Shahid Confident Of Finding Love Again

Shahid Kapur may have had the worst year personally but 2007 was definitely his best year professionally. Kareena Kapoor may have dumped him and moved on to more lucrative pastures, (read Saif Ali Khan), but this is one guy who is not sitting around nursing his broken heart.
In fact, Shahid is happy to be single again and is making full use of his single status to date the women of his choice, eg Vidya Balan, Amrita Rao & Sania Mirza. Post the success of Jab We Met, the actor's career has taken an upward swing and he has a Yash Raj Film in his kitty. This year will also see him work in his father, actor Pankaj Kapur's debut venture as director. Incidentally, the actor dumped his mother, Neelima Azmi's film to work in his father's movie. Neelima too is planning to make her debut as a director this year and was very keen that Shahid be a part of it. The actor, however, insists that he has not turned. According to him, she is still working on the script. This year should see the release of his film Kismet Konnection, being directed by Aziz Mirza. There is also talk about him doing Ken Ghosh's next, which is still in the scripting stage. Actually it is perfect way for the actor to start this year, professionally, of course. Where his personal life is concerned, the actor is very sure that he wants to fall in love again, and very soon. It is lovely feeling, he says. He says that he is sure something will happen very soon. So this is one guy, who is pout looking for love. We are sure that he will find it soon.

Vidya Plays Hostess for Shahid

Shahid Kapur may have broken up with Kareena Kapoor but the guy definitely does not have to look far for consolation and friendship. His co-star and now good friend Vidya Balan seems to have it upon herself to be the woman in his life.
A couple of nights ago, Shahid held a personal trial for his film Jab We Met. Not only was Vidya the surprise guest of the evening, she even played the unofficial hostess. So it should come as a minor shock if this couple too decides to go public with their news, just like Saif and Kareena did during the Lakme Fashion week. The trial was held at Yash Raj Studios and Shahid did not invite Kareena or any of their common friends to watch the trial. The audience at the trial consisted of producers and directors from the industry like Ramesh Taurani, Kumar Mangat, Ken Ghosh, Abbas-Mustan, Satish Kaushik, Ramesh Sippy, David Dhawan, Ravi Chopra and Raj Kumar Santoshi. Shahid's other favourite co-star Amrita Rao too was present on the occasion but Shahid's attention was all taken up by Vidya. Though both the stars came and left in their own cars, they are believed to have both headed towards Shahid's house. Earlier, last week, Kareena had kept a trial for her family and friends, where Saif had also been invited.

Jiah Khan opposite Shahid in Ken Ghosh's

Jiah Khan, the hot bombshell who made her debut opposite none other than Big B in RGV's Nishabd has bagged yet another plum project. The actress has been signed opposite Shahid Kapoor in Ken Ghosh's yet-to-be titled film. This is Jiah's third film. She also stars in the remake of Ghajini alongside Aamir Khan.
Interestingly, a lot of names like Amrita Rao and even Kangana Ranaut were being considered to play the lead role but as luck would have it, it was Jiah who finally bagged the role. The film, which is set to be based on music and dance, will have Marty (who has worked with the likes of Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears) choreographing some dances.
Post Jab We Met, Shahid is surely riding high and with such an unusual pairing, curiosity will certainly be there when the film hits the screens

Bollywood actor Jiah Khan talks about her `Gajini'

Bangalore, Dec 20 (ANI): Bollywood actor Jiah Khan, who has acted in the Bollywood movie `Gajini', talked about her role in the movie during a promotional programme in Bangalore. Speaking about her role in the movie, Jiah Khan said that she played the role of a medical student who studies the brain of a rich businessman played by actor Aamir Khan in the movie.
"In Ghajini, I play a medical student. Her name is Sunita. She studies the brain. She comes across Aamir Khan's case study. That is how she gets involved in his personal vendetta and his life," said Jiah Khan.
Jiah Khan who has earlier acted opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Ram Gopal Verma's movie `Nishabd' compared the experience of working with both the Bollywood stars Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan and said that both the actors were different from each other.
"They are both extremely different people. Bachchan is more spontaneous and relaxed whereas Aamir is always striving for a better take and to do better. But both are thorough professionals which is really nice," she said.
The movie is about a rich businessman who suffers from a short-term memory loss after a violent encounter.
The movie directed by A.R. Murugadoss has Aamir Khan, Asin, Jiah Khan and Mohit Ahlawat in the cast. (ANI)

BIOGRAPHY FOR DANIEL JACOB RADCLIFFE

Date of Birth : 23 July 1989, Fulham, London, England, UK
Birth Name : Daniel Jacob Radcliffe
Nick Name : Dan
Height : 5' 6" (1.68 m)

