Saif Ali Khan signs Hollywood actress Natalie Portman

Saif Ali Khan is in no mood to stop; after the stupendous success of Cocktail, the actor-producer is gearing up for his next, which will star the Oscar winning actress Natalie Portman. In spite of constant media queries about his postponed marriage, Saif Ali Khan seems focused on his career. Maintaining his cool and calm demeanour, he already has plans for his next. The Cocktail man has revealed that his next home production will star the stunning Hollywood actress, Natalie Portman. While talking to a tabloid, the actor said, “A love story we are working on ... It’s a secret ... We are doing a film with Natalie Portman.” Naturally, after he uttered this, there was no scope to know further details about the film from the tightlipped Khan, who seems to have been broadening his horizon as a filmmaker with his business partner, Dinesh Vijan. However, this is not the first time that the Black Swan actress will be seen working with an Indian actor. Natalie Portman has also shared screen space with Irrfan Khan in the 2009 ensemble flick New York, I Love You. A few days back, the news of Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman doing a project with Yash Raj films was also doing the rounds. Future seems bright for Indian filmmakers.

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Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor to wed in December in Maldives!

After all the commotion over their October wedding being postponed because of Kareena Kapoor developing cold feet, Saif Ali Khan is reported to have confirmed a December wedding in Maldives with the actress. 

From start Kareena Kapoor has been very tightlipped about the wedding date and on Wednesday evening, at the launch of the trailer of her upcoming film Heroine, she once again evaded the question. 

When asked when she and Saif Ali Khan plan to marry, Kareena said: “Let's wait for Saif to make the official announcement.” 

Even as Kareena Kapoor said this, Saif was quoted by a Mumbai tabloid as confirming the wedding date with Kareena. 

"And the wedding is in Maldives...100 people...December not October!" Saif Ali Khan confirmed to the Mumbai daily. 

Reportedly, the wedding would be a low-key affair with only close friends and family members in attendance. The couple might later throw a big bash in Mumbai for the friends and acquaintances from the film industry.

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Kareena Kapoor says no to October wedding with Saif Ali Khan; marriage plan postponed!

Has Kareena Kapoor developed cold feet before her wedding! While all these days Saif’s mom Sharmila Tagore was beating the drum for an October wedding, bahu Kareena Kapoor was nurturing second thoughts, it seems, whether to marry now or later. Now, the buzz is that Kareena has called off her October wedding with Saif Ali Khan. The question is: why so?  Since Kareena Kapoor’a acting career is going steady and strong, she doesn’t want to create a roadblock by getting married. Earlier too, Saif Ali Khan had expressed Kareena’s concern over this matter while discussing marriage plans with the media. It seems Kareena has really paid heed to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s remark that “no married heroine” can be his Juliet. Bebo recently walked off from the film Ram Leela because her date diary was full. According to the sources, Kareena, 31, believes her acting career and endorsement deals are going great. Being the highest paid actress of Bollywood, she is not ready to let someone else topple her from that position because of the ‘married’ tag. Though Sharmila Tagore always maintained that the wedding is fixed for October 16, Saif and Bebo never actually confirmed it. Now, the dear mommy of Saif refrains from commenting anything on the marriage because her son has asked her to stay quiet until he and Kareena decide on something more concrete. Saif Ali Khan, who feels that he is already married to Kareena, now says that he can’t confirm the wedding date, “I can't confirm the date right now. Probably a couple of months down the line, I would speak to you about it. Right now it's only Cocktail, and I want to keep my professional and personal life separate.” Sources have already hinted that the wedding could be pushed to next year by February. Meanwhile, Kareena can do Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ram Leela. What do you say?

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Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor’s marriage in October, confirms Sharmila Tagore

Of late, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor’s wedding. Now, Saif’s mom Sharmila Tagore has finally said that the wedding is happening in October, thus putting all rumours to rest.  The yesteryear actress scotches the reports of her visiting Bhopal to sort out the details of the wedding. Sharmila was talking to a tabloid, and said that the wedding preparations are going on in full swing and the wedding will take place either in Pataudi or Mumbai. The lady asserts that they want a quiet wedding because of Tiger Pataudi’s death last year. Though Saif Ali Khan is busy and wants to renovate Pataudi, Sharmila has warned him: first marriage, and then the décor. “I am giving a warning to Saif. I am confirming that the wedding will take place on October 16,” Sharmila Tagore is quoted as saying. Sharmila also confirms that the registered marriage ceremony will take place on the October 16, but nikah may not take place on the same date. Saif is eager to wed in Pataudi, but Kareena Kapoor’s parents want the marriage to take place in Mumbai. Now, the final call will be from Kareena’s father Randhir Kapoor. Saif’s mom said that he will decide the wedding venue. Speculations are also rife about Kareena Kapoor wearing Sharmila’s wedding attire. To which Sharmila says, that it’s true that Kareena will wear the royal dress and jewellery worn by her, but there is lot of work to be done still. Earlier this week Saif said that he will marry Kareena by the year end, but the date is not fixed. It seems mommy dear has already decided when the marriage is.

