Aishwarya Rai in a statement to the press has given a new spin to her limited role in Pink Panther 2.She had made big headlines when she was being signed up for the film, with the domestic press terming it as her big Hollywood break, opposite none other than Steve Martin. But with the recent release of two trailers of the film, both of which featured her in a blink and you miss appearance, it appeared obvious that her role in the film was quiet a negligible one. Pretty embarrassed perhaps, Aish's PR machinery is now hard pressed to defend the actor's decision to sign up for the film.Here is what the actress is quoted as saying -"I loved Peter Sellers as inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther series when I was a kid and watched these films. It was hilarious, a laugh riot and a thorough family entertainer. People across different age groups love The Pink Panther because the films always bring a smile to one's face, " Ash says."When I was offered this film, I was really excited as for me I was doing something which I have loved seeing as a child. It was a fun film which I would enjoy working in. The film did not require me to do intense acting and I did not have to look forward to scoring points as it had an ensemble cast of terrifically talented actors.I wanted to have a good time with all of them and I said a yes to the project. I'm not expecting critical acclaim or something from this film since the film is not about me, it's about Steve Martin and The Pink Panther."

Director Shivam Nair didn't quite have a good start to his career as a Bollywood director; his debut flick Ahista   Ahista  which starred Abhay Deol disappeared from the screens in quick time despite having one of the best scores created by Himesh Reshammiya.Now after a two year break, the film maker is back with Maharathi. Though in terms of genre, the film sees a marked difference for Shivam who moves from being at the helm of an emotional love story to a thriller; wasn't Neha Dhupia worried that Shivam's first film wasn't quite a success?"Regardless of its box office performance, I honestly thought that Ahista Ahista was a really nice movie. In the end, commercial success is always not the right parameter to judge a film.Sometimes big movies are bad and they turn out to be such successes while vice versa may not always be true", Neha defends her director here."Shivam is very talented and the other day when I was having a conversation with him, he candidly confessed that he had a different feeling this time around when compared to Ahista Ahista. Here he could feel a certain positive energy around the film as it came closer to release. He said that the buzz was just missing from Ahista Ahista but in case of Maharathi that was not the case", Neha talks about the movie in a positive tone.

Apart from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Ghajini, if there is one film which is trying to grab attention, it is Akshay Kumar's Jumbo where the superstar has not just lent his voice for the central character of an elephant but also shot for an exclusive music video - 'Everything Is Gonna Be Alright'. While Percept Picture Company has proudly flashed their association with Akshay Kumar for the film and there have been (reported) talks about him being paid Rs. 9 crores to come behind the mike, the production house has chosen to keep the film's origin as a closely held secret.Well, the secret which has been unveiled now throws quite some surprise as it is revealed that the animation film Jumbo is neither an Indian product nor has it been made in collaboration with an International animation house. Instead, Percept Picture Company has claimed the rights of a Thai film that goes by the name of Khan Kluay. Khan Kluay, which was released in 2006, is a Thai computer-animated feature film and is about a baby elephant named Khan Kluay who wanders away from his mother and eventually becomes the war elephant (for whom Akshay Kumar has given the voiceover).

Having worked with established directors like Vipul Shah, David Dhawan, Anees Bazmee and Subhash Ghai, Bollywood's reigning queen Katrina Kaif says although it is risky to work with new directors, she is open to the idea.“The first thing that I see before choosing a film is definitely the director. If a new person comes to me with a script and says 'let's go for it', I should be really willing to take risks to agree but I guess that will also happen sometime. Working with new directors is risky, ” Katrina told. The actress justified her stance by narrating how she agreed to her role in recently released “Yuvvraaj”, in which she was cast opposite real-life beau Salman Khan. “I knew that I was not the protagonist in 'Yuvvraaj', but I wanted to be a part of it since an established director like Subhash Ghai was making it, ” she said. Katrina says most actors admit that the script excites them, but for her, right director is priority. “If a director who can't pull off a good script comes up to me with a fantastic script and I love it, it is still a meaningless and futile exercise to go ahead with the film. For me, who directs the film is of utmost importance, ” Katrina said.

Kiran Rao is one intelligent woman with a mind of her own. She's not one to live in the shadow of her famous hubby forever. She's currently busy directing her debut movie 'Dhobi Ghaat'.  The movie is being shot in Mumbai as she wanted it to look fully real. But after the horrible terror attacks in Mumbai a lots of things have changed. Her Bollywood superstar hubby Aamir Khan suggested that she should use extra security while shooting in South Mumbai. Well, he was behaving like a caring hubby. But Kiran refused and made it clear that she didn't need the extra security as it would cause production costs to go sky high. She said that she would manage. Now this is one brave lady! That's like a woman who's not scared of anyone and that includes her hubby!

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