Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has been voted as the world’s sexiest woman by a popular men’s lifestyle magazine in Mumbai.

Deepika was adjudged ‘Maxim HOT 100′ based on reader’s reaction, industry feedback and gauging the potential to be the “next big thing” on an international level.

Deepika joins the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Eva Longoria, Marissa Miller by topping the list that features several Bollywood celebrities like Bipasha Basu , Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor .

She was found to be an ideal girl who is 100 per cent Indian and has the potential to represent new India on the global platform.

Deepika told reporters that she was happy over the fact that it’s the first time that an Indian is being presented on the international platform.

“I’m very happy after being voted as the world’s sexiest woman as I had never expected this. But I’m happier over the fact that it’s the first time that an Indian is being presented on the international platform so I’m very happy,” said Deepika.

The twenty-two years old daughter of former badminton champion Prakash Padukone became an overnight sensation after she starred in Farah Khan directed super hit film Om Shanti Om opposite Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan .

Deepika continued to hit the headlines for her supposed love affairs with cricketers Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh and then finally she confirmed dating Ranbir Kapoor opposite whom she starred in Bachna Ae Haseeno .

Katrina Kaif is quite a stunner but she is not known for pelvic thrusts or jiggles.

While shooting a song for Singh Is Kinng , the gorgeous lady was asked to do a dance step that made her not just shy but uncomfortable. The actress was wearing a low-neck dress that was also very short from below.

The step, choreographed by Remo, reportedly required Katrina to bend forward and shake her body. The actress apparently found the dance vulgar and was in two minds about doing it.

But the choreographer took her into confidence. He made his female assistant do the same step in front of Katrina to make her feel at ease. And when Katrina was comfortable, she herself rehearsed the step a few times before shooting it.

Remo says the dance step is one of the highlights of the song.

Well, that’d be something to look forward to.

‘Singh Is Kinng’ has Katrina pairing with Akshay Kumar yet again.

Katrina Kaif’s sizzling number ‘Sexy Lady’ in Race, followed by the announcement of an item song in the sporty film Blue, has given the lady a va-va-voom image.

She’s surprisingly uncomfortable with her sensuous image. “I want to retain the image of the girl nextdoor. I don’t want the hot image. Even in ‘Sexy Lady’ I’m fully clothed.I’m still the girl nextdoor. It’s not the conventionally sexy kind of song. ”

Race where she’s pitched for the sensuous sweepstakes against Bipasha Basu and Sameera Reddy has Katrina pulling out all the stops to erase the homely wholesome image.

The lady demurs. “I don’t think so. Everything in Race looks larger-than-life very fulsome urgent and exaggerated. The actors are styled accordingly. I haven’t done anything like it. Everyone’s talking about it. I guess that’s a good sign.”

Katrina is equally reluctant to accept she’s doing the most expensive item song ever in Tony’s Blue.

“I wouldn’t know about how expensive it is. But I’m doing a special appearance in Blue and the song-dance is part of it.Yeah I’m part of the film in a unique way.

Akshay Kumar got me into it. As for the expenses,nowadays so many numbers are thrown into the public’s face. I don’t think it’s right for actors to talk about the financial side of a film.”

Next, ask her about the status of her relationship with Salman Khan and she clams up. “I’d like to keep that personal.”

Is it right to presume she’s still with Mr Khan? “You can presume whatever you like. You can presume I’m an alien from outerspace, if you like. Right now I’m in a very happy place.

Even rumours of us actresses fighting for space in Race is way off the mark. I’ve my own place in Race. My confidence-level has grown in recent times, and yes, it’s partly because of the hits that I’ve had.”

After a number of films where her voice was dubbed Katrina finally used her own voice in Namaste London. And now she says she has dubbed for Race.

“I’ve been working very hard on my diction. I try to speak in Hindi in my daily dealings.”

After being with Salman who patented the name Prem in a series of films, Katrina seems stuck with another Prem, Ranbir Kapoor, who’s her co-star in Raj Kumar Santoshi’s Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.

“I guess they’re worth being stuck with.” She replies tongue-in-cheek. “I just love the script, my character and Ranbir’s role. He’s so much into his work. I’m also getting there. For me acting is no longer a hobby.”

From being just another ”pretty face in the crowd of wannabe starlets” in the industry about two years ago, Katrina Kaif is today one of the most sought after actresses in tinsel town.

And that is because of the success of a host of Katrina’s ventures, from Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya to Humko Deewana Kar Gaye to Namastey London to Partner to the recent Race .

