Aishwarya is my anchor

Abhishek Bachchan gets candid about work, family and how he feels he will always be in his father's shadow.

Being happy in whatever he does is most important for Abhishek Bachchan. And that's something that comes across in his interview with Niranjan Iyengar on Look Who's Talking.

The actor elaborates, "I was really sad when Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se didn't get the response it deserved. I believed that freedom fighter deserved a better response. At that time, what the film's director Ashutosh Gowariker told me, really hit me. He said, 'Set a goal for yourself and be happy when you achieve it. Be happy when you do your work perfectly. Don't care about the world. You can't lose yourself in quests of pleasing others. It's of no use.' "

"Going back to a happy, healthy family at the end of the day is more important than being successful," says AB Jr. He confesses that he's more like his mother than his father and even acts like her. "I am a people's person like her. I am very outgoing. My dad is a loner. He likes to have us around. He would call us in his study and we used to sit there for hours without saying a word. We were never brought up as star kids. We were any other normal family," he admits.

About his soulmate, Abhishek says they were meant to be. "Aishwarya is like an anchor for me. My parents had always given me the freedom to do whatever I wanted. I was carefree. After marriage and my daughter's arrival, I have become more responsible. She is my buddy, a friend. I can discuss anything with her. Our relationship is not based on her being the Aishwarya Rai or me coming from an illustrious family. It is just about two people falling in love which was organically grown. We shot three films back-to-back for a year at that time. It started during Guru. We were meant to be, it's destiny."

And about his daughter, Abhishek says that, at times, Aaradhya behaves older than him! "She is a very easy, very happy, very loving kid. Aishwarya has to be given the credit for the same. She is always around for Aaradhya. Even when Aishwarya will start working, there won't be any problem as she is very organised. She thinks about everything beforehand. I have only once changed a diaper as Aishwarya is so prompt that she hardly gives anyone else a chance to do anything. I will never do anything that will bring shame to my daughter today or 10 years down the line."

Shyness is a trait that comes easily to him. "I cannot walk into a room alone (restaurants, public spaces). So, the mobile phone is a boon. I pretend that I am on call if I have to be alone in public spaces!"

One has rarely spotted him without a beard. The face fuzz has been a constant feature since he was studying abroad he had long hair and a beard. "I look very innocent and immature without a stubble," he grins.

And no, he is not obsessed about looking good on screen. "I am not a vain person. I am in the wrong profession, I guess. I feel I don't have to look good onscreen all the time. I should look the character," he shares. It's the same about skin show. He feels that one doesn't have to take out his shirt just because he has a good physique. "If it's the need of the character then fine. I give a lot of importance to physicality as it's an important part of getting into character. That is why I had put on a lot of weight for Guru," he says.

What was his most difficult scene, Abhishek said that Kabhi Alvida Na Kehnaa (KANK) was a challenging film. "Hrishi's character was really difficult. I had to play a man who's innocent like a kid. In a particular scene where I meet Rani (Mukerji) for the first time after we split up and I have to inform her that my dad is dead and hand over his photo. My dad (Amitabh) is playing that character and it's his photo I am holding in my hand. It was most difficult scene of my life. There are few moments in every actor's life where it's more personal than acting. The scene started and I was holding my dad's picture and say that he is dead. After the scene I just broke down and started crying. I was sitting in a corner and Karan came up to me as he understood what I was feeling. He just hugged me as he too was missing his dad. He teared up too; even Rani started crying looking at us. It was too special. Micky (Contractor) took me for a long drive after that where I told I am in love with Aishwarya. We were not dating then."

Abhishek is sensitive to criticism. Ravan, he said, was a very tough film for him both physically and mentally. "Media criticism after the film was disheartening. I lost my confidence after that. There were times when I did not want to go home as I used to feel that I am not worthy of father's name. I am still picking pieces after that. I understand as public figures we are subjected to public scrutiny. But we actors are human beings too with real feelings. One doesn't need to be shown mirror in public on weekly basis."

But this serious side aside, he's a known prankster who loves to fool around and have fun. "I am free-spirited. I have worked on different levels of film-making, so I am comfortable with people on set. I too have lot of inhibitions as an actor. Mingling with others on the set and having fun helps me manage that," he says, adding that it bothers him when people think he is not serious about his work because he is funny.

A complete guide to all major movies in Australian cinemas now

ADVANCED STYLE (PG)

Having the wherewithal to wear it all, US, 72 min
A delightful documentary about a vibrant fashion movement that has sprung up around a collection of trend-setting elderly women in New York City. At an average age of just under 80, this feisty fashionistas are blissfully oblivious to what the style gurus are hyping as the ‘in thing’ right now. To the Advanced Style gang - whose exploits are chronicled in a popular blog - the more ‘out there’ an outfit can be, the better. There is a inspirational spirit of rebellion at work here that has nothing to do with the manufactured impulses triggered by the global fashion industry. These sisters of a certain age are strictly doing it for themselves. Long may they go on doing so.
***1/2

Doll parts ... Annabelle is not the kind of toy Santa should be handing out. Source: AP

ANNABELLE (MA15+)
Sometime evil will take its doll, US, 98 min
The breakout star of last year’s smash-hit chiller The Conjuring gets her own movie. If you are unfamiliar with her work, let’s just say Annabelle is a creepy-looking vintage doll that just happens to be a paranormally active trouble-magnet for anyone unlucky enough to own her. A basic origin-story premise winds back the clock to 1971, a period where Annabelle was yet to turn pro as a full-on freaker-outer of men, women and children. Especially children. After a slow start, the movie generates a respectable number of scares once the self-arranging furniture and self-slamming doors get going. The production overall only really disappoints when compared to the far-superior The Conjuring. It looks a darn sight cheaper - so much so that it sometime breaks the menacing mood at hand - and definitely lacks the shrewd scripting of its predecessor. **1/2