Mini Biography

Daniel Jacob Radcliffe was born on July 23rd, 1989 to Alan Radcliffe and Marcia Gresham. He began performing in small school productions as a young boy. Soon enough, he landed a role in David Copperfield (1999) (TV), as the young David Copperfield. A couple of years later, he landed a role as Mark Pendel in The Tailor of Panama (2001), the son of Harry and Louisa Pendel (Geoffrey Rush and Jamie Lee Curtis). Lee Curtis had indeed pointed out to Daniel's mother that he could be Harry Potter himself. Soon afterwards, Daniel was cast as Harry Potter by director, Chris Columbus in the film that hit theatres in November 16, 2001, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001). He was recognized worldwide after this film was released. Pleasing audiences and critics everywhere, filming on its sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), commenced shortly afterwards. He appeared again as Harry in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) directed by Alfonso Cuarón, and then appeared in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) directed by Mike Newell. Shortly afterwards, he finished filming _December Boys (2006)_ in Adelaide, Australia, Kangaroo Island, and Geelong, Australia which began on the 14th of November, 2005 and ended sometime in December. On January 27th, 2006, he attended the South Bank Awards Show to present the award for "Breakthrough Artist of the Year" to Billie Piper. Dan reprised his famous character once again for the next installment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007). In February 2007 he took on his first stage role in the West End play Equus to worldwide praise from fans and critics alike. He has finished filming the TV movie My Boy Jack (2007) (TV), which will air on 11 November 2007 in the UK.

Now being one of the world's most recognizable people, Daniel leads a somewhat normal life. He has made friends working on the Harry Potter films, which include his co-stars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.

IMDb Mini Biography By: The Icegirl
Trivia
Likes to play pranks. He took co-star Robbie Coltrane's cellular phone and changed it so all the messages were in Turkish. Has two border terriers named Binka and Nugget. Tried reading the first Harry Potter book when he was 8 years old, but was unable to finish it. Finally read the entire book when he was cast in the lead role of the film Has never actually seen the film The Tailor of Panama (2001) in which he appeared. His favorite book from the Harry Potter series so far is number three, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In February 2002, he was nominated for, and won "Best Newcomer" at the Variety Club Award ceremonies. Received the Sir James Carreras Award For Outstanding New Talent for his role in Harry Potter at The Variety Club Showbusiness Awards 2002. Voted Person of the Year 2002 by Time Kids.
Has stated that 12 Angry Men (1957) is the first black & white film he ever saw and is also his favorite film. He named Jane's Addiction, Libertines, The, Rage Against the Machine and The Darkness among his favourite bands. David Heyman, the producer for the Harry Potter films happened to be at a play that both Dan and Dan's father, Alan Radcliffe, were at. After Heyman spotted Radcliffe, since both men knew each other, he was introduced to his son and when Heyman saw Daniel he thought he looked perfect for the part. In fact, that night at the play, Heyman couldn't help just staring at Dan because he though he was perfect to play Harry. Daniel auditioned for, and got the part that he is now most recognized for, Harry Potter. He enjoys listening to the music of Blur, Muse, The Music, 'Zwan' and Brendan Benson. A February 23, 2004 article in British newspaper 'The Sun' listed him as Britain's third richest teenager behind only Prince Harry Windsor and Charlotte Church. He is said to be worth 5 million pounds. Has earned 6 million pounds so far portraying Harry Potter, making him the second richest teenage in Britain behind Prince Harry Windsor's 14 million pounds. [2004] Can rotate his arm 360 degrees. Is a big fan of Gary Oldman, his co-star in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). Is a supporter of Fulham Football Club although he doesn't enjoy playing football himself. He is a fan of Red Hot Chili Peppers and attended their London concert in June 2004.
Some of his favorite music groups are Stratovarius (Finland), Huey Lewis and The News (USA), and Tom Robinson (England). Favorite actors include Aishwarya Rai, Christina Ricci, Cameron Diaz, Scarlett Johansson and Ben Stiller. He originally disliked the "Harry Potter" books when he first read them. Especially like the music group the Sex Pistols. He also plays the bass guitar.
He is a fan of indie rock. Some of his favourite bands include: The Zutons, Razorlight, The Libertines, Bloc Party, Hope of the States, The Futureheads and Kaiser Chiefs. Delays between filming the second and third Harry Potter movies were caused because his parents wanted him to be able to attend normal school for a while. Says he doesn't read any articles or reviews about himself or his movies. He supports Demelza House Children's Hospice, which is a charity that cares for terminally-ill children in the Kent, East Sussex and South London areas of Britain. Dan always asks his fans to donate to the charity every Christmas and on his birthday instead of sending him gifts. In the book, 'Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince', the author 'JK Rowling' named the character Demelza Robins after the charity. He likes the music of The Strokes, The Clash and The Pixies. [May/June 2006] He sat his AS Levels in English Literature, History, and Religion and Philosophy for his AS levels (First year college exams). Named Britain's richest teenager with an astounding 23 million pound fortune, after he signed on a 8 million pound deal to make the fifth movie of the Harry Potter series. Dan scared the make-up department crew when he came on set with bloodied sticking plasters on his face claiming that he had been fighting the previous day (just for a laugh). His parents are Alan Radcliffe, a literary agent, and Marcia Gresham, a casting director. Is also a big fan of The Killers. Before working with Brendan Gleeson in the Harry Potter series, he worked with him in The Tailor of Panama (2001). 23 July 2007 - Appeared on BBC Radio's Test Match Special, from Lords, London, on the final day of the England v. India test match. It was his 18th birthday and he was a guest on "View from the Boundary" hosted by Jonathan Agnew, the BBC's cricket correspondent. He talked about his career to date and love of cricket. Is very close to actor Gary Oldman.
His agent Sue Latimer is the mother (and agent) to his friend and fellow actor Freddie Highmore.
He is a huge fan of John Wayne. Was ranked #6 on Forbes List of The 20 Top-Earning Young Superstars.(2007).

