Not many artists can claim to have been signed on to a record label at the age of 13, even more so when the label belonged to the King of R& B R. Kelly. But former The Pussycat Dolls member, Kaya Jones, is part of this privileged minority. The singer, who has also provided backup vocals for Mick Jagger's Golden Globe winning song Old Habits Die Hard , is currently on her first tour of India. She performed in Hyderabad on February 19 and in Pune on February 20. After her gig in Hard Rock Cafe in Delhi on today , Jones will perform in Mumbai and Bangalore over the weekend to finish with the last leg in India. 
" My shows in India, so far, have been wonderful. I'm really looking forward to the Delhi concert. I have fallen in love with Indian people and their energy," the Hollywood Doll singer said. Jones first came to prominence in 2003 when she was chosen among thousands of other singers and signed to become a Pussycat Doll. 
As part of the group, her vocals were featured in the soundtracks of films such as Shark Tale and Shall We Dance? Despite the group's recording of Sway for Shall We Dance? receiving critical acclaim, Jones soon left the group for a solo career. The group itself disbanded in 2009. 10 years down the line, Jones is happy with her career and doesn't miss The Pussycat Dolls. As for the possibility of a reunion, she said, " My focus right now is on my solo album. Nothing will happen till it is launched." Her album Rise of the Phoenix is set to release on April 29 and will be her third solo collection. Jones has also diversified into developing a fashion and beauty line for girls and has her own recording company.
Kannada filmmaker Huchcha Venkat is facing police action after he issued an advertisement in local newspapers featuring actress- turned- MP Ramya ( Divya Spandana) threatening to kidnap and marry her.
Though the actress has not approached the police, the latter has taken suo motu cognisance to take action against the filmmaker for defaming her and her family members through the advertisement.
In a newspaper advertisement published on February 14, Venkat announced his latest movie titled Huchcha Venkat ( Mad Venkat).
The Kannada wordings of the advertisement read: " Ramya, why don't you understand my feelings? I don't know whether you will accept my love. Next week, I will abduct you and marry you in Banashankari temple ( Bangalore). I want to see who has the courage to stop me." The advertisement further said that the movie is being jointly produced by his parents ( Lakshman and Gowramma) and " my wife" ( Ramya) and " my mother- in- law Ranjitha" ( Ramya's mother).
Bangalore City Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar, who took notice of the advertisement, referred it to the department for legal opinion. The report prepared by the police department observed that it was incorrect on part of the film director to use the names of popular public figures and elected representatives in an advertisement without their consent.
"As the advertisement threatens to abduct and forcibly marry Ramya, it is a cognisable offence. It is intimidating and defamatory," the legal opinion said.
Ramya, one of the top- most Kannada actresses, has now made a successful transition into politics by joining the Congress, and winning the by- election from the Mandya segment.
The Congress will field her from the same constituency for the Parliamentary polls.
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan says he is happy watching matches at his home and staying away from the Wankhede Stadium in the wake of Mumbai Cricket Association's (MCA) five-year ban on the Kolkata Knight Riders owner. Shah Rukh Khan is banned for five years from entering the MCA premises, including the Wankhede Stadium, by the association's managing committee, after he was involved in fracas with the security staff and officials of the cricket body following KKR's victory over Mumbai Indians in 2012. However, the King Khan had denied any misconduct and said he reacted only after children, including his kids, were manhandled by the security staff at the stadium. 
An unedited version of documentary - 'Living with KKR' - showing the journey of this IPL team was unveiled on Thursday. The four-part series traces emotional journey of the team to its ultimate redemption as IPL champions. When asked if he would be ok if the Wankhede incident featured in the documentary, Shah Rukh Khan said, "I don't make documentaries. It is up to those people who had made it. I am ok with it." Further asked what he would do if asked to come to watch the match at the stadium, the King Khan says, "I am happy watching match at my home. I don't want to go there and this I am not saying because of ego and arrogance. If this (invite me to watch match at Wankhede stadium) happens someday we will see…"
Arjun Kapoor's new release Gunday has made a decent start at the box office, and the budding actor says one reason why the film shaped up to everyone's expectations is because he and co- star Ranveer Singh shared a great bond off screen.
