Hollywood & Bollywood News Updates 27th September 2013

HOLLYWOOD UPDATES

Predicting the Awkwardness in Nina Dobrev and Derek Hough's Relationship

The confirmation of Nina Dobrev and Derek Hough as a couple is cute for all of five seconds... then the awkwardness of the situation sets in. Dobrev's career, friendships, and future romances are all in jeoprady, and we're counting down the ways that this one relationship could pose a problem for the Vampire Diaries star...

Career: Dobrev spent the last three years dating her Vampire Diaries co-star Ian Somerhalder. This union was beloved by fans who begged for a real life Damon-Elena romance. Unfortunately, their characters never hooked up in the show while the couple was together. Instead, The Vampire Diaries will have Dobrev and Somerhalder get together in the upcoming season. We expect filming will be a completely comfortable affair, except if Hough ever decides to visit the set....
Romantic Relationship: Dobrev fans loved her relationship with Somerhalder, and while it seems the two continue to be friends, the actress' public comments about both Hough and Somerhalder may cause tension in her new relationship, and stir up unflattering gossip. Dobrev recently instagrammed pictures of both men, one of Hough, congratulating him on his Emmy win, then another of Somerhalder, congratulationg him on his Visionaries Award (below). Dobrev seems to be paying both men equal public attention, and this may spell trouble for the Hough/Dobrev relationship.

"@Derekhough !!!!!!!! #EMMYWINNER I cant express in 140 characters how unbelievably excited+incredibly proud I am of you. You deserve this :)"

"@iansomerhalder VISIONARIES Award?!? Thats amazing+in such good company. Frieda Pinto,President of Mexico Etc."
Public Image: Dobrev was the September covergirl of Cosmopolitan magazine. In her interview, which she most likely gave in July, Dobrev stated, "I've been a relationship girl, and I've been in long-term relationships my whole life until this point, so I think I'm looking forward to spending some time with myself and finding myself again… I'm just discovering different sides of me and growing and then I'll figure out what I like in a man when I see it." However, reports are claiming that Dobrev and Hough began dating in August, just a few weeks after she gave the interview, and just two months after she broke up with Somerhalder. Not exactly a role model for learning to live on your own.
Friendship: It has been widely understood that Dobrev and Julianne Hough, Derek's sister, are the best of friends. In fact, Julianne introduced Dobrev and Derek. But, if this relationship doesn't work out, it is very likely that Dobrev will lose both her boyfriend and her best friend, a fate that no girl wants to go through. 

Madonna gets affectionate with ex-husband Sean Penn

New York: Pop star Madonna greeted ex-husband Sean Penn with an unusually affectionate embrace when they met at a party here.
They were married for four years before parting ways in 1989. But they looked like a new couple at the party organised by Steven Klein, reports dailymail.co.uk.
Madonna was dressed in a tight black dress with curled blonde locks and bright red lipstick and Penn was dressed in a black suit, black tie and white shirt.
After taking a few photos together, Madonna thanked Penn for coming to the event and he thanked her right back by kissing her on the cheek.

Sabrina, the Teenage Junkie: Melissa Joan Hart Reveals Secret Drug Use

Shock; the world is in utter shock. Okay, by "the world" I mean women in their 20s who obsessed over Melissa Joan Hart in her Nickelodian glory days. However, it is pretty surprising that the quirky child star and current mother of three was once a huge partier and drug user.  

Melissa Explains It All, a play on the Nickelodian series Clarissa Explains It All, is the new tell-all book that details Hart's colorful past, and calls out the other Hollywood celebs who partied with her. Life & Style got a peek at the book, and highlighted some of Hart's noteworthy antics. The author explains, "I experimented with weed, Ecstasy, mushrooms and mescaline for about a year and a half."
She goes on the say she took Ecstacy at the Playboy Mansion in 1999, then made out with a girl on the limo ride home. She even showed up to her Maxim photo shoot still under the influence. Hart admits she was "kind of running with a bad crowd," which apparently included Ryan Reynolds, Nick Carter, and Jerry O'Connell. She adds that she had a fling with both Carter and O'Connell, and labels O'Connell a "man-whore." Another Hollywood hottie that makes it into the book is Ashton Kutcher. Hart recalls, "Ashton and I just didn't get along," and explains she twice tried the throw him out of her parties for making "smartass remarks."
While the tell-all is both shocking and alarming, it has a happy ending. Hart says she never became addicted to the drugs, and in fact, "just didn’t enjoy taking drugs. I don’t like the loss of control.” She is now happily married and staring on the popular sitcom Melissa and Joey.
Check out Melissa Explains It All when it hits shelves Oct. 29. 

