Emraan Hashmi has always been known for his hit numbers and keeping this image in mind many directors go to the trouble of churning out good numbers for all his films. Recently T.Series Scion Bhushan Kumar also insisted on a romantic song to be added to the soundtrack of Dibakar Baneerjee’s Shanghai.

Apparently, Emraan for Ek Thi Daayan has now requested producer as well as the music director Vishal Bhardwaj to create a song for him that is bigger song than Dhan Te Nan.

Quiz Emraan about it and he says, “Yes I want it bigger and hotter as I want to give Ek Thi Daayan the best chartbuster track of the year. I love the music Vishal gives as I find it very melodious and novel and I loved Dhan Te Nan song from Kaminey. In fact I don’t know anyone who didn’t like the song!

Vishal Bhardwaj has already been known for his chart busters like Beedi Jalai Le, Dhan Te Nan and Ibne Batoota and incidentally is the music composer for this film. So when Emraan and he came together for a film the expectations naturally ran high.

Tamil star Vijay, who is currently shooting for A R Murugadoss' Thuppakki in Mumbai , was roped in by director Prabhudeva, for a friendly jig with Akshay Kumar, in the street anthem Chinta Ta, from the upcoming film Rowdy Rathore.

Prabhudeva was keen on having Tamil actor, singer and dancer Vijay who he directed earlier in Pokiri to do a cameo in the film- On learning that Akshay was part of the song, Vijay a huge Akshay Kumar fan jumped at the opportunity.

Vijay said, "I have always been a fan of Akshay Kumar since his Khiladi days..The promos of Rowdy Rathore are very interesting...Prabhudeva just had to ask me once and I readily agreed .They were very friendly and I won't ever forget the experience shooting for the song"

Directed by Prabhudeva ,starring Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha ,UTV’s Rowdy Rathore produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and co-produced by Shabinaa Khan is scheduled to release on 1 June,,2012.

After the success of Housefull 2, producer Sajid Nadiadwala, is ready with his next home production starring Akshay Kumar – a film in the action-romantic space that goes on floors mid-February next year.

With several blockbusters under his belt the producer is ready with the concept of his next, details of which are yet to be finalized.

Despite not settling on a director for the venture as yet, the producer teams with Akshay Kumar.

Confirming the news Nadiadwala said, “Yes Akshay and I team up again for my next venture. We have a strong personal equation. The film falls in the romantic-action genre. It will be interesting to see Akki in that space. He has always trusted my instincts as far as stories are concerned”.

“Once I am through with the basic storyline, my team will start work on the screenplay. Nothing else, including female lead, or other crewmembers, are finalized yet,” he added.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and The Dirty Picture lead the nominations at the 13th annual International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards to be held in Singapore on 7-9 June, 2012. This year, the IIFA will be hosted by Shahid Kapoor.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara leads the tally with 14 nods including best film, Best Performance in a Leading Role ( Male) for Hrithik Roshan, Best Supporting Actor for Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol, Best Actress in Supporting Role for Kalki Koechlin ,Best Director Zoya Akthar, Best Music for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Best Lyrics for Javed Akthar, Best Story and some awards in the technical category. The Vidya Balan starrer, The Dirty Picture follows closely behind with 13.

Milan Luthria's The Dirty Picture has bagged 13 nominations including Best Performance in a Leading Role (Female) for Vidya, Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Actor in Supporting Role for Emraan Hashmi and Naseeruddin Shah, Best Actor in a Negative Role for Shah, Best Story, Best Lyrics and Best Playback Singer (Male) for Kamaal Khan for Ishq Sufiyana

The others nominated are : Amitabh Bachchan for Aarakshan, Salman Khan for Bodyguard, Shah Rukh Khan for Don 2, Ranbir Kapoor for Rockstar and Ajay Devgn for Singham in the Best Performance in a Leading Role (Male) category.

The other nominations of Best Performance in a Leading Role (Female) include Priyanka Chopra for 7 Khoon Maaf, Kareena Kapoor for Bodyguard, Mahie Gill for Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster and Kangna Ranaut for Tanu Weds Manu. Those competing in Best Performance in Supporting Role (Female) are Parineeti Chopra for Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, Swara Bhaskar for Tanu Weds Manu, Sonali Kulkarni for Singham and Divya Dutta for Stanley Ka Dabba. The nominations for Best Performance in a Negative Role (Male) include Irrfan Khan for 7 Khoon Maaf, Boman Irani for Don 2, Vidyut Jamwal for Force and Prakash Raj for Singham.