Named #23 on Empire Magazine's 100 Sexiest Movie Stars. (2007).
Was ranked #10 on Yahoo! List of 10 Most Popular Stars of 2007 on Yahoo! Movies. (2007).
Was ranked #79 on Forbes List of The Celebrity 100. (2007).
In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated his earnings for the year at $15 million.
Was ranked #29 on Entertainment Weekly's '30 Under 30' the actors list.(2008).
Was ranked #3 on TV Guide Top 10 Teen Star Countdown (2008).
Was ranked #8 on Moviefone's 'The 25 Hottest Actors Under 25'(2008).
Named as one of London's 1000 most influential people of 2008.
Personal Quotes
After being cast as Harry Potter: "I think I'm a tiny bit like Harry 'cos I'd like to have an owl. Yeah, that's the tiny bit, actually."
I don't know. People tell me I look mournful. They say, "Cheer up, Dan, it's not that bad!" Sometimes I just look into space, which freaks people out. If I was ever required to do anything other than look haunted, I could. I'm a happy person. Though I don't, like, dot my "I's" with hearts or anything - that would be too happy.
I'm not much of a cake person.
But I don't think it's going to happen. I don't think I'll do all of them - I'll probably get too spotty or too tall or I'll shrink or something.
"Absolutely. 100 percent." [on believing in magic]
I was in the bath at the time, and my dad came running in and said, 'Guess who they want to play Harry Potter!?' and I started to cry. It was probably the best moment of my life.
I'm not clumsy, I'm just accident prone.
Upon seeing the movie: "I'm a bit nervous about whether people will like it, but I've seen it, and I'm sure they will. It's really good - it's quite scary, it's quite emotional. Even I cried and I don't cry easily! I cried at the end credits when my name came up, and I was, like, Oh my God! I can't believe that's my name! I've met so many people since we started filming and it's been wonderful. I've progressed so far and changed so much since the beginning. It's been like a real journey."
On considering himself as a heartthrob: "Personally I can't see it, but if other people can, fine. Cool!"
I would consider doing any part as long as the script is good and the film has an interesting director.
"I like them, but it's hard to concentrate when the bats fly about, and they pee while they fly." [about the bats on the set]
I've never been one of the cool people at school, but then again, I don't get the people who are cool. It's not that I don't like them, it's just that they don't interest me.
"Too many little numbers on one page!" - about math
Stage is much more intimidating than going before the cameras, because you can really screw up, and can't do a retake.
When I go back to school everyone asks a lot of questions. Then, after about a week, when I've answered everything, we get back to normal.
It's too far down the road to decide about a fifth movie. I'm still the same age Harry is, and I haven't actually grown that much.
Fans are really important for me. And if they take pains to write me, it's the minimum that I answer myself.
I think I'm highly normal. I'm attending school after acting, I'm going out with friends, going to the cinema - I'm just doing everything a normal teenager does. People think I can't leave the house without being in a crowd of fans - but that's not true. I'm able to do more things than people might think.
I'm thrilled of the acceptance I get abroad. The people are so hearty, warm and grateful and I feel privileged having seen so many countries and some of the greatest monuments.
When I get into trouble at school I'd like to take an invisibility cloak, drape it over me and sneak out the door. Or I'd like to have a 3-headed-dog because then no one would argue with me.
I played a trick on the make-up department where I put a fake blood capsule in my mouth, pretended to trip on the stairs and let the blood come out of my mouth. They really fell for it, then they chased after me with a water pistol.
Everyone on the set has a mobile phone, and I found by pushing a few buttons, they could be programmed into different languages. I fixed Robbie's (Coltrane) to speak in Turkish.
I don't understand girls, but I'm slowly learning.
[on saying that he'll do all of the Harry Potter movies] "Ultimately it comes down to whether we're still enjoying it. If we are then I think we would be sort of stupid not to do them. As long as I'm doing other stuff around the same time, I think it'll be fine. Also, I sort of try to read the books when they come out impartially and not make up my mind, but the fact is when I was reading the sixth, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, there were bits in there where I was going, 'God, I would love to do that because it's so good.'"
(on whether he is religious) "I'm not a religious person. My mom was of Jewish blood and my dad was Protestant... I'm very interested in religion as something to study, but I'm not a religious person in the slightest."
I didn't look at the nudity and go, oh great. But it's the same as doing a role with an accent or a particular affectation. You look at the character first. Lots of the actors that I've admired have at one stage or another taken their kit off. It's a rite of passage. That iconic scene is the physical and emotional climax of the play. So if I do that with pants on, it would be crap.
I feel OK about my body. Not totally, of course, no one my age does ... but I've gone to the gym to make sure. And many of the actors I admire, like Gary Oldman, have gone naked.
People will always remember Harry, but I think if I work hard enough other characters will stick in their minds as well.
[About the "Equus" paparazzi]: They were outside the theatre every single night, but we came up with a cunning ruse. I would wear the same outfit every time - a different T-shirt underneath, but I'd wear the same jacket and zip it up so they couldn't see what I was wearing underneath, and the same hat. So they could take pictures for six months, but it would look like the same day, so they (photos) became unpublishable. Which was hilarious, because there's nothing better than seeing paparazzi getting really frustrated.
What everybody would love to see is me having ditched school and then just going wild. That's what I'm determined not to give them.
It's not so much that they don't want me to grow up. It's that they're annoyed that I'm growing up adjusted. They'd much rather I was growing up and going wild and crashing cars.
I'm lucky enough to have a job that I love, and a relatively down-to-earth life.
(On being bullied in school) Some people did get very aggressive. People say it was just jealousy, but I don't think it is jealousy. I think it's just 'We can have a crack at the kid who plays Harry Potter.' As Eddie Izzard says, these people always hang about in fives, because people these have a fifth of a personality each.
Salary
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) $14,000,000
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) $11,000,000
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) $3,000,000
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) £ 250,000
Where Are They Now
(May 2003) Currently filming in _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)_.
(April 2004) Filming Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005).
(March 2005) Completed filming of _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)_.
(November 2005) Working on December Boys (2007) in Adelaide, Australia.
(February 2006) Filming _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)_.
(February 2007) Playing "Alan Strang" in the London West End production of "Equus" with Joanna Christie.
(December 2007) Filming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
(September 2008) Performing on Broadway in Equus as Alan Strang

