Katrina's 'Priceless' dream shattered

A French film had inspired Katrina Kaif's so much that the actress had decided to turn producer and remake the film for Bollywood. Rumours of the actress casting her sister Isabel in the film were also afoot. 

However, it so happens that her French connection has just been spoilt. Thanks to the unresponsive people in the other country who she was dealing with.

While Katrina had always remained tightlipped about the film she wanted to buy, industry insiders speculated it to be the 2002 film He Loves Me...He Loves Me Not starring popular French actressAudrey Tatou (of Amelie fame).

However, Kat herself broke her silence and later revealed that she wanted to buy the remake rights of the 2006 French movie Priceless.

And after months of going back and forth, the deal as of today, stands cancelled.

The people in question simply stopped reverting to the Bollywood actress. "It was ridiculous. Katrina is an A-list actress in Bollywood. They should have dealt with the proceedings very tactfully," revealed a source close to Kat.

Tired of the unprofessional behaviour, Katrina too, has eventually given up on her French dream. "She gave lot of time and energy to this project.

She had even thought of a few directors who could handle the subject beautifully. She has every reason to be exasperated now. She has given up on Priceless, " added our source.

However, this setback has not managed to squash Katrina's dream of turning producer.  "She is very much open to other films. She is quite a film buff and sees a lot of foreign films. Who knows, she might even pick up a Hindi film and remake it," informed the source.

Dhoni played innings of his life in World Cup final: Yuvraj

MUMBAI: Flamboyant all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who was named World Cup's man-of-the-tournament, on Tuesday complimented Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his match-winning knock of 91 not out in the final of the mega event, terming it as the Indian skipper's best-ever innings.

"It was a dream come true. As MS (Dhoni) said (earlier) I did not know what to do. I wanted to jump on MS and keep jumping on him. He had just played the innings of his life," the flamboyant batsman said about the Indian skipper's masterly innings, in the latter's presence.

The Ranchi-born wicketkeeper-batsman had promoted himself to number 5 above in-form Yuvraj and simply took away the game from Sri Lanka by slamming two sixes and eight fours in his 79-ball masterpiece at the Wankhede Stadium inMumbai.

Dhoni, only the second captain after Kapil Dev to lead India to the game's showpiece trophy, put on 109 runs for the fourth wicket with Gautam Gambhir (97) and an unfinished 5th stand of 46 with Yuvraj, who remained unbeaten on 21.

"It was the highlight of my career. To win the World Cup after 28 years, was very special. Can't explain the feelings," said Yuvraj who scored 362 runs in 9 matches averaging 90-plus and also grabbed 15 wickets with his left arm slow bowling.

Dhoni, for his part, conceded he had gone blank after hitting the winning shot, a six.

"I was quite blank at that point of time. I didn't know how to celebrate. Then I saw Yuvraj's 6-foot, 2-inch (frame) coming towards me. I thought, he's not going anywhere; let me get to the stumps (souvenirs) first," said Dhoni at the event organised by Reebok to felicitate the triumphant team members.

Yuvraj said he worked hard to make a memorable comeback into the Indian squad after being dropped from both the Test and ODI teams last year.

"Last year was not a great one. I suffered a lot of injuries, but I received a lot of support from my teammates and people close to me. I kept on working hard and performed at the right time," he said.

Dhoni also talked about the importance of fielding and fitness.

"Of course we have to put in a 100 per cent effort (to keep fit). Fielding is an integral part. Twenty overs (games) are said to be demanding but in 50 overs (games) you have to maintain intensity throughout," he said.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh said for him the team always came first.

"Whenever there is a time to celebrate I celebrate. That's the way I have always been. I am there always for the team, the team comes first," he said.

Leg spinner Piyush Chawla and big-hitting all-rounder Yusuf Pathan also shared their memorable World Cup moments.

"I felt very good to take the World Cup in my hand. We played well," said Pathan.

"I don't have words to describe those feelings. It was a dream come true for me. For me it was a special feeling as it was my first home series. That (triumph) is something I will cherish all my life," he said.

All the players were given gold-plated bats as mementos.

Source:TOI

Miss India Ankita Shorey wants to work with SRK ,Aamir

After winning the Miss India International crown, Ankita Shorey has set her sights on the Bollywood and has both Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan on her wish-list of co-stars.

The 24-year-old model says films are her first love, and she wants to live out her life in front of the cameras. “Acting is and will always be my first love. Even before I won the pageant, I was working towards becoming an actress, and the crown will hopefully ease my way a bit,” Ankita told PTI.

