Mohanlal's next flick in Russia

Mohanlal's next film will be shot in Russia. Director B Unnikrishnan, after shooting his current flick 'I Love Me' in Vietnam and Cambodia, has decided to explore Russia to the maximum for this film. Titled 'Fraud', the shooting will begin next year in various locations in Russia and other foreign places. The movie, which is written by the director himself, is said to present the superstar in a role with some grey shades.

Mohanlal's next flick in Russia

Mohanlal's next film will be shot in Russia. Director B Unnikrishnan, after shooting his current flick 'I Love Me' in Vietnam and Cambodia, has decided to explore Russia to the maximum for this film. Titled 'Fraud', the shooting will begin next year in various locations in Russia and other foreign places. The movie, which is written by the director himself, is said to present the superstar in a role with some grey shades.

 I am the no-nonsense Delhi girl: Mallika Sherawat
Her film appearances have been few and far between but Mallika Sherawat has been a fairly constant presence at global red carpet events. And that image of a glamour girl is what she is hoping to change with her turn as the 'realistic Delhi girl' in her new film 'Kismat Love Paisa Dilli'.

Mallika, who has been tagged a sex symbol after films like 'Khwahish' and 'Murder' and has dabbled in some Hollywood films, admits she can't change the image but would like to show audiences the serious actor as well.

She is pinning her hopes on her role as the no-nonsense girl in 'Kismat Love Paisa Dilli' (KLPD) to achieve that.

'It's not in my hands to change (people's perception). It's really not. But I would definitely like to add a few more things to the perception (of the people),' Mallika told IANS in an interview.

In director Sanjay Khanduri's 'Kismat Love Paisa Dilli', which releases Friday, she will be seen romancing Vivek Oberoi.

'This film is a thriller and has a great north Indian culture in it. After a long time, I am playing the-girl-next-door. Usually the parts that come to me are overtly glamorous. This is a realistic, no nonsense Delhi girl,' she said.

'I am hoping to show my actor side more. My fans saw a glimpse of that in 'Pyaar Ke Side Effects' and 'Ugly Aur Pagli',' she said.

Expressing confidence in Khanduri's craft, Mallika added: 'He is a maestro as a director. He knows his craft very well. He knows exactly what he wants.'

The girl from Rohtak who has been in the US for the last several years says she didn't find any difficulty in relating to the role.

Mallika made her debut in the Hindi film industry with 'Jeena Sirf Merre Liye' but got fame with 'Khwahish' for the 17 kissing scenes with co-star Himanshu Malik. She locked lips with Emraan Hashmi in 'Murder' as well.

She got some appreciation for her acting skills in romantic comedy 'Pyaar Ke Side Effects'.

The actress believes that she has grown in the the last 10 years and says there have been 'many ups and downs'.

'Earlier, when I used to have a hit, I used to be ecstatic. And I would go into depression when I would have a flop; I used to go into depression. But you can't take all this too personally,' she said.

'Experience changed me. As you grow older and do more films, you don't take these things that seriously. For me, Hollywood also opened up. So I realised it's all a part of the game; you just need to play it well. You can't take things personally,' she said.

Any regrets?

'I have no regrets. Where is the time for regrets,' she said.

'The Myth' and 'Politics of Love' are some of the international projects she has worked in. But Bollywood will remain a priority.

'Bollywood can never take a back seat. The kind of warmth and love that is here doesn't exist anywhere,' she said.

Talking about the response to Hindi films abroad, she said: 'They are curious about Bollywood. The language is a big barrier. They don't understand Hindi. But they love the format, specially the songs and the colours which are used in the songs.'

She credits Danny Boyle for opening the gates of Hollywood wider for Indian actors.

'After 'Slumdog Millionaire', doors are opening and things are changing. People (there) are realising that there is a life outside of America,' she said.

(Anjuri Nayar can be contacted at anjuri.n@ians.in)

 I am the no-nonsense Delhi girl: Mallika Sherawat
Her film appearances have been few and far between but Mallika Sherawat has been a fairly constant presence at global red carpet events. And that image of a glamour girl is what she is hoping to change with her turn as the 'realistic Delhi girl' in her new film 'Kismat Love Paisa Dilli'.