Daniel Radcliffe

Although he had wanted to be an actor for as long as he could remember, Daniel Radcliffe had to convince his parents to allow him to pursue his dream. The schoolboy had been encouraged to try out for a 1999 British TV version of Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" but his mother and father opposed the idea. When the opportunity to audition for another of Dickens' young heroes, this time "David Copperfield" (BBC, 1999), they relented. Surviving five callbacks, Radcliffe landed the role and earned glowing notices for his work. He also displayed a poise and screen charisma and more than held his own opposite such veterans as Bob Hoskins and Maggie Smith. Still, that was a mere warm-up for his first major film role. Radcliffe landed the highly coveted part of Harry Potter, the bespectacled young wizard of the popular series of books by author J K Rowling. But before he was set to make history, he had a small part in the amusing spy drama, “The Tailor of Panama” (2001).
The young actor beat out numerous other performers (including the much rumored Gabriel Thomson, who ironically had played another Dickens hero, Pip in 1999's "Great Expectations", and Liam Aiken, who had co-starred in director Chris Columbus' "Stepmom" 1998). Radcliffe received the imprimatur of author Rowling and was expected to be a breakout when "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" opened in theaters in November 2001. Indeed, the film was received warmly by audiences and Radcliffe became one of the best known adolescent actors of the day. Following the success of the film and the attempt to shoot as many as closely as possible before the young actors outgrew their roles, Radcliffe found himself with little time to explore other roles, as he reprised the bespectacled young wizard in the sequels "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002) and the slightly darker "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004). After reviving the role for “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005), the first installment directed by a British director (Mike Newell), Radcliffe managed to squeeze in another film, “The December Boys” (lensed in 2005), a drama set in the 1960’s about four orphans longing for a home and a family.
Born: July 23, 1989 in England
Job Titles: Actor
Family
Father: Alan Radcliffe. Protestant; grew up in Northern Ireland
Mother: Marcia Gresham. Jewish; grew up in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex; casting agent for the BBC films, "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries" and "Walk Away And I Stumble"
Milestones
1999 Debut acting role, as a young incarnation of the title role in the BBC/PBS adaptation of Charles Dickens' "David Copperfield"
2000 Had featured role in "The Tailor of Panama", John Boorman's adaptation of John Le Carre's spy novel
2001 Cast in the title role of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone," adapted from a popular series of books by author J K Rowling
2002 Reprised role of Harry in the sequel "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"
2004 Again played Harry Potter in the third installment of the series by J.K. Rowling "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" directed by Alfonso Cuarón
2005 Reprised the role of Harry in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," adapted from the fourth book in the fantasy series by J.K. Rowling and directed by Mike Newell
2006 Appeared in the television series "Extras" (BBC/HBO) as a parody of himself
2007 Made London stage debut as a psychologically disturbed stable boy in a revival of Peter Shaffer's play "Equus"
2007 Reprised the role of Harry in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," adapted from the fifth book in the fantasy series and directed by David Yates

Me and slapstick humor? Not sure: Chitrangda Singh

Mumbai: There is a certain image that one carries of Chitrangda Singh once her name pops up. After all, none of her three films so far, ‘Sorry Bhai', ‘Kal - Yesterday and Tomorrow’ and ‘Hazaron Khwahishen Aisi’, fell into a mainstream bracket. ‘Sorry Bhai’ came closest to being so but its release over the weekend of Mumbai Terror attack proved disastrous for its box office fortunes. The film failed and now it would be a while before Chitrangda is seen on the big screen again. In PNC produced ‘Aur Devdas’, she yet again gets serious with her own take on 'Chandramukhi' while enacting the character of a socialite.
"But it's not that I am stuck up on doing any particular kind of roles", protests Chitrangda when questioned if she would forever be doing cinema belonging to this genre.
That seems to be the case though, considering her choice of films over a period of time. With the kind of glam quotient she comes with, doesn't she wish to expand her horizon? Doesn't she wish to chill out for a change and do a film where she can just let herself go free without any limitations of coming up with yet another 'intense/award worthy/deep rooted' performance?

