Kangana sacrifices for Priyanka at 8:30 PM

Kangana Ranaut is all set to perform at the grand finale of Femina Miss India but when she got to know that Priyanka Chopra would also be dancing, she decided to let her groove to the songs of Fashion.

For the show, Kangana will now perform to Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai's hit numbers. "When I got to know that Priyanka is performing I asked her about her songs. When she said she was doing the Fashionsongs, I happily decided to do the tribute to Aishwarya and Madhuri," said Kangana.

"I'll be dancing to songs like Madhuri's 'Mera piya ghar aaya' and Aishwarya's 'Nimbooda'. This gives me a chance to try out my Kathak which I've been learning for three years," she added.

So much for the belief that two actresses can never get along together. "I think girl bonding is very cool. I can't say Priyanka and I are best friends. I think two actresses fighting is very unfashionable. After 'Fashion' there's a comfort level. And if we can share a platform without getting in one another's way then isn't that just great," Kangana said.

Kangana has been rehearsing non-stop for two back-to-back shows and says it has taken its toll on her legs. "On Thursday, I kept rehearsing non-stop for two shows for six hours. I never realised what I was putting myself through until the next morning when I woke up with swollen legs," she said.

Celebrity models and designers throng Kolkata at 6:38 AM

Kolkata, April 04: For the first time the city is witnessing a deluge of celebrity models and top fashion designers, who are here to participate in the inaugural Kolkata Fashion Week.

While Bollywood hotbod and model John Abraham will walk the ramp tomorrow for ace designer Rohit Bals collection, his girlfriend and actress Bipasha Basu is here for presenting a Monapali collection at PC Chandra Greens.

Yesteryear actress and top model Zeenat Aman is also expected to sashay for the weavers collection tomorrow.

"This is the first fashion week in Kolkata and all reputed models and designers easily agreed to come here. It was a new experience for them as well," organiser Yudhajit Dutta of Mindscapes Maestros told reporters.

Bengali actress sisters Riya Sen and Raima Sen, actress and model Neha Dhupia, Dino Morea and Minissha Lamba have already walked the ramp after the Kolkata Fashion week (KFW) began here on Thursday.

`Jab We Met` director Imtiaz Ali, VJ Rannvijay Singh, Dev D actress Mahi Gill also strutted the ramp yesterday in the biggest fashion extravaganza of eastern India.

Actress Raima Sen, who walked the ramp for weavers in a red tussar sari, said: "I haven`t walked the ramp in my home city ever since I became an actress. The fashion week here is the same we have in Mumbai and Delhi."

"Walking the ramp in Kolkata is a new experience for me and it is good to have a fashion week here," actress Neha Dhupia said.

Many designers, who have regularly participated in the Mumbai and Delhi fashion weeks including Rohit Bal, Wendell Rodricks, Zubair Kirmani, Narendra Kumar, Anjana Bhargava and Abhisekh Dutta, are presenting their works in the KFW.

Internationally renowned Bangladeshi designer Bibi Russell, who has participated in many fashion shows in London and Europe, said: "Kolkata Fashion Week is close to my heart as they are promoting the work of rural weavers. I have been doing this for years."

Other showstoppers for KFW include VJ Anushka, Bengali actress June Maliah, `Chak De` fame Sagarika Ghatge and Chitrangada Singh

Sushmita, Ajay, Asin to judge Femina Miss India 2009 at 6:28 AM

Mumbai, April 05: Gorgeous Sushmita Sen and superstar Ajay Devgan will be seen on the panel of judges at the semi finals and finals of the Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2009 (PFMI) to be held here on Sunday. Along with them, ‘Ghajini’ actress Asin will also judge one of the most prestigious beauty pageants at today’s event.

Miss India evening is certainly going to be full-on starry-glitzy, having many of our sexy B-town hotties gracing the event and setting the mood right with their scintillating performances.

While Bollywood bigwigs Sushmita, Ajay and Asin will be seated as judges during the competition, stunning ladies like Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut and Genelia D’Souza would set the stage ablaze grooving to Shiamak Davar’s choreography.

The hosts for the evening are going to be Malaika Arora Khan and Madhavan.

The contestants will walk the ramp choreographed by Marc Robinson, the fashion director of PFMI 2009.

Being my daughter is a disadvantage for Shruti: Kamal Haasan at 6:21 AM

New Delhi, April 03: Tamil thespian Kamal Haasan says his name is a "disadvantage" for his daughter Shruti Haasan but "she will have to live with it".

"It is certainly a disadvantage for her, but she`ll have to work with it that she is my daughter. She can`t change it and she`ll have to live with it and carry that luggage. And I`ll always be there to support her," Kamal told reporters.

But the 54-year-old is all praises for his daughter who is making her Bollywood debut with "Luck".

"She`s an extraordinary girl and I am not talking as her father. I observed her myself at an audition and I was really impressed. I hope there are many more who think like that. She`s found her own niche and is going in the right direction," he added.

Shruti, 23, is the eldest of two daughters born to Kamal and actress Sarika and has a professional degree in music from the Musicians Institute, California. She has also learnt "North Indian classical music", informs Kamal.

Not many know that she debuted as a playback singer at the age of six, in "Thevar Magan" (1992) and her first Bollywood playback came in "Chachi 420" (1998).

Her second Hindi song came in "Hey Ram" (2000), in which she sung the bilingual versions of the title track "Rama Rama" with her father, in both Hindi and Tamil. She also made a brief appearance in "Hey Ram".

Her last released film song was in Gautham Menon`s "Vaaranam Aayiram".

Apart from singing, Shruti has also been a model and featured in magazines like "Frappe!" and "Verve".

Shruti, who also heads the rock band Extramentals, has teamed up with childhood friend and actor Imran Khan in Soham Shah`s "Luck".

Apart from Bollywood, she is also making her debut as a music composer in "Thalaivan Irukkiraan", her father`s home production Rajkamal Films International`s remake of "A Wednesday" in Tamil and Telugu respectively.

"She has already recorded a song for the film and it`s come out really well," said Kamal.

On being asked if he guides his daughter on her career, Kamal said: "I don`t advise her nor do we discuss our films with each other. We do discuss films on the whole and the kind of music I want for my film - that`s it."

Besides films, Shruti is also going to cut her debut album this year.

IANS