Muscat Festival: Shahrukh Khan and Lara Dutta participating in it!

Muscat Festival: Shahrukh Khan and Lara Dutta participating in it!: A slew of events including a fashion show, a cycle race, extreme sailing championship and food festivals are slated for the Muscat Festival which opens in the capital of Sultanate of Oman Jan 27-Feb 24 with Bollywood names like Shahrukh Khan and Lara Dutta participating in it, top officials said here Monday.

"While singer Sonu Niigaam and actress Lara Dutta will perform at the fest Feb 10, superstar Shahrukh Khan will have a stage-show there Feb 17,” Salim Bin Adey Al-Mamari, Director General of Tourism Promotion, Sultanate of Oman, told media persons here this afternoon.

Oman also plans to woo Indian filmmakers to consider the country as a shooting locale as Bollywood movies are very popular there and Shahrukh also commands a huge fan following.

“Film tourism is a growing phenomenon worldwide. We realise the importance and the reach of the Indian film industry and plan to encourage Indian producers and studios to film in Oman,” added Lubaina Sheerazi, India Representative of Sultanate of Oman.

Hoping to lure over two million visitors from India and elsewhere, the Muscat Festival will have Oman’s Food Festival (Feb 3-17), Muscat Fashion Week (Feb 22-24), Tour of Oman cycle race (Feb 15-20), and Extreme Sailing World Championships (Feb 20-24), besides many other events.

Oman soon expects to claim a big slice of the booming meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) business by setting up a world-class conference facility.

Spread over two-million-square-metres, the 'Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre’ will boast of a 3,000 seat Convention Centre, four hotels and serviced apartments supported by a major regional retail facility, just four kilometres from Muscat Airport, informed Khalid Al Zadjali, Director of Tourism Events, Ministry of Tourism, Oman.

Targeting 12 million Indian visitors to Oman by 2020, Al Zadjali said that the country is a safe destination where the state income goes back to the people in the form of free education, free healthcare and almost no taxes to pay.

Bollywood Stars at Sameer Soni-Neelam’s wedding reception Pictures

Bollywood Stars at Sameer Soni-Neelam’s wedding reception Pictures: Who's attend the reception and who's how looking gorgeous? Checkout here:

Bollywood Stars at Sameer Soni-Neelam’s wedding reception Pictures

Sameer Soni-Neelam’s wedding reception Pictures: Shahrukh Khan-Aishwarya Rai as guest

Sameer Soni-Neelam’s wedding reception Pictures: Shahrukh Khan-Aishwarya Rai as guest: Look who arrived looking gorgeous as ever at Neelam and Sameer Soni’s wedding reception? It’s Aishwarya Rai. The lady wore a dark pink back-less salwar suit and was without her dear hubby. While others who added Bollywood zing to the reception were Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee.

Sameer Soni-Neelam’s wedding reception Pictures Shahrukh Khan-Aishwarya Rai as guest

Deepika Padukone have no more time to work with Rajinikanth!

Deepika Padukone have no more time to work with Rajinikanth!: One of the most sought after actresses in Bollywood has been approached for a film with the superstar Rajinikanth. But Deepika Padukone doesn’t have dates to work with Rajini.

What? Yes, the actress is in a fix as her date-diary is full till 2012. And since Deepika can’t let the rare opportunity of acting opposite Rajini Sir go by unclinched, she is reported to be making room in her date diary especially for the sultan of style from the south.

As a source is quoted by a tabloid, “Unfortunately, the producers of the film want to take it on floors this year and Deepika has her hands full…Now she is trying hard to adjust her dates so she doesn't miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with Rajnikanth.”

Deepika is currently busy with the multi-starrer Desi Boys, Aarakshan which also stars Amitabh Bachchan and a film opposite Saif Ali Khan to be directed by the maverick Being Cyrus fame director Homi Adajania.

Thus someone has kept Rajnikant waiting. This film will also see Rajini in double roles like Robot.

Kareena Kapoor in a new ‘Chhamak Challo’ avatar in ‘Ra.One’

Kareena Kapoor in a new ‘Chhamak Challo’ avatar in ‘Ra.One’: We would say Chhamak Challo is her new 'item' name. Yes, after Sheila and Munni, get ready for Chhamak Challo! Kareena Kapoor’s new item song is from her first superhero, sci-fi film Ra.One where she is paired opposite Shahrukh Khan.

Kareena’s Chhamak Challo avatar required her to look toned and fit. The actress who is more into yoga than cardio went for a strict diet to get into shape with the help of her dietician Rujuta Diwekar. In fact, Kareena maintained the diet even when she was in Vegas shooting with Imran Khan for Short Term Shaadi.

See her look in the song; it’s more like a sexy Marathi mulgi reminding one of Madhuri Dixit’s look in superhit song Humko Aaj Kal Hai Intezar. If Chhamak Challo has beats by Akon to make you go numb, the dance moves are choreographed by the ace dancer Ganesh Hegde. Kareena herself claims that she has never done something like this.

Bipasha Basu's dream to meet James Franco

Bipasha Basu's dream to meet James Franco: James Franco, the star of Danny Boyle’s latest film ‘127 Hours’ has caught the fancy of Bipasha Basu.

We all know that Bipasha Basu has had a thing for Brad Pitt, the man who’d leave her dreamy-eyed. Now, Pitt has been replaced by Franco.

“Tonight I want to watch ‘127 Hours’! James Franco is replacing Brad Pitt in my life! Tremendous actor and truly a Gorgeous man! My dream is 2 meet him:)” Bipasha wrote on her Twitter page.

Bipasha is presently in New Zealand to shoot for Abbas-Mustan’s thriller ‘Players’ which is an adaptation of the Hollywood thriller ‘The Italian Job’.

Abhishek Bachchan Birthday: celebrate with the sheep in New Zealand!

Abhishek Bachchan Birthday: celebrate with the sheep in New Zealand!: Once again, Abhishek Bachchan would be busy shooting on his birthday this year. It’s a ritual Abhi has followed every year.

Come February 5, Abhishek turns a year older. But on this special day, he won’t be with his family in Mumbai but shooting for Abbas-Mustan’s film Players in New Zealand.

Talking about his birthday, Abhishek jokes: “I know I am spending my birthday with the sheep in New Zealand.” There is rumour that his dear wife Aishwarya Rai plans to fly to NZ to surprise Abhi on his birthday.

But Abhishek says he won’t be surprised because he is in the know of Ash’s day-to-day movements.