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Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor wedding: Bebo to wear Sharmila Tagore’s sharara

With less than four months to go for Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor’s wedding, the bride-to-be’s wedding dress has been finalized. It will be thesharara that Saif’s mom wore on her wedding. 

Continuing the tradition of the royal Pataudi family, Kareena Kapoor has happily agreed to wear the same sharara that Sharmila Tagore wore on her wedding to the late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi in 1969. 

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor will get hitched on October 16 and the wedding preparations are already said to be underway. Interestingly even though Kareena had a slew of designer friends to choose from to do her wedding outfit, she will respect the tradition of the Khan family by wearing Sharmila Tagore’s sharara. 

Earlier, it was reported that the sharara will be redone and embellished to give it a modern look, but now Sharmila Tagore has now confirmed that no changes will be made to the dress. 

However, Kareena Kapoor’s favourite Bollywood designer Manish Malhotra will reportedly design her trousseau. 

Saif and Kareena will tie the knot in Pataudi in what could be a registered wedding. Later, there would be a lavish reception thrown in Mumbai for the friends and colleagues from the film industry. 

So far, Saif and Kareena have maintained silence over their wedding plans. It’s only mom Sharmila Tagore who’s been spilling the beans.

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Saif Ali Khan’s daughter Sara gets film offers

SAIF'S BETI SARA

Saif Ali Khan’s daughter Sara Ali Khan is just 16, but the producers have already started lining up to sign her for films. The young girl has grabbed the attention of various filmmakers after they saw her on the cover of a magazine a few months ago. The magazine was Hello! and Sara graced the cover along with her mother Amrita Singh, wearing a stunning Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla creation. The young star kid has inherited her mother’s sharp features, and her father’s charm, and it is not surprising that the producers are keen to rope her in for their films. Mother Amrita Singh has confirmed the reports, and said, “Five eminent filmmakers called and said they wanted her to be a heroine in their next project.” Is Sara interested? The girl is still young and has to finish her studies. Amrita has earlier said that her daughter is a bright student of science and aspires to be a doctor, further adding that she could also turn out to be a “sharp lawyer”. It’s learnt that Sara’s current plan is to go to Yale and do further studies, but just wondering whether Saif Ali Khan would allow his daughter to enter Bollywood! Actor Sanjay Dutt’s daughter Trishala has also grown to be a stunning female and wants to try her luck in films, but dad Dutt is not willing to allow her.

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Is 'Agent Vinod' banned in Pakistan?

Saif Ali Khan’s much awaited spy thriller Agent Vinod has reportedly been denied a clearance by the Pakistani censor board and the film may not release in Pakistan this Friday. 

Agent Vinod, which stars Saif Ali Khan as the agent of the Indian intelligence services RAW, has several references to Pakistani army and Pak’s intelligence agency ISI. Those references have apparently not gone down well with the country’s censor board. 

According to an online update by Atrium Cinemas, a popular multiplex chain in Pakistan, Agent Vinod won’t release this Friday because it has apparently been banned by the censor board of Pakistan. However, we must point out here that there is yet no official confirmation of it yet from either Saif Ali Khan or from any member of the Pakistani censor board. 

A good part of Agent Vinod is set in Pakistan. It has Gulshan Grover playing a character named Tehmur Pasha who is an international criminal hiding under state protection in Karachi. A part of the film also shows Saif in the uniform of Pak army. 

Indian films form a major part of the revenue of cinema theatres in Pakistan. Almost all of major Hindi releases are simultaneously released in Pakistan, but a few films (like Tere Bin Laden) were banned in Pak. Even The Dirty Picturedid not release in Pak on time because of the film’s explicit content.