Growing up ... Ellar Coltrane on the set of Boyhood with director Richard Linklater. Source: Supplied

BOYHOOD (M)
Growing, going, gone., US, 168 min
A coming-of-age movie? Been there, done that. A coming-of-life movie? Now that is something new. Background schematics are what puts this remarkable American production in a genre — and perhaps even a class — all its own. Beginning in 2002, prolific director Richard Linklater (School of Rock, Bernie) reconvened the same cast at the same time each year for a few days of shooting. When the project finally wrapped last October, Linklater had captured exactly what he was after: an achingly accurate chronicle of a child in the process of growing up. It should be emphasised that Boyhood is not a documentary. It is a wholly fictional take on the formative years of a typical Texas kid by the name of Mason Evans (Ellar Coltrane). We join Mason at the age of 6, and bid him goodbye at 18. Nothing much happens to the lad during this period. Aside from life itself. And as organically filmed by Linklater, that turns out to be really something. Co-stars Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette.
****1/2

Camp classic ... Luke Evans in Dracula Untold Source: Supplied

DRACULA UNTOLD (M)
Look out! He’s stark raving Vlad!, US, 90 min
Most vampire movies are a little camp. By comparison, Dracula Untold is a tent city. This cheesy (and at a zippy running time of 90 minutes) relatively breezy affair reveals how a little-known 15th century Transylvanian prince became the biggest bloodsucker the world has ever seen. Vlad the Impaler (played by Welsh heart-throb Luke Evans) starts out proceedings as a right royal family man. He loves his wife (Sarah Gadon), his kid (Art Parkinson) and his homeland. So with all three under threat from marauding Turkish warlords, Vlad accepts an offer to temporarily become a vampire warrior to repel them. All Vlad has to do is avoid drinking human blood for 3 days. What could possibly go wrong with such a simple plan? If you don’t know the answer, you need to get out more often.
**1/2

Mature vengeance ... Denzel Washington tussles with Australia’s Nash Edgerton in The Equalizer. Source: AP

THE EQUALIZER (MA15+)
Muscovites should never attack Washington, US, 132 min
Seems Liam Neeson no longer has the “mature vengeance” demographic all to himself. Denzel Washington wants his cut of the aged-aggression market, and he wants it now. In all honesty, The Equalizer is no better nor worse than the punishing pulp Neeson has been pounding out since the surprise blockbuster success of Taken in 2008. The same underlying principles apply here. Some bonkers badsters (Russians!) have irked our worldly, weary hero (Washington’s character works in the US equivalent of a Bunnings Warehouse!). So this old campaigner is quite within his rights to kill his way up the enemy’s chain of command until the movie ends. Very violent and very long, so best seen by hardline action fans, and best avoided by those who are not.
***

Cold psychological thriller ... Force Majeure. Source: Supplied

FORCE MAJEURE (M)
Everything went white, then everything went wrong, Sweden 118 min
An icy cold psychological drama that will chill you to the bone. A family on holiday at an elite French ski resort is seated at a balcony restaurant table. A mini-avalanche strikes without warning. The mother stays with her children, and braces for the worst. The father grabs his phone and makes a run for it. The fallout from this incident is imperceptible at first, then amplifies in magnitude as those involved try and process what has happened. Driven by well-chosen words and random bursts of emotion, this gripping affair could function equally well as a stage play. However, the role that the setting takes in proceedings is unsettlingly cinematic. A challenging piece of work no-one will be forgetting in a hurry, try as they might.
****

Believe nothing ... Ben Affleck in a scene from film Gone Girl. Source: Supplied

GONE GIRL (MA15+)
A lady vanishes. The mysteries multiply., US, 149 min
Adapted from Gillian Flynn’s sensational 2012 best-seller, this malevolently mischievous movie is one of the best films that will be released in 2014. There is just one proviso to guarantee maximum impact : Gone Girl must be seen ‘cold’. Too much advance knowledge changes the game played here in the wrong way. Nick (Ben Affleck) has arrived home to discover that his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) has disappeared. The front door is ajar. A glass table in the living room is smashed to smithereens. Oddly, Nick doesn’t seem all that flustered. Nevertheless, he calls the cops. Nick’s measured responses to the ensuing investigation (and the finger-pointing fury of a baying US media) form one half of the narrative voice of Gone Girl. The other half comes from Amy herself, via a diary she had been keeping. Under the aggressively deceptive direction of David Fincher (The Social Network), Gone Girl is an entertainingly provocative film, bound to set tongues wagging and minds racing for some time to come.
****1/2

Solid courtroom drama ... Jeremy Strong, Robert Downey Jr and Vincent D’Onofrio in The Judge. Source: Warner

THE JUDGE (M)
A life of sentencing comes to a full stop, US, 141min
There hasn’t been a good, meaty courtroom drama hit the big screen in many years. While The Judge is by no means a classic, it is still presents a solid, enjoyable and engrossing legal stoush that will please traditional devotees of the genre. The great Robert Duvall plays Joseph, a veteran small-town judge facing a murder charge in his own court after a tragic hit-run incident. Joseph cannot recall the accident, and his only chance of beating certain jail time is to reluctantly hand over his defence to his estranged son Hank (Robert Downey Jr.). Ethics are not the calling card of this hotshot Chicago lawyer, who has serious misgivings about both returning home and his father’s culpability. Though overly long, this old-fashioned affair exerts a strong grip thanks to worthy writing and performances. Duvall and Downey Jr. are actors of the highest calibre, and the manner in which they alternately widen and shorten the disconnect between their characters is tremendously involving.
***

Erractic ... Richard (Patrick Brammall) and Rowena (Kate Box) in The Little Death. Source: Supplied