Can 'Elementary' Keep Us Hooked?

The second season of Elementary, featuring Jonny Lee Miller's modern-day incarnation of Sherlock Holmes, kicks off this week. Apparently the master detective is going to be going to his homeland of England. In the first season, where Miller was able to take his character from an extremely quirky and annoying recovering drug addict to one of the more complex and entertaining characters on television. Lucy Liu made people forget that Watson was a male in the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books this series is rebooting. Can the show continue its upward momentum?

As it is with many shows, there's always the fear that the writers may lose sight of what made it an exciting show to begin with. Hopefully they will keep Holmes and Watson as platonic co-workers whose sole interest is to act as mentor and mentee for each other. I won't be happy if there are suddenly sidelong glances and hints of romantic feelings for each other. At that point I might don a leather jacket, put on a pair of water skis and seek out the nearest motorboat to take me to a shark tank.
What makes the show so enjoyable now is that Holmes is completely anti-social and immersed in his work, but he's also brilliant and he is capable of pulling himself out of his fog to make some very telling observations about the human conditions. In other words, he doesn't have his head stuck up his rear end all the time. Liu's Watson can get quite exasperated with his act and has shown the tight line that someone who is both a co-worker (she was his sobriety companion to start the show and is now his protégée) and roommate/friend must travel.
The season ended with Holmes having jailed his nemesis, Moriarty. What can the show do to keep the sharp-minded detective challenged? It won't be fun if he becomes superhuman, which the show did dance a bit with some of his observations in the first season. "I see that molecule shifted..."
Aidan Quinn's Captain Gregson is another important cog in keeping the sometimes befuddling Englishman in line and it's going to be interesting to see what the show does this season to keep it up. If the show's writers decide to do any 'shipping with Holmes and Watson, then that 'ship will likely sink. Otherwise, it can sail on for quite a good amount of time.

The Opening Credit Sequence for 'American Horror Story: Coven' Is Completely Terrifying

 

Well, the new American Horror Story: Coven opening credits sequence is officially terrifying, but hopefully the release of the credits before the premiere will do more than just scare the bejeezus out of everyone. The images, paired with the classically creepy AHS intro music, may be giving us clues as to what's to come in this season of FX's horror series. (Or it could just be a montage of random clips that have nothing to do with anything.)
Here's what me might be watching (while our hands are over our eyes, obviously) on AHS: Coven:
- The KKK? Seriously, Ryan Murphy? While the mysterious people cloaked in what looks to be black KKK outfits could just be characters of Murphy's own creation, it wouldn't be too farfetched to think that AHS would write in one of the worst real-life horror stories ever. (Murphy has a habit of basing storylines off of historical events.)
- People's mouths sewn together. Wonderful.
- VOODOO. So much voodoo, guys.
- Possibly one of the most terrifying creatures I have ever seen wandering through the woods. It's like a mix between a Praying Mantis and a skeleton bat. I'm not even joking.
- Woodland animals that remind me of Maryann, one of the villains in season two of True Blood who casually attempted to brainwash everyone while wearing a bull's head. (Or there are just a bunch of furries in this season, which is actually much scarier.)
- Cats! Levitation! Creepy elegance! People being burned in a fire! Because they're witches, duh.
American Horror Stories: Coven premieres Oct. 9 at 10 P.M. on FX.

Will 'Supernatural' Regain Its Mojo?

Supernatural is beginning its eighth season this October and the big question in my mind is: Is it going to get things right? The last we saw of it, the vast, vast, vast majority of angels had lost their grace and were plummeting to Earth while Dean and Sam could only look on in stunned silence. Misha Collins' Castiel, who had been recently bestowed series regular honors, is one of those now likely powerless angels on Earth. Will the show get off its track of its characters either immersed in self-pity or outright lying to each other?

