Ajab Gazabb Love shoots in Italy
Bollywood's love for international locations continues with Sanjay Gadhvi's forthcoming film, Ajab Gazabb Love. The film's cast and crew have flown to Tuscany to shoot a song-and-dance sequence. The actors Jackky Bhagnani and Nidhi Subbaiah, along with several Mumbai-based dancers, arrived in Italy on Tuesday. Dancers from London were also roped in, as well as 30 Italian performers, says Gadhvi. The film, which is said to be a romantic comedy, will be released in India on October 24. - IANS
Kapoor lauds Khan's place in industry
Kareena Kapoor says the industry would not be where it is without her frequent co-star, Salman Khan, who celebrates his 25th anniversary in Bollywood next year. "I think we all are big fans of Salman. He has been my co-star for all these years, and now he's also starring with my sister, Karisma. The industry is incomplete without him," says Kapoor, who is promoting her new film, Heroine, out today in UAE cinemas. - IANS
Mukesh Bhatt heads Producers Guild
The filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt has taken over from Ramesh Sippy as the president of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India. "There are a lot of expectations and a lot of work needs to be done for the film fraternity," says Bhatt, 60. "We need to take the industry to the level it deserves to be, especially because we are celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema." - IANS
Akshay Kumar prefers action tag
The actor Akshay Kumar says he enjoys doing both action and comedy films but prefers to be called an action hero. "I have enjoyed both genres but, somewhere in my heart, I love action more," says the 45-year-old star. Kumar says making audiences laugh is no easy feat: "It's easy to kick but making people laugh is tough." The actor made a comeback to the action genre after seven years with his recent hit, Rowdy Rathore, then starred in Joker, a sci-fi adventure. He is gearing up for the release of his new comedy, Oh My God, directed by Umesh Shukla. The film will be released in India next week. - IANS
Sequel for pioneering Korean show
A South Korean TV network is producing a sequel to the historical drama, Jewel in the Palace, a TV hit that helped pioneer Hallyu, the wave of Korean pop culture, across the world. MBC, which created the original series that aired from 2003 to 2004, plans to produce the sequel next year. Talks on the cast are still underway. Loosely based on folklore, the popular drama tells the tale of an orphaned royal kitchen cook in the ancient Joseon dynasty whowent on to become the king's first female doctor. With its lively characters, vivid costumes and depictions of traditional Korean cuisine, it was broadcast in some 60 nations worldwide including China, Japan, the Philippines and Iran. It also made its lead actress, Lee Young-Ae, an international star. The show is often cited as one of the first South Korean television series that opened the door for Korean soap operas, dramas and pop music in the past decade. - AFP