THE LITTLE DEATH (MA15+)
Don’t stare too deeply into demise, Australia, 95 min
The writing-directing debut of Australian actor Josh Lawson (Any Questions for Ben?) is an erratic episodic comedy about just how funny (and much more often, unfunny) a fetish can be. Among the saucy-seedy japes presented for your amusement are such thigh-slappers as mock sexual assault (Lawson himself plays a bloke whose partner keeps hassling him to rape her) and a husband who may or may not be interfering with his nagging wife after he drugs her asleep each evening. Isn’t that just lovely? Some sketchy interludes do have their moments, such as a beautifully performed vignette about a call-centre operator acting as interpreter between a dirty-minded deaf man and a distracted phone-sex practitioner. However, the film as a whole generally follows a line of humour where dysfunction, discomfort and sometimes, even distress, lead only to laughter-free dead ends.
*1/2

Throwaway trifle ... Emma Stone in Woody Allen's romantic drama Magic In The Moonlight. Source: Supplied

MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT (PG)
Sleight difference between a cynic and a psychic, US, 96 min
One of Woody Allen’s finer light comedies of his ‘later’ years. While definitely a throwaway trifle when compared to the writer-director’s 2013 caustic classic Blue Jasmine, the film exudes a mannered, yet carefree charm that is a delight to experience. Colin Firth plays Stanley, a belligerent British magician called to the south of France to investigate a new clairvoyant sensation. Sophie (Emma Stone) seems blessed with a range of psychic powers that make Nostradamus look like a rank amateur. The abiding mystery of Sophie’s gift duels for our attention with Stanley’s slowly intensifying affection for her. While both plot strands border on inexplicable, a carefully controlled chemistry shared by Firth and Stone keeps us wondering in all the right ways.
***

Running man ... Dylan O'Brien in The Maze Runner. Source: AP

THE MAZE RUNNER (M)
One way in, no way out US, 117 min
Imagine, if you can, a latter-day Lord of the Flies fused with a discarded plotline from TV’s Lost. Like the sound of that? Then this is bound to get you in. There will be no escape, either. Not at least until all four entries in author James Dashner’s hit series of young-adult novels are in the can. This punchy first instalment does not waste any time putting its easy-to-follow premise through some serious paces. A tribe of a teenage boys is trapped inside a walled field. Outside is a complex maze that changes configuration every day, and hosts a collection of vicious creatures every night. This is a fascinating set-up that lives up to most of the potential promised. Upon the arrival of the newcomer Thomas (Dylan O’Brien), the entrenched tribal laws are challenged for the first time. While the filmmakers delay any deep exploration of the maze and its sinister, shape-shifting properties, the wait is indeed worth it.
***1/2

Solid local crime flick ... Brendan (Ewan McGregor) and JR (Brenton Thwaites) in Son of a Gun. Source: Supplied

SON OF A GUN (MA15+)
A muffled bang for your buck, Australia 109 min
Best on-screen Australian prison escape ever? There are worse legacies a local movie can leave behind in 2014. While there is more to Son of a Gun than just an audacious breakout sequence - young rising star Brenton Thwaites certainly proves he is an actor going places - it never quite scales the same peak of adrenalised excitement again. Thwaites plays a young crim co-opted by his thuggish prison protector (Ewan McGregor) to repay his debt once he returns to the outside world. After a very striking start, the movie loses its pinpoint aim and begins spraying willy-nilly at some easy and familiar targets. The scripting here isn’t clever enough (Russian mobsters yet again, really?) to keep us caring who might be holding the upper hand as the white lies and black eyes just keep on coming. Co-stars Alicia Vikander.
**1/2

Low joke ratio ... Susan Sarandon and Melissa McCarthy in Tammy. Source: Warner

TAMMY (MA15+)
Laid on thick, spread too thin, US 97 min
A winning support effort in the 2011 smash hit Bridesmaids was the perfect showcase for Melissa McCarthy’s innate ability to appall as she amuses. However, when at the wheel of her own star vehicles (The Heat, Identity Thief), McCarthy seems incapable of finding a way to the funny. If only they made GPS systems for senses of humour. The title role has McCarthy taking her alcoholic granny (Susan Sarandon) on a reckless road trip, where jet-skis will be crashed, livers will be trashed and a father-and-son farmer duo (Gary Cole and Mark Duplass) will be pashed. The joke-to-laugh ratio is low at best, and a flat zero during some ill-advised scenes. *1/2

He is the walrus ... Justin Long Kevin Smith’s bizarre film Tusk Source: Supplied

TUSK (MA15+)
The old man and the sea creature, US, 102 min
Veteran American indie filmmaker Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy, Clerks) tries his hand at semi-sinister horror with Tusk, a so-so offering where cleverness is often cancelled out by laziness. Justin Long stars as Wallace, a popular US podcaster being held against his will in a shack in rural Canada. His captor is Howard (Michael Parks), a creepy elderly gent who wishes to turn Wallace into a walrus. That is not a misprint. A walrus. Wallace’s slow and agonising transformation from smartass to sea creature is every bit as gross as you might be imagining. Smith attempts to smooth this bumpy, bloody ride by applying his trademark style of wordy, wisenheimer humour. Unfortunately, the jokes are wildly hit and miss.
**1/2

Hard man ... Liam Neeson in A Walk Among the Tombstones Source: Supplied

A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES (MA15+)
Fifty shades of grave, US 114 min
Though hard-boiled crime author Lawrence Block has penned a stack of well-received books, the movies are yet to properly make his acquaintance. This disconnect may finally end witha gritty, greyed-out film noir featuring Block’s most enduring creation, lone-wolf New York private eye Matthew Scudder. At this point, it should be mentioned the role of Scudder, a lifelong alcoholic perpetually hovering between recovery and relapse, is played by Liam Neeson. This could be a deal breaker for many potential viewers. For many years, Neeson has been flooding the market with formulaic fare that has positioned him as a mature-age Mr Vengeance. No need to worry here : this very strong thriller is the best thing Neeson has been involved with for ages.
***1/2

