Upala KBR (DNA; April 30, 2014)

Things just went from bad to worse. Kareena Kapoor Khan was feeling let down after Hrithik Roshan walked out of Shhuddhi leaving her in the lurch. The actors were in Florida earlier this week for IIFA Awards 2014, and Hrithik hosted an impromptu after-party post the awards. Almost all of his Bollywood friends were present, except Kareena and her husband Saif Ali Khan.

Says an industrywallah, “Post the main awards event, Hrithik decided to host an impromptu party by the poolside at the Hilton Hotel where he was staying. He invited everyone from Vivek Oberoi to Shahid Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Bipasha Basu and Priyanka Chopra.”

Interestingly, all was not well between Hrithik and PC after Agneepath and before Krrish 3. She was left out of the Agneepath success party at his house. However, she was present this time, while Bebo, with whom he had called truce for Shuddhi was not extended an invitation. Neither was chhote nawab.

According to the source present at the bash, “Hrithik and Kareena were to do Shhuddhi together and they would have started shooting in a couple of months from now had he not walked out of the film, so it seems quite odd that Duggu didn’t invite Kareena. He also knows Saif very well as they have acted in Naa Tum Jaano Na Hum so it’s baffling why he didn’t invite the couple to his party! Everyone was talking about this exclusion. But it’s something only Hrithik can explain. Maybe it was a slip of the mind, and nothing more.”

Rachana Dubey (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 29, 2014)


Ever since their break-up in 2007, each time this Jab We Met duo crossed paths, they drew a lot of media attention. Did they acknowledge each other or did they walk past with (imaginary) blinders on? Did they seem visibly uncomfortable or did they reveal any signs of suffering from a relationship hangover? While these questions were mere contemplations that found screen-time in entertainment news channels and glossies, they were rarely backed with substantial evidence.

But when they met at the recently-concluded IIFA Awards 2014 in Florida, Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor offered a new twist to the story. The begum who was accompanied by her nawab, Saif Ali Khan, greeted her ex cordially, leaving him speechless, momentarily.

Says an eyewitness, “When Kareena and Saif stepped on to the stage to present an award, Shahid, who was co-anchoring the segment with Farhan Akhtar, was standing at the the far end. Kareena greeted him graciously and even complimented the duo on the brilliant job they were doing. Saif who was standing beside his wife, smiled too. Shahid responded to Kareena’s ‘Hi’ courteously but after the couple had stepped off the stage, he turned to his co-host with a grin and asked, ‘Did she say 'Hi' to me?’”.

When Shahid and Kareena ended their four-year-long relationship acrimoniously, few believed that they would ever manage to put their past behind. But a couple of years ago, at the Filmfare Awards, the two had met and exchanged similar plesantaries. But Saif was not present on that occasion.

While the two actors have always maintained that if an interesting script pops up, they’d be happy to work together again, industry pundits have always believed otherwise. But Kareena's concilaitory gesture could just mark the beginning of a whole new 'professional' friendship.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; April 28, 2014)

Although he is nominated for Best Director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has not been invited for the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) currently on at Tampa Bay in the US.

Says a source from Bhansali’s office, “Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela has been nominated for all the four main categories — Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. However, Bhansali did not receive any invitation, not even a phone call, to attend the awards function in whichever part of the world it was held.”

A strange oversight, and an unpardonable omission considering the nominees are expected to be present. However, the source from SLB’s office says the director had no intentions of attending even if he was invited. “Mr Bhansali wasn’t going to leave Mumbai on the day of elections.”

Rachana Dubey (MID-DAY; April 24, 2014)

If everything had gone according to plan, choreographer-director-actor Prabhu Dheva would have been at the glitzy IIFA Awards 2014 in Florida, USA, along with his family, today.

But the organisers misplaced his family's and his passports a few days before they were to fly off because of which they couldn’t get their visa in time for the event.

“Prabhu Dheva was expected to fly to Florida with his family. But their passports were misplaced and he had to file a police complaint in Chennai,” says a source.

Prabhu Dheva who is now in Mumbai to finalise details of his next movie, confirmed the news, saying, “If you lose your passport, you have to file a police complaint immediately. My sons and I were looking forward to this trip but all our plans have been ruined. We’ve applied for fresh passports but the authorities might take a while to issue them. Till then, it's back to work and meetings.”

DNA (April 22, 2014)

John Travolta will be coming to the IIFA Awards at Tampa Bay, USA, this weekend. The actor will also receive a special honour at the awards ceremony, being the Most Popular All Time International Star in India. Travolta will grace the extravaganza extending his support and appreciation of the Indian film industry and its spectacular influence world over. He has starred in numerous eponymous blockbusters including Saturday Night Fever, Pulp Fiction, Grease, Swordfish, Face Off, Broken Arrow and Ladder 49. The multitalented star has been nominated for the Academy Award twice and nominated for seven Golden Globes. He went on to win two Golden Globes including one for his performance in the critically acclaimed film Get Shorty.