Ankita, who has already shared screen space with King Khan in an advertisement for a cosmetics brand, said Shah Rukh had an immense commercial appeal, while Aamir had an “experimental edge.”

“I want to live my entire life on the big screen and want to work with all the top names in the industry. I love both Shah Rukh and Aamir. Aamir is a fearless actor who experiments a lot, while Shah Rukh has an unparalleled commercial success. SRK just sweeps you off the feet with his charm,” she said.

She reckoned that it was the best time to be a newcomer in the Bollywood as the industry had spawned various genres to choose from.

“We have everything from typical ‘masala' song and dance to experimental films coming out of the industry. That gives an aspiring actor a lot of opportunity, and more than anything I want to prove my versatility,” Ankita said, citing the example of the former Miss India, Priyanka Chopra.

“She has done everything, from a Dostana to a Saat Khoon Maaf, and I aspire to do the same.”

Ankita, who attended a Buddhist monastery after studying history, said her early years equipped her well for life in the fast lane.

Time to choose your career

After the board exams the question that every student is faced “What do I want to be?”

Go for it

Gone are the days when engineers, doctors, lawyers and CAs were the only respectable options. There is a whole gamut of occupations you can choose from now, depending on your interests and aptitude. Here are some alternative career options you can look into.

Public Relations

Maintaining relations anywhere and generating positive publicity for a client, be it a company or an individual, is the primary responsibility of a PR officer. A good command over the language is a must. Though no formal education is required, a broad knowledge of many things, including advertising, is of immense help here.

Event Management

Corporate events and conferences, trade shows and exhibitions, product launches, grand openings, festivals, parties, weddings, fashion shows or beauty contests, a never ending list of events you can find yourself organising should you choose to be an events manager. This is a good choice for those who like organising things, with a flair for being creative and innovative. A high school certificate is the basic requirement, but there are many diploma and post graduate courses being offered in this field.

Radio Jockey

If you love talking, and people also love talking and listening to you, then you have found your calling. Add to that an interest and knowledge of different types of music, and you have the makings of a good radio jockey.

RJs are those who anchor music programmes on radio, entrusted with entertaining listeners by playing music or conveying messages in a captivating way.

Apart from a good voice and fluency in the language, an RJ should be friendly, dynamic, witty and have a sound presence of mind with a good sense of humour. Though no formal education is required, there are short courses available which can aid you in improving your skills. These days, many FM stations have started taking on interns also.

Graphic Designing

Graphic designing is the art of creating visual solutions to communication needs of any organisation, in print or electronic form. The scope of a graphic designer is far from narrow.

From designing the layout of magazines and newspapers, promotional displays, marketing brochures, logos to developing material for web pages and interactive media, all come under the umbrella of graphic designing.

Creativity, good communication and problem solving skills are required, as are an interest in computer graphics and design software. It's a creative career that finally rewards you for all those doodles you'd made during classes!

Hotel Management

A career in hotel management is not just a career, but a lifestyle in itself.

With the hotel industry growing, there is a wide scope with opportunities in sales and marketing, front office management, housekeeping, club management, travel and tourism and a lot more. A number of courses and post graduate degrees are available, both in India and abroad.

Foreign language interpreters and translators

With globalisation, the world is becoming smaller, and the need to communicate between different countries and cultures is increasing. If you have a flair for languages, then this might be your calling. In addition to learning the language well, one needs to have an academic degree in foreign languages.

You could make a career in tourism, entertainment, public relations and mass communication, international organisations, embassies, diplomatic service, publishing houses and BPO's.

So, find the best fit for your personality.

Source: The Hindu

UN Security Council to discuss Syria

The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday is to hold a full—fledged discussion of Syria’s crackdown on protesters as Secretary General Ban Ki—moon condemned the repression by the government of Syrian President Bashir al Assad.

Mr. Ban and the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay are also calling for an independent and effective investigation of hundreds of civilian deaths in Syria, Mr. Ban said Tuesday.

Syria’s U.N. Ambassador Bashar Jaafari rejected Mr. Ban’s call for the investigation, saying Damascus is fully capable of carrying out the probe.

Appearing before reporters to defend his government’s handling of the demonstrations, Mr. Jaafari said a law adopted by Damascus last week provided for peaceful demonstrations.

“From last week, demonstrators can demonstrate peacefully anywhere in Syria, peacefully without relying to violent acts,” he said. “If you’re demonstrating peacefully you’re protected by the government.”

Mr. Jaafari defended measures taken by the government against some demonstrators because the protesters had “an agenda.”

