Bluesman BB King leaves hospital

Blues legend BB King has been discharged from hospital in Texas after a bout of flu, and his management says he is "back to his old self".

The 81-year-old had a fever after contracting flu and was admitted to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston on Friday.

He had to cancel two concerts in the city, but will now play as scheduled in Fort Worth, Texas on Tuesday.

King, who is diabetic, was reported to be otherwise in good health.

His other Texan concerts in Galveston, Orange and Tyler, which were scheduled over this weekend, will now take place in June, said Tina France, a spokeswoman for King's management company.

King was "feeling fabulous", she said.

Slowing down

King was recently awarded America's highest civilian honour by President George W Bush.

The musician was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a White House ceremony on 15 December.

The 14-times Grammy-winner launched his professional career in 1947.

He is best-known for his hits "Every Day I Have The Blues" and "The Thrill Is Gone", performed on his guitar, Lucille.

In July he performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland for the last time, having played there for more than 20 years.

King gave up touring outside the US last year.

Big Brother: Jo denies racism after eviction

Former pop singer Jo O'Meara has denied being racist after she and actress Cleo Rocos were evicted from Channel 4's Celebrity Big Brother by the public, leaving Indian cine star Shilpa Shetty as one of the favourites to win.

Former S Club 7 singer Jo, who was involved in a reported race row which saw Jade Goody and her mother bullying Shilpa Shetty, received almost 48 per cent of the vote, while 28 per cent viewers wanted Rocos to go.

Now 31-year-old Shilpa Shetty, former A-Team actor Dirk Benedict and ex-Steps singer Ian "H" Watkins are up for eviction. Shilpa is now odds-on favourite to win when the show ends on Sunday.

Pop Star Jermaine Jackson, model Danielle Lloyd and Goody's boyfriend Jack Tweed are also still in the reality TV house. In an interview with Big Brother presenter Davina McCall after she was evicted, Jo denied she was racist. When showed footage of the moments that caused the international row, she said, "Looking at it, it looks absolutely terrible, but inside it didn't feel terrible."

But she told host McCall that the edited version of events distorted what really went on. Of the comments she made about Shilpa while in the house, she said, "I never meant it in that way. I'm not a racist. I know that I'm not. I'm not going to deny that Shilpa did aggravate me a lot - you can't click with everybody, you meet. It's not because I'm racist. I think she's a very beautiful, very elegant woman."

Bhansali tries his hand at French opera

After directing four monumental epics in Bollywood, Sanjay Leela Bhansali moves to Paris in 2008 to direct an opera.

Bhansali, whose "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam", "Devdas" and "Black" have defined aesthetic mainstream cinema in the last decade, has been signed on by France's opera company Theatre du Chatelet to direct an opera which will be staged in 2008.

The director says it's like a dream come true.

"The dynamics of the opera fascinate me. I always wanted to do theatre, more specifically the opera. The experience would rejuvenate me as a creative artiste and help me connect with creative spaces more openly. Besides, I'm accused of being theatrical by my colleagues in India anyway.

"The opera gives me the chance to carry every emotion to the highest scale. That's something I enjoy doing. I can't deny theatrical influences in my cinema. So, in a way this opera will give me the chance to return to my roots," Bhansali told sources.

Bhansali, who is in the process of completing his latest cinematic opus "Saawariya", says he wasn't very sure when he got the offer.

"It's an honour not just for me but the whole country. I think my operatic mode of storytelling in 'Devdas' convinced the Theatre du Chatelet to approach me. I was very reassured that the film's design had worked.

"Very frankly, I was flattered but unsure whether I wanted to do it. After all, a staged opera is a discipline entirely different from cinema. Would I be able to pull it off? I'm glad I've agreed to do it. It's a very exhilarating and exciting prospect to use my operatic vision on stage."

Very selected filmmakers from the world over have been invited by what's considered the world's most prestigious opera company. Among the filmmakers thus invited are: Hong Kong's Yimou Zhang of "The House Of Flying Daggers" and Hollywood's Woody Allen.

The organisers of the theatre visited Mumbai several times before convincing Bhansali to do the needful.