Best film of the year so far ... J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller in Whiplash. Source: Supplied

WHIPLASH (MA15+)
The beat goes on. The beaten are forgotten., US, 106 min

Name any movie where a hot talent and a burning ambition are yet to combust. The same question will invariably be asked of the protagonist. Do you have what it takes? This astonishing make-it-or-break-it drama isn’t having any of that. The question it will ask is far more interesting. Do you want back what it took? By the time you get to the extraordinary answer, you will already have experienced one of the best films of this year. A basic plot synopsis does not make Whiplash seem all that inviting. A promising drummer, Andrew (Miles Teller), gains entry to an exclusive music conservatory. His main instructor, Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) immediately takes an active interest in Andrew’s development, while also displaying a blatant dislike of the young hopeful. So far, so familiar, huh? Well, Whiplash will soon give you pause to reconsider that position, by virtue of the incisive way it drills down into the cores of these two very different, very motivated characters.

Star Wars actor Harrison Ford joins Shropshire flight club

Harrison Ford plans to fly the plane while filming at Pinewood Studios, Bob Pooler said

Hollywood actor Harrison Ford has become the latest member of a Shropshire flying club.

Bob Pooler, chief instructor with Shropshire Aero Club, said he received a call from the actor, who was keen to rent an aircraft while he was filming the new Star Wars movie.
He said the actor had wanted to bring one of his own planes to Britain, but ran out of time before filming started.
Mr Pooler said the call, from Ford himself, came "out of the blue".
He said he delivered a plane from Sleap Airfield, near Wem, to Denham, close to Pinewood Studios on Sunday.
"I checked Harrison out, flew around the patch with him and made sure he was legal to fly and that's it.
'Lifetime member'
"We talked about Star Wars among other movies."
Mr Pooler, who is also a dealer for Husky light aircraft, said he had first been contacted by the manufacturer's factory a few months ago.

Fans of Star Wars are more used to seeing Ford behind the controls of the Millennium Falcon as Han Solo

"To rent the aeroplanes from Sleap you have to become a member and Harrison paid his membership dues until the end of the year," Mr Pooler said.
"I asked him, 'can we make you a temporary member of the aero club?' and he said 'I don't want to be a temporary member, I want to be a lifetime member'.
"I proposed that to the committee at the aero club and of course, without hesitation they said let's make him a lifetime member.
"He's got an open invitation to visit us at any time.
"He's also invited me to visit his place in California.
"I think he's got his own mini air force of about 11 aeroplanes."
It is not the first time Ford has been connected with the county.

In 2004 he travelled along the Shropshire Union canal after attending the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in North Wales with wife Calista Flockhart.

Steve Carell on his 'fake nose' in Foxcatcher

By Tim Masters Arts and entertainment correspondent, BBC News

Steve Carell as wealthy heir John du Pont in Foxcatcher

Actor Steve Carell has said that the prosthetic nose he wore for the film Foxcatcher made people treat him differently on set.

"It influenced the performance more than I anticipated," he said ahead of the film's gala screening at the BFI London Film Festival.
Carell is almost unrecognisable as eccentric billionaire John du Pont in Bennett Miller's wrestling drama.
Based on a true story, the film is released in the UK on 9 January 2015.
"Once all of that make up was on, people reacted and responded to me differently on set," Carell said on Thursday.
"People naturally wanted to be separate from me and I was off-putting, so organically I stayed in character. I didn't have any choice because nobody wanted to talk to me."

Steve Carell and director Bennett Miller at the BFI London Film Festival

Foxcatcher focuses on du Pont's complicated relationship with two Olympic champion wrestlers, Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) and his older brother, Dave (Mark Ruffalo).
Director Miller said: "I'm attracted to these characters who are outsiders who end up in worlds where they don't belong."
Miller's previous film Moneyball - another sports-based drama set in the world of baseball - was nominated for six Oscars, including best picture, in 2012.
Since Foxcatcher screened at Cannes in May, Carell's performance and the film have been tipped to get Oscar nominations next year.
"You can't really put any stock in it," Carell told the BBC. "It's nice that people are talking about the film in that way, but you can't really give it too much credence."
Talking about taking on a non-comedy role, the 40-Year-Old-Virgin star said: "I just think of myself as an actor, not necessarily a comedic actor. Those are the parts I have been hired to do more often than not."
His other films include Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and its sequel, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues; Crazy, Stupid, Love; Little Miss Sunshine and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.

On TV he starred in the American version of Ricky Gervais' sitcom The Office. 

Shahid Kapoor: I can't do ISHQ VISHK again!

By Urvi Parikh, Glamsham Editorial

Actor Shahid Kapoor, who stole millions of hearts with his chocolate boy looks and charm in his debut film ISHQ VISHK back in 2003, feels that he is too old to portray the character of Rajiv Mathur again in the sequel of the film.

"I am too outgrown to be a part of ISHQ VISHK sequel. And also I am not aware of this (sequel) hence it would be wrong for me to talk about it. But if he (Ken Ghosh) is making it, then I wish him all the best. He did a great job with first one and I hope he does a better job with second one and gives some more newcomers the opportunity in the industry. But I can't do ISHQ VISHQ again," declares Shahid.

Meanwhile, Shahid Kapoor is currently gearing up for his next film, Vikas Bahl's SHAANDAR opposite Alia Bhatt. The film also stars his father Pankaj Kapoor and is produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions.