Katrina’s ethereal looks and her childlike innocence that came through her roles in ‘Namastey London’ and ‘Partner’ has endeared her to cinegoers across the country over the last couple of years.

Success of these films may have catapulted her into the big league of Bollywood but amid all this, Katrina remains absolutely grounded insisting that as an actor there is much more she still needs to achieve.

”As an actor, I crave to do something more that what I have achieved till now. I genuinely believe that I have so much more to achieve. ‘Namastey London’ was a film that showed a very nice facet of me. I know there are so many other facets that given a chance I can show and people will also say she has done a good job,” Katrina said in an interview in new Delhi.

In the capital in connection with the launch of ‘Slice’, PepsiCo’s popular mango juice drink brand, in capacity as the new brand ambassador of the product, the pretty lass said being known as a better actor was, for her, as important as commercial success of her films or financial stability.

”Yes, success, financial stability is important. After all, it is nice to be considered among the better people of the field. But I still crave to do that one thing that people will come to see and say “superb”. I do not want to lose out on the quality of films.”

“That is something I keep looking for – a script that blends a fantastic character that I know I can do well. Basically, I am looking for the kind of films that have fantastic roles and at the same time have the potential to be a film people want to see,” Katrina said.

When asked whether there were any films or roles in recent months that she would have loved to do herself, Katrina said, “Honestly no. There have been some fantastic roles done by other actresses in recent months. I loved Guru and Jab We Met . They were fantastic roles. But, knowing yourself much more than anyone else, you know what will work for you and what will not.”

”In this sense, I have not come across something yet that has made me say “I wish I had done that” or “I would have done a better job”. In this sense, I am still looking for that film, that one film, say, something like ‘Chandni’.”

Katrina said as an actor she was looking to do roles that are closer to life, reflecting the reality of modern society.

”The characters I want to do should be something closer to life like in ‘Namastey London’ and ‘Jab We Met’ – two very different films with two very different women characters. But in a sense, both of them come across as very strong girls. I think people would like that.”

”I always tell my directors. Do not make my character a girl who, when a guy looks at her, starts gushing and turns her face sideways from the guy. I feel that when you are at the age of 22 or 23 like I am, you do fun things. For example, when I walk around, I find girls who are walking on the street, leading a normal life. They like fun, are vibrant, are witty and sassy.”

Among Katrina’s forth-coming projects are Subhash Ghai ’s Main Yuvraj where she features in a love triangle with Anil Kapoor and Salman Khan and Yashraj Films next where she co-stars with Ranbir Kapoor .

However, one film that Katrina is really looking forward to is the film with Rajkumar Santoshi .

”That is one of the better scripts I have ever heard in terms of the story. I would call it a romantic comedy kind of thing. It is a comedy that Santoshi is doing after a long gap since ‘Andaaz Apna Apna’. It is even exciting for a lot of people in the industry.”

“Santoshi has a lot of fan following in the industry. You ask a lot of actors their favourite directors and they will invariably name Rajkumar Santoshi. This is perhaps because he is a super director. He, in the past, has given different kinds of cinema having social message. Now, he is coming back in to the mainstream.”

As an actress, Katrina is deeply inspired by Kajol .

”There is something about Kajol. Every time you see her, you cannot stop to admire her. She has got such a tremendous screen presence. She gives to her every character such fantastic lives.”

“There is something about her that makes you love her. She’s got a lively presence in herself. For example, I was recently watching the promos of U Me Aur Hum . There was something about the film. I just wanted to go and see it,” Katrina said.

Asked about her future plans, Katrina said, ”I have had a fantastic time in the last year. I can honestly say that my life has taken a lot of unexpected twists and turns. At the same time, I am not one of those who, when they achieve what they want, start panicking about what to do next.”

”I believe in enjoying myself. For me, it is important to enjoy doing the work I am doing now and the hard work you have put in,” Katrina added.

Katrina Kaif is reported to have bagged another 2 films, Rs 6 Crore deal with a unspecified corporate house, similar to her deal with Studio 18, consolidating her position as one of Bollywood’s top paid actresses.

After having wowed audiences in 2007 with hits like Namastey London, Apne, Partner and Welcome, Katrina Kaif clinched a six crore, two film deal with Studio 18 in February 2008.

More recently, Shree Ashtavinayak agreed to pay Katrina a whopping Rs 1.5 crore for a short role in their under production thriller Blue. The role, that includes an item song, required 10 days of shooting.

Katrina’s paycheck in Blue reportedly inspired Kareena Kapoor to demand a whopping Rs 6 crore from Shree Ashtavinayak for her next film with them, reneging on the price negotiated between them earlier. The film directed by Rumi Jaffery features Kareena and John Abraham in lead roles.

