"I wish for a daughter who looks just like Ashwariya..."- Abhishek

Abhishek and Aishwarya are finally going to be parents, after four years of marriage. Unable to contain his joy, the Big B had proudly announced the joyful tidings on a micro-blogging site. Abhishek confirmed that Ashwariya is due in November, “How do I feel? It's not sunk in yet. There's been no time. We're still busy sharing the news with our friends. The realization will come later. Right now I'm, kind of, numb. It's a big moment, yes." He also put to rest the flak the bachchan family received for having announced Ash's pregnancy just in time for Big B's movie release.

Abhishek Bachchan is on top of the world and says the feeling of becoming a father would sink in only when he’ll hold the baby in his arms. Abhi confirms that it was in fact Ash’s idea to let his father, actor Amitabh Bachchan, reveal the news to the world. “I had told Ashwariya when my mother (Jaya Bachchan) was expecting my sister Shweta, who was the first Bachchan in our generation, my father had gone to his dad and asked him to relay the good news to family and friends. Ash said we should follow the tradition and not rob him of that honour. So he let the family know first and then tweeted the news to our well wishers across the world. I wanted that moment to be his as well.”

And the world, predictably, has reacted with joy. “The house is full of flowers, the phone hasn’t stopped ringing. It’s just the happiest feeling,” he says, and adds, “The baby’s due in November. I wish for a healthy baby, hopefully a daughter who looks just like Ash. We would like to have two kids, so maybe a son after that.” With the new baby on the way, you won't be the baby of the house, “ (laughs) Yes, I never thought of that. No, I won't be but it's wonderful. It's very hard to describe how I'm feeling.... I mean it's nice, everybody is smiling, everybody is just very happy at home. The house is filled with flowers and people are calling and congratulating. It just feels wonderful. It still literally hasn't sunk in that there's going to be a child... you know, an offspring, I haven't gone into that father zone yet.” Has the dinner table conversation turned to discussing baby names and ultrasound appointments? “Not yet but it soon will,” he laughs, “I haven’t had the time to read up on what she should be doing and eating in this stage but after my film releases, that’s what I’ll get down to doing.” Ask him if he plans to pamper Aishwarya during the pregnancy and he replies, “I would like to think she anyway has no complaints, but yes, of course!” Are you going to reading books on preparing and taking care of the child? “Yeah, I'd love to do that. I've already started looking for them. Although there are so many 'experts' around. My parents, Aishwarya's parents, my sister and brother-in-law and my friends, most of who are all parents. But even so, when you hear your wife is going to have a baby, you just go into a different level of panic. You feel like you need to know more. Just hearing other people say things isn't always just enough. So yes, I am going to do all of that..... I am looking forward to it. I think it's a fun period.” Better husband or better father, what do you think? “ I'll have to be both. I'll try and be good at both. But I am not worried...I think I'll be a good dad. Because I love kids and they generally take to me. I am feeling bad for Aishwarya because I think am going to be more than a handful to handle. She is going to have to spend more time taking care of me than taking care of the baby.” Why do you say that? “I don't know I am just.... You know it's weird, when you finally share something with the world, it suddenly hits you that, 'Okay, this is happening now.' Since we've made it official, I've been only bouncing off the walls.” There have been congratulatory calls and a lot of positivity but there's also been some negativity, like raising a question on the timing of the announcement hinting that it was carefully aimed to scuttle the IIFA awards how do you deal with that? “ Absolutely disgusting is how I would term such reports. Some morons think that we would use the happiest moment of our lives to gain cheap mileage. I can only wish that when such a moment comes in their lives, they don’t have to face such deplorable negativity. Right now, it's just such a happy time for the entire family, that I am not even going to bother with it. At a time like this, if there are people who are only going to think negative thoughts, then they don't deserve any attention.”

Aishwarya, decided to use hubby’s account to tweet a word of gratitude: “My dearest extended family world over. Thank you so sooooo much 4 all ur love, prayers, best wishes and blessings for us and “ours”… at this most precious time in our lives. deeply moved … truly cherish all your wishes. god bless and love. thank you thank you and THANK YOU (sic).”

Shahid writing letters to Sonam for two years!

Believe it or not. But its true. In the age of smart phones and sleek wheels, Bollywood prince charming Shahid Kapoor has been writing letters to the tall and beautiful Sonam Kapoor.

Well before getting into any wild ideas let us make it clear that it was the practice introduced by papa Pankaj Kapoor who in his keenness to ensure nothing goes wrong with his dream project 'Mausam' gave this unique workshop to his lead actors Shahid and Sonam to communicate without phone, sms or any short format for communication in order to get into the skin of the character.

He asked them to write handwritten letters to communicate for two months before they started shooting with each other. Initially both hated it as its unmanageable for today's generation to imagine life without cell phones.

