CELEBS FACTORY

If we talk about hot bods in Bollywood then Deepika Padukone definitely falls in the top 5 of this very short list and the actor's above seen bikini sequence in the trailer of 'Cocktail' has become the talk of the town.

The actor has given an important tip to people seeking for a fit body:
“If you don't like the gym, get involved in a sport, take dance lessons or do the kind of physical activity that interests you," said Deepika Padukone who portrays Venocica, an impulsive and care free personality in Cocktail.

“Being skinny is not 'hot and happening' at all; rather, a toned, athletic body is the way to go!,” she added.

Cocktail starring Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty is directed by Homi Adajania of 'Being Cyrus (2006)' fame. It is produced by Saif Ali Khan, Dinesh Vijan and Sunil Lulla  and is expected to release in July, 2012.

It's going to be Love Aaj Kal again for Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone in their latest offering, Cocktail, directed by Homi Adajania.

The film, which is a story of three friends, also stars model Diana Penty. Homi had made his directorial debut with Being Cyrus, starring Saif and Dimple Kapadia.

The trailer reminds you of Saif's Dil Chahta Hai days. He plays Gautam, who is a flirt, and Deepika plays the party loving Veronica.

The film has been produced by Saif Ali Khan's production house, Illuminati Films.

Here's a look at the film's first trailer:

There is no business like show business and stars make insane amounts of money.

Bollywood stars make full use of their star power to deliver super hits and many like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan have taken the plunge into production and help themselves to a hefty chunk of the profits.

A recent survey found that for 2011, India's highest paid actor for any one film is none other than Rajinikanth!

No surprise there?

Stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar and Salman follow closely. Superstar clearly is the star who shines brightest on the horizon!

Recently released cheeky number 'Pyaar Ki Pungi' from 'Agent Vinod' is creating a lot of buzz.

"It was a very liberating experience. Dancing is generally a liberating experience. It's a lot of fun. I don't normally dance very much but it's easy when you have a song like that. I don't see any other way of dancing to that song. We made up some steps ourselves also. And we shot it in one night which was quite remarkable," said Saif being thrilled about his upcoming release.

The song 'Pyaar Ki Pungi' stars Lisa Haydon's sister Mallika who has also been noticed in 'I'll Do The Talking' track in Agent Vinod.

Mika Singh has worked his magic yet again.

"I didn't know Mika before. I met him in Chandigarh and he seemed like a very nice guy. He was very sweet to us. He seems like a very nice person and I look forward to working with him again," he added.

Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan are excitedly waiting for March 23. Sorry, it’s not their engagement day, but the release date of Agent Vinod.

Actor-producer Saif recently admitted that his second home production, Agent Vinod, is along the lines of some of the films like the Bourne series, The Adventures Of Tintin and James Bond. The sleek promos of the film have shown that the movie is not going to fall short on glamour quotient, credit a girl in a bikini and Malika Haydon’s oomph. But will the fans get to see the movie’s actress Kareena Kapoor in bikini?

There were speculations that Kareena Kapoor, who has earlier donned a bikini in Tashan will also be seen in a skimpy two-piece in the film.

“I play a doctor, the lead role in the film and my role didn't need me to flaunt the curves sporting two-piece bikini. Moreover, every second girl nowadays is wearing a bikini. My character in the film may not be your usual Bond girl. Sure, she’s glamorous, but she looks hot and mysterious although fully clothed in a pair of jeans and a shirt or a full-length gown,” clarified Kareena, When asked her of the bikini act in 'Agent Vinod'.

Going by her comment it’s for clear that the actress is not just an arm candy of an agent but also has a good role to play. She is romancing Saif, dancing in a mujra song and has also done some action scenes. In a bikini or not, Kareena anyways would steal the show with her charisma!

Kareena also explains why 'Agent Vinod' is releasing now instead of last year. She says the delay has worked for them because last year action films like Ra.One, Mission: Impossible - The Ghost Protocol and Don 2 released, and now, she thinks that the audience is ready to lap up the adrenaline rush of another action thriller.