Kareena and Shree Ashtavinayak are working under a three film deal, of which Jab We Met was the first.

Parag Desai, media consultant for Ashtavinyak denies that the deal between Kareena and Shree Ashtavinayak is being re-negotiated.

“We have signed Kareena after JWM for a three films deal, so revising the price is totally out of the question. It’s just baseless rumors doing the rounds,” he says.

Aishwarya Rai became the highest paid Bollywood actress recently, after she negotiated a Rs 4 Crore paycheck for her role in the forthcoming Sci-Fi thriller Robot opposite Rajnikant.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has proved to all that she is the most elegant princess in tinsel town with her gorgeous look in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar.

After playing Jodhaa, now Ash is all set to play another classic role of Mumtaz Mahal opposite Ben Kingsley in the historical epic on the Taj Mahal.

But at the moment, all eyes are on the on and off screen thunderous chemistry of Ash-Abhishek in Maniratnam’s next film, which is reported to be a very intense love story.

As we wait to see the couple take off from where they left in Guru, the year 2008 really promises to be a good year with many romantic flavors to come! The other love story being talked of is the Raj Kumar Santoshi, Ranbir-Katrina starrer.

Katrina has often played a calm, polite girl in her movies, or so she feels. “And I am anything but that,” laughs the pretty actress, who was in town recently.

“When I am around people who know me well and whom I am comfortable with, I become this very silly girl who likes to fool around and crack jokes and do loads of fun things. I don’t like people who say, ‘Oh Katrina, who are wonderful, you are superb, blah blah blah. When I am in my space, I make sure I am with people who are true to me. I fact, now I want to do movies that will bring out my true personality through the characters I play.”

And she’s moving towards that with her forthcoming movies. She’s going to be seen opposite Ranbir Kapoor and John Abraham. But isn’t her pairing with Ashay Kumar a hit jodi?

“Akshay and I have given a decent amount of hits. I am going to work with him in another movie, but there are also other people I will be seen with. There is Ranbir and John and hopefully more actors to work with in future. I am not saying that the hit formula does not work, but sometimes you need to change the formula as well to get something different,” she explains.

And for that something different, she’s looking for roles with substance. “I have done a lot of commercial stuff and I am glad I did that. But I also want to do meaningful movies – the movies that will bring out the person within. That will be a challenge that I want to take up now,” she says.

Not that she has little on her plate. She’s been riding high on life, with movie releases, photo shoots, walking the ramp and more.

“Oh yes, life has been really busy!” she grins. “Just a few days ago, I was here in Delhi for the fashion week and now I am here again for the promotion of my movie, then one movie shoot after the other, so life has been choc-a-block. But I am not complaining, I like it. I think it is this time and phase of my life when I can give so much to my career. Later, I can sit and watch my own movies,” she winks.

Katrina Kaif, the only actress to have achieved four back to back successes last year in Namastey London, Apne, Partner and Welcome has surely started 2008 with a bang!!

The actress is going steady in her ‘Race’ and the two hot and sexy numbers ‘Touch Me’ and ‘Sexy Lady’ in Abbas Mustan’s film ‘Race’ has already caught the attention of public.

The songs have now topped the music charts and Katrina is surely in the reckoning for bigger achievements now!

Abbas-Mustan, having decided to cash on to the success that the pair, Saif-Katrina have got, have added another happening number in the film and the song now finds a place in the audio tracks too.

To add on to everything, Katrina’s Rs 6 cr deal with Studio 18 has generated interest amongst other A-list production houses who want to crack a similar contract with her.

Well, well, Katrina is surely going places now!!!

Akshay is hellbent on covering the seven wonders of the world. Even as he prepares to shoot never-before action scenes on the Great Wall Of China, he is getting ready for a stint in in April in Egypt amidst the pyramids. This time, it’s for song with Katrina Kaif for Anees Bazmi’s Sinngh Is King.

“We’ll be shooting the introductory song of the lead pair. This would be where Akshay first meets Katrina. After this the film is complete,” informs Vipul Shah.

The last time a romantic song was shot amidst the blow-dried pyramids of Egypt it was between Shah Rukh and Kajol in Karan Johar in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.

Says a source, “Not surprising that Akshay wants the song shot in Eypgt. He wants to better Shah Rukh’s successs score with Kajol.

Most trade pundits see Akshay and Katrina as the next most- successful jodi after Shah Rukh-Kajol. Shooting a song where the hit jodi of the last millennium shot a song isn’t just coincidence.