" We would crack each other up all the time during the shoot. Ranveer supported and encouraged me to be on the top of my game throughout the shooting. He made me give my best shot. I took back a strong friendship from this film," says Arjun.
The off- screen chemistry helped the duo interpret their roles of refugees who turn coal mafia dons in the Bengal of the seventies, after
Arjun cites an instance to prove his point. " There was a serious sequence that wasn't falling into place because everyone was stressed out. So, Ranveer and I decided to lighten up the mood.
In the middle of the shot, Ranveer started twisting my nipples and I reacted jokingly.
We just created a moment for people to laugh. Ranveer ne literally meri pungi baja di !" Talking of what kind of a girl he would like to date, Arjun says he doesn't have any ' type' when it comes to girls.
" I don't have a type for girls. It keeps changing. You have a type and then suddenly someone else seems interesting.
The truth is all women are beautiful so why define them in a way that restricts the thought process?" Gunday is only his third film and Arjun has already shown a method streak to get into the skin of his roles. If the actor lost weight for his double role in Aurangzeb , he gloriously made six packs for his latest.
The method actor in him will once again go for a drastic change for his next release, the rom- com 2 States where he is paired opposite Alia Bhatt. " It will be very interesting to see if people recognise me without my stubble in 2 States . My previous roles and the one in 2 States are like chalk and cheese. I shot simultaneously for Gunday and 2 States , pushing my boundaries as an actor to handle two different characters," the actor adds.
The actor, however claims, he loved playing the action hero in Gunday . " We were shooting a highlight train robbery scene in extremely hot weather near Wai ( in Satara, Maharashtra) with our harnesses on. It was a torturous yet memorable sequence. I also loved the Durga Puja fight sequence." The actor will be next seen in Tevar opposite Sonakshi Sinha and Finding Fanny Fernandes costarring Deepika Padukone.
The much-awaited Priyanka Chopra and Ranveer Singh starrer Bollywood release Gunday has landed itself in trouble over the screening of its dubbed Bengali version. According to the films eastern Indian distributors, the company has received letters from multiple single screen theatre owners across Bengal stating that they were under 'political' pressure not to screen the Bengali version of the film.
According to distributors, a section of the Bengali film industry is miffed with the decision of Yash Raj Films to simultaneously release a dubbed version of the much-awaited film in Bengal. They fear that such a trend will be harmful to the regional language film industry.
The much touted YRF production has been released in 92 theatres across Bengal in Hindi and 32 theatres in Bengali. The film has generated a lot of buzz in the state as it was shot for over two months in Kolkata and other location in the state last year.
Letters written by some of the exhibitors have requested the distributors to change the screenings from Bengali to Hindi as there was 'political interference'. Some even state that they were receiving 'threats' that halls may be vandalised if the screenings were not stopped.
"All the letter speak about one thing, political interference and political disturbance. We have received letters from Malda, South 24 pargana, Burdwan etc. Either there is a hidden agenda or some motive to stall the screening. We had taken all the necessary clearances to screen the film in Bengal. The film was shot here in Kolkata. There is a lot of buzz about it. Really don't know why it is now being stalled," said Pritam Jalan, Gunday's Distributor for Eastern India.
The main distributor (Jalan Distributors) which is distributing the film across eastern India have said that they will take legal recourse and claim damages from exhibitors who have decided to stop the screening of Bengali version as that would amount to breach of agreement that the exhibitors made with them across the state for screening the film.
However, the exhibitors (hall owners) are the ones who are under fire as they are the ones who are complaining of political intervention on the ground.
A section of the Bengali film industry is not in favour of running movies of other languages dubbed in Bengali fearing it will adversely impact the regional film industry.
However, the distributors of Gunday has all the necessary clearances to screen the dubbed version too. It has clearance from EIMPA (Eastern India Motion Pictures Association), the industry body. So there is not legal ground to stop the screening.