Palyback Singers ; Ash King for I Love You, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for Teri Meri, Mika Singh for Subha Hone Na De and Mohit Chauhan for Nadaan Parindey. While Singer Shreya Ghoshal has bagged two nominations in the Best Playbeck Singer (Female) category for her songs Teri Meri and Ooh La La.

The poster of Ishaqzaade has Arjun Kapoor holding a gun to Parineeti Chopra’s forehead, as she stares back at him defiant, which gives an impression that Ishaqzaade is some kind of a terrorist related film. But Ishazaade is a romantic film with a difference, according to director Habib Faisal.

Faisal who made his directorial debut with Do Dooni Chaar, set in Delhi, about a middle-class family, and their struggle to buy a car has set his next, Ishaqzaade, in a fictional small town called Almod. On being questioned by FilmOrbit on the same, he says, “The story is universal and could have been set in any of the metros, but the small town setting lends the plot a kind of intensity missing in big cities.”

“Also post internet, the people in small towns no longer have the ‘chalo Mumbai’ desire because small towns have become better than Mumbai. There is a lot of spunk in and your attraction towards love is that much stronger in a small town,” he adds.

According to Faisal, his movies only reflect the India that he understands. He says,“ Small towns have better infrastructure, and the space to make bigger malls, multiplexes. Yet, the small town laziness and humor is intact. It’s also become a trend to set our films in small towns now, take for example Vishal Bhardwaj’s films.”

“ Having said that, it really doesn’t matter where a film is set, if the emotion is universal, people will relate to any film!”

Chillar Party walked away with 3 awards at the 59th National Film Awards. The film is a co-produced by UTV Spotboy and Salman Khan’s Being Human.

The film won awards in the Best Children’s Film, Best Original Screenplay and Best Child Artist categories. Directed by debutants Nitesh Tiwari and Vikas Bahl, Chillar Party was released worldwide on 8 July, 2011. While Vikas Bahl and Nitesh Tiwari won in the category for Best Original Screenplay ,the nine child actors - Irfan Khan, Sanath Menon, Rohan Grover, Naman Jain, Aarav Khanna, Vishesh Tiwari, Chinmai Chandransuh, Vedant Desai and Divij Handa shared the Best Child Artist’s Award.

Disney UTV managing director studios Siddharth Roy Kapur said, “As a studio we have always believed in making movies that stand out for their quality content and it is a great moment of pride for all of us today to be receiving three National Awards for Chillar Party. We are honored that the National Awards jury has acknowledged our contribution to making content that not just entertains but also touches hearts.”

Slumdog Millionaire actor Dev Patel will soon be seen playing a hotel manager, Sonny, in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which releases on 18 May, 2012.

Directed by Shakespeare in Love director, John Madden, the film is a comedy-drama produced by Fox Star Studios. The cast also includes Dame Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson along with Indian actors Lillette Dubey and Tena Desae.

Talking about his character in the film, Patel says, “Sonny is a Duracell battery; he's just got crazy energy. Everything goes wrong but he's so endearing because he has this forever-optimistic view of everything. He has this saying: ‘Everything will be alright in the end, and if it’s not alright, it's not yet the end'. He's the comedic relief. I'm slightly slap sticky in it. He's bouncing off the walls. I wish I had a tranquilizer in some scenes.”

The film was shot in Jaipur over nine and a half weeks and centers on a supposedly newly restored palace-hotel in Rajasthan aka The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, advertised as India’s answer for the UK’s most elegant retirees – a place where they can spend their golden years surrounded by lush amenities – that is, until seven retirees find themselves on the front steps of the not-quite-ready resort!!

Ever since she made her debut as Dimple Chadda in Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, there’s been no looking back for Parineeti Chopra. She might be just one film old but she’s already won 12 awards and is on her way to winning more awards and more hearts with her next film Ishaqzaade all set for release on 11 May, 2012!

