Mumbai Express

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Go easy, Ash

Aishwarya Rai, like her father-in-law, the Big B, is thrilled when she’s recognised as a professional. She is currently shooting for two films — the Sanjay Bhansali-directed Guzaarish and the Mani Ratnam-directed Raavan . A few days ago, she worked for 18 hours at a stretch for Guzaarish at Mehboob studio. At this rate, Abhishek will have to make a guzaarish to his biwi to go easy.

Item songs in Priyan’s next

Sultry Sameera Reddy and

Naqaab girl Urvashi Sharma are doing item numbers in Priyadarshan’s untitled next, starring Ajay Devgan, Akshaye Khanna and Bipasha Basu.

A source from the unit informs, “Sameera Reddy has already shot a rustic item song composed by Preetam and has worn a lovely ghaghra choli for it. Sameera, who romanced with Paresh Rawal in One Two Three , will be seen shaking a leg with the veteran actor once again in the folk song-inspired ‘ Tere ishq se meetha kuch nahi ’ which has a ‘ Beedi jalayi le ’ feel to it.”

About the song, Urvashi said, “It’s a great song but I can’t reveal more about it.” Our source informs that Urvashi’s song will be picturised on a bride’s

mehndi ceremony. When asked what prompted her to do the item number in the film, Urvashi said, “That it is a Priyadarshan film is good enough reason to do it. Priyadarshan is an amazing filmmaker. He loved my performance in my item song in Baabarr, and offered me the song.”

Ajay Devgn sings?

Ajay Devgn — yes, that’s how he spells his surname now — is known for his performance-oriented roles in Zakhm and Company . Of late, he wants to do something hatke. In London Dreams , he is a performer whose ambition is to sing to a full house at the Wembley Stadium, while in All The Best he is rumoured to play a singer. Ajay singing well? If you remember him murdering ‘ Chingari koi bhadke’ in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam , that seems like a dream come true.

A joke gone too far

From Vidya to Amrita to Sania to Priyanka and now Anushka, Shahid has been paired off-screen with each of his heroines. The one question that gets Shahid’s goat is, “Are you dating …?”

At a recent media event, Shahid joked he had supposedly been serial-dating for the last three years and consequently he was now an expert at all things romantic. He even claimed to have contemplated writing a tell-all book. There was a huge roar of laughter and the joke died down. Or so he thought. Soon thereafter, Shahid’s publicist got a call from the head honcho of a publishing house! He wanted to be the first to ink the deal for Shahid’s tell-all, dare-to-bare book. Shahid’s publicist was at a loss for words. His inquiries revealed the joke about the book had gone too far.

The publicist says, “Right now, Shahid doesn’t have time to eat or sleep, leave alone have affairs. Let him finish his films; have a few affairs; learn all there is to learn of relationships; then we will ask him to pen his memoirs.”

Back to college

Imran Khan made a convincing college boy in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na . A year ago, Imran had shot for the film at St. Xavier’s college, and this year, he was present as a judge at the college festival, Malhar. He says, “St. Xavier’s college brings back so many memories. I was judging an intercollegiate dance contest. It looked like the setup for a song in a Nineties film. It was brilliant, and the crowd was loud! I had a blast.”

Bollywood News Service