I don`t want to play `bechari maa` roles;; Zeenat Aman


Veteran actress Zeenat Aman can give the current lot of actresses a run for their money with her style and poise even at 58. She says she is looking forward to doing off-beat and "age appropriate" roles but is clear that she doesn`t want to play a "bechari maa" (helpless mother).

"I would like to work with any good filmmaker who offers me an age appropriate role. Like an older woman who has something to do in a movie except for the `woh bechari maa`. I think women have many more dimensions than just that," Zeenat told reporters.

The actress, who was in the capital to launch Kanchan Kapoor`s The W Factor Club - a women`s wine appreciation and celebration club - says even though she has been associated with glamour all through her life, she wants to do offbeat films now.

"Of course I want to do different roles. One always likes to do something different. Just because one is glamorous or looks glamorous doesn`t mean he or she doesn`t have brains or that one doesn`t know his or her craft," she said.

Zeenat, who was last seen in "Ugly Aur Pagli", says she stayed away from the arc lights for years as she was busy raising her two children - Azaan, 23 and Zahaan, 20.

"My family, my work, my life has kept me busy all this while. I have been primarily busy with my family. My boys lost their father around 11 years ago. They were very little, so my first priority was my family and my children. I had to be both mom and dad to them. Everything else became secondary in my life. But now they are grown up," she said.

Asked if her children are considering a career in films, she said: "Never say never. I don`t know. They might just get into movies. The older one has actually just finished his bachelors in film direction."

So does he plan to direct his mother soon?

"They direct me enough at home - mumma this, mumma that," she laughed. Though she added on a more serious note: "He will be directing films some time though."

Zeenat says she is now working on a few films, including Sanjay Sharma`s "Dunno Y...Jaane Kyun", but didn`t want to divulge any details about the movie.

"I`m working on a few films, but when they are absolutely ready, that would be the right time to talk about it," she said.

Zeenat, who walked the ramp for the first time in the capital, says she gets occasional calls to participate in fashion shows and she chooses them according to her convenience.

"If I have time and I feel like it, I go for fashion weeks. I have walked the ramp in Kolkata and Mumbai. I was invited to Chennai but couldn`t go. This is the first time I have walked the ramp in Delhi," said Zeenat, who was looking elegant in a black-red kaftan by her favourite designer Sapna Chopra.

A former Miss India, Zeenat didn`t look a wee bit uncomfortable walking the runway.

"It was an interesting experience. When you have done something, it`s not difficult to go back to it. Did I look uncomfortable? I wasn`t at all," she said. Advertisement

Bin laden had almost killed Clinton: Book


Former US President Bill Clinton came within minutes of being assassinated in the Philippines by terrorists controlled by Osama Bin Laden, according to a new book.
He was saved shortly before his car was due to drive over a bridge in Manila where a bomb was planted.

The foiled attack came during Clinton`s visit to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in the city in 1996.

The details have been revealed in the book titled "The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs Starr" by Ken Gromley, an American law professor, who said he was told the details of the bomb plot by Louis Merletti, a former director of the Secret Service.

A news daily on Wednesday reported that at one point during his stay, Clinton was scheduled to visit a local
politician in central Manila.

His route was through a bridge. But as his motorcade was about to set off, secret service officers received a "crackly message in one earpiece" saying intelligence agents had picked up a message suggesting an attack was imminent.

The transmission used the words "bridge" and "wedding" – a terrorists code word for assassination.

The motorcade was quickly re-routed and the US agents later discovered a bomb planted under the bridge.

The report said the subsequent US investigation into the plot "revealed that it was masterminded by a Saudi terrorist living in Afghanistan – named Osama bin Laden".

Gromley said, "It remained top secret except to select members of the US intelligence community. At the time, there were media reports about the discovery of two bombs, one at Manila airport and another at the venue for the leaders' meeting.

However, they were linked to a communist insurgency in the Philippines rather than as an external attempt to kill the US President.

A spokesman for the Secret Service refused to comment on Professor Gorman's allegations, the report said. Advertisement

Why is Sameera feeling lonely?


Actress Sameera Reddy, who is looking gorgeous after losing weight, misses a man in her life."It gets really lonely and I know I'm looking my best these days. Thanks to yoga, I've lost oodles of flesh" said Sameera. "But what's the point of looking good when you've no one to admire you?" she added.

