| Other things |
| Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Duis ligula lorem, consequat eget, tristique nec, auctor quis, purus. Vivamus ut sem. Fusce aliquam nunc vitae purus. |
| Other things |
| Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Duis ligula lorem, consequat eget, tristique nec, auctor quis, purus. Vivamus ut sem. Fusce aliquam nunc vitae purus. |
| Other things |
| Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Duis ligula lorem, consequat eget, tristique nec, auctor quis, purus. Vivamus ut sem. Fusce aliquam nunc vitae purus. |
| Other things |
| Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Duis ligula lorem, consequat eget, tristique nec, auctor quis, purus. Vivamus ut sem. Fusce aliquam nunc vitae purus. |
| Other things |
| Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Duis ligula lorem, consequat eget, tristique nec, auctor quis, purus. Vivamus ut sem. Fusce aliquam nunc vitae purus. |
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| Cox is ready for a Friendly lunch |
| Saturday, December 09, 2006 |
London: Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox, the stars of hit comedy show Friends, are planning a one-off comeback for a possible Thanksgiving episode. Cox and Aniston have started talking about a return to the sitcom's coffee shop Central Perk, even if it's just the two of them.
Cox says: “I'm just saying I'm not opposed to it. Jennifer said she's not opposed to it. When we say reunion' (I mean) do a little Thanksgiving episode, sure, why not? What are we all doing? It sounds like fun.” Cox accepts that getting all six Friends stars — David Schwimmer, Matt Le Blanc, Lisa Kudrow, and Matthew Perry — together again might not be possible.
She adds: “It's a lot of different people to get into the room... so the chances of it happening is so slim. But would Jennifer and I? Sure, we'll eat some turkey together.” |
posted by ALEX @ 2:34 AM  |
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| Of course Eddie is the father |
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 One-time Scary Spice who has been dumped by Eddie Murphy said on Thursday: “I am obviously upset at some of the comments made by Eddie Murphy.” “I have no idea why anyone would want to conduct themselves in this kind of manner. My main concern is for the well-being of my daughter, Phoenix, and of course the baby. I was astonished at what Eddie said. There is absolutely no question that Eddie is the father.”
Murphy, 45, who stars in the upcoming Dreamgirls film, was recently asked by a TV interviewer if he was excited that the 31-year-old singer is pregnant.
“Now you're being presumptuous because we're not together anymore,” Murphy replied. “And I don't know whose child that is until it has a blood test. You shouldn't jump to conclusions, sir.”
Mel fell for Murphy in June after meeting him at a party in Los Angeles, where they both now live. |
| posted by ALEX @ 2:28 AM |
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| A new woman in Farhan’s life? |
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Farhan Furniturewalla, say sources, may be back in dating game again. To jog the memory of those who came in late, he was the  | | Farhan Furniturewalla with Pooja Bedi in a file photo | guy Pooja Bedi was married to and even after their separation, she maintained they were still very good friends. Farhan was dating Suman Ranganathan for a while, though the curly-haired lass eventually chose Bunty Walia for saying 'I do'. Well, we heard Farhan has been seen with another lady of late. She hails from a pretty well-known family, and is quite a talented artist as well. Those who know Farhan however, insist, it is not true. "They may just have been going out for a dinner or so, or maybe it's just a casual friendship, nothing more. Moreover, she is happens to be happy in her present relationship too,” says the source. We’ll get back with more on this.
|  | | Anita Dongre | let’s talk about...
…Anita Dongre. We have heard that her spa at Bandra, Clay, has been training some visually challenged people in Thai massages so that they can probably be gainfully employed at other health and fitness centres. But what came as a revelation was the reason or inspiration behind Dongre's empathy for the physically challenged. We heard her youngest sibling Raju is mentally challenged. Incidentally, Raju helps her out in the packaging department at her factory. Besides, Dongre also hired a deaf and dumb girl to assist her. We say, that's really touched us you know. |
 | | Poonam Soni and her spanking new jewellery gallery |
heard this?