"I wanted to be very sure if I wanted to do it, and then when I wanted to do it. My schedules for 'Saawariya' couldn't suffer. I'll be in Paris for three months in 2008 from January to March. I'll be putting the show together. Then in March 2008 when the opera goes on stage I'll return home.

The script is an old literary work by a French litterateur from the 1920s.

"I love its rhythms and music. I've been trying to catch up on as many operas as possible in between my schedules of 'Saawariya'."

The opera will be staged all over the world.

"I'm already very nervous. It's a very lavish production, involving a huge cast and production values. That unfolding of the whole spectacular opera with a live orchestra just thrills me. I'm very honoured. At the same time it scares me.

"I'm going into a totally untried genre. It's a lot of responsibility. It requires a lot of preparation. But I'm sure I'll pull it off."

Jade Goody's goodwill trip to India

Jade Goody's goodwill trip to India may not be possible, for officials have blocked the Big Brother bully's visa application.

The 25-year-old had planned to head to the sub-continent next week in a bid to apologise for her racist remarks.

Jade applied for a visa on Monday along with her security team and aides - but she was the only one not to have been granted passage.

Usually it takes just 24 hours for a visa to be rubber-stamped for a British citizen. The three others who applied with her got their visas within a day.

Jade's passport remains with the Indian High Commission in central London, where her visit was last night said to be being discussed "at the highest level".

It follows Jade's comments to Bollywood babe Shilpa Shetty which caused uproar across the UK while in India protesters took to the streets to burn effigies of Channel 4 chiefs.

Sources said it may take up to a week for her to get a visa and she could even be banned from going.

"There is a lot to consider in relation to what she said," a source was quoted by the Sun, as saying. Jade's people have spent days in talks with Indian authorities.

They first asked the British High Commission in India for help. A source there said: "We referred them to the Indian High Commission in London who issue visas. Issues were discussed between us but I am not prepared to say what they are."

An Indian High Commission source said: "We want people at the very highest level to decide whether we want her to visit."

Jade spent yesterday doing apologetic interviews with Indian and global TV stations. (ANI)

Yahoo News

Dummy Beckhams welcomed into US

Wax doubles of David and Victoria Beckham have been unveiled at the New York branch of Madame Tussauds ahead of the couple's impending move to the US.

The figures, draped in the stars and stripes, were placed next to a waxwork of George W Bush holding a sign saying "Welcome to America".

David has signed a five-year, £128m contract with LA Galaxy football team.

Victoria has already been seen on the celebrity circuit, partying with the stars after the Golden Globe Awards.

David's move has caused a flurry of excitement, with the footballer being described as a "celebrity supernova" and the biggest British invasion "since the Beatles" by the press.

The waxwork couple stand arm in arm, with David dressed in a black tuxedo and Victoria wearing a pale green sparkling evening gown.

Visitors are encouraged to embrace and kiss the figures as well as take photos.

Janine DiGioacchino, general manager of Madame Tussauds New York, said: "We are very excited to give visitors a chance to get up close and personal with Posh and David Beckham.

"Posh and Becks are celebrity icons in England and already on the path to superstardom in the United States."

The figures have been imported from Madame Tussauds in London and will remain on display in New York for two weeks.

Call for ban on 'child rape' film

Twelve-year-old actress Dakota Fanning is at the centre of a row over a new movie that depicts her being raped by a teenage boy.

US religious groups are calling for a boycott, saying Fanning's appearance in the film is tantamount to child abuse.

The protests came as Hounddog received its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah on Monday.

Director Deborah Kampmeier has defended the film, saying issues like child rape need to be discussed in public.

"This issue is so silenced in our society," she said. "There are a lot of women who are alone with this story."

Legal challenge

The criticism began before the film was screened, with the New York-based Catholic League calling for a federal probe into whether child pornography laws were violated during filming.

Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission, also believes the rape scene falls foul of the law.

"Even if they're not actually performing the explicit act, we are dealing with a legal issue here," he said.

"Children at 12 do not have the ability to make the types of decisions that we're talking about here.

"If we're offended by some comedian's racial slur, why aren't we offended by somebody taking advantage of a 12-year-old child?"

Fanning herself played down the controversy following the film's premiere.

"It's not a rape movie," she said. "That's not even the point of the film."

Hounddog tells the story of a young girl who is raised by an abusive father and alcoholic grandmother in the American south.