In a conversation with FilmOrbit, this ‘little miss chatterbox’, admits that she’s not modest at all! She says, “I am not shy to admit that very few people make it in their very first film. Having said that, Yes I am very lucky to have got a chance to start with a banner like Yash Raj and all this still seems like a dream! Because till a year ago, I was sitting on the other end of the table and fixing up appointments for the stars, and now, the same team I was a part of is doing everything for me. “

On being questioned as to whether they treat her any differently, now that she is a star, she jokes, “No way! Forget treating me like an actor, they mistreat me instead and order me around and ask me to sit quietly for interviews! However, I don’t think I’ve achieved stardom as yet, stardom is an aim you achieve after years. Yes I would love to be a star, but I will never change and let stardom get into my head.”

Contrary to her character, Dimple Chadda, in Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, her character, Zoya, in Ishaqzaade is that of a small town ,ferocious girl. She says, “ Zoya is an animal. Ishaqzaade is a weird love story! Dimple Chadda was more like me in real life. I am not like Zoya. It was a challenge doing this film and playing a completely different character.”

Talking about comparisons with her cousin Priyanka Chopra, she says, “I love being Priyanka’s sister but I want to be known as Parineeti Chopra, not Priyanka Chopra’s sister, Parineeti Chopra. I think there is no comparison between the two of us because even if I run I woun’t be able to catch up with her! “( this is perhaps the only time in the conversation that she shows a bit of modesty!) “I don’t want to be like anybody else and even if 15 of my films are successful that’s enough!” she adds.

At the moment, she has not signed any more films but given a choice, she says she would love to work with all the Khans, especially Saif Ali Khan, who she admits to having a crush on. She says, “ If I ever meet Kareena Kapoor I’m going to tell her ‘ hello! you have competition’! “

Well, we sure would like to know what Kareena has to say about that!

At an event to promote an online placement agency, directors Mahesh Manjerekar and Sudhir Mishra expressed the need for fresh talent in the Indian film industry.

Manjerekar told reporters that the industry requires a lot of new talent in every field. He said,"There is requirement for lot of people, in the entertainment industry, be it actors or anyone else. There is talent everywhere the only thing that budding person requires is a chance."

“ We have just 7 or 8 heroes controlling our industry, we need new talent,” he added. Echoing Manjerekar’s sentiments, Mishra said that the industry not only requires new actors but good new writers as well. He said, “We need good writers too, the script is something that has been neglected in our industry. Our industry is in the cusp of a change and raw talent can be tapped. We have examples in films like Tere Bin Laden and Kahaani, which didn’t have big heroes but did very well.”

Giving his own example, Mishra added, “ I tested around 123 girls for Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi, before I found Chitrangada. If you do it right you always find the right people.”

Manjerekar added, “ When Yash raj Films promotes new talent, they put their new comers on a pedestal. Actors like Shahrukh Khan, Ranvir Singh were also newcomers. But they got the right push. What new comers need is the right platform.”

Amitabh Bachchan’s make –up man, Deepak Sawant who is all ready with his next release starring the senior Bachchan and his wife Jaya Bachchan called Smt. Netaji will be making his next film with the junior Bachchan, Abhishek!

The film is titled and Gangaramji and Abhishek has assured Sawant that he will be part of the film. Speaking to FilmOrbit, Sawant said, “Abhishek has promised me that he will be part of my next film but I cannot reveal more details right now. At the moment I am concentrating on the release of Smt. Netaji.

Smt. Netaji is a women oriented political drama which is made in Bhojpuri and Hindi. The film is directed by Abhishek Chadha and stars Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Gulshan Grover and Bhojpuri actors Dinesh lal Yadav Nirhua and Pakhi Hegde.

Sawant told FilmOrbit that the title role was first offered to Amitabh’s daughter-in-law Aishwarya, however, she was expecting her baby at that time and could not do the film, the role was then offered to Katrina Kaif but she turned down the offer. “ Katrina thought my film was too small for her to do, but that’s fine because her loss is someone else’s gain!”said Sawant.

From being Amitabh’s make- up make for the last 40 years to a film producer, and to have THE Amitabh Bachchan to act in hi films, Sawant has worked hard and come a long way. FilmOrbit, wishes him all the best.