Salman Khan is back in the news. For the wrong reasons, once again!

At a packed-to-capacity press conference at his plush bungalow in Juhu on April 1, Vivek Oberoi told the media persons that Salman Khan had threatened him in the early hours of March 30.

Vivek claimed that Salman called him 41 times that night and abused him in the choicest of expletives, accusing Vivek of having “physical relationships with Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherji, Diya Mirza and Somy Ali,” Vivek revealed.

After concentrating all her efforts on her home production ‘Dil Ka Rishta’, Ash is now slow to sign films. But don’t be mistaken, the lady is merely picking and choosing her films with great care. So she’s got a great line-up of interesting projects that should last her a long time already. Check out the awesome films in her kitty. There’s Rituparnno Ghosh’s ‘Choker Bali’ (which reportedly she’s already completed); Gurinder Chaddha’s ‘Bride and Prejudice’ which could have a Hollywood actor opposite Ash; Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Khakee’ which is already a much talked about film; Sameer Karnik’s ‘Kyon Ho Gaya Na’ with Amitabh Bachchan and Vivek Oberoi; Roland Joffe’s ‘The Invaders’ with Vivek Oberoi; and she could also sign Ketan Mehta’s next film on Mangal Pandey titled ‘1857 – The Rising’ with Aamir Khan, and finally Sanjay Bhansali’s film ‘Bajirao Mastani’. Whew! If that isn’t one helluva package of films, nothing is!

This one is third in the row for Vivek Oberoi. No, not a third consecutive hit but third movie with an assistant turned director. After Rajat Mukherjee’s (Assistant of RGV) Road, then Saathiya for Mani ratnam’s Assistant Shaad Ali and now Dum for E Niwas who has assisted RGV in many a flicks now !!! Dum is produced by Morani and Soorma who have earlier given super hits like Arjun, Vardi, Damini, Raja Hindustaani amongst others. Dum is another social-action-darama produced by them which surprisingly has a VERY GOOD score for an actioner (as has been Kaante in recent months !!) Whiz kid Sandeep Chowta hits the bull’s eye for Dum that has lyrics by Abbas Tyrewala, Nitin Raikwar and Sameer. E niwas has had suiccess so far in his medium budgeted Shool that gave him critical acclaim and Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega - a moderately successful comic caper. Let’s see what heights does young Niwas reach with this big budgeted Dum whcih has Diya Mirza and two times National award winner Atul Kulkarni (Hey Ram and Chandni Bar).

He’s the hottest new star kid on the block. And she’s the hottest star-kid on the horizon too. Vivek Oberoi and Kareena Kapoor are surely one happening pair. And they’re all set to set the screen sizzling. A rumour has it that the director duo have signed Kareena for an author-backed role opposite Vivek. Pssst. Here’s a little secret. Apparently, Kareena claims the role is radically different from anything she’s done before and will shock the audience. Now is that a negative role or what? Any guesses?

Starring: Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukerjee
Special Appearances By: Shahrukh Khan and Tabu
Director: Shaad Ali
Music: A.R. Rahman
Lyrics: Gulzar
Screenplay: Mani Ratnam
Produced By: Kaleidoscope Entertainment
Released By: Yash Raj Films

Saathiya is a very light romantic drama, an old-fashioned story from the era of 70s & 80s where parents and social status used to come as an inseparable wall and the lovers usually have to run away from their homes and do secret marriages. The only so-called new or better thing shown is the real life drama which happens after the marriage. The ups and downs faced by the couple, is the interesting part of the movie which is the real essence of the whole story.

Film-maker Ram Gopal Varma is back with Company, a movie that tackles the seedy side of Bollywood, the underworld of gangsters.

It’s a time to kill for Hindi cinema this season. From actor-turned-director Chekravarthy’s underworld drama Durga, Vipul Shah’s suave look at gangsterism in Ankhein and Hansal Mehta’s forthcoming Chhal, filmmakers seem to have unleashed a virtual gang-war on screen.

And now there is Ram Gopal Varma’s Company, which chronicles the story of two underworld dons who become bitter enemies. Though Varma denies the film’s proximity to real life, the industry is abuzz with rumours that the film is inspired by the restless relationship between Mumbai’s underworld dons Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan.

Is there no limit to this guy’s talent? After wowing the audiences with his performances in films such as ‘Company’, ‘Road’, ‘Saathiya’ and ‘Dum’, Vivek Oberoi, claim the gristmills, is all set to produce his own film. And what better company to help him co-produce it than mentor Ramgopal’s ‘Varma Corporation’? However, when we spoke to the actor, he claimed to be too tied up with his current spate of films to even venture in that direction. “I can’t even manage my own dates right now,” he says, in between smoothly jumping from one schedule to another for Ramgopal’s ‘Darna Mana Hai’ and Sameer Karnik’s ‘Kyon Ho Gaya Na’. “I have so many things to do that venturing into production doesn’t look like my cup of tea. But yes, I have been toying with a script. Whether that will turn out into a film or not, is difficult to say.” Well, all we can say is, the opportunity still lies waiting. Go on Vivek, maybe it’s time you took the plunge. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for you!

[ TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

MUMBAI: Devdas, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Rs 50-crore magnum opus about the unrequited love of an alcoholic may not have won an Oscar nomination, but it swept the 48th Manikchand Filmfare awards 2002 ceremony on Friday night.

It won 11 awards, including best film, director (Sanjay Leela Bhansali), actor (Shah Rukh Khan), actress (Aishwarya Rai) and best actress in a supporting role (Madhuri Dixit).

“Everyone asked me why I put in so much money into the story of a loser, but it turned out to be a winner,” said Bhansali.