So you may have heard about Poonam Soni's jewellery gallery that's coming up next week. While the details of the 'by-invitation only store' have been appearing in the media, we stumbled upon something rather interesting. A part of the collection on display soon, will feature bronze jewellery, priced at a jaw-dropping Rs 1 lakh upwards. "That's because it is encrusted with diamonds and South Sea and Tahiti pearls," says Soni. "Also because it is rather difficult to work with bronze," she says.The gallery, as you may know, is open only five days a month and will allow "only those who give us the right vibes." Well, well… |
 | | Arpita Khan (in black) and Alvira (in yellow) shake more than a leg |
seen this?
We caught Salman's sisters Alvira and Arpita at a suburban dance studio the other day. Right behind the group of women who were part of the beginner's belly dancing group, the two were intently watching the instructor, trying to pick up a step or two. While Alvira seemed to fare a shade better, we must say young Arpita has still a long way to go before she can shimmy and shake those hips. But perk up girl, practice does make perfect! | |
| posted by ALEX @ 2:24 AM |
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| Burying the hatchet? |
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 | | Rohit (l), and Rahul with Miss Afghanistan Vida Samudzai |
The talking point is, the appearance of Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna at a Sunday brunch hosted by Ravi Krishnan at Tetsuma. The veteran Delhi designers had flown in earlier for their showing at Ogaan, and stayed back for the party. We find this interesting because the designer-duo have been the most visible and vocal ambassadors of FDCI, Delhi. And before Lakme had parted ways with FDCI, it was IMG, led by Ravi Krishnan, which had a now-infamous fallout with the fashion body. While some FDCI affiliated designers have earlier dropped by at the Lakme-IMG dos, Rahul-Rohit's appearance sure set tongues wagging. Especially, as the duo shared the space with all the Lakme-IMG designers including Narendra Kumar. We were no less surprised when Ravi Krishnan had this to say: "They had invited us to their collection launch on Saturday. When we heard they were in town, we invited them to brunch. We have known them both for many years and wanted them to join our anniversary celebration." We are not drawing any conclusions yet, but from the looks of it, some people seem ready to bury the hatchet after all.
| let’s talk about...
Asaf Ali. Ladies, if you still don’t know who the “eye-candy” currently the toast of the town is, feast your eyes on his gorgeous Kashmiri. Hosted by Maithili Ahluwalia, this textile expert has been working with Jenny Housego. Remember the 1994 kidnappings by Kashmiri militants? Jenny Housego’s (husband David Housego was a journalist with Financial Times) teenage son Kim was among those abducted, and after much drama, released. Jenny’s love for Kashmir and its crafts brought her back to the valley and since then the celebrated textile historian has also emerged as an exporter of traditional Kashmiri textiles and weaves to Europe. Asaf, on his maiden Mumbai visit, is already flooring women with his delectable accent and a collection of exquisite pashminas. Incidentally, Ali and Housego have been selling with Hermes and Browns, besides dressing up the likes of Cherie Blair. Now, that's an impressive list. |
 | | The Jethmalanis |
heard this?
Oh the laughter, the delirious full-throated laughter! Ever since Haseena Jethmalani made an appearance at the Fendi do, tonsured, her phone hasn't stopped ringing. "You won't believe the number of calls I have been getting," she laughed again. "I had done a mannat for very personal reasons," she explained at length. "I am a huge devotee of Tirupati Balaji, and had pledged to have my head shaved, which I did at Kalba Devi." Friends and family, says Haseena, were "surprised initially, but they got used to it. Everyone's been more than kind, rather polite," she adds. The wish that was granted, was important enough for Haseena to give up her "crowning glory." "Trust me, it takes nerves of steel." We agree. Incidentally, Haseena recently delivered twins. |
 | | From (l to r): Vicky Chopra, Sangeeth Sivan and Sohail |
seen this?
What you see in the picture is a moment from a get-together at Galaxy Apartments, the Khan-abode. Seen with Sohail Khan are Vicky Chopra (who directed Fight Club) and Sangeeth Sivan among others. Who you don't see is Salman Khan, who was enjoying his drink, al fresco, until he figured our photographer was on the lookout for a photo op. And Arbaaz Khan as well. Is this the shape of the next Khan flick to come? Only they know the answer. | |
| posted by ALEX @ 2:19 AM |
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| ‘I am a drifter’ |
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 | | Twinkle Khanna takes a break at her store | When Twinkle Khanna says she is busy, she actually is. Making it all the more difficult to get those precious 30 minutes with her. But if she gives you her word, she keeps it. And that's a pleasant aberration in the world she inhabits.
