CELEBS FACTORY

Beside proving her talent as an actor, Kangana Ranaut is making a mark in the fashion world too.

The actor has set a trend with the different looks and designer clothes she adorns at events and functions. In fact, young gals are aping her style and religiously follow her fashion sense in trendy and film magazines.

Director Milan Luthria, who worked with Kangana in 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai' described her as someone versatile and creative.

"Kangana looks radically different with each look she tries yet looks stunning in all. In addition, she's extremely well prepared and knowledgeable about fashion. Plus she has a unique sex appeal that has given her a different identity altogether. Last but not the least, Kangana has a very fine bone structure making her face a photographer's delight," said the director laughingly adding "My nickname for Kangana is chameleon."

Talking about 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai', "I distinctly remember her walking into my office with a complete bound folder of each and every look she planned to have in the film. And she was spot-on. What's more, Kangana is deceptively professional. She'll party hard with all the crew but will be the first to report on set," recalled Luthria.

Actor Vinu Chakravarthy, who had said that Vidya Balan’s 'The Dirty Picture' was a distorted version of Silk Smitha’s life and announced of his plans to make a film on Silk Smitha as a bio-pic to let the world know about the late sexy siren.

Vinu Chakravarthy is reported to have said that several real facts have been twisted to commercialize the film and the true essence of Silk Smitha’s life and what she underwent really was not shown in the film.

Die hard fans of the late siren Silk Smitha can now expect another film on her very soon as the work towards beginning this project has started rolling already.

Vidya Balan's dare bare act in her upcoming film 'The Dirty Picture' is the talk of the town. The actress confesses that in the beginning, it was not easy for her to play the ultra-sensuous role.

"There was a certain amount of mental preparation about being uninhibited and being unapologetic about being uninhibited...But I have enjoyed it," said Vidya during the promotion of her film, which depicts the rise and fall of a sex-siren in the 1980s and 1990s.

Vidya best Known for her poise and grace in Parineeta and Paa is eagerly waiting for the Milan Luthria directed film, which also stars Naseeruddin Shah, Tusshar Kapoor and Emran Hashmi.

"Everyone knows about Dirty Picture and are excited about the film. I feel very happy about this. I cannot wait for it to release. I just hope everyone reaches the theatre," said the sex bomb about the movie that is releasing in December.

Vidya starrer No One Killed Jessica, based on ramp model Jessica Lall's murder, started the year on a positive note as the film earned both commercial success and critical acclaim. She also made guest appearances in Thank You and Dum Maaro Dum.

Now, expectations are high from 'The Dirty Picture', and people are hoping when the film comes out next month, it sets the cash registers ringing and spells good business for the industry.

The Dirty Picture may have managed to excite the movie buffs but it now looks like troubled times are coming up for the makers of the film.

Silk Smitha's brother V Naga Vara Prasad has accused Ekta Kapoor and Milan Luthria, the makers of The Dirty Picture, of making a film on Silk Smitha's life without her family's consent. They have also called the film 'obscene' and have sent a legal notice to the team.

Team Dirty Picture is yet to respond to the notice.

Vidya Balan has been the subject of much prurient curiosity lately.

If her eye-popping makeover in The Dirty Picture wasn’t much to go by, the new siren of B-Town is all geared up for a live performance of her raunchy song “Ooh La La”.

Yup, Vidya Balan is ready for her first live gig.

The lady has so far steered clear of performances at award shows, but now she’s ready for a bump and grind routine at the music launch of The Dirty Picture on November 4.

The film’s music will be launched on Friday at Inorbit Mall in Malad. It’s not going to be a typical music launch. How?

For one, the event is open to public. Anyone can walk in and attend the music launch. Secondly, the event will see on-stage performances by the film’s cast, including Emraan Hashmi, Tusshar Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, besides Vidya Balan. Thirdly, the stage will be decorated with bright colours and lots of props reminiscent of the cinema of the 80s.

Moreover, Vidya Balan will be dressed as her character from the film. So expect to see the lady in a sexy outfit, capering around on the thumping beats of “Ooh La La”.

The Dirty Picture has caused Vidya Balan to be a hot topic in the media with an avatar that has never been seen on Vidya before. As the pictures began to surface of the star playing Silk Smitha in the biopic, fans began to gasp in interest. The hype only increased further with the releases of the trailer and song ‘Ooh La La’ and continues to rise as the films release date of December 2nd creeps ever closer. While Vidya is impressing her audiences with new roles, her level of professionalism remains unchanged, which has not gone unnoticed by director Milan Luthria.

The Dirty Picture director, who also directed Once Upon A Time in Mumbai says, “I am blown over by Vidya’s professionalism. Honestly in my 20 odd years in Bollywood I am yet to come across someone as dedicated as Vidya. She does one film at a time, gets beneath the skin of the character and gives a performance so nuanced that she blows your mind. Making a biopic is very hard but if your protagonist shows the levels of commitment that Vidya does, then you can attain the heights you seek.”

