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Double role
When Amitabh Bachchan asks someone to act, no one turns it down. So it happened with Chiranjeevi. The Telugu film-star-turned-politician had announced his retirement from films after he launched his political outfit Prajarajyam Party. But Bachchan, it turns out, can coax the most reluctant actor to don the grease paint once more. At the premiere of his new film Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap in Hyderabad, Chiranjeevi announced that the Big B had convinced him not to retire from acting and had even offered him a guest role in his next movie. In fact, Chiranjeevi, whose party has now merged with the Congress, seems to have suddenly realised that he can have it both ways — be an actor as well as a political player. Now, that’s called essaying a double role.
Pet cause
Guess what Bollywood’s favourite baddie Gulshan Grover is up to these days? Well, he is urging people to adopt homeless cats and dogs. To promote his pet cause, Grover will be seen featuring in People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India’s Adopt, Don’t Buy ad campaign. The campaign is aimed at getting a home for street dogs and cats. Mind you, this isn’t the first time that Grover has teamed up with PETA. He had earlier featured in the group’s Stop the Real Villains campaign, which was against cruelty to animals. Well, who knew Grover, the perfect villain on screen, was such a softie at heart!
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Boss man
It’s anything but a gentleman’s game. But former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu may just try his luck in the reality show Bigg Boss. Rumour has it that Sidhu has been offered a whopping Rs 5 crore to participate in the fifth season of the show. Apparently, this is not the first time that the producers have tried to rope him in. Two years ago the cricketer-turned-commentator, whose quaint Sidhuisms are a great hit with viewers, was approached to participate in the show, but he reportedly declined the offer. Will he play ball this time round? And will we witness some scintillating (verbal) sixers when the show opens for a fresh season in October? Watch this space
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.Naughty girl
Genelia D’Souza hasn’t been setting the silver screen on fire. But she sure has a way of setting off controversies. The cute gal who made a name for herself in the film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na has been starring more in advertisements than in films of late. But the ads have generated enough talk to keep her in the public eye. First, she appeared in a spot that seemed to suggest that air hostesses and pilots are often, er, more than just friendly colleagues. And now, she will appear in an ad for a talcum powder brand where she plays the leader of a female brat pack who heckle and “tease” men. The ad is bound to generate another kerfuffle with all the miss(es) goody two shoes out there protesting that it’s a blot on womanhood. Naughty Genelia. But, hey, they like ’em naughty, don’t they?
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Road craze
Film stars will go to great lengths to promote a new film. The latest in the list of those hitting the high road to market their film are Bollywood A-listers Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif and others in the Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara team. They will be travelling all the way from Mumbai to Delhi in seven SUVs and interact with fans en route. So if you are a Katrina or a Hrithik fan and a resident of Surat, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Ajmer, Jaipur and Haryana, keep your eyes firmly on the roads. You might chance upon the ZMND cavalcade and, who knows, get a glimpse of the comely Katrina as well. Apparently, the roadie promotional is inspired by the film, where Roshan, Akhtar and Deol travel through the roads of Spain. Cool.