Taking solace in blues music, she sets out to buy tickets for an Elvis Presley concert but is accosted by a teenage boy.

During the rape scene, only Fanning's face, neck, shoulders, hand and foot appear on screen.

Much of the scene takes place in darkness, punctuated only by the sound of Fanning's screams.

The actress said she and writer-director Kampmeier talked about the story for months before the film was shot.

"It's not really happening," she said of the controversial scene. "It's a movie, and it's called acting. I'm not going through anything.

"And for me, when it's done it's done. I don't even think about it any more."

Fanning has had major roles in films including 2001's I Am Sam with Sean Penn and War of the Worlds with Tom Cruise in 2005.

BBC

classical views of friendship

Aristotle on friendship

Friendship... is a kind of virtue, or implies virtue, and it is also most necessary for living. Nobody would choose to live without friends even if he had all the other good things.... There are, however, not a few divergent views about friendship. Some hold that it is a matter of similarity: that our friends are those who are like ourselves... Others take the contrary view....

There are three kinds of friendship....

Friendship based on utility. Utility is an impermanent things: it changes according to circumstances. So with the disappearance of the ground for friendship, the friendship also breaks up, because that was what kept it alive. Friendships of this kind seem to occur most frequently between the elderly (because at their age what they want is not pleasure but utility) and those in middle or early life who are pursuing their own advantage. Such persons do not spend much time together, because sometimes they do not even like one another, and therefore feel no need of such an association unless they are mutually useful. For they take pleasure in each other’s company only in so far as they have hopes of advantage from it. Friendships with foreigners are generally included in this class.

Friendship based on pleasure. Friendship between the young is thought to be grounded on pleasure, because the lives of the young are regulated by their feelings, and their chief interest is in their own pleasure and the opportunity of the moment. With advancing years, however, their tastes change too, so that they are quick to make and to break friendships; because their affection changes just as the things that please them do and this sort of pleasure changes rapidly. Also the young are apt to fall in love, for erotic friendship is for the most part swayed by the feelings and based on pleasure. That is why they fall in and out of friendship quickly, changing their attitude often within the same day. But the young do like to spend the day and live together, because that is how they realize the object of their friendship.

Perfect friendship is based on goodness. Only the friendship of those who are good, and similar in their goodness, is perfect. For these people each alike wish good for the other quaabsolutely and for his friend, since the good are both good absolutely and useful to each other. Similarly they please one another too; for the good are pleasing both absolutely and to each other; because everyone is pleased with his own conduct and conduct that resembles it, and the conduct of good men is the same or similar. Friendship of this kind is permanent, reasonably enough; because in it are united all the attributes that friends ought to possess. For all friendship has as its object something good or pleasant — either absolutely or relatively to the person who feels the affection — and is based on some similarity between the parties. But in this friendship all the qualities that we have mentioned belong to the friends themselves; because in it there is similarity, etc.; and what is absolutely good is also absolutely pleasant; and these are the most lovable qualities. Therefore it is between good men that both love and friendship are chiefly found and in the highest form. good, and they are good in themselves. And it is those who desire the good of their friends for the friends’ sake that are most truly friends, because each loves the other for what he is, and not for any incidental quality. Accordingly the friendship of such men lasts so long as they remain good; and goodness is an enduring quality. Also each party is good both

That such friendships are rare is natural, because men of this kind are few. And in addition they need time and intimacy; for as the saying goes, you cannot get to know each other until you have eaten the proverbial quantity of salt together. Nor can one man accept another, or the two become friends, until each has proved to the other that he is worthy of love, and so won his trust. Those who are quick to make friendly advances to each other have the desire to be friends, but they are not unless they are worthy of love and know it. The wish for friendship develops rapidly, but friendship does not.

