Why Katrina chose Ranbir over Aamir

Actress Katrina Kaif opted out of Aditya Chopra's Dhoom 3 to work with ex beau Ranbir Kapoor in Karan Johar's next.

According to reports, Katrina had committed to a film with Karan Johar long time back, and was also supposed to star in Yash Raj banner's Dhoom 3 starring Aamir Khan. Since both the films are scheduled to go on the floors at the same time, so Kat was forced to choose between the two films. Since it was a difficult decision, instead of taking the call herself, the sensible star decided to play it safe.

"She asked both her filmmakers to sit together and take a call on which film she should do," reveals a source close to her.

The source adds, "Katrina has worked with a lot of big banners, but for some reason she has not got the opportunity to work with Dharma Productions. Karan and she were very keen on working together, and were waiting for the right film to come their way."

Reportedly, she was supposed to star in Karan's Dostana sequel. But since it has been put on a backburner, Karan offered her his next Ayaan Mukherjee's film starring Ranbir.

On the other hand, Aditya Chopra was very keen to have Katrina in Dhoom 3. He thought she would be perfect, and her pairing with Aamir would bring on a whiff of freshness.

"Couldn't the filmmakers shift their dates if both of them were so keen on casting Katrina? The source explains, "Adi can't tell Aamir to shift his dates for an actress. And Ranbir's dates can't be moved because he has a packed schedule. So the only option left was for Katrina to choose either of the films. Adi spoke with Karan over phone and they mutually decided that Katrina should do Karan's film. With heavy heart, Adi gave away his actress to Karan since the latter has never worked with her."

The source says, "It's been a difficult decision for Katrina as well. She was looking forward to working with Aamir, and is quite disheartened to let go of such a good opportunity."

Well, there is still hope for Katrina, that is, if Aamir Khan decides to shift his dates.

Bollywood's First Families

Bollywood is a place where, on a daily basis, thousands of aspiring actors strive to become actors but only few of them make it to the top. 

In an industry where most stars belong to families with a 'filmy' background some of them are lucky to be on top without any filmy background or a godfather.

However, the legacy of filmy families is still followed and it is not a hard task to land a film which is why, belonging to such a family really counts in Bollywood.

In this respect, we bring forth a list of some powerful families that seem to rule Bollywood.

The Kapoors

When it comes to famous Bollywood families, the first one to strike your mind would probably be the Kapoor family. The legacy was started by Prithviraj Kapoor who came to Mumbai to fulfill his dream of being a part of Hindi movies. After a successful run in Bollywood, his sons, the legendary, Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor came forth and leterally ruled over it for almost three decades. Then came the turn of Raj Kapoor's sons Randhir, Rajiv and Rishi Kapoor of whom, Rishi was the most successful in the the industry.

Taking up the Bollywood reins after them was Karisma Kapoor who went on to become one of the top actresses of her time. After Karisma, its younger siblings, Kareena and Ranbir Kapoor who are currently the hottest properties of the Hindi film industry.

The Roshans

The man who gave birth to the Roshan family tree in Bollywood was erstwhile music composer Roshan Lal Nagrath, father of Rakesh and Rajesh Roshan. Better known as Roshan, he composed music for quite a number of films like 'Barsaat Ki Raat' and 'Taj Mahal', and was a successful music director of his time. His two sons carried forward his name with Rakesh Roshan taking up acting and Rajesh Roshan, stepping into his father's shoes as a music director.

After Rakesh and Rajesh Roshan, the responsibility of keeping the Roshan flag flying in Bollywood lies solely on the shoulders of Rakesh Roshan's son, Hrithik Roshan. Hrithik is not only a successful actor but one of the most sought after superstar in the industry.

The Bachchans

The Bachchan family is considered to be the first family of Bollywood despite not having a huge line-up of Bollywood stars like the Kapoors. The Bachchan family, initially, comprised of actors Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan and their son, Abhishek Bachchan. However, this family got a huge boost after Aishwarya Rai became a part of this clan after her marriage to Abhishek Bachchan.

Now, with the announcement of her pregnancy, we're guessing that another generation of the Bachchan family is on its way to take Bollywood by storm.