Mallika, who has been tagged a sex symbol after films like 'Khwahish' and 'Murder' and has dabbled in some Hollywood films, admits she can't change the image but would like to show audiences the serious actor as well.

She is pinning her hopes on her role as the no-nonsense girl in 'Kismat Love Paisa Dilli' (KLPD) to achieve that.

'It's not in my hands to change (people's perception). It's really not. But I would definitely like to add a few more things to the perception (of the people),' Mallika told IANS in an interview.

In director Sanjay Khanduri's 'Kismat Love Paisa Dilli', which releases Friday, she will be seen romancing Vivek Oberoi.

'This film is a thriller and has a great north Indian culture in it. After a long time, I am playing the-girl-next-door. Usually the parts that come to me are overtly glamorous. This is a realistic, no nonsense Delhi girl,' she said.

'I am hoping to show my actor side more. My fans saw a glimpse of that in 'Pyaar Ke Side Effects' and 'Ugly Aur Pagli',' she said.

Expressing confidence in Khanduri's craft, Mallika added: 'He is a maestro as a director. He knows his craft very well. He knows exactly what he wants.'

The girl from Rohtak who has been in the US for the last several years says she didn't find any difficulty in relating to the role.

Mallika made her debut in the Hindi film industry with 'Jeena Sirf Merre Liye' but got fame with 'Khwahish' for the 17 kissing scenes with co-star Himanshu Malik. She locked lips with Emraan Hashmi in 'Murder' as well.

She got some appreciation for her acting skills in romantic comedy 'Pyaar Ke Side Effects'.

The actress believes that she has grown in the the last 10 years and says there have been 'many ups and downs'.

'Earlier, when I used to have a hit, I used to be ecstatic. And I would go into depression when I would have a flop; I used to go into depression. But you can't take all this too personally,' she said.

'Experience changed me. As you grow older and do more films, you don't take these things that seriously. For me, Hollywood also opened up. So I realised it's all a part of the game; you just need to play it well. You can't take things personally,' she said.

Any regrets?

'I have no regrets. Where is the time for regrets,' she said.

'The Myth' and 'Politics of Love' are some of the international projects she has worked in. But Bollywood will remain a priority.

'Bollywood can never take a back seat. The kind of warmth and love that is here doesn't exist anywhere,' she said.

Talking about the response to Hindi films abroad, she said: 'They are curious about Bollywood. The language is a big barrier. They don't understand Hindi. But they love the format, specially the songs and the colours which are used in the songs.'

She credits Danny Boyle for opening the gates of Hollywood wider for Indian actors.

'After 'Slumdog Millionaire', doors are opening and things are changing. People (there) are realising that there is a life outside of America,' she said.

(Anjuri Nayar can be contacted at anjuri.n@ians.in)

Bin Laden movie to premiere in US ahead of election

A big-name Hollywood fundraiser for Barack Obama is releasing the first feature film about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden two days before the US presidential election.

'SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden' is distributed by Harvey Weinstein, the respected movie mogul who
hosted the president at a celebrity-studded fundraising event in New England last month.

In a press release, the National Geographic Channel said it would premiere 'SEAL Team Six' on November 4 after its president Howard Owens and Weinstein discussed 'the insight the film is sure to evoke in all Americans.'

The film -- directed by John Stockwell and produced for theatrical release by Nicholas Chartier, who produced the Oscar-winning war film 'The Hurt Locker' -- will then go onto Netflix movie screening website.

In a trailer posted online today, characters are heard saying 'We're going to be the team that takes out Osama' and 'the president of the United States is going to be staking his presidency on this call.'

Obama personally gave the green light for US Navy SEAL commandos to target Bin Laden's hideout in Pakistan on May 2, 2011 in a daring night-time raid that killed the al-Qaeda leader responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

'This portrayal of the events that took place that night is moving, to say the very least,' said Weinstein in the National Geographic Channel press release.

'I anticipate audiences will be as captivated as I was from the beginning to the end,' he added.