"You are making it all sound much more serious than it is", laughs Chitrangda, "I am not averse to being a part of commercial fun cinema. In fact, I love Priyadarshan's films. They come with great situational humor and are so funny. Give me a film coming from his stable and I will be glad to be a part of it."
Talking of fun, hypothetically speaking if she has Rohit Shetty approaching her for ‘Golmaal 3’, would she be willing to be a part of it? After all the ‘Golmaal’ series too is a lot funny, has great commercial ingredients and promise assured box office returns!
"'Golmaal? Errr, I will have to really give a movie belonging to such genre a lot of thought before I sign on the dotted line", says Chitrangda in an amused tone, "And that's because such movies belong to slapstick genre and I am not too sure how much of such humor would I would be able to carry off. However, a point to ponder indeed!"
Meanwhile, she seems pretty excited when questioned on ‘Aur Devdas’. Apparently, her character is much deeper and darker than all the versions of 'Chandramukhi' that have been seen on celluloid till date?

"Well, (director) Sudhir Mishra has his own interpretation of 'Chandramukhi' that gives the film an edge", Chitrangda reveals, "I play a very ambitious woman who doesn't think twice about using whatever possible means available to her for getting her way through. She knows that she is in a cutthroat world and has no hesitation in even using her sensuality to make a couple of deals go through."

Dawood’s network financed Mumbai attacks: Russia

New Delhi: Russia believes that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim was directly involved in the Mumbai attacks, and his vast drug network was used by the terrorists to carry out the multiple strikes.
In an interview to Russian Government daily Rossiskaya Gazeta, Russia’s federal anti-narcotics service director Viktor Ivanov said: “The gathered inputs testify that regional drug baron Dawood Ibrahim had provided his logistics network for preparing and carrying out the Mumbai Terror attacks.”
Moscow, which has been sharing intelligence with New Delhi, believes that Dawood’s drug network, which runs through Afghanistan, was used to finance the attacks. Ivanov said the Mumbai attacks were a “burning example” of how the illegal drug trafficking network was used for carrying out terror activities.
“The super profits of the narco-mafia through Afghan heroin trafficking have become a powerful source of financing organised crime and terrorist networks, destabilising the political systems, including in Central Asia and Caucasus,” Ivanov said.

Ivanov’s statement came as India and Russia held their fifth meeting of the joint working group on combating international terrorism on Wednesday, where both sides unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms. The two countries underlined their shared concerns on the growing threat of cross-border terrorism and reaffirmed their commitment for strengthening bilateral cooperation against terrorism.
While the Indian delegation was led by Vivek Katju, Special Secretary in the MEA, the Russian delegation was led by Anatoly Safonov, Special Representative of the President.
The two sides noted that curbing financing of terrorism is a key component of the counter-terrorism strategy and agreed to strengthen bilateral interaction in this field.

Police file chargesheet in GK-I blast

New Delhi: Identify Mohd Atif Amin and Ariz alias Junaid as the ones who had planted the dustbin bomb at the M-Block market
The Delhi Police on Thursday filed the chargesheet in connection with the blast in Greater Kailash in the Capital. In their second chargesheet in the September 13 serial blasts here, the police have identified Mohd Atif Amin and Ariz alias Junaid, as the ones who had planted the bomb in a dustbin at M-block market in GK-I.
While Atif, the alleged leader of militant group Indian Mujahideen was killed in the Batla House encounter, Junaid is yet to be arrested. The police have also claimed in the chargesheet that Junaid is also involved in Terror blasts across the country.
On September 19, Junaid had fired at the police raiding party led by Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma before escaping from flat 108, L-18 Batla House, the chargesheet reads.
The five accused who have already been arrested by the police in the case — Mohd Shakeel, Zia-ur-Rehman, Saquib Nissar, Mohd Saif and Zeeshan — have been charged with various offences under the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act. They have, however, not been charged for murder as there were no casualties in the GK blast.

Terming the CCTV footage recovered from GK as irrelevant since it could not identify anyone, the police said they have relied mainly on video clips stored in mobile phone recovered from Atif and on the disclosure statement of accused Mohd Saif, at present in judicial custody.
The data from Atif’s cell phone contained a video clip of the polythene bag containing the bomb in the dustbin at M-Block market, the chargesheet mentions.
According to the chargesheet, the phone records and telephonic conversation among the accused showed that Atif and Junaid had also assisted Mohd Saif and Mohd Khalid in bringing the explosives from Manipal and Faridabad, to Batla House.
“Accused Mohd Saif and Mohd Khalid were received by Mohd Atif Ameen and Ariz alias Junaid at Faridabad railway station. They then brought the explosive material safely to Batla house, Jamia Nagar,” it reads. The chargesheet also reveals the accused used to collect watches for timers, cycle ball bearings for splinters in blasts/IEDs by purchasing them from different cities. Before the serial blasts, Junaid, along with Mohd Saif had gone to the cycle market in Chandni Chowk pretending to be engineering students and purchased 20,000 pieces of cycle ball bearings for Rs 1,800. The pretext was a course project.

The police will file a supplementary chargesheet against Junaid once he is arrested.
They had filed the first chargesheet in connection with the serial blasts on Wednesday.