The Deols

Dharmendra started his very own family tree in Bollywood with his children following in his footsteps very easily. His sons, from his first marriage, took up acting and tasted success. 

However Sunny Deol was much more successful than younger brother Bobby Deol. Esha Deol, his daughter from his second marriage to Hema Malini, is also an actress but not a successful one. In fact, Esha is making her comeback in her mother's directorial, 'Tell Me O Khuda'.

Also a part of the Deol family is Abhay Deol, who is the nephew of Dharmendra. Despite being a part of the family, Abhay is totally different from the rest of his cousins. Instead of action oriented roles and commercial films, Abhay opts for unconventionality in his roles and films. We can easily say, that Abhay Deol is the best actor that the Deol family has produced.

The Mukherjees

When we talk about the Mukherjee family, we instantly think of Kajol, her sister Tanisha and Rani Mukherjee. However, the Mukherjee family goes a long way down in Bollywood history. The family's tryst with Bollywood began with Sha Mukherjee, the founder of the famed Filmistan studios.

His five sons followed him into the industry, one of whom was 60's actor Joy Mukherjee. Shomu Mukherjee, who was a writer/producer/director, married Tanuja who, on the other hand, belonged to the Samarth family and was the younger sister of one of the most celebrated actress of Bollywood, Nutan.

Tanuja's daughters, Kajol and Tanisha also went on to act in movies with Kajol achieving superstardom. Her cousin, Rani Mukherjee is also a sought after actress in Bollywood and like Kajol, she too has created a niche for herself.

The Khans

No, we're not talking about the 'Khans' of the industry but only one family that has contributed to and gained from Bollywood to a great extent. The Khan family being mentioned here is the one started by noted script-writer Salim Khan, more famous as Salman Khan's father today. In collaboration with Javed Akhtar, Salim Khan churned out massive hits like 'Sholay', 'Zanjeer', 'Seeta Aur Geeta' and 'Mr. India'. His second marriage was with yesteryear dancer/actress Helen.

All sons, Salman, Arbaaz and Sohail took to acting but only Salman Khan made it big in the industry. Presently, he holds the record of churning out some of the biggest hits in the past few years and is also the highest paid actor in Bollywood reportedly. After an unsuccessful run in the industry, Arbaaz Khan struck gold with his first production 'Dabangg'.

Another member of the Khan clan who is quite a hot property in the industry is Arbaaz Khan's wife, Malaika Arora-Khan. Her item numbers are always a rage and she is a leading fashionista in the film industry. Apart from being a fully filmy clan, this family is a tight-knit one. (MensXP.com)

Ranbir Kapoor’s 10 golden rules to stardom

He may only be seven movies old in B-town, but his star status is such that directors are left queuing up to offer him work. 

Gulf News has revealed the 10 golden rules Ranbir Kapoor followed to make it big in Bollywood. 

1. Roll with the punches: Ranbir’s surname didn't quite prepare him for the fact that his first film ‘Saawariya’ was both a box-office and critical disaster. But the star remained undeterred, following up with ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ - in which he rehashed his dad's famous movie song, and romanced not one but three women. Again the film failed to impress. Then 2009 proved to be the game changer with three back-to-back hits – ‘Wake Up Sid’ and ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’ and ‘Rocket Singh’ - which accelerated his star status. 

2. Work with up-and-coming directors: Ranbir has shown himself willing to work with any director, as long as they come up witha great script and a challenging role. 


3. Constantly reinvent yourself: Ranbir played the mushy romantic hero in ‘Saawariya’, an unapologetic Casanova in ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’, a soul-searching boy in ‘Wake Up Sid’, a wacky comic lead in ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’, a not-too-smart salesman in ‘Rocket Singh’, a stoic politician in ‘Raajneeti’ and a depressed guy in ‘Anjaana Anjaani’. This strategy ensured neither he, nor his fans, get bored. 

4. Skip ‘hero' projects for ensemble flicks: “As long as the script is good, I'm cool doing an ensemble film. When Raajneeti was offered to me, I didn't know who else was in the film. An ensemble cast doesn't scare me, I'm talented and I know I'll give it my best shot, just like I do in my solo roles,” he once said.  