'And I'm extremely proud as an American citizen to play a role in making sure this stunning portrayal over very recent American history is available in as many homes as possible.'

Opinion polls had put Obama, gunning for a second White House term, ahead of Mitt Romney prior to a televised debate Wednesday in which Romney came out the victor in the eyes of most political analysts.

Weinstein, executive producer of films as diverse as 'The English Patient,' 'The Artist' and the most recent 'Rambo' movie in a filmmaking career dating back to the 1970s, is a well-known supporter of the Democratic party.

His exclusive Obama fundraiser in August at his seaside compound in Westport, Connecticut was attended by about 50 people, the Hollywood Reporter trade journal reported. Tickets cost $ 38,5000 each.
AFP

Bin Laden movie to premiere in US ahead of election

A big-name Hollywood fundraiser for Barack Obama is releasing the first feature film about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden two days before the US presidential election.

'SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden' is distributed by Harvey Weinstein, the respected movie mogul who
hosted the president at a celebrity-studded fundraising event in New England last month.

In a press release, the National Geographic Channel said it would premiere 'SEAL Team Six' on November 4 after its president Howard Owens and Weinstein discussed 'the insight the film is sure to evoke in all Americans.'

The film -- directed by John Stockwell and produced for theatrical release by Nicholas Chartier, who produced the Oscar-winning war film 'The Hurt Locker' -- will then go onto Netflix movie screening website.

In a trailer posted online today, characters are heard saying 'We're going to be the team that takes out Osama' and 'the president of the United States is going to be staking his presidency on this call.'

Obama personally gave the green light for US Navy SEAL commandos to target Bin Laden's hideout in Pakistan on May 2, 2011 in a daring night-time raid that killed the al-Qaeda leader responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

'This portrayal of the events that took place that night is moving, to say the very least,' said Weinstein in the National Geographic Channel press release.

'I anticipate audiences will be as captivated as I was from the beginning to the end,' he added.

'And I'm extremely proud as an American citizen to play a role in making sure this stunning portrayal over very recent American history is available in as many homes as possible.'

Opinion polls had put Obama, gunning for a second White House term, ahead of Mitt Romney prior to a televised debate Wednesday in which Romney came out the victor in the eyes of most political analysts.

Weinstein, executive producer of films as diverse as 'The English Patient,' 'The Artist' and the most recent 'Rambo' movie in a filmmaking career dating back to the 1970s, is a well-known supporter of the Democratic party.

His exclusive Obama fundraiser in August at his seaside compound in Westport, Connecticut was attended by about 50 people, the Hollywood Reporter trade journal reported. Tickets cost $ 38,5000 each.
AFP

Bolt too costly for promotion of World Championships

Moscow: Jamaica's Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt asked for 'too much money' to appear in a promotional video for next year's World Athletics Championships, Russian organisers said.

The event is to be held Aug 10-18 at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.

Bolt, who won all three sprint titles at the London Games, is expected to take a shot at his second world 100 metres title in the Russian capital.

But organisers said they wouldn't include him in the promo video at any price.

'Usain Bolt's representatives got in touch with us about including the Jamaican sprinter in a promotional video,' said Alexander Polinsky. 'But when they named their price, we decided that we have enough of our own talented athletes who could advertise the competition.'

Triple world record holder Bolt featured heavily in the world athletics body IAAF's ad campaign for the last world championships in Daegu, South Korea.

Bolt said earlier this month he would try to qualify for the Moscow event via the Jamaican trials, and hand his wild card entry spot to his countryman Yohan Blake.

Organisers for the championships announced earlier Thursday that its overall prize fund would be $7.2 million, with world record breakers pocketing an additional $50,000.

That figure is slightly up on Daegu, which put just over $7 million up for grabs.

Meanwhile, tickets to championships will range from $5 for a basic seat to $1,000 for VIP tickets, Polinsky said.

'For the maximum price, a person can watch the entire world championships from the best seats,' he said.

Bolt too costly for promotion of World Championships

Moscow: Jamaica's Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt asked for 'too much money' to appear in a promotional video for next year's World Athletics Championships, Russian organisers said.