'Can I meet Kasab and ask him what he has gained'

Mumbai: Is it possible for me to meet that boy?” asks Karuna Thakur Waghela, her eyes swollen, as if she has been crying for a very long time. “Or can you ask him what he has gained by doing this? In a single night he stole my family’s happiness, shattered all our dreams, took away the father of my children.”
That boy is Ajmal Ameer Kasab, the only terrorist caught alive by the Mumbai police for the 26/11 attacks. One of the men he and his partner Ismael gunned down was Thakur, Karuna’s 33-year-old husband who was a sweeper at GT hospital.
On the night of 26/11, Thakur was all set for his late shift at GT Hospital. He was sharing a meal with his son Yash in their ramshackle quarters, when Kasab entered their home from the lane behind GT Hospital. Almost as soon as he sauntered in, Kasab shot and killed Thakur.
Thakur’s mother, who lived next door, saw the two men walk in with their rifles. “He’s my son, don’t do anything to him,” she shouted, only to be shot at by Ismael. She ducked, escaping the bullet.

Now, Thakur’s children cope with the tragedy in different ways. While seven-year-old Dhaval is angry and wants to avenge his father’s death, his four-year-old brother, Yash, suffers from terrible nightmares. He saw his father die. The eldest, 11-year-old Roshni, meanwhile, has taken on the role of a caretaker, often consoling her younger brothers. All three children manage to get through the day, but when night sets in, so does uncontrollable anxiety.
“The kids weren’t afraid to stay out of the house until late, but now they cannot even venture out after 6 pm. They know that the terrorists came and killed their father in the dark,” says Karuna, adding that the family plans to seek the help of a psychiatrist for the two boys.
“We had so many plans for the children. We wanted them to study in an English-medium school. Thakur would say that he wouldn’t mind giving up one meal a day if it would help get them English-medium education,” says Karuna.

Sources said the PAP bomb disposal squad was in Budhlada where SAD president Sukhbir Badal had to attend a political programme.

Vadodara: After a group of students and professors at the Parul Institute in Waghodia apparently stripped a first year engineering student of his T-shirt, and tagged him as a thief — for allegedly stealing a mobile — students and college officials have decided to remain mum over the issue.
Authorities said that steps against the offenders have already been initiated, while the professors decided not to speak against the management. Elsewhere, the students remained tight-lipped.
The situation at the institute, however, appeared to be tense, with authorities and the students giving contradictory statements. Students said the incident occurred on Wednesday, while trustee Devanshu Patel said it occurred nearly three days ago.
Patel said: “Three students involved in this incident were not allowed for internal tests which started on Wednesday.”
When asked about the details of the students, he said, “The offenders are not available at the moment. Ram Kishore (name changed), the victim, belongs to Valsad and we have called his parents. He was a habitual offender and was caught red-handed.”
Some of the students outside the campus, said: “Controversies are part of the institute and the dominance of authorities is quite evident. They are acting as if nothing has happened. The incident occurred on Wednesday between 2:00 pm to 4:00 at the hostel, after the student was caught. He was taken to a professor who further directed them to take action.”
Patel, however, added that : “Professors were not involved in this. The institute was informed about the issue by the rector, Ashok Patel, in the evening.”
The police are yet to take action on the issue.
Jayesh Patel, Chairman of the Parul Institute, who is in Delhi, was unavailable for comment. “I cannot comment on this issue, please meet me on Friday,” he said.

Fighting terror, with one bomb disposal squad for entire state

Ludhiana: Unattended briefcase spotted at Dholewal Bridge at 8 pm on Wednesday, squad reaches spot three and a half hours later
The bomb scare near Dholewal Bridge last night brought to the fore a very grave situation. While the country is still picking up the pieces after the Terror attacks in Mumbai, the various departments of Ludhiana are not well equipped to tackle any such strikes. This, despite the fact that the intelligence agencies had recently alerted Ludhiana, among other cities of the state, for being on the hitlist of the terrorists.
There is only one bomb disposal squad in the state and that too remains on VIP duties most of the time. Meanwhile, no one in the city has heard about a hazmat van (hadardous materials), which is equipped to meet exigencies like bomb scare.
Requesting anonymity, senior police officers told Newsline that the state’s lone bomb disposal squad from the Punjab Armed Police (PAP), Jalandhar, was on a VIP duty at Budhlada from where it was called to the city last night after a briefcase was spotted from near the urinals under the Dholewal Bridge.

Sources said the PAP bomb disposal squad was in Budhlada where SAD president Sukhbir Badal had to attend a political programme.
The briefcase was spotted around 8 pm on Wednesday. Though the police reached the spot immediately and cordoned off the entire area besides putting sandbags around the suspected briefcase, it took over three and a half hours for the bomb disposal squad to reach the spot. Around midnight, the briefcase was checked and no bomb was found.
A senior police officer said on condition of anonymity: “Had there really been a bomb in the briefcase, the Dholewal Bridge, which is meant for heavy utility vehicles, would have been completely damaged.”
The officer said that about two months ago, the Ludhiana police had sent a proposal for forming a bomb disposal squad for Ludhiana, the biggest city of the state. The proposal has not been accepted yet by the senior police functionaries in Chandigarh.
Another police officer said Ludhiana, like many other states, needs its own hazmat vans, which are fully equipped to fight bomb scares and similar situations.
Asked if the Ludhiana police were following the instructions of the intelligence agencies, SSP (Urban) R K Jaiswal said: “We are keeping a tab on the situation. We regularly check vehicles, though manually, in a number of areas of the city, among other measures.”