Cicero on friendship

Let this, then, be laid down as the first law of friendship, that we should ask from friends, and do for friends', only what is good. But do not let us wait to be asked either: let there be ever an eager readiness, and an absence of hesitation. Let us have the courage to give advice with candour. In friendship, let the influence of friends who give good advice be paramount; and let this influence be used to enforce advice not only in plain-spoken terms, but sometimes, if the case demands it, with sharpness; and when so used, let it be obeyed. (section 13)

[I]n friendship and relationship, just as those who possess any superiority must put themselves on an equal footing with those who are less fortunate, so these latter must not be annoyed at being surpassed in genius, fortune, or rank. (section 20)

Now, by "worthy of friendship" I mean those who have in themselves the qualities which attract affection. This sort of man is rare; and indeed all excellent things are rare; and nothing in the world is so hard to find as a thing entirely and completely perfect of its kind. But most people not only recognize nothing as good in our life unless it is profitable, but look upon friends as so much stock, caring most for those by whom they hope to make most profit. Accordingly they never possess that most beautiful and most spontaneous friendship which must be sought solely for itself without any ulterior object. They fail also to learn from their own feelings the nature and the strength of friendship. For every one loves himself, not for any reward which such love may bring, but because he is dear to himself independently of anything else. But unless this feeling is transferred to another, what a real friend is will never be revealed; for he is, as it were, a second self. But if we find these two instincts showing themselves in animals, - whether of the air or the sea or the land, whether wild or tame, - first, a love of self, which in fact is born in everything that lives alike; and, secondly, an eagerness to find and attach themselves to other creatures of their own kind; and if this natural action is accompanied by desire and by something resembling human love, how much more must this be the case in man by the law of his nature? For man not only loves himself, but seeks another whose spirit he may so blend with his own as almost to make one being of two. (section 21)

It is virtue, virtue, which both creates and preserves friendship. On it depends harmony of interest, permanence, fidelity. When Virtue has reared her head and shewn the light of her countenance, and seen and recognised the same light in another, she gravitates towards it, and in her turn welcomes that which the other has to shew; and from it springs up a flame which you may call love or friendship as you please. Both words are from the same root in Latin; and love is just the cleaving to him whom you love without the prompting of need or any view to advantage-though this latter blossoms spontaneously on friendship, little as you may have looked for it... And since the law of our nature and of our life is that a new generation is for ever springing up, the most desirable thing is that along with your contemporaries, with whom you started in the race, you may also teach what is to us the goal. But in view of the in-stability and perishableness of mortal things, we should be continually on the look-out for some to love and by whom to be loved; for if we lose affection and kindliness from our life, we lose all that gives it charm... (section 27)

This is all I had to say on friendship. One piece of advice on parting. Make up your minds to this. Virtue (without which friendship is impossible) is first; but next to it, and to it alone, the greatest of all things is Friendship.

Leaving STAR was not easy for Samir Nair

Quitting as the CEO of STAR Entertainment India was a painful decision for Samir Nair, who will now be joining NDTV's soon-to-launch entertainment channel as a partner.

The decision was taken after weeks of deliberation when Nair tried hard to balance his loyalty to the channel, which he helped build from scratch.

Confirming the move, Nair said

: "Yes, I'm quitting STAR. And obviously it won't be just another move on the same level. I need to grow as an individual and a professional. I need to become an entrepreneur now. But I'll always be in the entertainment business."

Close friends confirm that Nair tried hard to work out things with the channel.

Ironically, Nair's resignation was made public Monday when the third season of his brain-child "Kaun Banega Crorepati" (KBC) went on air with Shah Rukh Khan as the new host.

He is fully prepared to face the flak or the hosannas.

"I've worked on the show from scratch. We've changed quite a lot of the format from earlier on. And, of course, there's Shah Rukh. It can't go wrong," asserted Nair.

Nair is the man who saw tomorrow in KBC and the trio of TRP-towering soaps "Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi", "Kasauti Zindagi Kay" and "Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki".

MM

British actresses in Oscars race

British actresses Dame Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet and Dame Judi Dench will go head to head for the best actress Oscar at this year's Academy Awards.

They face competition from Penelope Cruz and Meryl Streep.

"I'm in frighteningly good company. It is very nice of the Queen to allow me in," said Dame Judi, referring to Dame Helen's celebrated role in The Queen.

Musical drama Dreamgirls has eight nominations, including three for best song, but missed out on best picture.

Instead The Queen, Babel, The Departed and Clint Eastwood's Letters From Iwo Jima all receive nominations.

Independent comedy Little Miss Sunshine also made the shortlist, days after it was named best picture by Producers Guild of America - which has picked the eventual Oscar winner 11 times in the last 17 years.