5. Stay silent on your exes: Ranbir avoided mud-slinging even after Deepika Padukone spilled the beans about his wild ways on celeb talk show ‘Koffee With Karan’. The star also remained mum on his alleged fling with Kat on the set of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, because she was dating Salman Khan at the time, and he knew enough not to burn thoseB-wood bridges!  


6. Wear your heart on your sleeve: When Ranbir hooked up with Dips, he didn’t shy away from playing the B-town love game, gushing about his girl at every opportunity. 

7. Cultivate a cool Casanova persona: Having inherited a combination of gorgeous looks, talent, intelligence, mischief and class, Ranbir wields his charms in a good old-fashioned Casanova style. 

8. Date the girls all the guys want: Ever since his much-publicised break-up with Dips, Ranbir has been paired off in the tabloids with any single actress or model on the block. While Nargis Fakhri has remained mum about their relationship, Angela Jonsson has been more forthcoming, saying, "Yes, I've dated Ranbir."  


9. Befriend your contemporaries: With B-wood all about the power plays rather than the friendships, Ranbir has shown he's not of a cut-throat mindset, with the actor preferring to make pals with his peers. 

10. Always stay a mama's boy: A classic family-orientated boy, Ranbir is endearingly attached to his parents and sister Riddhima, and sweetly admits an admiration for his father's films.
  

Ex-lovers Ranbir and Deepika come face to face

At the screening of 'friend' Imran Khan's film 'Delhi Belly', Ranbir Kapoor not only carefully intakes audiences' reaction but also bumps into Dippy! When Ranbir Kapoor was on his way to Yash Raj Studios for a screening of Delhi Belly, he probably didn't anticipate that two surprises were awaiting him. First, he came face-to-face with his ex-girlfriend Deepika Padukone. Second, he was amazed that the special invitees enjoyed his rival's movie so much. Ranbir had been messaging Imran saying he loved the Bhaag D K Bose song and that he was looking forward to the movie. So letting their proxy war be forgotten, IK invited RK for the movie. Guest list A source says, "Imran was previously in Delhi for the film's promotion. So he told Ranbir that he'd invite him for a show as soon as he returned to Mumbai. And since he returned late Tuesday, he decided to have a screening on Wednesday and invited Ranbir, Karan Johar, Rohan Sippy and some other folk." However, it seems he had forgotten to tell him that Deepika had been invited too! So when Ranbir sauntered in with Karan, he was astonished to see that Dippy was there with father, Prakash Padukone and sister Anisha. "But Ranbir was very graceful and he spoke very warmly with her, " says our source. The source adds, "Deepika had flown down from London where she was shooting for Homi Adajania's Cocktail with Saif Ali Khan. She had told Imran that she wanted to see the film. She had got a couple of days off, so she came." Reaction time A little while after the screening started, our source reveals that Ranbir was observing how the others were reacting to the onscreen proceedings. "Maybe he didn't expect people to enjoy the film so much, " says our source, adding that when the lights came on at the end of the film, Ranbir's expression was one of shock and awe. "So much so that some people present were even sniggering among themselves that suddenly, Ranbir wasn't able to handle the competition, " states our informer. However, the actor was quick to regain his composure as he stepped out of the auditorium.

Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif link-up: Snaparazzi proof?!

There might be additional rounds of security to guard actors Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor from the prying eyes of the paparazzi when they start shooting for their next film being directed Ayaan Mukherjee and produced by Karan Johar.

“The film will be set in India and Ayaan hasalready hada few rounds of meetings with his team regarding the leading actors who apparently once dated. They are still good friends and are concerned about the fact that nothing should be leaked out of the sets of the film,” says a source. 

So, sources say that a few additional rounds of security will be put in place for the leading pair. Mostunit members would have access to them only when they are on the shooting floor. “Ayaan has told usthat we need to be extra careful during the shooting. We’ve been told to take outmost care that there are no situations that’ll potentiallyirk the actors,” the source adds.

“Since the film is a road trip based in the North, Ayan hasgone for a recce to Delhi and Punjab. This is the first time that KJo film will be shot in a small town in India,” the source ends.