If We’re The Millers Was Made In Bollywood

We all loved the Hollywood film We’re the Millers. It can be said that is one of the best comedies made in Hollywood.
But, have you ever thought that if We’re the Millers was made Bollywood then which actors would have been fit for the roles. Well let us tell you; according to us which actors would be fit for the Bollywood remake of We’re the Millers.

1) Jason Sudeikis – Saif Ali Khan

Saif Ali Khan as Jason Sudeikis

Jason Sudeikis played the lead role in the film We’re the Millers. He is the one, who creates the Millers to get the drugs. Well, to play this character in Bollywood we think the most suitable actor will be Saif Ali Khan. Saif has the charm to perform a comedy act very well.

2) Jennifer Aniston – Kareena Kapoor Khan

Kareena Kapoor Khan as Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston played the character of a striper turned wife perfectly well. Her act in the film was top notch and she finely got the glamour quotient in the film. After watching the film there’s only one Bollywood actress that comes in our mind and she is Kareena Kapoor Khan. Kareena is sexy and when it comes to comedy, she has always proved that she is best at it.

3) Emma Roberts – Alia Bhatt

Alia Bhatt as Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts played the role of a teenage girl in the film. She is funky and bindass. To get the coolness of Emma Roberts onscreen we feel Alia Bhat will be the ideal choice. Alia has the look and she has the buoyancy to carry the role.

4) Will Poulter – Tiger Shroff

Tiger Shroff as Will Poulter

Will Poulter was really cute in the film and had a childish touch in his character. It is really difficult to find someone, who can reach the level of Poulter, but we think the new-bee of Bollywood, Tiger Shroff will look good in his role. Tiger surely has the wonderful cuteness on his face, required for the role.

Actor Neil Patrick Harris to host 2015 Oscars

LOS ANGELES: Award-winning US stage and screen actor Neil Patrick Harris will host the next Oscars show, organizers announced.

The star, who has hosted both Broadway's Tony and TV's Emmy awards shows in the past, will front the 87th Academy Awards on February 22, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said on Wednesday. 

The high-profile hosting job is a prime gig in Hollywood, at the climax of its annual awards season. Harris will follow Ellen DeGeneres last year and a who's who of showbiz over the decades. 

"It is truly an honor and a thrill to be asked to host this year's Academy Awards," said the star of 2005's "How I Met Your Mother," in an Academy statement. 

"I grew up watching the Oscars and was always in such awe of some of the greats who hosted the show," added Harris, whose latest film "Gone Girl" came out this month in the United States. 

He added: "To be asked to follow in the footsteps of Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres and everyone else who had the great fortune of hosting is a bucket list dream come true." 

Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said: "We are thrilled to have Neil host the Oscars. We have known him his entire adult life, and we have watched him explode as a great performer in feature films, television and stage. 

"To work with him on the Oscars is the perfect storm, all of his resources and talent coming together on a global stage," added the pair, returning for their third Oscars show in a row. 

Industry journal Variety noted that, with the Oscars job Harris will have done three of the four so-called EGOT full house of hosting duties -- the Emmys, Oscars and Tonys, with only the Grammys to go. 

Harris, who hosted the Tony awards and the Emmys in 2009 and 2013, has been nominated for four Golden Globes and won five Emmys, including four for hosting the Tonys. 

The Academy Awards are televised live in more than 225 countries around the globe. Organizers will announce nominations for the Oscars on January 15. 

Hosting awards shows is more difficult and prone to pitfalls than many imagine. 

Recent questionable Oscars hosts have included James Franco and Anne Hathaway who were widely panned in 2011, and Seth McFarlane whose "We saw your boobs' song raised eyebrows, not in a good way. 

Angelina Jolie gives tribute to her mother by wearing her jewellery on wedding day with Brad Pitt!

The most awaited wedding of Hollywood actors Angelina Jolie, 39, and Brad Pitt, 50, finally came to reality on August 23, 2014. It was a secret wedding and was witnessed by few special members, including their six children. The blushing bride looked gorgeously stunning in an Atelier Versace master tailor Luigi Massi wedding dress. She worked closely with a designer to make sure drawings by the children were a colorful feature on her otherwise classic and elegant wedding look. And we must say the gown was oh-so enthralling to eyes and that satin white plain color enhanced her curves to the maximum.
About her D-day special gown, Angelina said, “Luigi is like family to me and I couldn’t imagine anyone else making this dress. He knows and cares for the children and it was great fun putting it together.” You won our respect for this adorably innovative idea Angie. Well, let’s not forget about the one who balanced the class and charisma of wedding on the day is none other than Brad Pitt, who wore a black suit from his closet. However, he had to borrow a tie from one of his sons because he forgot his, the sources reports. Too funny!
Apart from this glamour, it is reported that the couple had engraved a special message dedicated to Angelina’s mother Marcheline Bertrand, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 2007 in the chapel. “Brad had a dedication to Marcheline engraved inside the chapel where we stood,” said the Tomb Raider actress, adding that they stood on a special stone featured with a tribute on it. Angelina and her brother James Haven additionally wore some jewelry which belonged to their late mother during the ceremony. “I also wore a little flower ring that was hers, and Jamie wore an angel pin from her jewelry box,” said Angie adding that her mother was her best friend. “There are no words to express what an amazing woman and mother she was,” she defines.
Angelina also wore her engagement ring given to her by Brad Pitt. The ring is estimated to be worth Rs 1.3 crore approx, and apparently it took Pitt a year to perfect the design along with jewellery Robert Procop. The actress wore the same ring on her wedding day, along with little white studs. She looked drop-dead gorgeous on that minimal-jewellery look.

Kareena Kapoor Pregnant? Kareena Kapoor Looking Pregnant, Really Pregnant??

