Bollywood stars are amongst the highest taxpayers for our Government. This year so far Akshay Kumar is ahead in the race of taxpayers with his payment of Rs 26 crore as income tax. Akshay has signed and completed quite a few films last year. However, Bollywood big shots Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan are yet to file their returns this year and the highest tax figure is expected to rise higher. 

Last year, Amitabh Bachchan paid a whopping Rs 15.59 crore in taxes. This was followed by Hrithik Roshan who paid Rs 15.10 crore.

So one can say that Bollywood stars might be on the wrong side of the law most of the time but by paying such high taxes they are certainly creating a benchmark.

Prakash Jha’s ‘Dil, Dosti,etc’ which is set to release on September 28 is introducing yet another Miss India to Bollywood. Nikita Anand won the crown in 2003 but stayed away from films coz she was not sure of her acting skills. She kept herself busy with anchoring and show-hosting assignments, instead.

After four years, Nikita is appearing on-screen with Shreyas Talpade. In the film, she plays Prerna, a city-bred girl who comes from a rich family and has a very modern outlook towards life.

Producer Prakash Jha seems pretty impressed by Nikita’s work in the film. He calls her “the new surprise package for Bollywood”.

Priyanka Chopra tore a muscle while filming a stunt for her action-packed role in ‘Drona’. “I was doing a somersault when I felt something give way inside my rib cage. I’ve apparently suffered a tear in my abs,” the actress said.

However, the gal is too dedicated to rest and let her work suffer. Her schedule next week has dance scenes and more stunts for the film.“It’s so painful. I’ve no choice but to continue. I don’t know how I’ll manage,” says Chopra. 

The movie ‘Drona’ has Priyanka playing a bodyguard skilled in an ancient Sikh martial art, wielding a sword and a kirpan . Abhishek Bachchan plays a superhero, and Kay Kay Menon is the villain.

She was plump and overweight when Sanjay Leela Bhansali told her that she would be his heroine in ‘Saawariya’. She hit the gym with vengeance and transformed herself into an attractive, shapely girl in a matter of months.

Talking about Anil Kapoor’s daughter Sonam Kapoor, the petite girl is debuting with Bhansali’s ‘Saawariya’. Now she is adding to her excellence by learning dances from Latin America. Sonam has been taking dancing lessons in salsa, samba, rumba, cha cha cha and waltz from dance expert Sandip Soparrkar for a couple of months now. Of these, Sonam excels best in rumba, a soft, sensuous dance from Cuba.

Anurag Kashyap’s ‘No Smoking’ is all set to be premiered at the second Rome Film festival which will open on October 18.

‘No Smoking’ stars John Abraham in the lead role along with Ayesha Takia, Ranvir Shorey and Vinay Pathak. The movie has John playing the role of a man who is reluctant to give up smoking.

The film has Bipasha Basu in an item number as per the promotional plan. Rekha Bhardwaj has given her voice for the song. Bipasha however does not have any role and will feature only in the item number.

“We have got the official invite to the Rome Film Festival” says Anurag who is very excited about the film’s screening in Rome.

The TV bug seems to be biting the big screen buddies these days. After ‘Aggar’, now ‘Jab We Met’ uses the medium to promote the film. Recently, Kareena Kapoor launched the music of the much awaited film JAB WE MET on the sets of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007. Kareena, along with the celebrity judges, unveiled the CDs of JAB WE MET and distributed it amongst the audience and participants on the show.

The participants sang all her songs. The show really sparked off when Zee TV team celebrated her birthday on the sets and participants gifted their respective region oriented gifts to her.

Suzanne Roshan is all set to grab some of the stardust surrounding husband Hrithik. The petite mother of one has taken on a modeling project for a jewellary collection designed by her sister Farah Ali Khan.

“Suzanne has a very ethereal and timeless look. She is very beautiful inside out and that is something I want to capture,” says a gushing Farah. Of course, it took some convincing from hubby dearest for the reticent Suzanne to step in front of the camera. Jewel of a campaign, did you say?

After Rani Mukherjee and Priyanka Chopra, one more Bollywood beauty is planning to shift into her dream house in a short time. Kangana Ranaut has bought her own three-bedroom place in Mumbai for which she had been saving for long spending next to nothing on any other pleasure. Kangana decided on the house the moment she saw it and was adament to get it.

‘ It was way too expensive. But you know how stubborn I am. I decided it’s this house or none.’I could see nothing beyond the house. And now it’s almost paid for. It’s got three rooms – one for me, one for my sister and one for my parents whenever they visit. They can’t come and stay with me permanently in Mumbai because they both work in Himachal,’ says Ranaut.
 
As for us, we are silently waiting and watching the race between three gorgeous ladies, who moves into her dream house first!

Not many know that the queen of remixes, Sohpie Chaudhary, had  started with an original song ‘Yeh dil sun raha hai’ in 2000 for Biddu when she was part of a girl band called Sansara. Now, she has run a full circle and is ready with a new album with absolutely original tracks.

‘I got into the remix thing because my music company T-Series saw it as viable. Now I’m back to my original roots,’ Sophie told IANS.
 
Her movie career also seems to be happening. This year she will be seen in Anant Mahadevan’s Aggar, Vikram Bhatt’s Speed and, of course, Sanjay Gupta’s Alibaug’.

‘In Alibaug I play a character called Nisha, a very strong, independent woman… quite the way I am in real life. Being a VJ and singer I can bring a lot of camera-friendliness to my character,’ chuckles Sophie.

Malaika Arora Khan is undoubtedly our industry’s hottest mom who not only oozes style and oomph, but she does it with élan and pride. The lady has many firsts to her credit—the first to perform an item number on a moving train, the first non–model to VJ for a popular music channel and the first model whose stilettos became as big a hit as she was. Now, the latest addition to this list of firsts is being the first mother to appear on the Maxim cover of this month’s edition. Titled ‘Black Velvet’ the photographs show Malaika in black lingerie, striking provocative poses on a couch. The concept of the shoot is by Wendell Rodericks while photographs are snapped by Farroukh Chothia.

Image Source: Maxim India

Isha Koppikar’s career graph has been going through a lull for quite sometime, but the actress is surely not in hibernation. She has been appointed as the Indian brand ambassador for the Italian fashion brand for timepieces and jewellery Police. Managing director of Ganga Watch, Haresh Chainani says about the choice, “We chose Isha Koppikar for her confidence. She has a persona and outlook that blends well with Police. So, when we were looking for a new face we considered Isha as she fits the bill and we are happy to have her on board as Police brand ambassador.” 
 

Koppikar is but obviously happy and beaming with confidence, “A meeting point is always important between the brand and the personality and that’s where we have found a common ground of that of a bold sporty individual who loves the challenge.” 

Where human beings don’t have compassion even for the humans, Esha Deol is full of love and compassion for dogs. That is why, while shooting for Ashwin Dheer’s ‘One Two Three’ in Pondicherry, the actress called there her dog, Picola, too. But when, the management of the Five Start Hotel, where they were staying, refused to admit a dog in their hotel, Esha shifted to an ordinary hotel where she was allowed to keep her dog. Now, that’s what we call true love!