So there we were, at her picturesque Bandra store, stacked with furniture and home accessories, most of which have been designed by her. "I am working on 15 projects simultaneously all over the world," she mentions. Dressed in a crisp white cotton shirt, blue denims, and stylish platform heels, Twinkle has strapped on a chunky necklace, "to add a bit of colour". Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar's sister breezes in and out. Evidently, the sisters-in-law get along well.
"I have always lived in a fish bowl," says the wife of one of the hottest male actors in the industry. "I am used to being in the limelight with my family being in it too," she says when we try and her into reacting about Akshay's female fans. Right now, however, Twinkle's busy "multitasking". As an interior designer, she's been doing up quite a few luxurious celebrity homes (including a villa in Dubai and Manchester) and opened another outlet of White Window recently at Andheri. And there is four-year-old Aarav clamouring for attention as well. "He once complained to his teacher that 'my mother never picks me up from school.' The teacher
explained being a working mother, she too is often unable to do that," says Twinkle. "Thursdays are my days with him, with either me or my husband making it a point to tuck him to sleep every night."
Films are a distant echo in Twinkle's life. "After I got married, I begged Akshay to get me out of the last project. I just couldn't bear the thought of going back to the sets again," she reveals. "My heart was with interiors. I opened my first store when I was three months pregnant, took Autocad (an engineering software) lessons when I was in my second trimester," she laughs. "I was working till the last day of my pregnancy. One day I suddenly realised I couldn't count any more and that was because I had gone into labour."
Genes have admittedly shaped Twinkle's sensibility. The beautiful jute and satin cushions we are propped against are her grandmom's design, she tells us, while her mother's famous candles adorn the shelves. "Akshay," she admits, "Initially, didn't know what a good home should look like. Now he turns around to point out flaws in my design!" In turn, husband has taught her not to ruffle feathers. "I was the sort who could not keep my opinions to myself," she laughs. "He's taught me to restrain  myself."
Star-daughter, actress, star-wife, mother and interior designer, Twinkle has her plate full. "I have always been a drifter. I never thought I would come this far, but I owe a lot to my excellent support system," fine lips curl into a smile.  |
| posted by ALEX @ 2:16 AM |
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| Couple of issues |
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 It is that time of the year again, when we talk about pretty pairings that have been creating a buzz. So here we have the young entrepreneur Suved Lohia (of Squeeze and Red Light fame), who has been seen with the svelte Rashmi Nigam for a while now. But neither of them are talking yet, though Suved has often slipped his arm rather protectively around Rashmi's slender waist for photo ops, whether it is at a party, or a movie premier. Meanwhile, for nearly eight months now, builder boy Ashish Raheja has been dating  Miss India finalist and TV anchor Shonali Nagrani. Sources say, Ashish, who's otherwise known for his social shine and lavish year-ender parties on Madh Island, has been a transformed man, since Miss Nagrani stilettoed into his life. "It's all work and Shonali for Ashish now," says a source. Incidentally, the two have successfully evaded the paparazzi till date, refusing to pose for photographs together. That's alright you know, when love's in the air, prying eyes can look elsewhere!
 | | (l to r) Shonali Nagrani, Ashish Raheja, Rashmi Nigam and Suved Lohia |
heard this?
He's stayed away from fashion week this time, and Azeem Khan, has plenty of reasons to have done so. We heard the designer has been busy launching his new concept, Bespoke Couture for the past couple of months or so. At a high-security manufacturing unit in Rampur, Azeem, we believe, has been designing fabrics and laces and embroidery for select clients, who like to have bespoke (or spoken for) couture. In other words, creating clothing that is exclusive to the client, right from the weave to the cut, stitch and detailing. And guess what, there is no price tag attached to it. When we asked Azeem about it, he simply smiled and responded, "We never discuss the price, because you can never replicate the design, even if you want to. A fabric for a ghagra will be produced just for that particular piece, and never recreated." A little more prodding yielded this, some of the clients who's had bespoke couture from Azeem include Leah Dubash and Aditya Kilachand and the Rahejas, besides some top-notch industrialists in London.
 | | Azeem Khan | |
let’s talk about...