At the beginning of the month it appeared that all the effort had taken its toll on the South Indian actress who checked into hospital after complaints of headaches and lack of appetite. Unknown to many at that time, Vidya had been advised by doctors to take a prolonged leave of absence which was supported by her family. Vidya appears to have other plans as Tanuj Garg co-producer at Balaji Films confirms, “Vidya just gave herself a few days off and is back on the sets of The Dirty Picture. We are currently shooting a song with her and Emraan. Vidya knows that The Dirty Picture is to release on December 2 and she is shooting and dubbing simultaneously to help us meet the deadline.”

Vidya’s work ethic has kept the team worrying about her recent health scare as Tanuj says, “Even we didn’t want Vidya to start work without feeling better. For us, our actor’s health is of paramount importance.” The team however have taken no chances and taken all precautionary steps to ensure that their star is as comfortable as possible. “We have instructed the production unit to make sure that a doctor is on the sets. Even when Vidya does the multi-city promotional tour (mid-November onwards), we will make sure that a doctor from the particular city is on call,” adds Tanuj but stresses there is nothing to worry about as Vidya is being very co-operative and taking the team’s advice.

The most recent track release, ‘Ishq Sufiyana’, is a love ballad between Vidya’s character Silk Smitha, and co star Emraan Hashmi’s character, which is still to be confirmed but is rumored to be based upon Mahesh Bhatt.

Check out this video of ‘Ishq Sufiyana’!

It's understood that any movie starring actor Emraan Hashmi will have at least one lip lock scene, and his sizzling intimacy with his co-star would be conveyed in the publicity posters.

However, his next film, The Dirty Picture might just change the actor's well-orchestrated image in the industry. The 'serial kisser' won't be seen locking lips with his heroine Vidya Balan in the film's posters.

A source said, "Emraan felt that the kiss or any intimacy between him and Vidya's character would give the idea of The Dirty Picture being a typical Emraan Hashmi film. And most importantly, the character he plays is consumed with hatred for Silk (Vidya's character). As the story progresses, the hatred gradually transforms into love. That's why Emraan pointed out that the lip-lock in the poster would seem out of context."

Needless to say, producer Ekta Kapoor and director Milan Luthria understood the actor's reasoning.

"Eventually, they worked out more suitable publicity posters," the source said, quickly adding, "It seems the filmmakers want to keep the chemistry Emraan and Vidya share for the big screen only."

When contacted, Emraan attributed the decision to his character graph in the biopic on Silk Smitha. "The graph of my relationship with Vidya's character is very different from that of the other men in the film. So I felt that this aspect should come across. I suggested it to Milan and Balaji and they took it on board," he said.

The making of the Dirty Picture poster is becoming very popular on the internet, thanks to Vidya Balan's seductive looks in it.

Co-star Tusshar Kapoor shared the video, and tweeted: 'Hey everyone, have just received 'The Making of the Dirty Picture poster', it's interesting footage from the photo shoot featuring the cast. I hope you all have as much fun watching it as we all did while shooting together.'

We're certainly looking forward to this film!

Fifteen years after suicide, the sultry actress known as Silk Smitha is making a posthumous comeback.

Director Milan Luthria's 'The Dirty Picture' stars award-winning actress Vidya Balan as Silk with veteran film star Naseeruddin Shah along with Tusshar Kapoor and Emraan Hashmi in lead roles.

The film is scheduled to be released nationwide on December 2, 2011 on the birth anniversary of Silk Smitha.

Through the 1980s, South Indian film star Silk Smitha was shorthand for sex. Her fans just couldn't get enough of either her inviting eyes nor her heaving bosom or any part of her body that you could think of. But the fact is that she never made it big in Bollywood despite her racy roles.

As reported earlier on various magazines "The Dirty Picture will not focus on the sleaze but the tragedy behind the mask of the sex symbol who provided titillation to thousands of viewers but died a lonely and tragic death." This would be a non-explicit account of the life of the doomed sex symbol and has been generating a lot of heat, months ahead of its release.

The film's first trailer, which was released this month, has found a huge audience (over 800,000 hits on YouTube) making promises to push the boundaries of what is sexually acceptable in Bollywood.

Vidya Balan, who seems to have mastered the act of seduction in The Dirty Picture says that the film celebrates womanhood in all its glory.

Speaking to The Times of India, Vidya Balan said, “I've never enjoyed being a woman more than in The Dirty Picture. It celebrates a woman like a rainbow in all her colours.”

Vidya Balan was initially very surprised when director Milan Luthria approached her with a character like this.

