Salman is tired of going topless so now he?ll simply drop his pants. We?ll see him doing the deed at the waterfalls of Mysore and Cochin. And it will telecast on TV. No, not another gimmick, and someone?s not getting Lucky. It?s an ad commercial with Sunil Manchanda?s Mad Films for an underwear brand, and Salman is the model. The ad film is being directed by Nikhil Advani of Kal Ho Na Ho fame who'll also be directing Salman in his forthcoming film. So here?s Salman playing a desi James Bond with plenty of adventure and action. Hey, wasn?t Ash to do a Bond film?!

Sneha Ullal in Lucky: No Time For Love

Still pushing his luck

Is Sneha Ullal being pitted against Aishwarya Rai in Bollywood? By whom? It?s the obsessed Lucky lover taking his revenge. Still. Salman it seems has moved on with Katrina in tow but still yaks on about Ash and the golden times they had together to his close friends. After Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Sallu wanted to do Lucky-No Time for Love with Ash. But after the fallout the film got stalled as he was determined not to do it without Ash. But when Sallu spotted Sneha who studies in sis? college he decided to give Ash another elbowing in his own way,which he is constantly doing anyway, according to Ash and Vivek. Though his director friends, Vinay Sapru and Radhika Rao, steer clear of anything to do with the cast, there is no mistaking the projection of new girl Sneha as an Ash lookalike. Remember Dia Mirza before that? Sneha has kind of become part of the home production as she?s been signed for their next production, too, this time opposite Sohail Khan. Rumours are ripe that Sallu has been pushing directors showing any interest in Ash by offering them his services with a paycut and bulk dates if they drop her!

Karan Johar

Karan sued, Hrithik accused

First, you had the black buck episode with Salman Khan, during the shoot of Hum Saath Saath Hain, and now you have Karan Johar sued for cruelty towards animals. But Karan and cruelty don?t really go together. Actually his forthcoming film, Kaal, a songless thriller, was shot at the Jim Corbett Park in Uttaranchal and Bangkok. The film definitely has something to do with animals. The People in Defence for Animals (PIDA) is after him and has issued a legal notice. The notice says that tigers, lions, pythons, owls and monkeys were handled in a cruel manner. On the other hand, Hrithik and family have also been accused of cheating by a film distribution company. The final hearing is on March 19, in a local court. This complaint is over the sale of marketing rights of Kaho Naa...Pyar Hai. An old issue, but makes it quite a hot summer for the cool dudes.

Rani Mukherjee

Rani’s gain, John’s game

Some people close to Rani feel that the success of Black has gone to her head, after all. She doesn?t talk to them as she used to. She ignores them now. But the scribes are very happy with her. The otherwise reclusive actress has become much more accessible to them and even receives mobile calls herself now. Though she isn?t very keen on giving interviews still, she is all ears if you say anything about Black or her performance in it. John Abraham has played his cards well and has signed opposite Rani in Ravi Chopra?s Babul. Nobody from Shah Rukh Khan to Akshay Kumar to Bobby Deol were ready to do a widow remarriage act in the film and play second fiddle to Salman. But for John this opportunity seems dhoom. And along with the golden girl, his career just might take another flight.

Spotlight

Don’t write her off yet!

Antara Mali

After Naach and Gayab, Antara Mali has actually vanished from the face of the industry. The grapevine had it that there has been a fallout with her mentor Ram Gopal Varma. But that?s far from the truth. Why she isn?t cast in Ramu?s forthcoming ventures is a question Ramu answers readily. He is waiting for the right film for her, because he believes in her acting capability.

Ramu believes a lot more in Antara than just acting capability. The actress is busy cowriting and scripting for a film called Mr Ya Ms, with Raghuveer Shekhawat, and Ram Gopal Varma will produce the film. Like a true-blue writer she?s gone into hiding and is tight-lipped about the script. ?I will finish it and then talk about it in a couple of months,? is all that she will confirm. Ramu though revealed that it?s a film about a man?s mind trapped in a woman?s body. The film has Antara and Aftab Mast Shivdasani. The film will be directed by Chakravarthy (who acted in Satya) and will start this year. After giving her all to her writing avataar she might even go in for directing another Factory production. As long as Ramu, her genie, is there to grant her wishes, everybody says she?s fine!