...A certain goodlooking industrialist, dating a star. The dude is seemingly rather upset with the recent spate of burglaries in his office. Having lost a few valuables, (and his temper among other things), he has installed high-end security gadgets all over the place: metal detectors, spy-cams, et al. Paranoia can drive one into being wary of one’s shadow we heard... |
seen this?
Shaheen Abbas, seems to be keen on making the most of her glam looks. We think the jewellery designer is looking damn neat in the  new promos for a tony desIgner store in Bandra, in which she dresses up in some of the new partywear ensembles. But we’re a little puzzled about something else. We've been told Shaheen's is the chosen face for communicating to the ‘middle-aged working woman’. If we are not mistaken, Shaheen is 28-years-old. Since when did being in your late 20’s amount to being middle-aged? |
| posted by ALEX @ 2:11 AM |
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| Portrait of an artist |
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 | | The portrait of Raza (left) and Bose Krishnamachari (r) |
There seems to be good news on the art front. After Osmosis, the peach-walled gallery opened in Versova recently (the setting in one of the old-style Versova houses, is quite picturesque), another new art venue is all set to launch tonight. Called Landsdowne, this one is on Battery Street and is owned by Jai Bhandarkar, grandson of the famous portrait artist Vamanrao Pandit. Now what's so interesting about this place is, it will house a stunning portrait of the legendary artist S H Raza, done by Bose Krishnamachari. Bose, if you know, is an abstract artist, and this is probably the first time he's done a portrait that's as realistic as this. Those who have seen the painting (pictured above) can't stop raving about it in fact. Pegged at a whopping Rs 8-10 lakh, we heard the portrait was specially commissioned by the gallery. We say, catch it!
 | | Danish Khan with Shruti Seth |
seen this?
The pretty Shruti Seth is hooked alright. And the man in question, we believe is Danish Khan, who is an assistant director with the Yash Raj camp. Eye witnesses say Shruti and Danish have been a pair for months now, and to be honest we have actually bumped into them occasionally at suburban dos. Given that the party season is drawing near, will we see more of the two? Your guess is as good as ours! |
| posted by ALEX @ 2:08 AM |
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| celebs gossip |
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 |  | | Nandita Mahtani | George Michael |
By George!
If Nandita Mahtani has been missing in action of late, you can follow her trail to London. That's where the svelte fashion designer is busy catching up on a George Michael concert. "I'm crazy about him," Nandi had told us before leaving. So much so, that when she was visiting London earlier this year, she bought the concert tickets right then.
Her sister, London-based Anu Mirchandani had in fact wondered if Nandi would actually be able to come back for the show. But guess what, she did. Even if it meant waiting for nine whole months for an eyeful and earful of her music idol. We are waiting for Nandi to come back and fill us in with anecdotes from the show!
Heard this?
All roads (or should we say boats?) lead to the luxury yacht Indian Empress on Sunday, for Vijay Mallya's big bash. After a delayed release last time, the Kingfisher calendar will be unfurled bang on time this year with characteristic Mallya-esque fanfare. Guests will be ferried to the yacht and will be welcomed by the usual posse of babes. Incidentally, while the cover shot (pictured here) was being taken at the French Riviera, with the babes in bikinis bundled on the jetty, things got a little too hot for the local cops we believe. So much so that they had to stop shooting for a while to assuage the men in uniform! |
 | | Ambika Hinduja with Raman | Seen this?
She is Ambika Hinduja, of 'the' Hinduja family, a filmmaker who's produced Being Cyrus and assisted Ghai and Farhan Akhtar. He is Raman, a young entrepreneur and former partner of the infamous Rain night club. So we've been told that the two have been around for two years now and spotted them the other day at the launch of a shoe brand. No conclusions yet! |
 | | Chhaya Momaya | Let’s talk about...