The allegation is, the ruling establishment which has a considerable clout in the Bengali film industry is trying to coerce the exhibitors to halt the screening of the Bengali version which they feel will hurt its interest.
Love stories never go out of fashion in Bollywood. What really changes with time is the way romance is handled by filmmakers. Paradigm shift in the mindset of the audience and changing equations of relationships in society make filmmakers come up with out-of-the-box themes.
Last week's Hasee Toh Phasee has started what promises to be a damburst of romantic comedies all set for release this year. More than a dozen films by new- age directors (a few of them first-timers) are trying to give a fresh twist to simple mush, a Bollywood staple for years.
Ad- man- turned- filmmaker Vinil Mathew and scriptwriter Harshvardhan Kulkarni together handled a basic love story with finesse in Hasee Toh Phasee . A slight drift in the storyline presented unusual drama with Parineeti Chopra and Siddharth Malhotra in the lead, which was enjoyed by the urban multiplex audience.
" The rom- com may sound like one of the easiest genres to pitch in the market but it is one of the toughest to convert into a film since innumerable love stories have already been made. Every possible angle has been exploited and there are few conflicts left to explore, to surprise the audience," said Mathew.
Debutant filmmaker Devika Bhagat tried to toy with an unusual romantic angle in the Abhay Deol- Preeti Desai starrer One By Two recently. Although the film tanked, the romance between the lead cast was handled differently, as the two lovers do not meet till the end although their stories keep overlapping owing to circumstances.
Author Chetan Bhagat agreed to part with rights for a screen version of his bestselling novel 2 States: The Story Of My Marriage only when he was ensured that it " will not be handled in a typical Bollywood style". " I am curious to watch the film because the story is based on my personal life and relationship," Bhagat told Mail Today in an interview. Although debutant director Abhishek Verman doesn't plan to tamper with the content, he plans to imaginatively adapt it on screen. The film features Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt.
Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan star in Shaadi Ke Side Effects directed by Saket Chaudhary. The director, returning six years after Pyaar Ke Side Effects , aims at taking the rom- com to a different level because his new film deals with fresh romance in a marriage.
The writer- filmmaker gives the male point- of- view on marriage. "Most love stories we see on screen have cool packaging but the audience also looks for that extra something that stays with them for a while. Crisp scripting to create quirky characters, good content and genuine emotions are most important for a rom- com," added Mathew.
Imtiaz Ali, who dealt with the typical Bollywood romantic genre in a fresh manner with his 2007 hit Jab We Met , stresses on a tight script to create lovable moments.
Apart from Jab We Met , he has given love varied twists in Socha Na Tha , Love Aaj Kal and Rockstar , and will explore the genre again in Highway , starring Randeep Hooda and Alia Bhat.
Although Jab We Met apart, none of his films is a romcom, Ali says the approach to creating characters in love stories is mostly the same.
" The characters and the emotions must be brought alive in the story first. Only then can they be translated on screen," said Ali in an interview.
Keeping in mind the large percentage of young audience awaiting tangy twists in love plots and fresh content, many big production houses have floated separate units to churn out cooler content. Yash Raj Films floated Y films to produce Luv Ka The End , Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge and Mere Dad Ki Maruti while UTV's UTV Spotboy Production aims at making films targeted for the youth.
Viacom 18' s Tipping Point Productions, which earlier produced Shaitan , plans to shift to the romance space.
Hasee Toh Phasee
Vinil Mathew's film starring Parineeti Chopra & Sidharth Malhotra
The film is a coming- of- age love story that revealed crackling chemistry between its lead pair. Parineeti credibly played a mad scientist given to extreme drug- induced antics while Sidharth was perfect as the soft- natured Delhi boy who can't help falling in love with the sister of the girl he has been courting for seven years. While the story ultimately gets a predictable ending, Harshvardhan Kulkarni's script is unique in the way it creates quirky situations and characters.