Whitaker nominated

KEY NOMINEES Dreamgirls - 8 (pictured) Babel - 7 Pan's Labyrinth - 6 The Queen - 6 Blood Diamond - 5 The Departed - 5

The 79th Academy Awards ceremony will be held at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on 25 February.

Comedy star Ellen DeGeneres will host for the first time, following in the footsteps of Jon Stewart, Steve Martin, Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal.

The best actor category is dominated by Forest Whitaker, who has already picked up several awards for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King Of Scotland.

Other nominees include Peter O'Toole, Will Smith, Ryan Gosling and Leonardo DiCaprio.

"To put a lot of hard work and effort into a project or a character like this, and then for it to be recognised, how can it not be nice?" said DiCaprio, who was shortlisted for his performance in African thriller Blood Diamond.

Martin Scorsese will be hoping to win best director for mob drama The Departed, but goes up against Clint Eastwood, who beat him to the title in 2005.

Academy President Sid Ganis and Salma Hayek announced the nominees in a dawn ceremony

Other directors on the 2007 shortlist are Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Babel, Stephen Frears for The Queen and Paul Greengrass for United 93, which reconstructed the United Airlines hijacking of 11 September, 2001.

"It's obviously very thrilling," Greengrass told the BBC, "not just on a personal level but on a professional level".

"What's really wonderful about it is to be part of a film that dealt with these difficult events, and that cinema that deals with the contentious and difficult can have its place at the Oscar nominations."

Notable nominees

Meryl Streep's nomination for best actress in The Devil Wears Prada extends her lead as the most-nominated actress in the history of the Academy Awards.

Her tally now extends to 14 nominations and two wins.

Volver missed out on a nomination for best foreign film

At the other end of the scale is Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, who receives her first ever Oscar nomination for Pedro Almodovar's film Volver.

Her friend and co-star in the film Bandidas, Salma Hayek, shouted "yes!" as Cruz's name was read out at the announcement of the nominations in Los Angeles.

However, Volver lost out on a nomination for best foreign language film, where Guillermo Del Toro's fantasy epic Pan's Labyrinth is the key contender.

Other notable nominees include Eddie Murphy, who picks up his first Oscar nomination in a 25-year career for his supporting role in Dreamgirls.

Forest Whitaker has won plaudits for Last King Of Scotland

Two former singers also make the shortlist - rapper and underwear model Mark Wahlberg is noted for his performance in The Departed, and American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson for her role in Dreamgirls.

Meanwhile 10-year-old Abigail Breslin could be the youngest ever Oscar winner if she takes home the supporting actress trophy for Little Miss Sunshine.

Former US Vice President Al Gore's film about global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, has been nominated in the best documentary feature category.

In a statement he said: "I am so grateful to the entire team and pleased that the Academy has recognised their work. This film proves that movies really can make a difference."

BBC...

'Salaam-e-Ishq' - an ode to love, six times over

Love stories are a staple in Bollywood. After "Kal Ho Naa Ho", Nikhil Advani comes up with not one but six romances in his mega multistarrer "Salaam-E-Ishq: A Tribute To Love" that releases on Friday.

The film's ensemble cast comprises Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Akshaye Khanna, Ayesha Takia, Govinda, John Abraham, Vidya Balan, Sohail Khan, Isha Koppikar and Shannon Esra in lead roles.

The movie weaves six love stories together.

Kamini (Priyanka Chopra), a sought after item girl in Bollywood, is desperately looking for a big break. But nothing seems to be happening so she hatches a plan to change her image. The only thing she does not anticipate is the arrival of Rahul (Salman Khan) in her life.

Vinay Malhotra (Anil Kapoor) leads a picture perfect life with his picture perfect wife Seema (Juhi Chawla) and daughters in the suburbs of London. He works with a PR firm and returns home to his wife and daughters. But things change after he bumps into the not-so-perfect Anjali (Anjana Sukhani). Unconventional and over-confident Anjali comes from a world where single modern girls get what they want. And Anjali wants Vinay.

Shiven (Akshaye Khanna), a consummate bachelor who lives in New Delhi, is engaged to Gia (Ayesha Takia) and is going to get married very soon. But he gets cold feet days before the wedding and breaks off the engagement. It is only later that he realises that he is incomplete without her.