After Namaste London and Welcome, Akshay really feels Katrina is his lucky mascot.”

“But,” warns director Anees Bazmi. “We aren’t shooting at all the normal places in Egypt. We want to capture parts of the country other than the predictable pyramids.”

Race, one of the hottest films this season, is around three weeks away from its release. Still, it’s producers TIPS and composer Pritam are leaving no stones unturned to ensure that the film not just stays in news but also take one of the biggest ever openings at the Box Office.

To keep the film hot in circulation and add on to the immense hype that this action/thriller has been generating, the makers have decided to add on a new song in Race. The song is special since it features Saif Ali Khan and now hot-n-happening Katrina Kaif who was the only leading lady to have enjoyed a cent percent record last year (Namastey London, Apne, Partner and Welcome). Moreover, the title of the song is nothing less than inviting as it reads – ‘Sexy Lady’.

As per the film’s producer Ramesh Taurani (of TIPS), the song was added as it was found to be a good replacement for ‘Mujhpe To Jaado’ which was yet to be shot. “We are thrilled with the great response to the title song ‘Race Sanson Ki’, ‘Pehli Nazar Mein’ and ‘Zara Zara Touch Me’. We wanted to keep the momentum going. When Pritam made us hear the tune of ‘Sexy Lady’, we knew that this was the song for the film,” confirms Ramesh Taurani.

Adds Pritam, “‘Mujhpe To Jadoo’ was anyways waiting to be picturized. Since Abbas-Mustan also felt that ‘Sexy Lady’ could be a good replacement, everyone was in consensus with the decision.

Says a confident Taurani, “We are quite happy with the way Race is leading up to it’s March 21 release. The songs are doing quite well and are leading the charts all over. We would begin unleashing the talkie promos early March. They would be a mix of action and drama which forms the USP of the film.”

Meanwhile shooting of ‘Sexy Lady’ is currently on and would be wrapped up in quick time so that the song is on air before the release of the film. Moreover, there won’t be much wait for the new edition of the music album of Race to arrive too. By first week of March, latest addition ‘Sexy Lady’ is expected to be a part of the newer lots of Race that would be out on stands.

As Katrina Kaif goes ‘Zara Zara Touch Me’ in her new film RACE, the promos show the Glamour Goddess sporting a new makeover for the particular song, courtesy designer, Anaitha Shroff.

Speaking about her new look, Katrina says, “Anaitha Shroff has done an excellent job with my new look in this film. The look in the song ‘Zara Zara Touch Me’ is completely different from what I have done earlier.

It is a situation based song that defines my character, where I want to win over Saif’s affection.”

The outfit for the song was specially purchased from Dubai, from a high-end designer, Jenny Packham. The beautiful flowery blue attire with a picturesque 60’s look gave the song the lift it needed.

Talking about the lady, who gave her the needed makeup for the song, Katrina quotes, “Whenever Meher Kohla has done make-up on me, the songs have been huge hits. So she is my lucky charm, and I hope that this song also proves to be a hit”.

Katrina, who was in the capital to launch a product on Sunday, refrained herself from answering any queries related to her boyfriend Salman Khan.

“Please! I don’t want to discuss anything related to Salman. It’s very personal.”

She also feels that life has been cruel and unfair to her as despite delivering one hit after the other, she still couldn’t get nominated in the best actress category in award functions.

“Oh dear! life is so cruel and unfair to me. I have delivered so many hits and won accolades for my performances, but every time I failed to get nominated,” says the actress.

Salman Khan is in jail but at least he has some reason to cheer. The actor’s close friend and actress Katrina Kaif flew to Jodhpur to visit him in jail.

Along with Katrina, Salman’s brother and actor Arbaaz Khan, sisters Alvera and Aprita, and sister-in-law and actress Malaika Arora Khan also visited the actor who is lodged at the Jodhpur Central Jail.

Though the jail’s visiting hours for the day had ended, the superintendent allowed Katrina and the others to meet Salman for about half an hour at around 1500 hours IST.

According to the rulebook relatives can meet prisoners only between 0900 hours IST and 1100 hours IST on Sundays.
Katrina and Arbaaz refused to speak to reporters who were waiting with hundreds of Salman’s fans at the airport in Jodhpur and headed straight for their hotel.

According to jail authorities Salman had a sleepless night on Saturday. He read a novel to pass the time but avoided any interaction with other prisoners, sources told PTI.

