great Shammi Kapoor leaving the audiences spellbound. 

The crowd went berserk as Superstar Shah Rukh Khan made his entry swaying to the latest chartbuster, Chamak Challo. Chief guest, Shah Rukh Khan made all the finalists sing a song of his choice. 

The face-off between the three finalists and a befitting final act at the Grand Finale was one that had audiences rooting for more!

Crowds thronged the venue of the Grand Finale, Surat International Exhibition and Convention Centre.  The decibel level at the venue skyrocketed the moment King Khan stepped on stage; spoke about his upcoming movie Ra. One and finally crowned Azmat Hussain as the winner of the season. The evening had plenty of comic relief, masti and mischief courtesy popular hosts, Jay Soni and Manish Paul.

Commenting on the occasion of the Grand Finale, Ajay Bhalwankar, Content Head, Hindi Channels, said, “Heartiest Congratulations to Azmat Hussain. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, as an iconic brand, has set new benchmarks in the realms of reality programming.

The superlative talent that Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has brought forth, across its seasons, is unmatched on Indian television. Groomed by mentors Kailash Kher, Javed Ali and Adnan Sami in this season, the li’l kids matured not only as better singers but also as overall performers, delivering one outstanding performance after another.

The presence of Mahaguru Alka Yagnik made the show all the more memorable. My best wishes to all the finalists for their future endeavors. With the end of Hero Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs, the audience can now look forward to seeing the biggest television stars compete for the first time as singers in a unique home grown format, ‘Star Ya Rockstar’ that premieres on October 8 at 8.30 pm .”

The contestants received a global platform and the golden opportunity to showcase their talent and have today become household names. 

Guru Kailash Kher summed it all up saying, “In the latest season, the challenge for the contestants was to emerge as performers and not just good singers. Given the fact that all the 18 contestants were fabulous singers in their chosen genres, the competition was always stiff and at no point in the competition could the contestants take it easy. I genuinely believe that the mentors as well as each of our Li’l Champ have done a marvelous job in bringing alive the euphoria associated with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champ as a brand. Here’s wishing Azmat heartiest congratulations on his victory and my blessings for a fantastic future!”

Ankan Sen wins 'Just Dance' Finale

Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Hrithik Roshan perform during the finale of the talent show 'Just Dance'.

MUMBAI: Actor Hrithik Roshan on Saturday announced Ankan Sen as the winner of the talent show 'Just Dance'.

The 17-year-old Ankan Sen was declared winner by Hrithik in a star-studded grand finale on Saturday night. Karan and Surjeet were other two finalists.

Ankan is an FYJC student from Kolkata. Ankan moved out of his parents' home to fulfil his dream of being a dancer. He has been taking part in dance shows and decided to participate in the show to prove himself on a big platform.

The 17-year-old winner had pledged to all the judges of the show that he will complete his graduation if he wins the contest.

Priyanka Chopra croaks away!

Actress Priyanka Chopra is down with a throat infection, and dying to get her voice back.

"Had a super hectic super fun day yesterday. Shot for 'Barfee' then went for the 'Just Dance' finale and then the 'Chargesheet' premiere phew. Down with a throat infection. so croaking away. Need my voice back gonna be in the studio soon any quick fixes?" tweeted Priyanka.

The 29-year-old actress has a slate of films lined up. The list includes "Don 2: The Chase Continues", "Agneepath", " Barfee", "Teri Meri Kahani" and " Krrish 2".

She is also busy working on her international music album.