The awards will also see performances by Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Farhan Akthar, Pritam, Bipasha Basu,Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and Ranveer Singh.

Shubha Shetty-Saha (MID-DAY; April 16, 2014)

Travel agent Akarsh Kolaprath, who runs a Florida-based enterprise, has filed a lawsuit against Wizcraft, the organisers of the 15th International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA awards) for alleged breach of trust.

Kolaprath claims that about three years ago, he struck a deal with Andre Timmins and Viraf Sarkari of Wizcraft through his family company, 7M tours. As part of the deal, he was apparently asked to help them out with co-ordination of finances and taking the award ceremony to the United States this year. Kolaprath claims to have spent the last three years and around $ 2,65,000 on consulting and making travel arrangements for the organisation. In return, Wizcraft apparently promised him 3 percent of the entire profit.

Kolaprath says that he even managed hotel bookings for the event, which is going to be held from April 24 to 27. It seems that the event organisers have abruptly changed their mind and decided to do their own bookings and arrangements thereby cancelling his services. Kolaprath has now sued Wizcraft for $ 7 million dollars for leaving him in the lurch without giving him adequate reasons.

His claims are:
1. Wizcraft/ IIFA promised to pay him 3 percent of the anticipated $ 17.5 million in revenue that the organisation expected to earn from hosting the awards.
2. Wizcraft/ IIFA further promised to pay him all revenues earned in excess of $ 17.5 million.
3. His company, 7M tours, reported a loss of more than $ 400,000 in hotel cancellation fees due to change of dates.

Talking to hitlist from Florida, Kolaprath said, “This has affected us very badly; we have been working on the whole thing. I was the one who introduced them (Wizcraft) to the sponsors. But suddenly after we had done all the arrangements, we got to know that they were dealing directly with the sponsors and wanted me out of the picture. Their intention is not right.” He has now asked for a stay on the event till this issue is cleared. “They have been trying to reach some kind of settlement but I will go ahead with my case,” Kolaprath said.

When contacted, Sabbas Joseph, director of Wizcraft and IIFA, sent a statement on behalf of his company. The statement read, “The claims made by Akarsh/& 7M tours are false and frivolous. It is a concocted story lacking any substance. Since the matter is sub judice, we shall respond to these claims appropriately before the court.”

Controversy's child?
The brand ambassador for IIFA since its inception in 2000, Amitabh Bachchan was apparently miffed with the organisers in 2011 as not only did they decide to host the event in Sri Lanka without consulting him, but they also signed on Salman Khan to host the same. Big B had tweeted then, “Not coming to Toronto IIFA... IIFA says my services are not required.” Interestingly, Sallu received flak for agreeing to attend IIFA that year. When Vice President of Tamil Film Producers’ Council, A Prabhakaran, asked for a ban on the actor, Sallu allegedly replied that he didn’t mind being banned.

Seema Sinha (BOMBAY TIMES; April 10, 2014)

He may have exhorted voters to exercise their rights, but it looks like Saif Ali Khan will miss his date with the ballot box this time around. Being contractually bound, the actor will not be able to cancel going for IIFA Awards 2014 in the US, said his spokesperson. Last November, Saif and his co-stars had participated in a voter awareness bike rally — as a lead-up to the Delhi Assembly elections — while promoting his film Bullett Raja. He had also reached out to youngsters, asking them to cast their votes.

However, the Nawab of Pataudi, along with several others, including Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar, are scheduled to fly to America for IIFA Awards 2014 around the polls.

A member of the State Assembly had, a couple of days ago, written to the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, seeking action against the actors who are planning to give the elections a miss.

We texted Saif, asking him about his decision to miss voting this time. He didn’t respond, but his spokesperson said, “Saif is bound by a legal contract, so he won’t be able to cancel his trip. The event dates were decided about six months ago. Well, if the event is rescheduled, Saif will be very happy to stay back and cast his vote.”

In the meantime, we learnt from another actor who is accompanying the same group, that he signed his contract recently but even he cannot think about breaking away because of the legal implications.

Meena Iyer (BOMBAY TIMES; April 7, 2014)

A Member of the Legislative Assembly, Thane, Pratap Sarnaik has written to the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, seeking action against a Bollywood contingent of actors and technicians who are scheduled to fly to America for IIFA Awards 2014.