After a breakfast of chana and tea, Salman was examined on Sunday morning by a medical team that found him fit.
Known as Prisoner No. 343 and held in barrack number one, the actor was taken into custody and sent to jail on Saturday following dismissal of his appeal by the District and Session Judge Kamalraj Singhvi against a five-year jail term slapped upon him by the trial court in the Chinkara hunting case.

The actor may have to spend more nights in jail because his bail hearing may take place only on Wednesday, as it’s a court holiday on Tuesday.

As per the jail manual regulations, relatives and friends of a prisoner can meet him once in a fortnight.

Katrina, who recently had her biggest hit in Namastey London, says that her dream role would be one in a period film. “I would love to do a movie set in times of war or conflict.”

Talking to the media after inaugurating a jewellery showroom in Mangalore recently Katrina was asked what she thought of the nature of roles Bollywood offered its actresses, she thought for a moment before saying “In commercial cinema, the roles offered to heroines tend to be limited, but there are off beat roles that allow you to explore a character. However, initial success and recognition come through commercial films.

At the beginning of any career you want to be noticed. “Like everyone else, even I want to be taken note of,” said Katrina.

“Every actress thinks differently, but for me, it is more important to be an entertainer. I am consciously building my career as a commercial actress.

At a later stage, I might do offbeat roles. But now I don’t want to do films that ten people watch. I want to do movies where the hall is full. I want to do ‘fun cinema’. Eventually of course, I want to try other kinds of roles too,” said Katrina.

Comparing the careers of modelling and acting, she said acting was tougher. It demanded more, Katrina said.

For Katrina, her best role in Bollywood so far, has been in ‘Namastey London’. “The story revolves around a woman, which is quite rare in commercial Hindi cinema.”

Katrina said she loved working in the South Indian film industry. She has worked in Telugu and Malayalam movies. “It has been two and a half years since I did a South Indian movie. I miss the industry,” she said.

Katrina was offered a Kannada movie once, but couldn’t accept it, as she was busy with four other projects at the same time. If a good Kannada offer comes along, I will definitely take it. But I hope the language is easier than Malayalam, which was quite complicated,” she said smiling.

“I am willing to work in any language if the director is talented. Language is secondary,” Katrina added.

Katrina answered the expected “who is the best actor you have worked with?” with a careful, “I share a very good working relationship with Akshay Kumar. He has very good energy, and we are comfortable with each other.”

Anish Asmi’s Welcome , a musical with Subhash Ghai and a movie with Abbas-Mastan, co-starring Saif Ali Khan , are projects Katrina is looking forward to.

The silver screen will be set ablaze when three Bollywood hotties Mallika Sherawat, Bipasha Basu and Katrina Kaif team up for a movie.

The oomph quotient will touch an all-time high with the coming together of the three beautiful and sensuous belles in a yet-untitled Tips venture, to be directed by Abbas-Mustan.

This is perhaps one movie where the female cast will hog limelight over the male starcast that includes Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan and Fardeen Khan. However, some doubts are being cast whether Fardeen will do the movie or not.

What’s more, Mallika, Katrina and Bipasha will be portrayed equally stylish and glamourous in the movie. And the comparisons between them are quite inevitable.

The film is a story of two brothers, each trying to prove himself better than the other. While Saif and Fardeen will play brothers, Anil Kapoor will be seen playing a cop.

The story of the film is penned by Shiraaz Ahmed, the writer of films like Humraaz and Aitraaz.

The movie will be a thriller like any of Abbas-Mustan flicks. It is likely to roll in August next year.

TheHimalayanTimes.com

Devotees have raised strong objection over Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif wearing a skirt to Khwaja Moinudeen Chishti’s shrine at Ajmer.

Many have objected to Katrina wearing western outfits inside the shrine, which did not cover her legs completely, when a large number of people were offering their prayers.

“The shrine members should not have allowed Katrina to keep part of her legs uncovered,” said Iqbal, a pilgrim.

The actress was in the shrine with her co-star Rishi Kapoor to shoot for producer-director Vipul Shah’s “Namaste London”.

There was also a commotion when several people jostled with each other to get a glimpse of the stars.

The silence maintained by Anjuman secretary Sayed Mohin Hussain Chisti over the issue is being objected by others.

Anjuman is a representative body of Khadims, who are workers of the shrine and claim to be descendants of the Sufi saint. It is alleged the film was being shot in his presence and he did not object.

“Due to the presence of large number of people, I could not see the dress worn by Katrina,” said Chisti. “I was at a distance and it looked to me as if she was wearing a full dress,” he added.

According to tradition, women offering prayers in the shrine must have their head, hands and legs covered.