Bollywood applauds QUEEN N HAIDER on their National Award win

As soon as the winners of the National Awards were announced, the congratulatory messages poured in for QUEEN & HAIDER. HAIDER won 5 awards including Best Music, Best Music, Best Choreography, Best Costume Designer, Best Male Playback Singer. QUEEN won the award for Best Film & Kangana won the Best Actress award for this film. Also, MARY KOM won an award for best popular movie. The Bollywood celebs got onto a microblogging site to congratulate the National Award winner. Here is what they wrote:

SHAHID KAPOOR, SHRADDHA KAPOOR, PRIYANKA CHOPRA APPLAUDS
QUEEN & HAIDER ON WINNING THE NATIONAL AWARD

Shahid Kapoor: And Haider wins 5 at the national awards . So so so happy . Every one of them so well deserved . Proud . Big grin .
Priyanka Chopra: Yay!Kabhi Kisi ko itna Bhi mat Darao ki darr hi khatm hi jaaye!congratulations to @OmungKumar @SaiwynQ Viacom,Sanjay Sir and the whole crew! Your story deserved to be celebrated @mangtec .thank u for allowing me to tell it!So proud to be a part of this incredible film. #WomanPower
Priyanka also wrote: Congratulations @bharadwajvishal for all your wins for Haider. So well deserved sir!”
Shraddha Kapoor: 5 national awards for #Haider. What more to say? ;) #Woohoooooo!!!

Boman Irani: Hearty hugs and kudos for all the national award winners! Richly deserved. #NationalAward
Boman added: Happy to learn that our dear Bhoothnath Returns got a special mention too! @SrBachchan @niteshtiwari22 @ushajadhav #NationalAward
Anupam Kher: Congratulations to all the winners of National Award for brilliance in Cinema.:)
Sonal Chauhan: Big congrats to #KanganaRanaut for the national award. If any1 ever deserved it, it's her!!! You go girl !!!
Radhika Apte: #Court wins the national award! Ecstatic ....

Celebrity faces: Then N Now_Part_4

It's always a curious thing to look back at what celebrities looked like when they were younger. Some age well and some don't quite take to ageing well. Child stars, are often the most interesting subjects....

 The Perizaad Zorabian we knew was not a great star - but she had the oomph and charm - when we saw her in Morning Raga, Dhoom and Mumbai Matinee.

 But, wait, is this the same Perizaad Zorabian? The lady is now married - to a businessman and owns a restaurant - and is happy bringing up her two kids. Time does change some people. She isn't the only one. We have a list for you

 We were going through some event pictures when we stumbled upon this picture. Looks familiar? Yes, it is R Madhavan. Last we heard of him he had signed up for a Hollywood movie. Is this what a crossing over means? We rest our case

 He's best known as Kevin McAllister from Home Alone but today, he's a 33-year-old former child star who does voices for animated feature films. Culkin's chequered past includes arrests for possession of controlled substances and a failed romance with Mila Kunis. His public appearances have always been few and far between.

 Sana Saeed is all grown up now. Since acting in Student of The Year in 2012, Sana has been busy - dancing her way on a TV reality show.

 From an innocent 16-year-old model to a daring woman who has done it all, Angelina Jolie's story could well be turned into a movie itself. The actress who recently underwent a preventive double mastectomy, today looks every bit the stunner she did as a young girl.

 She was the cherubic little girl from Steven Spielberg's magnum opus, E.T.. Today, Drew Barrymore is one of the few child stars to have made the smooth transition into a successful acting career.

 From the cute young Italian girl Louise Ciccone to the Queen of Pop, Madonna sure has come a long way. She's ditched those gingham frocks for more daring couture clothes. Whether she's had surgery to keep her youth in check or not, Madonna has certainly aged well.

 Before he became the latest hottie on the block, David Dhawan's younger son Varun was no good looker. Several years and some serious styling later, the Student of the Year star makes for good eye candy!

Looking at Salman Khan's old picture, brings the phrase 'Jekyll and Hyde' to mind. Quite a journey from the solemn and sweet young man of then to the bad boy of today.

5 reasons why Alia Bhatt is the Jennifer Lawrence of Bollywood

We aren’t just saying this for the heck of it. Read on to know why we think that Aloo is India’s JLaw!