After her sister Meghna's marriage Sameera remains solitary here. "My sister Meghna is now married to a Greek and settled on the most exotic Greek island. My brother-in-law spoils me silly. They both love me because I convinced our conservative dad about the unlikely marital alliance," she said.

Sameera turned 27 recently and her birthday turned out to be a very special occasion when filmmaker Priyadarshan, who has just given the actress her first hit since Race and De Dana Dan, turned around and said, "You're in my next film".

Sameera, who has become close to Priyadarshan and his wife Lizzie and in fact spends all her free time during her frequent visits to Chennai in their house, is still reeling in pleasure.

"I couldn't have got a better birthday gift. Firstly, it turned out to be Priyan and Lizzie's marriage anniversary. So we had my birthday and their anniversary party at Shristi Behl's residence. All three of us Lizzie, Priyan and I cut a cake," she said. The icing on the cake was Priyan's impulsive offer.

"I don't need to ask him what it is or in which film. I trust him completely. He gave me a role in De Dana Dan that did justice to my presence. At that time when I was desperately trying to shed my sexy image," she said.

Not many people know this, but Sameera has a special appearance in the Bihar-based film that Priyadarshan is shooting with Ajay Devgn, Akshaye Khanna and Bipasha Basu.

"How do you know about this?" Sameera demands to know. "So that makes it three film with Priyan. I'm really lucky to have Priyan and his wife as friends. Now when I go to Chennai which is like a second home to me thanks to the work that I do. In fact, my latest Tamil hit was mixed in Priyan's studio in Chennai, so the bond thickens."

But her film with Nagesh Kukunoor - Yeh Husla - remains stuck. "That's because the producers have bungled. They're in a real financial mess. They owe almost everyone associated with them quite a lot of money." Advertisement

Deepika padukone gets cosy with Vijay Mallya’s son



Deepika Padukone and Siddhartha Mallya get candid during the launch of Kingfisher Swimsuit calender in Mumbai on December 20, 2009. Advertisement

Katrina kaif new Lakme ad



Born in Hong Kong on July 16, 1984 Katrina Kaif is one of eight siblings, all girls, from a mother who is a Caucasian of British Nationality, and a father who was formerly from Kashmir, India, but who has since acquired British citizenship. Her mother is now re-settled in Chennai (formerly known as Madras), the Capital of the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Advertisement

Abhishek to replace Big B on Colors?


Junior Bachchan is all set to make his foray into small screen with Saturday Night Bingo, a game show which will replace his Paa's popular game show Bigg Boss.

The promos of the same are on air which mention about Abhishek’s “aaram classes” opening shortly. The show is being promoted on a website with quizzes and tips about how to test your laziness quotient and an invitation to participate too. The show claims that the audience will not have to use their mind to win cash.

Abhishek’s spoke person tells a daily: “AB Corp is not venturing in any kind of television production at this moment. Abhishek has not started shooting for it either.”

If reports are to be believed, it'll be a weekly show and will start on January 23. Apart from common people, celebrities are also exptected to participate in the show. Advertisement

Celina Jaitley was a male !


Bollywood actress Celina ventures into her past life to find out the root cause of her excruciating stomach pain.

The doe-eyed actor Celina Jaitley has been suffering from an unexplainable recurring stomach pain since childhood. The pain she experiences lasts for days together until she can move again without any restraint. Despite consulting various doctors and undergoing various medical tests, the root cause of the problem could not be detected. Losing all hope to ever find relief from the pain, she heard about Imagine's 'Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka' and decided to find answers to her problem on the show.

When taken back to her past life by Dr. Trupti Jayin, Celina Jaitley regressed to three life times. What shocked her was that in one of her past lives she was a man! She saw herself as a soldier at war and had joined the army as she was very poor. It was in this war where she died succumbing to a shrapnel injury on the left side of her stomach. What amazed her is that the side where she was injured in her past life is where she feels the pain even today. Another shocking discovery was that she also saw her brother and mother as friends and family in her past life.

Says Celina Jaitley on her experience post the regression, 'Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka' has been a life-turning experience for me. I have always wondered about the phenomenon of past life and have read a lot of books on the same. During my regression, I went back into 3 different lifetimes, which upon researching came up with shocking and apt tallies. It's an experience I will never forget."

What other lifetimes did Celina regress to? What does she see in her past life that will alter her present life forever? Watch Celina as she explores the journey to her past life with Ravi Kishaan and Dr. Trupti Jayin on Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka Advertisement