Jared Padalecki's Sam is the one who was feeling quite sorry for himself last season, weighing down the show with what seemed like interminable flashbacks about a love that he found and then lost while Jensen Ackles' Dean was busy trying to survive in Purgatory.It got to the point where I was clenching my teeth when it became obvious they were going to do another one.
The thing that has always irritated me during the later seasons is the secrets the brothers keep from each other. Of course, it leads to something bad and one of them yelling at the other, "This almost ended the world! No more secrets!" Then it's like they get hit by the amnesia machine and DO IT AGAIN. I know that as seasons go by, things can get creatively stagnant. But I have hopes that this season will be a more refreshing one: the deus ex machina powers that the angels possess are gone, so maybe it'll be different.
What I'm hoping for is character development in both Dean and Sam. Dean has seemingly got it into his brain that he's nothing but a dumb grunt and that Sam has some vast intellect. (Guess who does the majority of the dumb things on the show, though. Go ahead, guess.) Sam has to get out of the whole self-pity mode.. and also let himself and his brother grow. They both have this weird symbiosis where one has to try to bring the other back down so they can be together rather than live separate lives.
I know that this show has some rabid fans, so arguing these points with them can be rather futile. I'll still be there watching the season premiere, so please put away those pitchforks. Leave them for the demons and devils on the show.

Did 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Get Off To A Good Start?

Joss Whedon's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiered this week and the first question that sprang to mind was, 'Are non-hardcore comic fans are going to love it?' My immediate answer is: Yes.

The show opened up with the familiar Marvel flip-comic screen and then references were made to the Avengers movie. Flitting images of certain superheroes came across a screen - the arm of Thor, a quick look at a certain green behemoth. But then it quickly dove right into the story, and it didn't involve any big name people. The only recognizable people were Cobie Smulders, from The Avengers (and How I Met Your Mother, of course). The other two were Clark Gregg, who played Agent Coulson in all the recent Marvel movies and Ming-Na Wen, who has had a fairly steady acting career since appearing on E.R. in the '90s.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had its usual Whedon funny scenes, including Coulson's almost creepy reverence for his car and an unusual application of a truth serum. The story moved well, albeit a bit slower, since characters had to be introduced. There was some nifty CGI as well and some actors who have worked with Whedon before made an appearance (like Ron Glass, who played Shephard Book on Firefly).
There were some references to things in the Marvel Universe, but it never felt like one had have a stockpile of comics to understand what was going on. The premiere ended on what felt like an intriguing enough of cliffhanger to warrant a live-watching of the second episode (I'm definitely DVRing the entire season).

So yes, I think this time Whedon's got enough material to rope in the hardcore and casual fans alike. There is also some question about whether Coulson is really what he thinks he. I just also hope Smulders stays on as a regular, especially since this is the last season of How I Met Your Mother. Unless she turns out to have been an extraterrestrial alien stalking Ted Mosby the whole time.

Celebs Who Married Their High School Sweethearts

Breaking up may be hard to do, but staying in a relationship can be even harder. This goes doubly true in the entertainment world, which is basically a cesspool of temptation as it is. Some celeb couples have stood the test of time and have been with their partners since they were just the lame drama kids and skinny, wannabe rock stars in their senior classes. To these rare couples, we salute you.

Jeff Daniels & Kathleen Treado
Jeff Daniels is coming off the high of an Emmy win, but his real win is his relationship with his wife, Kathleen Treado. The couple’s story plays like a rom-com: they met at high school in a small Michigan town, fell in love, got their careers going, and finally got married at twenty-four years old (aka 1979).
Paula Patton & Robin Thicke
Before he had topless women dance around him in music videos and was grinding with a young twerker with a lizard tongue at the VMAs (but not taking any flack for it), Robin Thicke was just another dorky celebrity son. He met Paula Patton when he was fourteen and she was fifteen, and serenaded her at a teen night club. (What are those and how come we didn’t have any?) Though the couple dated throughout high school and college, they didn’t get married until fifteen years later.
Snoop Dogg and Shante Taylor
Snoop Dogg and his wife have had a rollercoaster ride of a marriage, but they’ve managed to make it out together. Snoop met Shante Taylor at their Long Beach high school and after 2 kids together, married in 1997. In 2004, Snoop filed for divorce, but by 2008 the couple was back together, renewing their wedding vows.
Bono & Ali StewartBono met Ali Stewart when they were fifteen and have been together ever since. Stewart was with Bono during the death of his mother and supported his burgeoning interest in music and performing. They didn’t know it then, but Bono would end up fronting one of the biggest Irish rock bands in the world, and the couple would remain together since their marriage in 1982.
Jon Bon Jovi & Dorthea Hurley
Jon Bon Jovi is basically the Paul Newman of the rock world, preferring to stay a one-woman man than skank around with every groupie that he sees. After dating all of high school, the couple waited another 9 years to get married, which they did by eloping to Las Vegas in 1989. Almost thirty years and four children later, the couple is still going strong.