Alia Bhatt is in a league of her own. She is incredibly talented, she is unbelievably accomplished for a 22-year old and her acting career is so sorted that it can give all her A-lister contemporaries a run for their money. And in ways more than one the Udta Punjab actress is quite like her Hollywood contemporary Jennifer Lawrence. Let us help you look at five best similarities between the two actresses better…

Both do unconventional roles
Alia Bhatt has made a mark for herself because of her offbeat film choices. She has done masala films like Student of The Year and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania but she also has films like Highway, Udta Punjab and Shandaar in her kitty. Quite similarly, Jennifer too has made some unusual career choices from Hunger Games to Silver Linings Playbook to American Hustle, and she has aced at them all!

Both are quirky with the media
If you have ever seen Alia and Jennifer answering media questions at red carpets or press events, you’d know what we are talking about. They are both klutzy, they are never fake or made-up for the cameras and watching their interviews is always delightful!

Both have that one film which changed their lives
Alia became a game-changer with Highway, she won several accolades and critical praise for the film and her role. JLaw too turned her career around with Silver Linings Playbook, she also won an Oscar for the film.

Both are extremely gorgeous
This goes without saying, Alia and Jennifer have a massive fan following not just because of their acting talent but also because of their beauty! Girls look up to these two divas!

Both have achieved a lot at a very young age
Alia just turned 22 while Jennifer is just 24. They are both too young for their shoes but they are both doing a heck of a job dealing with stardom, money and success while fulfilling their passion for acting!
Did you agree with our reasons for saying that Alia is Bollywood’s JLaw? Tell us what you think in the comments section below!

Celebrity faces: Then N Now_Part_3

It's always a curious thing to look back at what celebrities looked like when they were younger. Some age well and some don't quite take to ageing well. Child stars, are often the most interesting subjects....

 We spotted her recently at a TV award night and were for a moment taken aback by her weight gain.

 A look at how our favourite stars have changed over the years.

 Did you ever think you would see Pamela Anderson - demure, sophisticated and ladylike at Cannes? No? She did just that when she arrived at Cannes this year.

 A far cry from her first trip to the Cannes Film Festival in 1995. A plunging corset, high-heel boots, and a barbed wire tattoo and oodles of oomph was what she wore to the French Riviera about 20 years ago.

 Madhuri Dixit is a charmer. A timeless diva. Have another point of view?

 Sadhana was the 'mystery girl' and a beauty who was famous for her acting skills as well as for her style sense. She got married, she had health issues and gradually she stepped away from the limelight. That is till we spotted her at a fashion show.

 She walked the ramp for Shaina NC and looked every inch a diva even at the age of 72.

 We were shocked to see Manyata Dutt - this was during the Mumbai phase of the election process. She had lost a lot of weight and had cut her hair short.

 Manyata was diagnosed with a non-malignant tumour in her lungs and had to undergo surgery twice according to reports.

 This is Salma Khan. Salman's mother. The lady looked hate and hearty as compared to her older self. We are told that she had a bariatric done recently.

This is Salma Khan before the surgery. Do we need to say more?

MURDER 3 actress Sara Loren turns bar dancer

While the sultry siren Sara Loren played a bartender in MURDER 3, she will be seen as a bar dancer in the upcoming film BARKHA, although for a brief time.

Says Sara, “Yes my character turns a bar dancer for some time. It's the circumstances that force her to turn a bar dancer. It's the story of a small town lower middle class girl from Himachal Pradesh, who is not that well educated and her family's financial conditions are also not that good. She comes to Mumbai for work; however people try to take advantage of her. She wants to protect her innocence but eventually she lands up in a bar.”

Sara adds, “Basically, it's a story about a shy yet confident girl who discovers her journey. The film comes with a message that if you are strong and emotionally stable nobody can shatter you. It's a beautiful sensitive film with good music. I am sure critics and audiences alike will love the film.”   

Sara, who plays the title role, says that BARKHA is based on a true story.

Also starring Taaha Shah, Priyanshu Chatterjee, BARKHA is directed by written and directed by Shadaab Mirza. The film is produced by Zahara Productions.

Celebrity faces: Then N Now_Part_2

It's always a curious thing to look back at what celebrities looked like when they were younger. Some age well and some don't quite take to ageing well. Child stars, are often the most interesting subjects....

 Saira Banu in a pensive mood. A rare photo indeed

 Saira Banu, now.

 She was one of those effervescent actors Bollywood saw

 And then she got married to Ambani and settled down

 Tanisha Mukherjee in 1990

 Tanisha Mukherjee now.