Tehzeeb (Vidya) and Ashutosh (John) eloped and got married two years ago. Struggling like all young married couples in Mumbai, both of them work at a news channel. Tehzeeb is a reporter and Ashutosh a film editor. Completely crazy about each other, they find it quite difficult to keep their hands off each other. But things change when Tehzeeb meets with an accident.

Raju (Govinda) is a taxi driver in Delhi. He drives from his home in Chandni Chowk to the New Delhi International Airport like he has for the last 15 years. He enjoys watching the doors of the New Delhi International Airport opening and closing because he hopes to meet his dream girl there.

And Stephanie (Shannon Esra) does come from those very doors-the only problem is that she has come looking for her boyfriend Rohit Chaddha (Kushaal Punjabi) and not Raju.

Ramdayal (Sohail) and Phoolwati (Isha) are newly-weds in Haryana. Ramdayal wants to consummate their marriage but whenever he tries to fulfil his desire, something goes wrong. Both of them land up in a series of events that become tragically and comically fatal.

"Salaam-e-Ishq" will be released with 1,100 prints worldwide. The film's music is doing well, but so far not a single episodic film has done well.

Advani's ode to love should hopefully break the jinx.

Pitt now picks the flicks his kids can watch!

Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt admits that he is getting extremely choosy about the roles that he is taking, for he is constantly aware that his kids may one day watch his work.

Pitt, who was recently named ‘Father of the Year’ for 2006 by People magazine, revealed that becoming a dad had made him realise that he wanted to make movies that he was comfortable with his three kids – Maddox, Zahara and Shiloh – watching.

The 43-year old actor said that he was constantly wondering what his kids would think of his work when they grow up.

"That's exactly my thoughts these days - 'Oh my God, what did I do? What are they gonna see from my films from the past?' I start making that list," Contactmusic quoted him, as saying.

Pitt admitted that this worry was one of the reasons why he had become careful to choose movies, and that it had also made his more “mature” about his decisions.

"But yeah, it definitely colours what I'll approach in the future. I'll try to be a little bit more mature about my decisions, I think," Pitt said.

Brad, who was only seen in one movie in 2006, currently has three films – ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’, ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ and ‘Ocean's Thirteen’ – lined up for this year.

Princess Diana TV interview voted all time great

Princess Diana's emotional "Queen of Hearts" interview of 1995 has been voted the most memorable in broadcasting history, a survey of British television viewers has found.

A poll of 3,000 viewers commissioned for the UKTV Gold channel voted the Diana interview most memorable of all time, ahead of Sir David Frost's 1977 interview with former US president Richard Nixon who admitted having let his country down in the Watergate scandal that led to his resignation.

Diana, princess of Wales, told Panorama interviewer Martin Bashir that "there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded," referring to then-estranged husband Prince Charles' relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, whom he finally married in 2005.

She also said that she did not expect to be Queen but she would like to be "a queen of people's hearts." As a result of her comments, the Prince of Wales's relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles became the subject of increasingly acute public attention.

Diana also admitted her own adultery with James Hewitt. "I was in love with him. But I was very let down," she said.

She insisted she did not want a divorce from Charles.

Just a month later the Queen wrote to Charles and Diana asking them to seek an early divorce. Their marriage ended in August 1996 and Diana was stripped of her Royal Highness title. She died in a Paris car crash a year later.

India Millionaire's new 'friendly' feel

Millions of Indians were glued to their television screens on Monday evening to watch Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in his new role as anchor on the Indian version of the television game show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

The actor replaced Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, presenter from the time the show was launched in 2000.

The show started with a music video of Shah Rukh Khan, apparently his own idea.

Khan came across as a friendly anchor, who high-fived with a contestant when he got the answer right, spoke in another's native language and even gave a back massage to a third who said he was too nervous.

'Better-looking'

One viewer, Avanti Shah, told the BBC she found him more enjoyable and entertaining to watch than Bachchan.

"He seems more approachable, as if he is one of us while Amitabh Bachchan would seem very intimidating.

"He rapped a few lines in Bengali when the contestant asked him to, he spoke to another contestant in Tamil to put him at ease and I think he is great! I am definitely watching it tomorrow," she said.

Usha Vaidyanathan said he should take up presenting full time: "He is definitely better dressed than Amitabh Bachchan. I think he should give up acting."