15 yrs on, CBI to probe firing at Hari Masjid

Mumbai: Don’t let commission findings influence you, report in 6 months: HC
The Hari Masjid firing of 1992-93 will be investigated again. Fifteen years after police bullets killed seven people at the mosque in Wadala, the Bombay High Court has directed the CBI to investigate the incident and file a report within six months.
The police had justified the firing on grounds that they could not otherwise control an armed Muslim mob. The Srikrishna Commission had junked this claim and found that the firing was unprovoked, but the panel’s report was rejected in 1998 by the then Shiv Sena-BJP Government in 1998. Instead, a Special Task Force reinvestigated the case and gave a clean chit to the police.
On Thursday, a division bench of Justice F I Rebello and Justice R S Mohite held that the CBI should register the case and investigate it without the influence of the Srikrishna Commission report. The state has been directed to hand over the complaint and other required documents to the agency.

The court had earlier observed that this is a case that “affects the very soul of India” and held that the “matter should be investigated for the rule of law to survive”. The court had slammed the state for the Special Task Force’s one-sided investigation and the central government for its reluctance to hand over the case to the CBI.
The firing had taken place at the height of the 1992-93 communal riots. Farooq Mapkar, who was chargesheeted for murder and rioting, had urged the court to initiate action against then police sub-inspector Nikhil Kapse, whom the Srikrishna Commission report held “guilty of unjustified firing” and “inhuman and brutal behaviour”.
Additional Solicitor General Rajendra Raghuvanshi had submitted that as per the manual the CBI can take over the investigation even in the absence of an FIR. Public prosecutor Satish Borulkar echoed the same arguments and stated that the CBI can investigate the case based on the complaint filed by Farooq Mapkar in 2006.
Raghuvanshi on Thursday said that as per the manual the CBI can enquire first and then register the offence. The court, however, asked the CBI to register the offence first.

Connecting terror: how mobile records gave leads to police

New Delhi: The Delhi Police’s chargesheet on the September 13 serial blasts in the Capital hinges heavily on mobile intercepts of the accused to ascertain the concrete links of the conspiracy.
The chargesheet says slain Indian Mujahideen suspect Atif Amin was the operational head of the serial blasts. It also says Atif was involved in setting off bombs in Uttar Pradesh in 2006 and in Jaipur and Ahmedabad this year.
The chargesheet says three numbers — 9712398204, 9714552899 and 9724764196 — had been under surveillance of the Special Cell since August this year. This was part of the probe into the Ahmedabad blasts.
Atif’s group allegedly used two numbers — 9712398204 and 9714552899. Wiretaps have shown they were working in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar between July 17 and 22. But it sent out signals from Ahmedabad on July 23. The third number was used by co-accused Qayamuddin, who allegedly assisted Atif in carrying out blasts in Ahmedabad and Delhi.
On July 26, the day bombs went off in Ahmedabad killing five, all three numbers were switched off.

During his stay in Gujarat, these numbers were also found to be in touch with a BSNL connection in Uttar Pradesh (East) — 9415835341. This, the police said, was used by Dr Shahnawaz, a resident of Azamgarh and a co-conspirator.
Another number (9811004309) also surfaced in the Special Cell’s radar in later days. It had a post-paid connection and was registered in Atif’s name.
The chargesheet also says that there were no calls to this on November 23, 2007, the day bombs went off in UP courts. It was also off during the times explosions occurred in Jaipur on May 13, in Ahmedabad on July 26 and in Delhi on September 13.
The police claims two co-accused Mohd Saif (in custody) and Mohd Khalid (absconding), had travelled to Udupi, Karnataka, on August 28 by rail to bring back explosives. They came back with the consignment on August 31.
The chargesheet says Saif and Khalid were received at the Faridabad station by Atif and Junaid, who is absconding. The explosives were kept in Batla House, the police have said.
Investigations show Saif’s number (9718664537) travelled out of Delhi on August 28 and was in roaming at Manipal, Karnataka, till August 29. It was found active in the Capital from August 31.
Further, Saif’s number while on roaming, had received several calls from Atif’s number 9811004309.

During his stay in Gujarat, these numbers were also found to be in touch with a BSNL connection in Uttar Pradesh (East) — 9415835341. This, the police said, was used by Dr Shahnawaz, a resident of Azamgarh and a co-conspirator.
Another number (9811004309) also surfaced in the Special Cell’s radar in later days. It had a post-paid connection and was registered in Atif’s name.
The chargesheet also says that there were no calls to this on November 23, 2007, the day bombs went off in UP courts. It was also off during the times explosions occurred in Jaipur on May 13, in Ahmedabad on July 26 and in Delhi on September 13.
The police claims two co-accused Mohd Saif (in custody) and Mohd Khalid (absconding), had travelled to Udupi, Karnataka, on August 28 by rail to bring back explosives. They came back with the consignment on August 31.
The chargesheet says Saif and Khalid were received at the Faridabad station by Atif and Junaid, who is absconding. The explosives were kept in Batla House, the police have said.
Investigations show Saif’s number (9718664537) travelled out of Delhi on August 28 and was in roaming at Manipal, Karnataka, till August 29. It was found active in the Capital from August 31.
Further, Saif’s number while on roaming, had received several calls from Atif’s number 9811004309.