Kareena Kapoor was spotted at the airport in an oversized T-shirt and from the look of it, she was trying to conceal something behind her tee. The actress was holding on to her belly with her hand. Yeh kya hai, Bebo?
So what you people think is she pregnant?
The speculations over the marriage plans of Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan continues. The media is now more interested on the wedding details of the stars than their upcoming movies, thanks to the wedding season in India.
Some of the recent reports say that the two are planning to get engaged on February 10, 2012. Kareena’s movie ‘EK Mian Aur Ek Tu’ opposite Imran Khan will also be releasing the same day.
A few days back, while talking to the reporters, the actress said that marriage is definitely on her mind but everything depends on their film commitments.
Kapoor said is busy promoting her upcoming movie ‘Ek Main Aur Ek Tu’, then ‘Agent Vinod’ and is also shooting for ‘Heroine’ at the same time.
Kareena denied that her wedding outfit will be designed by Ritu Kumar. The wedding reports have definitely put Saif and Kareena in the spotlight and even the actress expressed that everyone is interested in their personal life than their movies. Kareena is also shooting for the upcoming Madhur Bhandarkar movie ‘Heroine’, which was earlier dropped by Aishwarya Rai due to her pregnancy. Reports also say that Saif and Kareena will be getting hitched after the release of the movie ‘Agent Vinod’ which is produced by Saif’s home banner ‘Illuminati Films’.

Riteish-Genelia Wedding Photos: Riteish Deshmukh & Genelia D’Souza Marriage Photos

It was a Bollywood extravaganza when actor Riteish Deshmukh married girlfriend Genelia D’Souza. Almost the entire Bollywood fraternity was present to witness the first big wedding of the year.
The wedding was a traditional marathi ceremony. While the groom wore a cream sherwani, bride was dressed in a Nishika Lulla red saree. Genelia maharashtrian look was styled by Lulla’s daughter, Nishika.
The baraatis arrived at The Grand Hyatt, the wedding venue, around noon. Guests started flowing in soon after. Abhishek Bachchan came along with his mother Jaya Bachchan and Ajay Devgn and Kajol. The foursome wished the couple and were the first few to leave.
One of the first one to arrive was actor Jacky Bhagnani. Close pal Ashish Choudhary was seen hiding the groom’s shoes from the bride’s sisters. Riteish’s co star from ‘Heyy Baby’, Akshay Kumar and the film’s director, Sajid Khan were seen chatting up with Jackie Shroff.
Dressed in a white jacket and black trousers, Shah Rukh Khan walked in with wife Gauri and daughter Suhana. While Gauri matched her outfit with her hubby, and wore a white and gold lehenga, daughter Suhana chose to wear a bright pink lehenga.
Maria Goretti decided to stick to the wedding theme and arrived in a traditional paithani saree and looked like a typical Marathi mulgi.
Politician Raj Thackeray walked in with his wife and headed straight towards the mandap.
Asin looked breathtaking in a traditional white and gold saree. She accessorized her look with white flowers in her hair and gold jewelry.
Soon after the wedding, actor Shahid Kapoor tweetd, “And G is married !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unbeleivable. (sic)”.
Riteish Deshmukh tweeted a picture of his and his new bride with the caption ‘Mr &Mrs Deshmukh’.
The wedding celebrations started on Tuesday with a grand Sangeet ceremony which was attended by the entire film industry and was hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar.
The party continued till the wee hours of the morning. On Wednesday, an impromptu party was thrown at Genelia’s residence which later shifted to the couple’s new flat in Juhu.
On Thursday, the pre wedding rituals took place at both the bride and the groom’s residence. While Riteish had his haldi ceremony, Genelia, who is a Christian, had the traditional rose ceremony where close friends of the bride pour coconut milk on her a day before the wedding.
Later in the evening, Genelia was spotted visiting a church in her friends. Dressed in jeans, shirt and black jacket, Genelia looked happy and glowing.
Speaking to DNA, a source said, “Yesterday Riteish had the haldi ceremony, after which he isn’t going to be allowed to step out of the house until the wedding today. But his friends kept him busy all day through and he was rather excited too.”
The excited groom tweeted on Thursday evening, “Saw the Last sunset as a Bachelor(sic)”.
Post wedding, a lavish lunch was organized for the guests. The reception will take place tomorrow.

Saif-Kareena Engaged: Saif Ali Khan & Kareena Kapoor To Engaged On 10 February?

Even though Kareena Kapoor has denied her impending marriage to Saif Ali Khan, rumours are abuzz that the couple will be getting engaged on 10 February.
While earlier sources close to the couple had said that they would be getting married right after the release of their film ‘Agent Vinod’ in March, seems like the hot jodi wants to speed up its wedding and hence getting engaged on the Valentine month.
Speaking to DNA, a source said, “Both Saif and Bebo have been going steady for several years and are now ready to take

that relationship to another level with a wedding. And the first step towards the grand wedding may take off with an engagement on 10th February. They have deliberately avoided having their engagement on Valentine’s Day, instead they have planned the event around the day. Though Saif is extremely busy with post production work of ‘Agent Vinod’ and Kareena travelling for the film promotion of ‘Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’, they are quite excited about the engagement.” That also probably explains why Kareena recently bought a royal necklace worth Rs 40 lakhs. Friends of the couple say that the venue of the engagement hasn’t been finalized yet but it would either take place in Mumbai or in Saif’s Delhi residence. “Wherever it happens, the engagement is going to be a big event. Both their family members are gearing up for a big celebration and are busy with the preparations around the ring ceremony. Bebo is currently in London along with Karisma, but has ensured that all her close friends be there for the special day in her life. She may wear an ethnic outfit designed by (fashion designer) Vikram Phadnis,” added the source.
With Riteish-Genelia all set to tie the knot on Friday and Saifeena getting engaged the next week, it looks like Bollywood is all set for the wedding season.