In a bid to grab as much attention before the release of his much touted action thriller Agent Vinod, Saif Ali Khan is now coming up with the graphic novel of the film.

The novel has an unusual (Germanic) name The Jungfrau Encounter, and its first look shows the silhouette of a goggled, gun-toting man, presumably the story’s protagonist based on the clever spy with multiple identities.

Agent Vinod has Saif Ali Khan playing a covert intelligence bureau agent. Kareena Kapoor plays his leading lady and Malika Haydon has an item number. The film is slated for a release on March 23.

By the way, Saif Ali Khan is not the first one to come up with a graphic novel on his movie. The idea of coming up with merchandise related to film goes back to Krrish. Last year, Shahrukh Khan came up with the graphic novels of his film Ra.One and Don 2.

Agent Vinod, an action spy thriller has got a U/A certificate from the censor board after a screening Wednesday and Saif Ali Khan is happy with this.

Directed by Sriram Raghavan, the film has Saif Ali Khan in the title role and is releasing March 23. Kareena Kapoor plays the female lead in it.

"Our film has a lot of action but we have worked on keeping it more realistic and less violent. And after censor board's screening, we have got a U/A certificate and I am very happy," said Saif Ali Khan.

"We wanted more people and even the kids to watch the film. And my son Ibrahim is also very excited and told me that he and his friends want to watch 'Agent Vinod'," added the actor.

Actor Saif Ali Khan feels that his upcoming action-thriller Agent Vinod with Kareena Kapoor has the potential to become a successful franchise.

Though the actor says it is too early to talk about sequels, he does admit that the idea has crossed his mind already.

Saif, 41, has produced the film through his Illuminati Films banner besides playing the central character of a RAW agent in the movie, which hits screens on March 23. It has been directed by Sriram Raghavan, who gave Saif his career's first negative role in Ekk Hasina Thi.

"That film was a little ahead of its time but Agent Vinod is releasing on the right time. Sriram Raghvan is a very interesting director and he has done something remarkable in this film too," said Saif in an interview adding "I want to take one step at a time. If the audience like the film and they want more, we would go forward with it. I think the film is perfect for a franchise but it is too early to talk about it."

"The film has taken about three years. I got lots of bumps and bruises along the way but it was worth it because I felt it could be something. If it becomes a franchise, it would be a dream project." he concluded.

Dismissing any similarities with fictional spy agent James Bond, Bollywood actor-producer Saif Ali Khan says his character in Agent Vinod is totally desi.

The much-awaited action-spy film, with Saif and his real life lady love Kareena Kapoor, is ready for release. And comparisons with the James Bond series are inevitable, says Saif.

"Any audience who comes to see the film will think that we have done an Indian James Bond. This is a very stupid thing to do because firstly, James Bond is a completely English character," he told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of the first poster of the movie.

"From the first scene of the film, you will realise that this is an Indian hero who is very different to the Bond character because we didn't want to make a copy of the Bond film," added Saif.

However, if Agent Vinod turns out to be a box office success, Saif might consider making sequels to it, a la the James Bond series, of which 22 films have been made so far and Skyfall, the 23rd is in the process of being made.

"If the film does well, it depends on the audience. If the picture becomes popular, then of course we will look forward to making a series," said Saif.

Directed by Sriram Raghavan, the action-loaded film is slated to release on March 23.

The long-delayed Saif Ali Khan production venture Agent Vinod has been completed and the film will release on March 23, says director Sriram Raghavan.

Raghavan revealed that the celebrity couple - Saif and Kareena - shot for the last day of Agent Vinod on December 24.

"My shooting with Saif and Kareena is over. We are all done. Saif and Kareena did their last shooting for my film on December 24 and left for their holiday. We are now in post-production work. The release date is March 23," said the director known for making thrillers like Ek Hasina Thi and Johnny Gaddaar.

The Kareena-Saif wedding would follow in the last week of March or the first week of April.