THE TRAILAtif: 9811004309Off on all blast days. Tapped between September 2 and 10
Two other numbers used by group: 9712398204, 9714552899In Jamia Nagar from July 17 to 22. In Ahmedabad next day. Switched off on July 26, the day of blasts
Saif: 9718664537Went out off Delhi on August 28, founding on roaming in Karnataka back in Delhi on August 31.
Shakeel: 9899284784In Gaffar Market on September 6. Several calls to Atif to discuss where to plant bombs
Qayamuddin: 9724764196 Was switched off on July 26, Ahmedabad blasts
Dr Shahnawaz’s: 9415835341In contact with Atif’s group numbers when men were in Gujarat

Genelia hooks up with John

Genelia D'Souza, the bubbly actress of the youth flick Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na has been roped in by the comedy maestro – director David Dhawan for his upcoming film Hook Ya Crook which stars John Abraham as the lead character.Initially the character, which Genelia will play now in Hook Ya Crook, was supposed to be played by Vidya Balan. But reportedly Bipasha Basu freaked out when she heard that her beau John Abraham was working with Vidya. Well, looks like the rumours during the shoot of Salaam–E–Ishq are still fresh in Bipasha's mind!A source says, "There is no reason as to why Genelia will not do Hook Ya Crook. She did a fabulous job in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and David is very happy to have her on board."

Madonna to pay ex-husband USD 76 mn in divorce deal

In the largest-ever divorce payment from a wife to her ex-husband, Madonna will pay Guy Ritchie at least USD 76 million, her spokeswoman in New York said Monday. The couple still has to settle custody arrangements for their children eight-year old Rocco, and three-year old David. But the deal gives film director Ritchie the couple's English country estate, west London pub and a reported cash settlement of USD 53 million, Madonna's representative Liz Rozenberg told the New York Daily News. They were married for eight years and granted a preliminary divorce last month. Madonna, 50, is worth an estimated USD 450 million while film director Ritchie's assets are valued at about USD 45 million.

Pop singer Kylie Minogue plans to relaunch acting career

Australian pop singer-songwriter and actress Kylie Minogue is planning to reprise her acting career in the future. Minogue has said that she often wonders how her life would have unfolded if she hadn't turned her hand to singing, reports contactmusic.com. The “Wow” hitmaker shot to fame in Australian soap opera “Neighbours” in the 1980s before launching her successful singing career off the back of the show. The diminutive star did a cameo in Britain's “Doctor Who” Christmas special last year and Minogue wouldn't rule out doing more acting in the future. "I've been concentrating on music for such a long time now that I sometimes have to remind myself that I started out acting! I wonder what my life would be like if I had not followed a recording career and instead focused on the craft of acting," she said. "Acting plays a definite role in music and many aspects of my musical career but I do look forward to more film or stage acting in the future.”

IANS

Priyanka’s intimacy with Shahid Kapoor intrigues filmdom

The new buzz in Bollywood concerns the super fashionable Priyanka Chopra and the chocolaty Shahid Kapoor. They are seen bonding big time on the sets of their forthcoming film ‘Kaminay’. What adds to the fire is that the duo resides in the same building – Raj Classic and are even spotted together, during off- shooting hours. On the other hand, Harman seems to be going out of Priyanka’s life and his visits to her have been visibly reduced. A source informed a magazine, "She stays on the eighth floor in the 'B' wing and Shahid stays in the 'A' wing on the 11th floor. They leave together for the sets of their upcoming film and some days, they even leave in a single car while the other one tags along empty." "Previously, the frequent visitors to Shahid's home were his earlier hook ups Viday Balan and Sania Mirza. And now it's PC," the source added. According to another reliable source, "Priyanka has been not visiting Harman's house regularly. At least for over a month now, she has not been spotted here. Previously, we'd see her Mercedes perpetually parked outside Baweja house." What’s going on is anybody’s guess now! The on and off romance is very common in Bollywood and don’t be surprised if you hear, Shahid making an announcement like Bebo’s Saifu – yes, we (read Shahid and Priyanka) are together.

Deepika dazzles on cover of 'The Man' and 'Elle' magazine

Spicezee Bureau

Mumbai, Dec 16: After her stunning performance in ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’, Ranbir’s lover girl and Shah Rukh’s debutante charm in OSO, Deepika Padukone is now rocking the glam-world. Deepika, who has featured in most of the popular celeb magazines like 'Maxim', 'Vogue' and 'Cosmopolitan' will now be seen on the cover of ‘Elle’ and ‘The Man’ December issue. The long-legged beauty, a former supermodel, sports a sexy orange cleavage popping look for the cover of a leading lifestyle magazine, ‘The Man’. Well, that’s not all, in this issue of the magazine, Dips also spills the secret of her sexy frame and shares some beauty tips with readers. The seductress also posed for the cover of ‘Elle’ in a shiny green silk and leather embellished dress, designed by Manish Arora. The special anniversary issue gives a low down on Elle's 50 'Most Stylish People' and on the 100 top people, things, places and trends that shaped the year 2008. Well, after spilling her seducing charm on magazine covers, Deepika is all set to entice the audience in her upcoming flick, Chandni Chowk to China’ opposite the Bollywood’s ‘Khiladi’ Akshay Kumar.

Thump them all, Deepika!