Amitabh Bachchan downplays turning 70

There's a huge buzz surrounding the celebrations for Amitabh Bachchan's 70th birthday on Thursday, but the Bollywood superstar insists that "it's just another day". "A million interviews, a million good wishes and a million desires of continuance. Birthdays at 70 seem special to some. Just another day for me," Bachchan posted on Twitter on Saturday. Big plans are in store for the actor, with his wife, Jaya Bachchan, reportedly planning an enormous black-tie event that includes a book launch and an exhibition featuring 70 artworks inspired by the actor. * IANS

Prithviraj to focus on Bollywood projects

Promoting his new romantic comedy Aiyyaa, the southern star Prithviraj Sukumaran says he's eager to continue working in Bollywood. "I want to go slow with southern movies. I will do one to two films a year. So that means three months, and the rest of the time I want to give to my newfound Bollywood career," says the 29-year-old actor. "Regardless of what the film is about, it should be a film which deserves to be made." Aiyaa, written and directed by Sachin Kundalkar, is produced by Anurag Kashyap and features Rani Mukerji. It will be released in India on Friday. * IANS

No stunt doubles for actor Akshay Kumar

The actor Akshay Kumar says he doesn't like using body doubles for his action stunts. "I have always done my stunt scenes on my own. I never allow anybody else to do them. The day I will not be able to do so, I will stop working in action films, I promise you," Kumar, 45, said at a press conference for his new film Khiladi 786. Directed by Ashish Mohan, the film is co-produced by Kumar and also features Asin Thottumkal, Mithun Chakraborty and Paresh Rawal. It will be released in India in December. * IANS

Indian Idol winner Chandra tries acting

The singer Sreeram Chandra, the winner of the fifth season of Indian Idol, will make his big screen debut in the forthcoming film Prema Geema Jantha Nai, which will be produced by Dadi Balabhaskar. "I've been reading different scripts recently but nothing has inspired me as much as this film," says Chandra, 26, who has released chart-topping tracks both in Hindi and Telugu. "When I heard the story, I knew this film will definitely make an impact, so I signed on." The movie is scheduled to begin shooting this month. * IANS