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I will marry Saif this year said Kareena Kapoor

Finally, Kareena Kapoor has opened up about the subject of her marriage with boyfriend Saif Ali Khan. She has confirmed that she plans to settle down by the end of this year. The confirmation came from Kareena Kapoor herself at the India Today Conclave 2012 in New Delhi. When asked when she plans to get married with Saif Ali Khan, Kareena did not evade the question and gave a frank reply: “Hopefully, by the end of this year.” Kareena added that she is in no rush to get married and there are still some Bollywood commitments to fulfil. “I am working on Heroine and I need to finish the film first. But we're not going to announce the date yet. I don't understand why the entire nation is in a hurry to make me the Begum of Pataudi. There's no rush. Obviously people have to be patient,” Kareena Kapoor said. Since the start of 2012, there have been rumours about Kareena and Saif planning to wed by March end after the release of their film Agent Vinod. In fact, there have lately been rumours that Kareena Kapoor is already pregnant -- after she was spotted with a baby bump -- but it turned out that the bump was for her role in Heroine. Kareena, 31, is presently in the prime of her career. She has worked with every male superstar in Bollywood. Last year she was seen in films with bothShahrukh Khan and Salman Khan. This year, she’s looking forward to her filmTalaash with Aamir Khan. Saif, 41, is married once and divorced. He has two children from his previous marriage with actress Amrita Singh. Saif and Kareena began dating while shooting for their film Tashan (in 2007) which didn’t do well at box office. Lately, Kareena has been spotted at all the important family functions of Saif Ali Khan. She was there when Saif was made the 10th Nawab of Pataudi.

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We will sort it out like men: Saif Ali Khan

Actor Saif Ali Khan, who was involved in a much-publicised brawl with businessman Iqbal Meer Sharma recently, says he wants to avoid going to court to sort the issue. “There has been too much noise about it, so we will sort it out between ourselves like men.” The 41-year-old actor also hopes his forthcoming film, Agent Vinod, is “not adversely affected by the incident”. “It’s going to be terribly unfair to everybody who has worked on it. I think people don’t watch films out of love for actors only, they watch movies out of love for movies," says Khan.

While Sharma has gone back to South Africa to attend to his business, he says he doesn’t want to comment on Saif’s statements. Sharma’s wife, actor Tarina Patel, too says, “My husband doesn’t want to respond to everything Saif has to say. The episode has been very hard for him.” Sharma’s friend, who wishes not to be named, says that Sharma will not agree to an out-of-court settlement. “He will only take the legal recourse.”

Saif says he was touched by fellow actor Salman Khan’s public support for him after the incident. “Salman made my darkest hours easier to deal with and it’s really kind of him,” he says.

Meanwhile, Saif wants to keep the focus on Agent Vinod. He says that he does not plan to go for an over-hyped publicity for his film. “Americans don’t go ballistic like us when they promote their films. All they do is to announce their film, do a fair amount of promotion and that’s it. I think sometimes we go overboard,” he says. Actor-couple Saif and Kareena Kapoor, who star in the movie, will be doing joint promotions only in the last week before the film’s release.

Iqbal’s wife lashes out at Kareena Kapoor

Iqbal Sharma’s wife, actor Tarina Patel, has hit back at Saif Ali Khan’s girlfriend Kareena Kapoor for calling Sharma publicity hungry.

“My husband is not some star-struck foreigner in India. He comes from the biggest political family in South Africa; he is Fatima Meer’s (the late anti-apartheid activist) nephew. Why should he know Saif or Kareena? He knows who Amitabh Bachchan is, or maybe Shah Rukh Khan. Beyond that, my husband or the rest of my family don’t know (anyone) from the industry, and nor do they care,” she said in an interview to Mumbai Mirror. Kareena had earlier said that Saif was provoked by Sharma. ‘I am sorry about Bebo’s stress level caused by our objection to their volume level,” she added.

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Saif-Kareena wedding pushed to 2013?

For some time now, their wedding date has been the most discussed topic in Bollywood. And even though Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor remain tight-lipped, speculations refuse to die down. Now, industry insiders close to the couple suggest that their D-Day might shift to Valentine’s Day next year.

“Nothing is confirmed right now. Both of them are still pondering over the possibility of getting hitched next year. Besides Agent Vinod, their hands are full with a lot of work in 2012. They are still discussing details with each other and their family members. Valentine’s Day 2013 is an option for them,” says an insider.

Rumours doing the rounds suggest that Saif and Kareena will get engaged on February 10, and that they plan to marry a week after the release of their spy thriller, Agent Vinod. But there has been no official confirmation from either Saif or Kareena till date.

“If they get married next year, they will be able to focus on the wedding easily. Right now, Kareena is promoting Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, while Saif’s energy is completely focused on Agent Vinod. The final call to get married will be taken soon,” adds the insider.