2 States
Abhishek Verman's film starring Arjun Kapoor & Alia Bhatt 2
Based on Chetan Bhagat's bestseller 2 States: The Story Of My Marriage , the film is among the awaited rom- coms this year. Bhagat scripted his personal experiences of an inter- caste wedding set against a campus background and the film is likely to retain the flavour. Arjun plays Delhi boy Krish Malhotra while Alia gives a spin to her glam image by trying out the geeky Tamil girl Ananya. Debutant director Abhishek Verman doesn't plan to tamper with Bhagat's basic story.
Shaadi Ke Side Effects
Saket Chaudhary's film starring Farhan Akhtar & Vidya Balan
The sequel of the 2006 crossover hit Pyaar Ke Side Effects has Vidya and Farhan playing a couple struggling to rediscover romance after few years of wedding. The script tries to elevate the rom- com genre by highlighting romance in a marriage.
Farhan as the husband tries addressing marriage jitters typical among urban men while Vidya as the wife presents the coming- of- age mindset of married woman. The film will be a contemporary take on modern- day Indian marriages of working couples.
Main Tera Hero
David Dhawan's film starring Varun Dhawan, Nargis Fakhri & Ileana D'Cruz
The quirky love triangle will have all essential elements and comic moments associated with a David Dhawan film. The film is a Hindi remake of the 2011 Telugu rom- com Kandireega and Dhawan plans to give it an Archie comic feel in order to make the film more relatable to the young audience. The film brings together the father- son combination of David and Varun for the first time. The mad comedy is set in Bangkok and Mumbai, and will have plenty of situational comedy.
Bewakoofiyaan
Nupur Asthana's film starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Sonam Kapoor & Rishi Kapoor
The film is based on romance in the times of recession. Scripted by Habib Faisal, the film gives a contemporary twist to the age- old plot of a poor boy falling for a rich girl and the subsequent hurdles he has to face from her parents. The slice- of- life drama brings back Ayushmann in his trademark happy- go- lucky Delhi- boy avatar, just as he was seen in Vicky Donor . He plays a lover hit by downsizing at the workplace.
Rishi Kapoor plays Sonam's overprotective, moneyminded father.
Total Siyapaa
E. Niwas's film starring Yami Gautam & Ali Zafar
The film is a cross- border romance set in London. While innumerable films have been made on Indo- Pak themes, this film uses the premise to set up a funny tale of love. Made on a shoestring budget of ` 8 crore, the film tries to capture the instant reactions of middle- class Indian parents of a girl trying to come to terms with a boy from Pakistan.
Pakistani singer- actor Ali Zafar plays the hapless boy visiting his girlfriend's parents in India and the film is about the chaotic situation it leads to.
Aliya Chinoy recently launched her maiden album ‘Almost Dawn’ at a concert held at Royal Rodale Club recently. The event kick-started with Aliya singing six of her original numbers from the album – Out of My Life, Goodbye, Tonight, Can’t let Go, Almost Dawn and Slipping & Falling. This was followed by some cover acts including Use Somebody, Bette Davis Eyes, Titanium and In The Arms of an Angel. Musicians who were accompanying Aliya included Kashan Admani on guitar, Alfred D’Mello on drums, Irfan Khan on Bass and Ali Raza on Keyboard Read More..
The Gunday trio could not hide their excitement as they got together for a special screening of the film at Yash Raj Studios in suburban Mumbai on Thursday night.
Priyanka Chopra caught everybody's attention in a halter neck shirt with a picture of Amitabh Bachchan printed on it.
Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor, the two lead opposite Priyanka looked dapper in stylish suits. Ranveer came along with ' good friend', Deepika Padukone who was there to cheer him while her ex, Ranbir Kapoor, was in selfdrive mode and came with his buddy Ayan Mukherji.
A true- blue Bachchan fan Priyanka even posed with Big B, who arrived in his swanky car and expressed his excitement to watch Ali Abbas Zafar's film. Big B later even blogged about the experience.
" This young generation is different and unique and most admired by me. They lend support to each other... and are genuinely appreciative of each other's work," he wrote.
Also present at the do were Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao, Subhash Ghai, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Huma Qureshi among others.
The Gunday trio and Zafar later visited the Gaiety theatre in Bandra to gauge audience's reactions, who came out after watching first day, first show.