On top of that both didnt know how to write! So Pankaj put a strict rule that unless and until they go through this exercise he will not start shooting.

Both wrote really bad notes for two weeks which left the director Pankaj Kapoor fuming and baffled.

Pankaj Kapoor felt that it was very important for them to be able to write their thoughts down. And also since Pankaj Kapoor belongs to theatre he applied all mythologies of theatre.

After that the two got so use to writing letters that they continue to do so even today. Now it's been two years that they have continued this exercise and now are used to it.

Pankaj Kapoor says, "I belong to different school of acting. Everything that my actors do have to be contextual. I made Shahid and Sonam go through this extensive excercise so that they could start feeling like the characters they plan. It took sometime as first we need to break inhibitions, then develop new habits and then fall in love."

Suhasini celebrates her 50th birthday

Suhasini Mani Ratnam is one of the finest actresses in the country.

Today on Independence Day, the actress celebrates her 50th Golden Jubilee birthday.

She has been part of south Indian cinema for nearly three decades wearing all kinds of caps- actor, director, dialogue-writer,film critic and producer.

On Sunday (August 14) night Mani Ratnam threw a very private party to usher in his wife’s 50th golden jubilee birthday.

All her close friends were present on the occasion.

As an actress she is still sought after in all four south Indian languages in pivotal character roles. She also looks after Mani Ratnam’s production house Madras Talkies.

Mammootty's son Dulkar Salman debuts

Finally, Malayalam megastar Mammootty's son Dulkar Salman is debuting as hero in a Malayalam film titled Second Show.

The film will have all newcomers in the cast and crew along with Baburaj and Salim Kumar.

Salman's friends like Srinath Rajendran a former associate of Jayaraj is debuting as director, script and screenplay is by Vini Viswalal and cameraman is Rajiv Ravi’s assistant Pappu.

A new girl Dr Avantika is going to be the heroine of the film which has music by Kaithapram and the Avial band.

Remember a few months back there were rumours that the top Tamil director Lingusamy will introduce the Chennai born and brought up Dulkar Salman.

Later it was said Mammootty's favourite director Anwar Rasheed will be the 'chosen one' to direct the megastar's son.

Last month, Dulkar Salman got engaged to a Chennai girl at a very private engagement ceremony. Now that Salman is settled, Mammootty himself is taking an interest in the launch of his son’s film career. The buzz is that Mammootty has gone through the script and cleared it.

The shoot of Second Show will start in Kozhikode from today (August 10). The film will be produced by AOPL Entertainments, the Kochi based company which had recently produced Siby Malayail directed Violin.

Shammi Kapoor dies

Veteran film actor Shammi Kapoor died at 5.15 am today. He was 79. The actor had been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital where he was undergoing treatment for Kidney failure and lung congestion.

He debuted in Bollywood with 'Jeevan Jyoti' in 1953 and ruled the silverscreen during the late 1950s and 1960s with his super-energetic performances. According to BBC, Shammi Kapoor was "one of the most popular actors of his generation, Kapoor starred in hits like Junglee, An Evening in Paris, Chinatown and Kashmir Ki Kali.

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan tweeted that with Kapoor's death the "flamboyance and joie de vivre of the [film] industry [was] lost".


Shammi Kapoor acted in more than 100 films. Fans called him the "Elvis Presley of India" for his frenetic and nifty dancing.

He developed a style of his own and moviegoers flocked to the theatres just to see Shammi Kapoor's antics and mannerisms."

With his infectious on-screen persona and energy, Shammi Kapoor was Bollywood's first real star, say correspondents. BBC also says that "The actor was also a keen internet buff and amongst the first Indians to have a website of his own.

When Yahoo opened its office in Mumbai (Bombay) several years ago he was invited by its co-founder Jerry Yang. As the launch, Kapoor was pleasantly surprised to hear the band playing his Yahoo song from the film Junglee [or Wild], made famous years before the internet existed, and so called for his famous cry of "Yahoo!".

Later, Mr Yang told him how inspired he was by the Yahoo song and the way the actor had used the word in his inimitable style in so many of his films. "It was all very flattering. Many of my relatives still call up and ask whether I own Yahoo," he told the BBC in an interview.

Shammi was married to actress Geeta Bali who he said was the love of his live. She died of small pox during the filming of Teesri Manzil.
They have two children - a son Aditya, and a daughter Kanchan. He later married Neela.

Bebo deal sealed

So,its official. Kareena Kapoor, who had first turned down Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine, is back onboard, after Ash fell pregnant.

You win some,after Ash loses some!

Vidya not Married.............

Although the virtual world was abuzz with reports of Vidya Balan and UTV head honcho,Siddarth Roy Kapur's secret wedding and their subsequent luxury honeymoon,the actress has finally clarified that she's still unmarried and is busy filming Milan Luthria's latest flick,Dirty Picture.The two have been linked ever since they worked together on No One Killed Jessica.