Hollywood Beauties Topless On Cover Of Vanity Fair’s March 2012 Hollywood

Landing an entire flock of Tinseltown beauties, a full slate of adorable actresses adorn the cover of the March 2012 Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue.
Shot by famed photographer Mario Testino, the unfolding front page features big names ranging from Rooney Mara and Jennifer Lawrence to Elizabeth Olsen and Jessica Chastain.
Also included in the upcoming issue of Vanity Fair are lovely ladies such as Mia Wasikowska, Adepero Oduye, Shailene Woodley, Paula Patton, Felicity Jones, Lily Collins, and Brit Marling.
With a behind the scenes look available below, the publication wrote a teaser passage about their latest installment reading: “In the first-ever Hollywood Issue cover shoot from Vanity Fair contributing photographer Mario Testino, a bevy of Hollywood’s most precocious beauties lounge across a three-panel foldout—including two new Oscar nominees”.
“The Art Deco set was designed to evoke the all-white, Jazz Age interiors of English decorator Syrie Maugham, whose clients included Bunny Mellon, Elsa Schiaparelli, and the Duchess of Windsor; V.F.’s fashion and style director, Jessica Diehl, put the 11 cover starlets in pastel satin dresses and frothy feathers to lend a 20s and 30s boudoir feel”.
“Across the panels are actresses Rooney Mara, Mia Wasikowska, Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Chastain, Elizabeth Olsen, Adepero Oduye, Shailene Woodley, Paula Patton, Felicity Jones, Lily Collins, and Brit Marling”.
“Mara and Chastain—both featured on the front panel—were nominated for Academy Awards in January, Mara for her portrayal of cyberpunk hacker Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher’s Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Chastain for her supporting role in Tate Taylor’s Oscar heavyweight, The Help”.
(The Julliard grad also had starring roles in Take Shelter, The Tree of Life, and Coriolanus in 2011.)

Ashley Greene Lucky: Sexy Ashley Greene Covers Lucky March 2012 Magazine

Bringing her stylish ways to another front page, Ashley Greene adorns the cover of the March 2012 issue of Lucky.
The 24-year-old Alice Cullen cutie posed for a playful spread shot by Ruven Afanador while talking with the magazine about getting her start in Tinseltown and life after “Twilight”.
Highlights from Miss Greene’s in-depth interview are as follows.
On life after twilight:
“Twilight has given me something to skyrocket off of. But now that it’s ending, there’s so much work to be done. And if I don’t do it, then Twilight’s all I’m ever going to be known for, as great as it is… Basically I went from ‘dying to get a gig’ to ‘dying to get the gig that everyone wants.’ So now I’m in this realm with a lot of highly respected actresses, which is an amazing place to be, but also kind of terrifying.”
On getting her start in acting:
“My mother put me in modeling classes because I had low self-esteem. I was friends with older people, so I was always around someone more mature who boys responded to. I think that kind of messed with me… She never actually wanted me to be a model; she just wanted me to feel good about myself. But then there was a chain reaction. All of a sudden I wanted to be an actor, and of course, my mother was like, ‘Oh, great, what did I do?’ ”
On her type of guy:
“What’s most attractive to me is someone who has the same amount of drive as I do, someone who’s equally passionate about what they do, and equally busy. But I think that would be a tall order.”

Irina Shayk T0pless: Irina Shayk Poses T0pless Between Legs Of Male Model

Not only is the Russian beauty lying between the legs of a handsome male model, she’s also doing so topless.
Irina, 26, uses her arms to cover her modesty as she rests her head in the chest of her tattooed colleague.
Other ads featuring the pin-up in Replay Jeans’ new campaign see Irina entwining denim-clad legs with a similarly half-nude female model.
She also flaunts her pert rear and curvy back as she turns away from the camera in a solo snap.
Despite going topless, Irina recently insisted she’s got too much class to strip off completely for Playboy.
She said: “I would never do Playboy. Yes, I am a lingerie model, but I have class. Playboy offered me so much money last year. I was like, ‘No. Way.’
“All right, Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer did it. But they did it at the end of their career and it was classy.
“I think of myself as a cover girl. But I would never do some kind of cheesy magazine.”

Heidi Klum Divorce: Heidi Klum & Husband Seal To File For Divorce

Heidi Klum and Seal are to file for divorce after six years of marriage, according to reports.
The couple will apparently file divorce papers in the LA County Superior Court early next week, TMZ reported.
The website said German supermodel Heidi, 38, will cite ‘irreconcilable differences’ as the reason for the split.
The reports have shocked fans of the couple who often make public displays of affection at red carpet events, and are a picture of happiness with their four children.

The couple or their management are yet to comment on the reports.
They were last seen together on December 27, with Heidi tweeting a picture of her and her husband smiling against the backdrop of mountains in Aspen, Colorado.
They met in 2004 while Heidi was pregnant with her daughter Leni, now seven, with Italian businessman Flavio Briatore.
London-born crooner Seal, 48, was present for Leni’s birth and later adopted her.
He proposed on December 23, 2004, in an igloo he had built on a glacier in Whistler, British Columbia.
The couple married on the beach on May 10, 2005 in Mexico, near Seal’s home on Mexico’s Costa Careyes.
They have three children, Henry, six, Johan, five, and Lou, two.
The couple is famous for renewing their vows every year on their anniversary in a lavish ceremony.
In 2010, Seal gushed about the tradition.
‘Each year, Heidi and I get remarried,’ he said.
‘It’s a great party, but for about an hour, we go off on our own down to a private beach. We sit there with the kids and read vows to each other as the sun sets. It’s a very special moment to us.’
Splitting up their assets may prove to be a lengthy process.
According to Forbes, Heidi raked in $20 million last year. It’s unclear how much Seal made.
Heidi was previously married to stylist Ric Pipino in 1997 but the couple divorced in 2002.
Seal was spotted arriving at LAX yesterday morning, after promoting his new album in London.
His wife attended the Golden Globes alone on Sunday.