Kareena is set to start the second schedule of Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine soon, likely to be followed by Rohit Shetty’s Chennai Express and Ekta Kapoor’s Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai 2. After Agent Vinod, Saif will get busy with his home productions Cocktail (with Deepika Padukone) and Go Goa Gone, besides Abbas Mustan’s Race 2.

Although Kareena and her beau refuse to comment on the speculations, Saif had said a week ago, “Marriage is a question that I won’t answer until I am done with the release of Agent Vinod. We are focusing completely on the film right now.”

Interestingly, the talk of Saif-Kareena’s wedding kicked off again when Saif was spotted bonding with his would-be father-in-law Randhir Kapoor recently at the wedding reception of actors Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza.

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Kareena Kapoor: 'Respect our choice'

Kareena Kapoor has three films with three Khans coming up over the next five months -Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu with Imran on February 10, Agent Vinod opposite Saif on March 23 and Talaash co-starring Aamir on June 10.

Quiz her on her favourite Khan and she says, “I am a huge Aamir fan and it’s an honour doing back-to-back movies with him. Imran was the biggest reason for doing Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, he’s a cool guy who, even after seven films, still looks so natural and fresh on screen. I share amazing chemistry with both these Khans, but I know that I’ll make the best ‘jodi’ (pair) with Saif in 2012.”

Agent Vinod has taken its time coming but, she points out, it’s a big-budget action movie. “We’ve finally locked on a release date. The reactions to the first poster and promo have been overwhelming,” she smiles, adding, “Saif and I look great together, I know Agent Vinod will be the film for us." Post its release, Saif and she are supposed to announce their marriage date.

A jeweller in Rajkot claims he’s got an order for a Rs. 40 lakh royal necklace for her. Kareena retorts, “From India to Pakistan to Los Angeles, everyone’s planning our wedding. It’s discussed more than the Lok Pal Bill. Imran’s the only co-star who hasn’t asked me when I’m getting married. I respect him for that, and wish others wouldn’t too. When two people are in love, it’s obvious that they’ll take the relationship forward when they think the time is right.”

Right now, she says, both their energies are focused on ensuring the best launch for their movie: “After that we’ll decide what to tell the world. I understand everyone is curious but it’s our choice. They should respect that.”

In her Valentine’s Day release, Kareena and Imran get married in a drunken stupour. “Most films end with a marriage, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu starts with one, even though my character, Riana Braganza, is not interested in getting married. She’s lost her job, is alone in Vegas, but she’s no ‘bechari’ (damsel-in-distress). Rather she’s a sunshine girl like me,” says Kareena. “Only I’m far more conservative when it comes to marriage and I will do it right.”

Soha hasn’t told us
According to a recent press report, Saif’s younger sister, Soha Ali Khan, and her steady date Kunal Khemu are getting engaged this year. The news was apparently confirmed by a ‘source’ close to the couple. Prod Kareena on the subject and she says, “I would really like to meet these ‘sources’. I have no idea about an engagement. Soha hasn’t mentioned anything to Saif or me.”

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Kareena looks good only with me: Saif

Saif Ali Khan didn't mince words when asked which of Bollywood's many Khans does his girlfriend, actress Kareena Kapoor look best with. Apart from Saif, Kareena has so far worked with Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and will soon be seen with young Imran Khan in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. After working with Saif in Tashan and Kurbaan, she will be seen with him again in the upcoming Agent Vinod, set for release March 23.

"Kareena looks good with me and there is no comparison! Apart from me, I don't see anybody (with whom she looks good)," Saif told reporters here on the sidelines of the first poster launch of his production Agent Vinod.

Kareena, the leading lady of the spy thriller, was missing from the event Wednesday.

Saif explained: "We had to divide to conquer... she will be seen in future promotional activities for the film."

The first poster of the movie features only Saif in it. However, he promises that unlike other action films, the actress has a justified role in his film too. "Kareena has a very strong role in the film. She has done justice to the role and the role has also done justice to her," Saif said.

The shooting of Agent Vinod, directed by Sriram Raghavan, took a while. And Saif denies rumours that the delay ensued due to budget hassles. "The film taking time to complete are the reports given by media. There were lots of rumours that the film is getting delayed, it's getting over the budget... everything was just a rumour. Films take time," he said.

He guarantees that the wait will be worth it, as he said: "The kind of action and locations that we have chosen, I have not seen in much movies. The film must have taken a longer time, but it does not matter as long as the product is interesting."

The film is said to have dollops of action, but Kareena wasn't too comfortable with it. "She doesn't like doing action, but she is very good at it. She gives pretty intense expressions. As far as I am concerned, I thought it (action) would be fun, but it was very frightening. It's not easy," said Saif.