Stars Turned PETA Fugitives

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) are notorious for their in-your-face advocacy of vegetarianism and anti-fur campaigns. Love them or hate them, PETA does not back down when they see celebrities wearing or doing things that conflict with their beliefs, and they have proved themselves to be the Enemy No. 1 when it comes to stars that love draping themselves with dead animals. Here are some of the celebs on PETA’s Most Wanted list.

Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Lohan is a repeat offender when it comes to PETA, having her own page on PETA's blog dedicated to her love of all products animal skin. In 2008, she was famously floured outside of a nightclub in Paris for wearing fur, while the flourer yelled, “Lindsay Lohan – fur hag!” What makes this even better is that PETA’s blog entry about the event starts off golden: “Lindsay Lohan’s tan turned noticeably paler tonight...”
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton is also no stranger to the wrath of PETA. Not only is Hilton a fan of fur, but she was also notorious for collecting animals like they were accessories, only to toss them away once their novelty wore off. Hilton further angered PETA in 2009 when she bought a pot-bellied pig, which is known to need a great deal of care that Hilton historically proved that she can't provide. We don’t know what’s up with the pig, but hopefully it’s gone all Lord Of the Flies on her.
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian is another celeb who got floured and called a “fur hag” due to her love of wearing fur. Though PETA allegedly wasn’t behind it (of course not, it was PETA Black Ops), they made no secret of loving watching the socialite/sex tape star get doused with flour. What makes Kim look even stupider is the fact that her sister, Khloe, posed for an anti-fur campaign for PETA, which Kim very publicly supported. Whoops.
Lady Gaga
Gaga has 2 lengthy pages on PETA’s blog dedicated to her hypocrisy of stating that she is anti-fur, even though she’s been seen in not only fur coats, but also a little meat dress she wore at the 2010 VMAs that you might recall. Gaga is pretty notorious for being, well, attention-deprived, and her love of wearing gross things is probably not going to go away any time soon.
Beyoncé
No stranger to wearing fur, Beyonce has incurred PETA’s fury many a-times. But it’s not just the fur that PETA has an issue with – Beyoncé has worn the flesh of many types of animals on her body, including pythons, iguanas, crocodiles, calf hairs, anacondas, stringrays, ostriches (those last 4 are just what her shoe line is made out of), and just about every other exotic and/or endangered animal out there. Pretty gross, Bey.
Olsen Twins
If there’s one thing to love PETA for, it’s some of the nicknames they come up with for their celebs. Case in point – the Olsen twins, or, as PETA likes to call them, the Trollsens. Individually, they refer to the twins as Hairy Kate and Trashley, due to their unashamed love for fur. PETA tried for years to get Mary Kate and Ashley to give up the fur, and eventually starting an official campaign to shame the girls into ditching their fur clothes. The campaign was compelling, but the Trollse – er, Olsens keep on keeping on with their fur.

On The Couch: A Vampire Who Needs a Little Freud

You’d think having an eternity to work out your issues would mean vamps are kind of centered. All that down time, centuries of personal growth, sex whenever you want it. But anyone who digs into the genre quickly learns that 21st century vampires like to suffer.

If a metaphor for human conflict ever haunted the airwaves, that would be Vampire Diaries' Stefan Salvatore. Okay, he's a perennial teenager, but he's so past puberty he could be living on the perks. So what's with all the Adjustment Disorders?
Sure, you're smarter than everyone, and your girlfriend is a depressive. But you're more handsome than anyone in your class, and could have any girl. Although, come to think of it, you're perfect for each other. Conflicted, sullen, and you both mumble a lot.

BOLLYWOOD UPDATES

Meet Vidya Balan, the lady James Bond

Mumbai: Actress Vidya Balan, who will be seen as a women detective in ‘Bobby Jasoos’, says those who want to see the female James Bond should see her.
"If you all want to see the lady James Bond, then I am right here," said Vidya - without revealing much - when asked about ‘Bobby Jasoos’.
To be directed by Sameer Shaikh and produced by Dia Mirza and Sahil Sangha, ‘Bobby Jasoos’ will go on floors by mid-November.
Looking slimmer, the actress said the weight loss was for ‘Shaadi Ke Side Effects’.
Vidya said: "For `Dirty Picture` and `Ghanchakkar` I had to gain weight. In `Shaadi Ke Side Effects` I play a urban girl and the film demanded a particular body type, so I have lost the weight that I gained for my previous films."
‘Shaadi Ke Side Effects’ will see the fresh pair of Viday and Farhan Akhtar. The actress was all praise for her co-star.
"I have seen `Bhaag Milkha Bhaag` and the perfection and dedication Farhan has done for the film is commendable. I am a huge fan of Farhan Akhtar. There is so much to learn from him."