 We were sifting through some old pictures and we stumbled up on Mandira Bedi way back in 2005. Doesn't she look coy, yet lovely?

 Marriage, a baby and a couple of years down the lane, she still charms us with that smile.

 Remember Juhi Parmar? She used to be a household name during the days of the TV show 'Kumkum'

 After her stint in the industry she tied the knot with Sachin Shroff and now has a baby too.

Vidya Balan wants to popularise handloom

Actress Vidya Balan, who often flaunts traditional Indian weaves, says she feels strongly for the dying art of handloom in the country and would like to spread awareness about weavers' work.
At the Indian Textiles Day at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week summer-resort 2015 on Thursday, the "Parineeta" actress sported a creation by designer Gaurang Shah, who is known for his work in khadi and textiles.
Shah used khadi in his collection Kalpavriksha, and Vidya flaunted one of the creations on the ramp.
Known for her love for kanjeevaram and handloom saris, Vidya was thrilled to be a showstopper in an 'Organza Kanjeevaram'.
"I'm thrilled that Gaurang (Shah) brought a kanjeevaram to me and said 'It's an organza kanjeevaram', something that I hadn't heard before. It falls beautifully," Vidya said here post the designer's show.
"I am someone who wears lot of handlooms. I strongly feel for it. Slowly I am gaining more knowledge about it so that I can do whatever I can for the weavers and the cause of the handloom," she added.
Shah, who has been awarded many times for his work in textiles and khadi, went for a twist in using khadi in his collection this time and mixed it with Bangladeshi khadi, Phulkari, Chikankari and Kalamkari.
"It is a jugalbandi of khadi of Andhra Pradesh, Bangladeshi khadi, Phulkari, Chikankari and Kalamkari. The Kalamkari has a little bit twist in it," the designer said.
"Generally, when the Kalamkari is painted, they do the black outline and then fill the colour. But this time I have not used black and I have done the painting directly with the colours," he added.

Celebrity faces: Then N Now_Part_1

It's always a curious thing to look back at what celebrities looked like when they were younger. Some age well and some don't quite take to ageing well. Child stars, are often the most interesting subjects....

 Tabu turns a year older on November 4. Do you think she has aged gracefully?

 This is how she used to look when she started out in Bollywood.

 We spotted Rani Mukherji at a recent event and we got reminded of how she used to look way back in 1998. Sharing the pictures with you

 Flashback to 1998. This is how Rani Mukherji looked. Do you think she has aged gracefully?

 Queen Bee Sridevi is all of 51 now. Still the diva. Still the superstar. She charms us even today.

 This is how Sridevi looked in 1966. Has she aged gracefully?

 Urmila Matondkar - this snap was taken way back in 1999.

 Urmila Matondkar at a recent event. We let you be the judge

 Raveena Tandon way back in 2002

 Raveena Tandon and now

Sushant Singh Rajput: Ankita and me havent been offered a film together

While the PK actor and his ladylove were touted as SRK-Kajol of small screen, it will be a while before we see them scorch the big screen with their chemistry….
That Sushant Singh Rajput and Ankita Lokhande were most loved couple on television is known to all. One of the reasons why Pavitra Rishta became so popular was because of these two. Not only do they look great together, Sushant and Ankita are equally talented as well. No wonder, Pavitra Rishta was one of the highest TRP rated shows for a long time. Though this lovely couple hasn’t shared screen space for lately, their fan following is still very huge. But sadly all Sushant-Ankita fans will have to wait a little longer before they see them in a film together. We say so because surprisingly no filmmaker has so far offered them a project. In fact, not too long ago, in an interview SSR had even expressed his desire to do a romantic film with his long-time girlfriend. So when I spoke to him, I asked him about the same. And he first said – Did I say that? (with a grin).
When I nodded, he then said, “Alright then that must be true (smiles). But so far we haven’t been offered a film. However, when a producer and a director wants me and Anikta in a film and the script makes sense to me, is the day when it will happen.”
The Rajput lad is currently busy promoting his upcoming film Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! which is directed by Dibakar Banerjee and is slated to release on April 3.

Holi with Bollywood celebrities

Our Bollywood celebrities had a blast celebrating the festival of colours - there was a party at Javed Akhtar's house, Alia and Sidharth were spotted celebrating Holi together and other celebrations too.