Inshallah Kashmir Movie: Film Inshallah Kashmir: Living Terror Trailer

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ashvin Kumar was forbidden to screen, exhibit or distribute his film “Dazed In Doon”, based on life in Doon School, by the Dehradun court.
His other film, based on the life of Kashmiris, “Inshallah, Football”, was first banned in India by the CBFC, and then given an ‘A’ certificate.
“That film was finally released in India in late December 2011, more than a year after its release in the rest of the world. I’ve always had to hold my films back in India because of issues with the Censor Board. And Indians have never been able to see what I’ve wanted to share with them,” rues Kumar, and adds, “So this time, I have decided to bypass the Indian Censor Board and will be releasing the sequel of “Inshallah, Football” – “Inshallah, Kashmir: Living Terror” – online, free of charge, for 24 hours at 12am on January 26, India’s Republic Day. As the Indian national flag is unfurled in New Delhi and Srinagar, viewers of this film might reflect on the health of Indian democracy via the internet.”

Elizabeth Smart Engaged: Elizabeth Smart Engaged & Marry To Matthew Gilmour

Elizabeth Smart, whose kidnapping and survival story has captivated the state and nation, is engaged to be married.
And the nuptials of Utah’s semi-celebrity are likely to be the sparkling cider toast — and talk — of the town.
The 24-year-old Smart, a senior at BYU, plans to marry in the summer after becoming engaged last weekend, Chris Thomas of Intrepid Communications confirmed Friday.
Thomas declined to identify Smart’s fiance or provide details about how the two met, but wedding registries online at Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn list a July 1 wedding date for an Elizabeth Smart and Matthew Gilmour in Utah.
Gilmour is from Scotland. The two apparently met while Smart was serving an LDS mission in France last year.
Those clamoring for information on whether the blushing bride-to-be will wear her hair up or down, choose lilies or roses for her reception, and if she will say yes to a dress designed by Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier or local designer Maggie Sottero may be disappointed.
Smart plans to keep her wedding plans close to the vest, Thomas said.
“While she plans to be very publicly involved with her public advocacy work, she has decided she wants to keep the details of her personal life private,” Thomas said.
“She is going to be involved in child advocacy work for a long, long time and really decided that she wants to keep her husband and [future] children out of the public spotlight.”
With Smart’s devotion to the Mormon faith, it’s a good guess that she and her fiance will likely be married in an LDS temple.
That means a modest wedding gown that won’t be strapless or sleeveless.
With the family’s penchant for privacy, the wedding celebration probably won’t be a big splash reminiscent of William and Kate’s royal affair. But it’s not likely the reception following the temple ceremony will take place in a ward gym, with crêpe paper flowing from the basketball hoops, either.
Smart has become increasingly visible as an advocate for crime victims following her nine-month kidnapping ordeal at the hands of Brian David Mitchell in 2002 and 2003.
In November, Smart held a press conference at the state Capitol in the wake of the Penn State sexual abuse scandal, suggesting the Penn State victims could have benefited from a program Smart would like to see implemented in elementary schools called radKIDS [Resist Aggression Defensively]. The program teaches children about calling 911 and making defensive moves against attackers.
Smart has also implored President Barack Obama to appropriate more resources into investigating sexual abuse crimes against children.
She sent a letter to Obama on Nov. 9 asking the president to provide more funding to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which investigates sexual exploitation of children on the Web. She also asked the president to declare a “national emergency” and allot resources for a “massive search and rescue operation” to help children trapped in abusive situations.
Smart has been increasingly visible in public discussions on how to prevent child abuse and help victims. She recently spoke at the 24th Conference on Child Abuse and Family Violence at the Davis Conference Center in Layton and said she traveled to New York and Washington, D.C., earlier this month to work on child abuse prevention initiatives.
At Mitchell’s trial in 2010, Smart testified that her kidnapper raped her almost daily during nine months of captivity, which included a journey to California and back to Utah. Smart was rescued — and Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Eileen Barzee, were arrested — after the three were spotted on a Sandy street in March 2003.
Mitchell, 57, is serving a life sentence in prison. Barzee is serving time in a Texas prison for her role in the crime.
Smart is working with her Elizabeth Smart Foundation, aimed at protecting children from abuse with a focus on prevention, eduction and promoting radKIDS.
In July, Smart signed on as a “contributor” to ABC News to help viewers “better understand missing-persons stories from the perspective of someone who really knows what the family experiences when a loved one goes missing,” according to a network spokeswoman.
Smart told ABC News on Friday that she is excited about her engagement, according to the news organization’s website.
“We are looking forward to a bright future together,” Smart told ABC.
Smart’s father, Ed Smart, said Friday his future son-in-law is a “fine young man.” Ed Smart said he’s pleased for his daughter and hopes she has a happy life.
Thomas noted that Smart’s life is on the upswing.
“This is an exciting next chapter of her life,” he said of her engagement. “It’s a banner year for her in many ways.”

Emma Frain T0pless Zoo: Emma Frain Semi-Nude in Zoo Magazine Pictorial

When our friends across the pond at Zoo magazine run a ‘sex issue’, we’re going to pay attention.
I mean, we pay attention to all their fine Brit boobery, but for the sex issue, we’re going to be eyes wide open, because we most definitely have sex issues.
As in, we find ourselves incessantly infatuated with sextastic celebrity bare funbags, which, thankfully the good folks at Zoo have included in their issue courtesy of the ridiculously hot Emma Frain giving some type of anatomical lessons, both on the board, and, below the board, in an photos of school as we always imagined it could be in a perfect world.