Men, however, seem to think differently.

"He lacks the charisma of Amitabh Bachchan," said Vinay Kanodia.

And Ashok Ganapathy said the show was clearly aimed at women and the younger generation.

"There is an energy he brings to the show no doubt, but he doesn't have the presence of Amitabh Bachchan. His attempts at reaching out to the contestants such as giving a high-five, hugging anyone who doesn't want to play the game any more and even giving back massages seem childish.

"Also, it seemed like an overdose of Shah Rukh Khan because during the advertisement breaks, more than half the ads featured him! I am not sure I am watching it again."

'Different'

Bachchan made the Indian version of the show, Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) or (literally: Who Will Become a Millionaire), so popular that at least 40 million viewers were tuning in during its second season.

While Shah Rukh Khan has his own vast fan base, many are curious to see whether he will be capable of filling the very large shoes of his predecessor and drawing in as large an audience.

The game, the sets, even the music theme remain the same.

Yet the show is quite different from before, says Siddharth Basu, whose company Synergy Communications is producing it.

"This KBC is different because it has SRK [Shah Rukh Khan] as anchor. The whole texture is playful, youthful and outgoing because he is like that," Mr Basu said.

He said the actor was quite "engaged and involved" when he joined as anchor.

"He does a lot of his own script writing," Mr Basu said. "He is very proactive and that is good because for an anchor, because there is acting involved, a little bit of drama is as important. An anchor needs to think on his feet and with Shah Rukh, he is riding on wings."

Mr Basu said the previous anchor, Amitabh Bachchan, was an "awesome" host.

"He was inimitable, his gravitas did a lot for the show and he was eloquent in both Hindi and English. He was a meticulous person who prepared in great detail before coming on the set and he had great style and substance."

On the other hand, Mr Basu said, Shah Rukh Khan is perfect to draw in younger audiences.

"He has an undisputed sway over the young as well as female audiences and he can charm them in a major way. From the basic feedback that I have, the show has had a huge response from younger people and women who want to participate in the show from the time he's taken over."

The actor has reportedly worked very hard in preparation for his new role as game show host.

He had a mock set installed in house in which he would practise his delivery and questioning skills. He also spent hours on the set practising his lines, his entry and exit from the sets.

His clothes, mostly formal suits, have been designed by Bollywood director and good friend Karan Johar.

'He hugged me'

Media professional Chaitali Patel got a chance to play a mock game with him during one of the rehearsals.

She told the BBC: "As a woman if I was in front of Mr Bachchan I would be in awe of him but in front of Shah Rukh Khan, it's like 'wow!'."

She said Mr Khan came across as "spontaneous, funny, nice and someone who went out of his way to put me at ease".

Ms Patel also said: "When I got voted out of the game, he came over and hugged me and he hugs so well, smells so good!"

Apparently, Mr Khan does that with every contestant who gets voted out of the game.

However, Mr Basu explained this is his way of reaching out to people and everyone, from contestants to crew, got hugged by him.

The actor, who started his career in television, moved on to Bollywood films and delivered numerous hits before coming back full circle to the medium that first gave him recognition.

When he watches the first show with the entire team of KBC, along with millions of other viewers across the country, the chances are he might be thinking the million-dollar question as many others: does he match up or even outperform his predecessor?

BBC....

I was not in hiding: Rani Mukherjee

Rani Mukherjee, who has resurfaced after a long hiatus, says she was not in hiding but doesn't like "intrusions" into her personal life.

"I really don't like to let the world know what I'm doing every day of my life. I was not hiding anywhere. The truth is I was shooting in New York for (Siddharth Anand's) 'Tara Rum Pum'," Rani said.

"Do you know, Siddharth was with me in school? He had earlier assisted Kunal Kohli on 'Mujhse Dosti Karoge'. And now he was directing me! As for Saif Ali Khan, how he has evolved since 'Hum Tum'! He's such a focussed and committed actor!"

Explaining her suddenly reclusive status, Rani said, "I was completely cut off from Mumbai in New York. It was fun to be on my own. And when I got homesick, my parents visited me. When I'm on location abroad, I generally like to remain totally cut off.