However, Vidya, who always believed in portraying various shades of human emotions has absolutely no regret in playing such a bold and unusual character in The Dirty Picture.

Vidya said, “Before starting this film, I told Milan that I want you to hold my hands and guide me through the film. I just knew that I had to trust Milan completely. And I can say it is so worth it.”

Vidya Balan is anxiously looking forward to the release of The Dirty Picture in which she has essayed the role of yesteryear sex symbol Silk Smitha.

Vidya Balan’s popularity in the Tamil film industry is soaring high following her role as the late seductress Silk Smitha in the upcoming Hindi film The Dirty Picture.

The Dirty Picture, a biopic on the late glam doll Silk Smitha has Vidya Balan enacting the sex goddess and movie buffs are eager to see her performan as she has shed a lot more than just her inhibitions to become this sex icon that she has become even before the film's release.

Sensing that Vidya Balan has a huge market in Tamil Nadu and can have the cash registers ringing, several producers in Kollywood are vying to sign her up. But Vidya Balan has no time for Tamil movies as she has a line-up of Hindi flicks to be produced by prestigious production houses in Bollywood.

If sources are to be believed Vidya might soon be a part of a Kollywood project if everything falls right into places.

The trailer of The Dirty Picture, a biopic on Silk Smita starring Vidya Balan is out and is creating waves across the country. Since Silk Smita was one of the original sex symbols it was not surprising to see Vidya Balan in creations designed to showcase her sex appeal.

Word leaked out that Naseerudin Shah's character portrayed in the trailer as a man who lusts after Silk Smita is inspired from Rajinikanth who has done a few films with the sultry siren back in the day. Rajini's fans of course have been in a fury ever since and are threatening the makers with violence.

The producers are dismissive about such reports saying that the fans are overreacting since Naseerudin plays an ageing star in the film whereas Rajini was in his prime when he worked with Silk Smita.

We have all seen Vidya Balan sizzle in the promos of the highly awaited The Dirty Picture that has Vidya essaying the role of the 80s vamp, Silk Smitha.

The excitement only reaches fever pitch as another new picture of the actress emerges on the web.

Vidya will be seen playing southern siren Silk Smitha and will be seen with not one or two but three heroes — namely Naseeruddin Shan, Tusshar Kapoor and Emraan Hashmi.

Dirty or not, the movie surely has the audiences hooked.

The first trailer of the Vidya Balan starrer The Dirty Picture, based on the life of southern sire Silk Smitha, was unveiled today.

The first look of the film, released last week, showcased Vidya in a whole new suggestive avatar - that of Silk Smitha.

From the director of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, Milan Luthria, The Dirty Picture is based on the tumultuous life of the late screen vamp ,Silk Smitha.

The film, also starring Naseeruddin Shah, Emraan Hashmi and Tusshar Kapoor, is reportedly a hard, realistic look at the life of one of Indian cinema's best-known item dancers.

Here's a look at the trailer:

'The Dirty Picture' directed by Milan Luthria is a music-packed, humorous and unabashed biopic on Southern siren Silk Smitha that traces her life including the controversial romances.

Born Vijayalakshimi in to a poor family in Eluru in Andhra Pradesh, she left school early, driven to become a movie star. Going in with her aunt in Chennai, she soon found a sponsor who re-named her Smitha.

After garnering much notice and acclaim with her first major role in the Tamil movie, 'Vandi Chakkaram' in 1979, Smitha assumed the name Silk, after the name of her character.

Silk Smitha was a big South Indian sensation, known for her bold and daring erotica on celluloid. Film makers could not imagine releasing a film without a titillating song or cameo by Smitha as She was every film maker's lucky charm.

Her most popular role is 'Layanam' (Malayalam, 1989) directed by Thulasidas. In fact 'Layanam' became so famous that it was remade in Hindi as the controversial 'Reshma Ki Jawani.'

The tragic life and death of Silk Smitha, the sex siren who became an inseparable part of South Indian cinema will decidedly make for an interesting view.

Producer Ekta Kapoor's biopic on Silk Smitha is titled 'The Dirty Picture' and being inspired by the actress, Ekta roped in Vidya Balan for the main role.

'The Dirty Picture' directed by Milan Luthria, believes the choice of Vidya Balan to portray Silk Smitha is a casting coup of sorts.

Vidya who has stood on her own in heroine oriented films like 'Parineeta' and 'Ishqiya' now has the tough task of breathing life into Silk Smitha's complex and tragic journey from poor village girl to popular soft porn actress.

'The Dirty Picture' starring Vidya Balan in the lead role with Naseeruddin Shah, Emraan Hashmi and Tusshar Kapoor, will be released on December 2 on the birth anniversary of the sex icon Silk Smitha.