Sonam persuades dad Anil Kapoor to socialise online

Sonam Kapoor, who is active on social networking websites, wants her father Anil Kapoor to do the same.
Anil recently joined microblogging website Twitter and now Sonam is coaxing her father to join Facebook as well as Instagram.
"When `24` came along, it gave Anil a reason to be more interactive with his audience. So much so that he finally gave in to the social media wagon...This time Sonam is on a mission to coax her dad to get him on Facebook and Instagram," said a source close the actress.
The 28-year-old has a high fan following on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Salman Khan to start 'Hero' remake next year

Mumbai: Actor-producer Salman Khan, who is all set to produce the remake of Subhash Ghai`s hit film ‘Hero’, will start rolling the cameras for the movie by early next year.
A 1983 film, ‘Hero’ was directed by Subhash Ghai and featured Jackie Shroff and Meenakshi Sheshadri, who were new at that time.
"Yes, I am very happy that `Hero` is being remade and Salman Khan and his team will certainly do a good job. The film will be directed by Nikhil Advani and it will go on floors by early 2014," Ghai said.
To be the first film being made under Salman Khan Productions, it will reportedly star Aditya Pancholi`s son Sooraj and Suniel Shetty`s daughter Athiya in the lead roles.

Mallika Sherawat injured on ‘The Bachelorette India - Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika’ set

New Delhi: The transition from Bollywood to television was literally painful for Mallika Sherawat.
The actress, who will feature in reality show ‘The Bachelorette India - Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika’, had reportedly fallen from a bike and hurt herself while shooting for the show`s promo.
"When Mallika was shooting for the promo, an unforeseen incident happened with her. The moment the bike accelerated, Mallika lost control and fell from it. Not just this, the sari got stuck in the wheel and unfortunately got torn," said a source close to the production house.
"She faced minor bruises but her spirit was undeterred. She immediately got up and to everyone`s surprise, created no fuss and agreed to re-shoot," the source added.
The dating reality show, based on the internationally popular format of ‘The Bachelor’, focusses on finding a match for the actress among 30 contestants.

Sidharth Malhotra finishes 'Hasee Toh Phasee'

Mumbai: Sidharth Malhotra has recently finished shooting for his second movie ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’ with Parineeti Chopra. The actor is eagerly waiting for the release of the romantic comedy.
"The shoot was completed by shooting the last song of the film at a location in Juhu (Mumbai suburb). The entire shoot of the film has been a great journey for Sidharth and is now looking forward for the film`s official release," said a source close to the actor.
Dharma Productions has co-produced the film with Phantom Production, while Vinil Matthew has directed ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’.

Vidya Balan to return as IFFM face for third year

Melbourne: Bollywood actress Vidya Balan is returning as the brand ambassador of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne for the third year in a row.
Balan`s name was announced during the Victorian government`s trade mission to India. The 35-year-old actress is best known for her powerpacked performances in films like `Parineeta`, `The Dirty Picture` and `Kahaani`.
"The Victorian Coalition Government will extend its support for the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne by one year, reinforcing the strong bond that exists between the Victorian and Indian screen industries," said Louise Asher, minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business.
"I am delighted to announce that Indian film star Vidya Balan will return as the Festival`s Ambassador," Asher said.
Balan also expressed her delight to be back as the brand ambassador for the festival.
"The festival is close to my heart as it provides a perfect platform for young and upcoming film makers and showcases the best of films not only from India but also our neighbouring countries," the actress said.
The next year`s festival will also include four award categories including Best direction, Best performance and Best film.
"I am very excited about the festival now having a competitive edge with the four awards that have been announced. It is always very gratifying to get recognition and appreciation for our work and to have that from a foreign audience in a foreign country makes it all the more special," Balan added.
Festival Director, Mitu Bhowmick Lange, expressing her happiness over Balan`s re-appointment, said, "We are delighted to welcome the transcendent Vidya Balan back as our Festival Ambassador for IFFM 2014. With IFFM becoming a competitive festival from next year, we look forward to widening the scope and reach of the festival, and showcasing a vibrant program for 2014."
Asher said the state government was looking forward to future realisation of film and television production currently being developed through the Government`s Victoria-India co-production initiative.
"Such projects play a big part in both cultural and business connections, which is why the Victorian Government is committed to growing our screen industry and growing the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne," Asher said.