"This time my absence seemed glaring because I was not present for the release of a major film like 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna' (KANK). Everyone wondered why I wasn't here to promote it."

Far away in New York, Rani really bonded with choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant.

"She wasn't just my choreographer there, but also my companion," said Rani emotionally.

Since she hasn't really spoken about her role as the confused wife in KANK, Rani does so now.

"Why is it that a wife must be happy just because her husband is seemingly perfect and happy with her? What if the woman finds love after finding this supposedly perfect husband? A man can find passion outside marriage no matter how attentive his wife is. But a woman doing the same is unacceptable.

"I think we need to salute Karan Johar for dealing with the very important issue of passionless marriages in urban settings with such maturity. I'm very proud of being in KANK."

And she's equally proud of "Baabul".

"You know, people often talk about the daughter-in-law being equal in status to the daughter. But does anyone actually believe in this? My father-in-law in 'Baabul' does. I think audiences got to see all all-new side of me and Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan) after 'Black' and KANK in the film."

The stressful situation in Varanasi while shooting for Pradeep Sarkar's untitled film took its toll on Rani and she fell ill.

This was Rani's third film to be shot in the holy city.

"And why the stress? Can you believe that they burnt my photographs in Varanasi? What have I done? I wasn't even aware of what had transpired before I arrived for the press conference. I came to know there was some kind of a scuffle.

"I came there after shooting, hot and tired and in no mood to answer personal questions. What was so wrong if I said my marriage is my parents' concern? I really feel men get intimidated by women who assert themselves, specially if the woman happens to be Bengali."

Rani even apologised for her behaviour at the conference but it didn't seem enough.

"I was asked to say sorry for my behaviour at the press conference, which I did. Now they're turning it around to say I didn't say sorry properly. They're saying, 'We're going to break Rani's bangles.' They've even named the film 'Choodiyan', for god knows what reason.

"The people who think my sorry isn't good enough, let me tell them I'm a well brought-up girl. If you talk decently with me I'm humble. And for their information, I'm a UP girl too. My father is from Jhansi. So there."

Amidst all this pandemonium Rani is delighted by the fact that the local authorities love her performances in "Bunty Aur Babli" and "Black".

"They're going on and on about my contrasting performances in the two. That feels good, specially when you're being hammered for no reason."

Speaking of "Black", talk veers to Sanjay Bhansali's "Saawariya", for which Rani has completed a schedule with her favourite director.

"Since I've been keeping a low-profile, people have been making up stories about how I play a courtesan in 'Saawariya'. No such thing! Let the film be released and everyone will see what we have done together."

Talking about her friendship with Bhansali, Rani said, "There're very few relationships in the industry that go way beyond work. I'm there for Bhansali and his mother even if we don't work together again. But what I'd really like as a greedy actress is for him to make another film with me and Amit uncle (Amitabh Bachchan)."

Amit uncle brings Rani to Jaya aunty.

MM...............

"I've always admired Jaya aunty's work. I looked forward to work with her, and now it's happened," she said.

Stone, ‘Basic Instinct-2’ top of flops

Sharon Stone and "Basic Instinct 2" were top of the flops here as organisers of Hollywood's annual Oscars parody -- the Razzies -- unveiled their nominations for 2006's "worst of the worst".

The critically panned sequel to the 1992 psychological murder mystery received seven Razzie nods, which come one day before the official Oscars nominations are announced in Beverly Hills on Tuesday.

"Unenjoyable, unerotic, unwatchable," was how one reviewer summed up Basic Instinct 2 last year, while another stuck the boot into screen goddess Stone opining that there "are inflatable toys that are livelier."

"Basic Instinct 2" received nominations for worst picture, actress, supporting actor, director, sequel, screenplay and screen couple on Monday. The only consolation that Stone and the movie's creators could take from Monday's announcements was that they had a rival for worst film of the year in the shape of "Little Man" by Wayans brothers Keenen Ivory, Shawn and Marlon.

The slapstick comedy was derided by one reviewer as being "one-joke short of a one-joke movie", was described by the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation as being a "blatant knock-off of a 1954 Bugs Bunny cartoon".

"Little Man" joined "Basic Instinct 2" at the head of the roll of dishonor with seven nominations -- worst picture, actor (2), remake/rip-off, director, screenplay and screen couple

MM...