The event is to be held Aug 10-18 at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.

Bolt, who won all three sprint titles at the London Games, is expected to take a shot at his second world 100 metres title in the Russian capital.

But organisers said they wouldn't include him in the promo video at any price.

'Usain Bolt's representatives got in touch with us about including the Jamaican sprinter in a promotional video,' said Alexander Polinsky. 'But when they named their price, we decided that we have enough of our own talented athletes who could advertise the competition.'

Triple world record holder Bolt featured heavily in the world athletics body IAAF's ad campaign for the last world championships in Daegu, South Korea.

Bolt said earlier this month he would try to qualify for the Moscow event via the Jamaican trials, and hand his wild card entry spot to his countryman Yohan Blake.

Organisers for the championships announced earlier Thursday that its overall prize fund would be $7.2 million, with world record breakers pocketing an additional $50,000.

That figure is slightly up on Daegu, which put just over $7 million up for grabs.

Meanwhile, tickets to championships will range from $5 for a basic seat to $1,000 for VIP tickets, Polinsky said.

'For the maximum price, a person can watch the entire world championships from the best seats,' he said.

BrahMos missile successfully test-fired

Panaji: The Navy today successfully test-fired the 290-km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 300 kg, from a warship off the Goa coast.

'The cruise missile was test-fired from guided missile frigate INS Teg--the Indian Navy's latest induction from
Russia off the coast of Goa early morning,' sources told PTI.

They said the missile performing high-level manoeuvres successfully hit the target ship which was still on fire.

The INS Teg, which has been built at the Yantar shipyard in Russia, had fired the missile successfully during
pre-induction trials in Russia last year.

The two remaining warships of the project namely INS Tarkah and INS Trikand will also be armed with the lethal
missile in vertical launch mode.

The two-stage missile, the first one being solid and the second one ramjet liquid propellant, has already been inducted
into the Army and Navy, and the Air Force version is in final stage of trial, a defence official said.

While induction of the first version of Brahmos missile system in the Indian Navy commenced from 2005 with INS Rajput,
it is now fully operational with two regiments of the Army. The air launch version and the submarine launch version of the missile system are in progress, he said.

The Army has so far placed orders for the Brahmos missile to be deployed by three regiments of the Army and two of them
have already been inducted operationally.

The Defence Ministry has also given a go-ahead to Army to induct a third regiment equipped with the missile system to be
deployed in Arunachal Pradesh.

Brahmos Aerospace, an Indo-Russian joint venture company, is also working to develop the air as well as the submarine
launch version of the missile system and work on the project is in progress. PTI

BrahMos missile successfully test-fired

Panaji: The Navy today successfully test-fired the 290-km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 300 kg, from a warship off the Goa coast.

'The cruise missile was test-fired from guided missile frigate INS Teg--the Indian Navy's latest induction from
Russia off the coast of Goa early morning,' sources told PTI.

They said the missile performing high-level manoeuvres successfully hit the target ship which was still on fire.

The INS Teg, which has been built at the Yantar shipyard in Russia, had fired the missile successfully during
pre-induction trials in Russia last year.

The two remaining warships of the project namely INS Tarkah and INS Trikand will also be armed with the lethal
missile in vertical launch mode.

The two-stage missile, the first one being solid and the second one ramjet liquid propellant, has already been inducted
into the Army and Navy, and the Air Force version is in final stage of trial, a defence official said.

While induction of the first version of Brahmos missile system in the Indian Navy commenced from 2005 with INS Rajput,
it is now fully operational with two regiments of the Army. The air launch version and the submarine launch version of the missile system are in progress, he said.

The Army has so far placed orders for the Brahmos missile to be deployed by three regiments of the Army and two of them
have already been inducted operationally.

The Defence Ministry has also given a go-ahead to Army to induct a third regiment equipped with the missile system to be
deployed in Arunachal Pradesh.

Brahmos Aerospace, an Indo-Russian joint venture company, is also working to develop the air as well as the submarine
launch version of the missile system and work on the project is in progress. PTI