The next schedule of Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine has been advanced from the end of February to the middle of February to accommodate the promotion and release of Agent Vinod into Kareena's clogged schedule, followed by the wedding and honeymoon.

"After the release of Agent Vinod, the wedding will happen immediately. Kareena and Saif don't want to delay it any more," reported the source.

It was reported earlier that soon-to-be-married actors, Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, have made a pact of sorts that they will not shoot intimate scenes with any of their co-stars in future.

The report came soon after Kareena’s next big ticket film, Heroine went on floors, and reports about Saif having to do steamy scenes with Deepika Padukone in Race 2, came out.

Bring this up, and Madhur Bhandarkar, the director of Heroine, says, “Kareena is a thorough professional. She won’t ever disappoint her directors. She never asks for alterations in scenes. She suggests ways to make them better and participates in discussions. She got into the skin of her character from day one last week. So, I don’t know anything about any news story, but I know my heroine is doing a fabulous job.”

The controversial movie, which was first offered to Kareena, followed by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and then to Kareena again, went on floors last week at Film City, Goregaon. Over the last week, scenes have been shot at different locations across the city, including malls and beaches. After a 20-day schedule, the shooting will take a small break and resume in January with the second schedule.

“We started with a bang. It was a buzzy song, followed by a photo shoot that Dabboo Ratnani, who is playing himself in my film, will be seen doing with Kareena and Arjun (Rampal). Their chemistry and energy was fantastic,” says an elated Madhur, who will shoot portions of his film, based on Hollywood and Bollywood actors, in Delhi and a couple of locations abroad.

“Over the last week, we have shot a lot of intensely dramatic scenes with Kareena. She, as I had thought, is a dream to work with.”

Apparently, the actor broke down on the sets a couple of times while shooting the emotional scenes. “It’s true,” says Madhur. “We didn’t have to provide her with any additional help. Once we got rolling, after a detailed discussion of the scene, she actually had tears in her eyes while delivering her lines. I couldn’t have found a better heroine for Heroine."

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor's wedding is due next year but sister Soha Ali Khan says that they have not started preparing for the wedding as both of them are busy with Agent Vinod.

Saif, 41, who announced recently that he will tie the knot with girlfriend Kareena in March, is currently busy with the post-production of his upcoming action-thriller film.

"Currently, they are busy with Agent Vinod. After the film we will start their wedding preparation. We don't want to leave any stones unturned for it. Everything will start after the film gets released," said Soha.

Soha, 33, who herself has no plans of marriage in the near future, is currently busy with her first comedy Chemistry along with actor Shreyas Talpade.

"I am excited that for first time I will be doing a comedy film because I was bored after playing widows in the film. It's a fun film and people will see my humorous side for the first time," she said.

The actress who was last seen in Soundtrack, was in the capital to launch Park Avenue's autumn/winter 2011 range.

Asked whose dressing sense does she admire, she said, "I believe my family has a unique style of dressing. My mother was one of the divas of 1960's and my brother is one of the stylish actors of the industry."

Even though sister Karisma and boyfriend Saif Ali Khan couldn't be with her, Kareena Kapoor had enough reasons to smile as her wax statue was unveiled at the Madame Tussauds museum in Blackpool.

Kareena's statue dressed in a Manish Malhotra outfit from the Mauja Hi Mauja track from Jab We Met is placed right next to that of Amitabh Bachchan in a exhibition celebrating Bollywood.

To Kareena, the idea of having a statue of herself is a bit intimidating. "The idea of being immortalised forever is scary. The feeling hasn't sunk in yet. When I looked around the room, I realised I was the youngest person from Bollywood to be waxed. Also I am right next to Mr. Bachchan, so what more can one ask for?" Saying the best part of the statue are the eyes, Bebo adds, "They have done a marvellous job in capturing the eyes so well.

They are expressive and have that same feel which the song from Jab We Met showcases. I can't comment about my statue, but the fans who travelled miles to come and see it have loved it. They've all told me it looks exactly like me."