Mr. Ban attended a closed—door session with the council Tuesday, where it discussed a draft statement reacting to the military repression of civilian protesters and the deaths of reportedly 300 since mid—March.

Diplomats said China and Russia were opposed to any move by the body to condemn Syria.

The council president, Colombia’s U.N. Ambassador Nestor Osorio, said, “There are drafts circulating, but nothing concrete.” The council will meet Wednesday afternoon to hear an updated briefing on the situation in the Middle East by UN officials, and Mr. Ban said government officials would also attend.

In remarks after Tuesday’s closed—door discussions, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice accused Iran of supporting Syria’s military repression of pro—democracy demonstrations.

“We have said repeatedly that we are very conscientious and concerned of evidence of active Iranian support and involvement on behalf of the Syrian government in its repression of its people,” Ms. Rice told reporters.

Ms. Rice said Damascus has used “brutal tactics” against the demonstrators, similar to those used by the Iranian government against the opposition in Iran.

“The U.S. will continue to stand up for democracy, for respect for human rights, universal rights that all human beings deserve in Syria and around the world,” she said.

The U.S. has threatened to tighten current sanctions against the Syrian regime and its supporters.

Ms. Rice said the situations in Libya and Syria are different “in terms of the origins, of consequences and they will be different in terms of the action that is feasible and desirable here in the Security Council.”

She added that the “gravity of the situation” required Wednesday’s discussions because of the “concerns that we all share for the civilians at risk at present in Syria and the potential conflict with implications for regional peace and security.”

Mr. Ban cited the government’s use of tanks against protestors as a cause for “increasingly a grave concern.” “I condemn utterly the continued violence against peaceful protesters, most particularly the use of tanks and live fire that killed and injured hundreds of people,” Mr. Ban told reporters.

He said the Syrian authorities have the obligation to protect the civilian population and respect international human rights, including rights of free expression and peaceful assembly.

Live In The Present

If you are feeling disoriented and out-of-sync, maybe you just need to slow down, says Paula Horan

The first step towards self-healing of either emotional imbalances or physical ailments is to slow down, so that we get a chance to perceive what is really happening in our lives. We can then better observe and understand our inner state of being, for it is mirrored in our outer situation in life. Once we understand this, we can take responsibility and change whatever that is bothering us.

Illness often results when we are too busy or overwrought to pay attention to signals that point to where our true priorities lie. The causal factors of a common cold are a case in point. The two main reasons for 'catching' a cold, for instance, could be that you are carrying a lot of grief or anger and have suppressed your need to cry or that you have submitted your body to too much stress — to a deluge of toxins such as air pollutants, alcohol, drugs (including unnecessary over-the-counter and prescription drugs) and too much or unhealthy food.

These together with excess stress and lack of rest can exhaust the immune system; it now needs to purge itself.

Go slow now

When you slow down, it becomes possible to be in touch with your feelings again, the very ones you were ignoring in the first place. The neurotically busy pace of your lifestyle can make you lose touch with your genuine feelings. When you can barely keep your head out of water, it is easy to not notice what is really going on. When you are speeding along like a rat on a skateboard, there is no time to reflect and feel.

When you slow down, you also begin to get the first inkling of peace — the silent power with you all the time. In ordinary circumstances, we simply do not notice this — neither our innate peace or our own power, because we are never fully present or living life in the 'now'. If you are always engaged in mind games, worrying or planning, you are bound to suffer. In such a state of mind, you overlook your existing

reality — the eternal moment, the now, the inner joy.

Karachi: 4 Killed, Several Injured In Attack On Two Navy Buses

KARACHI: Four people including two personnel of Pakistan Navy were killed in two separate terrorist attacks targeting Pakistan Navy buses in Karachi on Tuesday morning, a spokesman of Pakistan Navy said.

He identified the dead as Sub-Lieutenant Iqbal and Umar Farooq, a Sailor of Pakistan Navy, Dr. Nazia, a civilian working with Pakistan Navy, and Muhammad Sharif, a civilian employee of Pakistan Navy.

Of the 56 injured being treated at Pakistan Navy hospitals, some were discharged after providing them with first aid.

The spokesman pointed out that two Navy buses were targeted in two different parts of the metropolis almost simultaneously.

The buses, he added, were taking the staff to their respective units.

The two Navy buses were targeted in Defence Phase two and Mohajir Camp in Baldia Town area here.

The Commander Karachi, Rear Admiral Syed Khawar Ali, visited the hospitals and inquired about the health of the injured,

The spokesman further stated that the Naval Headquarters has ordered an inquiry.

The Inquiry Committee has been directed to submit its report to the Naval Headquarters.