Big B, Suniel join hands

MUMBAI: Besides starting a string of companies, including Popcorn and Foursome (partners: Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan, Suniel Shetty and Nitin Manmohan), Suniel Shetty has started yet another company, which is being headed by his wife, Mana Shetty. Called M and M (Movies and More), the company has already swung into action. Enlightens Suniel, “To start with, A B Corp and M and M will produce their first film on a joint venture basis, which will be directed by Mahesh Manjrekar.” Meanwhile, Vikram Bhatt will be directing Big B in a Ramesh Sippy (of Sholay fame) production. Bhatt is shooting Jurm (starring Bobby Deol, Lara Dutta, Milind Soman), Elaan (Arjun Rampal, Rahul Khanna, John Abraham, Amisha Patel, Lara Dutta, Mithun Chakraborty) and Humko Tumse Pyaar Hai (Bobby Deol, Amisha Patel, Arjun Rampal).

Mallika turns prudish

MUMBAI: After going to town defending the 17 smooches in her debut film Khwahish, Mallika Sherawat is not ready to do a nude scene. According to producers of Murder, Mallika chickened out at the last moment. Confronted with rumours, Mallika told: “No, no... never! Right from the start it was agreed that there would be a nude scene of me swimming in my private pool while my family is away. That made sense to me. It isn’t like a heroine wearing a bikini to breakfast. If a woman is at home alone, why can’t she swim nude in her swimming pool? But let me clarify that I was never supposed to do the nude scene. A body double was supposed to create an illusion of nudity. I admit when the moment for the sequence arrived I got cold feet… I couldn’t risk being perceived to be nude, even if someone else stood in for me. No matter who it was, the audience would think it was me.”

Meghna gets bolder!

MUMBAI: Newcomer Meghna Naidu is choosing only bold and sexually explicit roles in the beginning of her career in Bollywood. Meghna’s debut film is Karan Razdan’s Hawas in which she plays a wife who is tormented by the lack of passion in her married life and therefore goes for an extra marital relationship. Now it is learnt that Meghna’s second film will also be something of a similar kind. The movie titled Husn will have Meghna playing a shady character, who becomes rich overnight by manipulating people through her desirable body. Coincidentally, Husn will also star her Hawas co-star — Shahwar Ali.

Busy bee Preity

MUMBAI: We all know that Preity Zinta had been approached by Meghna Gulzar some months back to play the lead female role in her next film. This is Meghna’s second film script — a completely woman-oriented film which she is now ready to start filming. However, there is a hitch now as Preity has declined Meghna’s offer. Seems Preity is pretty busy with her ‘numero uno’ status now and is just too busy to spare time for Meghna. In fact, Preity has praised Meghna’s script adding that she is sure that Meghna will make a wonderful film, but she has also made it clear that she would not be able to do it ‘kyunki time nahin hai’, says the actress, who recently won the Best Actress Filmfare Award for Kal Ho Na Ho.