… Chhaya Momaya. We could not help but notice that she has been looking quite different of late. At parties, launches and events, wherever we bumped into her, we've tried to get her to talk about it, though of course, she has always laughed it off. Finally, we actually pinned her down and got the truth: A new hairstyle. "I have not had a haircut for eight months, just growing it out," she said. With some significant weight-loss and a new wardrobe, and Chhaya definitely looks slimmer and fitter. | |
| posted by ALEX @ 2:06 AM |
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| Chandrima Pal |
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My husband is like a rottweiler in the court. But at home, he indulges me a little, because I have too much of an opinion and don't give up easily,” she laughs throatily.
It is an evening at the Oberoi, with Haseena Jethmalani, who's fielding our questions with consummate ease. We're tempted to believe it's the result of years of practice at the dining table of one of the most famous families of law. “I have to be well-versed in law to argue,” continues Haseena. “I keep myself informed about politics as well. I have to be intellectually stimulating for Tony (Mahesh Jethmalani) and for myself. No husband likes to come back to a wife who's complaining about maids and the washing!”
Social diva and fashion designer, Haseena loves her champagne evenings and cocktail soirees. “I love to party, shop for good clothes and enjoy life,” she shrugs. “But I believe there must be a better reason for being seen and written about all the time.” Besides launching a new collection next month, Haseena, who's “battling the bulge” post delivering twin baby boys, is rather serious about her pet cause: “Setting up a help line for women and children. Especially for women who are facing domestic violence and rape. They often have no one to turn to with the media sensationalising the cases. Tony has offered his legal services pro bono, we will offer legal aid, counselling and eventually help them rehabilitate,” says Haseena dead seriously. “There is a way on doing good work without making too much noise about it.”
Meanwhile, Haseena is having “sleepless nights over the increasing instances of drugs addiction and drunken driving among youngsters. As parents you constantly struggling to find out where to draw the line…” The Jethmalanis have a ten-year-old daughter Serena and the twins, have been named Amartya (yes after the Nobel laureate) and Agastya (after the mythical sage). “Tony named them just a few days before I delivered. At that time, I didn't care even if they were called Tom and Jerry, I just wanted my pain-killers,” she laughs.
But there is pride in the names just as there is pride in the family pack. “My father-in-law (Ram Jethmalani) is the most amazing man. He has the ability to keep each one of his large family from both his wives absolutely happy. In fact, he has not missed a single grandparent’s event at my daughter's school till date.”
 Even so when Ram took up the case for Manu Sharma, prime accused in the Jessica Lall case, Haseena spoke out. “My heart goes out to Sabrina Lall, who has had to fight so much and now such a formidable force in the form of my father-in-law.” Has she got in touch with Sabrina? For once, Haseena falls silent, even if for a fleeting second. “What do I tell her? |
| posted by ALEX @ 1:58 AM |
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| Problem Parent |
| Friday, December 08, 2006 |
Britney Spears is to be investigated by social workers concerned about the welfare of her children, it has been reported.The Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services is apparently trying to track down the singer for a meeting.Miss Spears, 25, split from her second husband, Kevin Federline, last month, and since then has been a fixture on the Hollywood party circuit.She has been photographed — minus her underwear — at nightclubs in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, alongside socialites Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. According to newspapers in the US, authorities fear she is failing to provide proper care for her two sons with Federline, Sean Preston, one, and three-monthold Jayden James.
“The department has been calling Britney trying to set up a meeting with her, so they can check on Sean Preston and Jayden James,” a source told the New York Post.“The calls started after this recent bout of bizarre public behaviour.”Her antics are also said to be worrying her mother Lynne.“She is very disturbed and has been trying to get a hold of Britney, but she can't,” the source said.“Lynne, Britney's brother, Brian, and her dad, Jamie, are very upset and are trying to stage an intervention with her manager's help.
“Her dad is not happy. He told her that she's a grown woman and needs to act like one, and she's been making bad decisions.”This is not the first time that Miss Spears's parenting abilities have been called into question. In February, she was visited by the US Department of Children and Family Services after being seen driving with Sean Preston on her lap while not wearing a seatbelt.Two months later Californian childcare officials and police reportedly visited her Malibu home after the boy fell from a highchair and hit his head while under the care of a nanny. |
| posted by ALEX @ 7:54 AM |
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