Bollywood Buzz

Shah Rukh is hungry for more
It seems that titles such King Khan and Badshah of Bollywood, the acclaim of millions, and the numerous awards that adorn his mantelpiece are not enough for Shah Rukh Khan. The superstar wants a National Award as well – the only award that has eluded him till now. "I hope they consider me for the National Award... that is if they feel I am worthy of it," confessed the actor.

Yuvi, what a player
On the cricket field, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is king, but off it, it's Yuvraj Singh who is playing the field. After the much-publicised, on-and-off affair with Kim Sharma, his most recent love interest is Deepika Padukone. Yes, you heard us right! Deepika, the new star on the block, was spotted leaving a party with the dashing cricketer, leaving behind a trail of raised eyebrows for the captain, who failed to score.

Bachchan backs out
Mira Nair is no longer a fan of Abhishek Bachchan. According to sources, Abhishek was supposed to act in her film on AIDS, funded by the Gates Foundation, but backed out at the last moment, leaving the director in the lurch. "She was understandably disappointed. This project was quite close to her heart. She wanted big stars in the film because it would grab attention. Perhaps some of the stars she approached felt that their market value would go down if they acted in a film on AIDS," said a source.

Aamir: I offered to quit Taare
With Taare Zameen Par set to release, Aamir Khan has became defensive about his relationship with Amol Gupte, who was supposed to direct the movie before Aamir fired him. "A week into the shooting, he and I had some creative differences, so we talked about it and I offered to step down as producer and actor, so he could make the film with somebody else. He thought about it and decided that he would prefer it if I stayed on as producer and actor," says Aamir.

Bebo gets choosy
Kareena Kapoor has decided to only sign on for film projects that convince her. "I've decided I can't do run-of-the-mill films anymore. I've done enough films without conviction. And it shows in my performances. Unlike my sister Karisma, who could look convincing in any role, I have to be convinced about my roles. I don't want to look back on my career with any regrets," says Kareena. "Very frankly, I did the Yeh Mera Dil song in Don because of Shah Rukh. My ultimate wish is to do a love story with him."

Side Effects of success
Pyar ke Side Effects, the surprise hit from Pritish Nandy Communications, will have a sequel. But there is a hitch. Its two stars, Rahul Bose and Mallika Sherawat, will not be part of it. "I want Rahul and Mallika to encore their roles. But if they don't, I can easily do it without them. I've repeatedly said that actors and directors don't make a difference. What matters is the script and the producer," says the film's producer, Pritish Nandy.

No kissing please
Jimmy Shergill refused to do a kissing scene with his co-star Nandana Sen in his upcoming film Strangers. Justifying Jimmy's decision, director Anand Rai says that it was not the co-star that he had a problem with, just the idea of it. "My film is about relationships and I had explained the scene to Jimmy. I understand that actors are sometimes not comfortable doing intimate scenes on screen. The kissing scene with Nandana and the semi-nude scene with Sonali Kulkarni were meant to project the turmoil of the characters." Interestingly, the actress did not have any problems doing the scenes.