Besides the unique action sequences, Agent Vinod will also have a "different" item song, a mujra picturised on Kareena. "We thought let's go a different way and try something different in terms of expression. I believe even Dinesh Vijan was pushing for a mujra... we needed to make our item a little bit different," said Saif.

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Top 10 Bollywood actors that ruled 2011!

From He-Man to funny man, from flamboyant to sombre - Bollywood's top notch actors have shone on the silver screen in various avatars and also kept the cash registers ringing. We list the top 10 actors of the year:

 

1) Salman Khan - He should be titled hit khan. If Bollywood's knight in shining armour bailed the industry out in 2009 and 2010, he boosted the box office business this year too with Bodyguard and Ready. In both, neither the content was premium, nor were the performances superlative, but what helped the actor stand out were the big bucks his films yielded at the box office, strengthening his position as a bankable star.

2) Aamir Khan: What one missed in Salman Khan's films was prominently present in Aamir Khan-starrer Dhobi Ghat. Aamir wowed his fans as a lonely painter in the directorial debut of his wife Kiran Rao, who deftly handled a bouquet of stories, travelling across various sections of society in the lanes and bylanes of Mumbai. The actor had just one release, that too, consciously designed for niche audiences, but everyone eulogised it, saying, "Wow! What a performance! What an actor!"

If that were not enough, Aamir was admired for daring to produce adult comedy Delhi Belly and the film's success further strengthened his image in volatile Bollywood.

3) Ranbir Kapoor: If his great grandfather, grandfather and parents are admired and respected for their cinematic genius, Ranbir Kapoor has proved that he is a true torch-bearer of the Kapoor khandan. The youngster excelled in his only release Rockstar, which was marred by a bad script. His role required a range of emotions and he stood out in every scene and kept the audiences hooked.

4) Shah Rukh Khan: Romance is his forte! But this time Shah Rukh Khan donned the garb of a superhero in RA.One to woo his fans. Though the film was not appreciated much for its content, his fans liked him as a geek scientist and as a superhero. He also earned praise for the use of technology, innovative marketing and promotional techniques to promote his product.

5). Amitabh Bachchan: Retirement? No way, says Big B. Instead he is grabbing central roles at the age of 69 and this year too he came out with two films Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap and Aarakshan - as different as chalk and cheese. If the former saw him as a flamboyant underworld don, the latter featured him as a college principal fighting for the rights of students. In terms of business, neither were money spinners, but as far as acting is concerned, Amitabh is Amitabh. He was terrific in both the roles and critics gave him a thumbs up.

6) Farhan Akhtar: When there is a huge star cast, it is not easy to make an impression. But Farhan Akhtar did that in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, which also starred Abhay Deol and Hrithik Roshan. The art of acting is all about sensitivity, emoting, feelings -and Farhan got them all right.

7) Hrithik Roshan: Usually seen in over-the-top roles, Hrithik Roshan for the first time did a role that was slightly offbeat and closer to reality. If Kites didn't allow him to fly high in the sky, his performance in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara helped him unleash his potential as an actor.

8) R. Madhvan: An NRI, who belongs to a middle-class family, returns home to find a wife. He encounters a drunken girl, who is not interested in marrying him. But her spirit is such that he falls head over heels in love with her and it becomes heartbreaking for him to let her go with some other guy. Madhavan not only suited the role, but he revelled in it, earning plaudits from both critics and fans.

9) Abhay Deol: He emerged as the dark horse. Be it a doomed lover in Dev D or a smart thief in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye, he has effortlessly carried his roles in the past. He continued his winning streak as a confused lover in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

10) Saif Ali Khan: This Khan showed his sparks in Omkara and after that he embarked on a journey that showed his versatility. This year he had just one release in Aarakshan, which was not a super hit, but the film's box office performance didn't overshadow Saif's work. Critics felt he scored very highly in sincerity, subtlety and sheer screen presence as a Dalit boy in the movie, highlighting the reservation issue.

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Family time for Saif and Bebo!

 Actor Kareena Kapoor stepped out with beau Saif Ali Khan's family - mother Sharmila Tagore and sisters Soha and Saba Ali Khan, on Sunday.

Spotted at the Jaipur Polo Grounds in the Capital, they came to attend the Bhopal-Pataudi Polo Cup 2011, held in memory of Saif's father, Nawab Mansur Ali Khan of Pataudi, who passed away in September this year. When the family arrived at the grounds, fans started greeting Saif with chants of 'Nawab, nawab'.

The couple, expected to tie the knot early next year, was in a chatty mood and sat close together, holding hands.

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