Kareena mentioned that "Saif couldn't come as he's busy with Agent Vinod. I sent him the pictures a night before on the phone, and he said 'it looked so hot! Karisma also couldn't be here as she is busy with her film," and added "When I am 70 and look back at these moments, I will definitely be proud of what I've achieved," concludes a proud Bebo.

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor, unveiled her wax statue at the Madame Tussauds museum in Blackpool, Britain, this Thursday.

"It is an honour and a privilege for me to have my own wax figure at Madame Tussauds Blackpool and even more so to launch a global Bollywood exhibition. This is a moment of pride for the Indian cinema," Kareena said in a statement.

It took four months to create the wax statue, which cost 150,000 pounds.

"The figure looks incredible and is so life-like. I had to do a double take when I saw myself - they have really done a superb job at capturing my essence," she added.

The unveiling of Kareena's wax figure also flagged off a global exhibition, where the statues of Bollywood stars will be taken to six major cities around the world to be exhibited, before they are brought back to Blackpool in January next year.

Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai too have their wax figures in Tussauds'.

Bollywood’s hottest couple, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, have been in the news for a while now, and it’s all down to when they will officially tie the knot. Though Kareena has announced the wedding is likely to take place next year, we’re still waiting to find out the exact date.

So while Kareena Kapoor is out shopping for a wedding gown, beau Saif Ali Khan has been regularly travelling back to his home town, Delhi.

Reliable sources told us more, ‘Saif Ali Khan made his third trip to Delhi in two weeks on Wednesday, to visit his ailing dad Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who is hospitalized for breathing problems.’

Furthermore, girlfriend, Kareena Kapoor took out some time from her busy work schedule during the promotions of Ra.One so that she could accompany Saif this time.

We say Kareena is full of surprises; first she leaves for a vacation to London one day after the demise of her great grand uncle, Shammi Kapoor and now she leaves the promotions of Ra.One half way through to be with Saif.

Maybe Kareena Kapoor will surprise us with a wedding date next!

Actors Imran Khan and Katrina Kaif are the latest to join the celebrity bandwagon appearing on the fifth season of game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, hosted by Amitabh Bachchan.

"Have just finished with two episodes of KBC, the last with Imran and Katrina, who dropped by to play the game, talk about their upcoming film Mere Brother ki Dulhan and add that star value for KBC," Amitabh posted on his blog bigb.bigadda.com.

The film is slated for Sep 9 release. Actors Shahid Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor will also be seen promoting their film Mausam in Kaun Banega Crorepati. Previously Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone had appeared on the show to promote Aarakshan.

What is common between Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor? No, it's not Kareena Kapoor! The two Bollywood hunks are battling it out for the top spot for India's sexiest bachelor.

Saif and Shahid have the charm to set heart beats racing and they will compete against each other on BIG CBS PRIME's "India's Sexiest Bachelor" show Saturday.

Interestingly, both the actors have started their journey in Bollywood at the age of 22.

Saif is dating Kareena and has two kids from his marriage with Amrita Singh, but this hasn't deterred the 40-year-old's female fan-following from drooling over him.

On the other hand, Shahid, 30, is popular among his female fans for his charming smile and hot body.

So watch out who gets lucky with the sexy tag!

The original Race released to packed audiences in 2008. Abbas-Mastan's entertaining murder mystery took the box office by storm to become one of the highest grossers of the year.

Ameesha Patel has now joined the film's sequel. The sequel, of course, is expected to outdo even the original.

Simply titled Race 2 as of now, the cast includes Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone and Chitrangda Singh. It is learnt that Ameesha will star opposite Anil Kapoor, who played a quirky, corrupt detective in Race.

A source close to the star has revealed that Ameesha will sport a bikini in the film, adding to its glam quotient. Many will remember that Ameesha sported a yellow bikini in Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. Though the film bombed, Ameesha's sizzling turn brought her back into the public eye.

Race 2 will go on floors this October and will release in August 2012.