Vidya Balan was supposed to film a kissing scene with Tusshar Kapoor in her upcoming film, ‘Dirty Picture’ but unfortunately the smooching scene between Vidya and Tusshar could not be shot due to the attack of dragonflies.

Everything was set at the Ramoji studio in Hyderabad and Tusshar was just about to kiss Vidya but all of a sudden bunch of dragonflies entered the shooting area and disrupted everything.

It was getting inside the mouth and clothes of the crew member and to shoot under such circumstances was just impossible.

On looking at the call of the situation, director Milan Luthria called off the shoot and the scene that had to be shot at night could not be canned as it was almost morning by the time the dragonflies left.

The cast flew off to Mumbai and now the kissing scene will be shot in Mumbai later this month.

Director Milan Luthria confirmed the incident, "There were millions of those flies. They would get into our mouths and clothes," he recalls.

For all those who were waiting with bated breath to see Kareena Kapoor in a wet white saree, when she reprises the role of erstwhile sex bomb Mandakini in Once Upon a Time in Mumbai 2, we have bad news for you.

"Bebo has refused to do the scene."

Luthria wanted Kareena to shoot a rehash of the landmark and utterly revealing waterfall sequence from Raj Kapoor's Ram teri Ganga Maili to retain the sensuality associated with Mandakini.

The fact that Kareena's grandfather Raj Kapoor had directed Ram teri Ganga Maili had made Luthria feel, would add to the allure.

Kareena, however, made it clear that she is not comfortable with this degree of exposure at this point of her career and life, especially with marriage to boyfriend Saif Ali Khan in the offing.

When Ragini MMS was up for release, Ekta Kapoor said that she wanted to release it on Friday, the 13th, for the date is synonymous with scary spirits.

And when it comes to the release of her next film Dirty Picture, there is another significant date under consideration. We've learnt that the movie, which stars Vidya Balan as the south siren Silk Smitha, will release on December 2, which happens to be Silk Smitha's birthday.

A source says, "Silk Smitha was the biggest sensation down south and was known for her bold and daring erotica on celluloid. At a point, filmmakers could not imagine releasing a film without a titillating song or cameo by Silk. She was every filmmaker's lucky charm. So, the film is being released on her birthday only to pay tribute to her."

Look at the irony of things. Mandakini's famous wet white saree scene - you know, the one where her assets are on display under a waterfall from Raj Kapoor's Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985) -has travelled a full circle.

About 28 years after the scene captured the imagination of India and the mafia, it is all set to be enacted by Kareena Kapoor, Raj Kapoor's grand-daughter, say sources.

So how did this happen? Well, Kareena has given her nod to Ekta Kapoor's Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai sequel where Akshay Kumar plays a role inspired by Dawood Ibrahim. Kareena plays his love interest. Yes, the actress' role is inspired by Mandakini.

Mafia folklore has it that the gangster was infatuated with the light-eyed Ram Teri... lead actress after he watched the famous waterfall scene repeatedly. Naturally, Milan Luthria cannot make his OUATIM sequel without touching on the scene in some way.

Insiders say that when Kareena was informed that this scene was a part of the film, she was pretty okay with it. The actress and her director will not comment on it at this juncture because it makes more sense to keep the 'will-she won't-she do a Mandakini' speculation alive. But a source says, "Bebo is not averse to the idea of doing the water scene, so long as it is aesthetically shot. She knows Milan's sensibilities are very good." Back to the million-dollar question: Will Bebo do a waterfall scene, though it may be a watered down version of the original done in her grandfather's film? "Yes, she will," says our source.

We Know Vidya Balan doesn't shy away from going an extra mile to do justice to the characters she portrays in films. This particular trait of hers was put to test again when Milan Luthria- the director of her much- hyped upcoming movie The Dirty Picture- told her that one of the scenes in the film would require her to lock lips with Bollywood's erstwhile serial- kisser Emraan Hashmi.

And while everyone thought she would put her foot down in refusal - her previous onscreen smooches notwithstanding - Vidya willingly agreed, the true professional that she is. It must be a refreshing change for Emraan surely, as some of his recent heroines, including newbie Prachi Desai, had refused to become a part of his long- list of onscreen kissers.

But, Vidya who had promised The Dirty Picture 's filmmakers that she would do everything possible to get under the skin of the character of Silk Smitha - the late southern siren whose life the movie seeks to depict - has no such hang- ups.

Recent reports have confirmed Vidya's dedication towards bringing to life the challenging and unconventional role, which necessitates much more than a little skin show by the actress.

Infact, Vidya didn't even complain when she was asked to 'light up' for the movie. Despite being a non- smoker, she had to smoke nearly ten cigarettes before a particular scene was finally okayed by Luthria. The actress had started feeling uneasy after her fourth cigarette, but after a brief break, was back to shooting the scene again.