Speaking to us, Sarnaik said, “The awards night is being hosted in America between 23 and 27 April. These dates coincide with our Lok Sabha elections. I’m told some of the biggest actors and renowned technicians are leaving the country in this period. There are people like Saif Ali Khan and others, who have been conferred with the Padma awards, in this group. How then, can such persons leave, without bothering to cast their vote? Actors are public figures who should lead by example. If they themselves do not exercise their franchise, they are bad role models. Such irresponsible behaviour should be condemned.”

Sarnaik added, “The election dates were announced with ample notice. Ideally, the organisers should have changed their awards show dates. Or else, the stars who are performing and receiving awards should have impressed upon the organisers the need to change the date; they should have insisted they want to be in India on election day to cast their votes.”

The MLA further stated, “This is such a serious issue that the passports of those leaving the country for their own monetary gain without casting their vote, should be impounded.”

With election day fast approaching, we find out who in Bollywood will be in the city to cast their vote
Sonali Joshi Pitale & Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; April 5, 2014)

With the Lok Sabha elections less than a month away, many stars have been appealing to the public to step out and vote. Be it on social media or at social events, several celebrities have been talking about social evils and political apathy.

Interestingly though, most stars will not even be in Mumbai on voting day as it clashes with IIFA Awards 2014 that is being held in Florida, USA. So while on one hand, a record number of Bollywood personalities are contesting elections this year — including the likes of Hema Malini, Kirron Kher, Gul Panag, Nagma and Jaaved Jaaferi — a legion of celebs from the industry will be far away from ground zero.

It seems that the awards function had announced its dates much before the election dates were out and as a result, most celebs had chalked out their itineraries accordingly. Then there are some who will be busy shooting outside Mumbai and will thus not be able to vote.

hitlist gives you the lowdown on who is likely to get ink on their finger.

Keeping their date with elections



Aamir Khan: The actor will ensure that he is in the city on election day. He asked people to cast their vote on the finale of his show Satyamev Jayate, and it is a given that the actor will exercise his right to vote.

Amitabh Bachchan: Big B and his entire family, including wife Jaya, son Abhishek, and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai, never fail to cast their vote. This year too, they plan to do so.



Ranbir Kapoor: The actor is shooting for his film, Bombay Velvet, and he is not expected to fly out of Mumbai as of now. It is being said that after finishing his shoot, he will cast his vote.

Riteish Deshmukh: Hailing from a political family, the actor is only too aware of the importance of voting. He will be voting on April 17 from his native place, Latur, where his elder brother Amit is contesting elections. He will then fly out of town the same night.

Sonam Kapoor: The actress confirms that not only will she be in the city on election day, but she will also cast her vote.

Missing in Action



Salman Khan: The actor has been campaigning — although indirectly — for his friend, Priya Dutt, for quite some time now. Some time back, he drew flak for being seen with BJP’s Narendra Modi during the promotions for his film, Jai Ho. Now it turns out that he will not be in the country on election day. He will be in Poland for a film shoot.



Deepika Padukone: The actress is flying to US to take part in IIFA Awards 2014, which is taking place on April 26. Since she is likely to perform at the function, she will be reaching the venue a few days before the gala. Owing to this, she won’t be in Mumbai on election day.



Priyanka Chopra: Priyanka has been shooting for her film in Manali and is expected to return soon to Mumbai. But she too has been invited to IIFA Awards 2014 in the US and is thus likely to note vote this year.

Kareena Kapoor – Saif Ali Khan: The couple won’t be shooting for their films on election day, but they are taking part in IIFA Awards 2014 in the US.

Farhan Akhtar: Much like Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi, Farhan has never hesitated to support a social cause, nor does he shy away from expressing his opinion on any issue. However, he is likely to be out of country on voting day.



Vivek Oberoi: Vivek has been campaigning for his mother-in-law, Nandini Alva, who is contesting elections from Bangalore Central for Janata Dal Secular. But he won’t be in India on election day as he is likely to fly to US for IIFA Awards 2014.

Sonakshi Sinha: The actress has already made it clear that she won’t be campaigning for her father Shatrughan Sinha, who is contesting elections in a Patna constituency. But now it looks like Sona, who is expected to win an award in the US, won’t even be in town to cast her vote.

Other actors and actresses who are travelling to the US and may thus miss out on their right to vote include Parineeti Chopra, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Shahid Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Dia Mirza, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Vaani Kapoor.

Work calling




Ayushmann Khurrana: The actor will be in Hrishikesh on election day, as he is shooting for his upcoming film, Dum Laga Ke Haisha.

Arjun Kapoor: The actor will be in India during elections but since he is busy promoting his upcoming film, 2 States, he won’t be in Mumbai then. To add to it, he is yet to finish shooting for the film, Tevar, in North India.



Anushka Sharma: The actress is in Jodhpur for one and half months to shoot for her debut production, NH 10. This means that she will have come down to Mumbai to just cast her vote or wait another five years.