Katrina to do item number in Agneepath

Katrina Kaif has bagged another item number and this time it is in Hrithik Roshan starrer Agneepath. After making the nation go

crazy with ‘Sheila Ki Jawaani’ and recently grooving to the title track Bodyguard, news is that she will be seen doing an item number yet

again; this time with Sanjay Dutt, who plays the bad man Kancha Cheena in Agneepath.

This will be the first time Katrina and Sanjay will be sharing screen space. Katrina is a fantastic dancer and Dutt being a non-dancer has decided to take

two weeks off to rehearse his steps. He will also shave his head off for the third time for Agneepath.

The song is composed by National Award winning music directors Ajay and Atul Gogavale, who had composed the music of Singham.

The item number is going to be really sizzling. Reportedly, it is going to be on the lines of another Amitabh Bachchan chartbuster ‘Jhuma Chooma De

Dein’ from Mukul Anand’s Hum.

Now this is one song we are eagerly awaiting for.

World Cup: Sri Lanka survive Kiwis late assault to reach final

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka succeeded in reaching the World Cup final for second time in a row after avoiding late bowling assault by New Zealand here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday.

Chasing 218, the co-hosts reached the target to beat the Kiwis by five wickets with 13 balls to spare in the first day-night semi-final as veteran off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan said goodbye to his home crowd.

Opener Tillekaratna Dilshan (73) and captain Kumar Sangakkara (54) hit half-cneturies to set a foundation for Sri Lanka’s victory to qualify for the World Cup final for the third time and second in succession.

They had won the final in 1996 at Lahore, Pakistan but lost it in 2007 at Kingston, Jamaica.

Sri Lanka play the winners of Wednesday”s semi-final between India and Pakistan in Mohali.

Muralitharan took his 534th wicket off his last ball on home soil as New Zealand were bowled out for a below-par score of 217 in 48.5 overs.

Muralitharan, who last year retired from Tests after finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 800, now aims to win his second title — after being part of the 1996 Cup winning squad — in Saturday”s final in Mumbai.

Sri Lanka, cruising along at 160-1, lost four wickets in the space of 25 runs to raise fears of an unlikely defeat before Thilan Samaraweera (23 not out) and Angelo Mathews (14 not out) guided them home with an unbroken 35-run stand.

New Zealand, who for the sixth time failed in a World Cup semi-final, seemed to be succumbing like England did during their 10-wicket quarter-final defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka, but they staged a brave rearguard action.

It was 34-year-old Dilshan who was once again in rampaging mood, taking the co-hosts to 40 by the eighth over in the company of Upul Tharanga who fell after scoring a 31-ball 30 with four boundaries and a six.

Dilshan then found an equally aggressive and in-form partner in captain Sangakkara as they added 120 for the second wicket, before Dilshan played straight into the hands of Jesse Ryder off Tim Southee.

Dilshan hit 10 boundaries and a six during his 93-ball knock. He also became the top run-getter of the tournament with 467.

Sri Lanka then lost Mahela Jayawardene (one) and Sangakkara in the space of eight runs and then Chamara Silva (13) before the team held their nerve.

It was Ajantha Mendis (3-35) and Lasith Malinga (3-55), along with Muralitharan (2-42), who kept New Zealand under control after Daniel Vettori won the toss and opted to bat.

Scott Styris, who top scored with 57, added 77 for the fourth wicket with Ross Taylor (36) but the Sri Lankan bowlers never allowed them to run away with a big total, dismissing the Kiwis in 48.5 overs.

Styris and Kane Williamson (22) added 42 in the batting powerplay but New Zealand lost their last seven wickets for just 56 runs.

Sri Lanka once again dismissed hard-hitting Brendon McCullum through a spinner when left-armer Rangana Herath bowled him in the eighth over for 13.

Martin Guptill (39) and Jesse Ryder (19) took the total to 69 before Muralitharan had the big left-hander caught off a quickish delivery.

Soon it became 84-3 when Malinga bowled Guptill with a ferocious yorker after the opener had hit three boundaries off 65 balls.

US army sends mini shuttle into space

CAPE CANAVERAL: A prototype miniature space shuttle blasted off aboard an unmanned Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Saturday for a demonstration run that could last as long as nine months.

The experimental vehicle, known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, or OTV, lifted off at 5:46 p.m. EST. It is the second ship to be put in space under the U.S. military’s X-37B program.

The vehicles are smaller versions of NASA’s space shuttle orbiters — 29 feet long, 14 feet across. The one-third scale spaceships are solar powered, unlike the space shuttles, and are not designed to carry people.

Like OTV-1, which returned from a 224-day mission on December 3, what OTV-2 will do in orbit, as well as any cargo or experiments that are aboard are classified.

They are intended to test technologies and processes for low-cost, quick-turnaround, reusable space vehicles, as well as serve as orbital testbeds for instruments that could be incorporated into future satellites.

Once operational, the X-37B could be used for a variety of missions including reconnaissance, in-space service and repair of satellites, deploying and retrieving spacecraft, and demonstrating new technologies, the Air Force said.

OTV-1 returned from flight in good condition, paving the way for launch of its sister ship with few modifications. A more detailed inspection and analysis of OTV-1 will be undertaken as part of its refurbishment.

OTV-1 has not yet been scheduled for a second launch, but the Air Force anticipates it will return to orbit.

No significant changes were made to OTV-2 as a result of the OTV-1 flight.

Minor tweaks include a reduction in the vehicle’s main landing gear tire pressure by about 15 percent to help avoid repeating the blown tire that OTV-1 experienced upon touchdown at Vandenberg Air Force Base on December 3.

The reduced pressure should better accommodate imperfections in Vandenberg’s 15,000-foot-long runway, the Air Force said.

The vehicles were built by Boeing. AGENCIES

ICC Threats Champions Trophy

ICC champions’ trophy was scheduled to hold in 2013. The future of the ICC champions’ trophy is under threats as ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said that they are willing to have just one edition of each format of the game. ICC has intentions to have one primary edition of each format to save the interest of cricket.

Oprah Winfrey Shares Her Wisdom

TrendPK.com: Oprah Winfrey has been on television for over 25 years, but made her first appearance at the Television Critics Association press tour as the creator of OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network. Her mandate for programs is to encourage people, with the philosophy she’s brought to The Oprah Winfrey Show over the decades.

“After The Color Purple, I learned that God can dream a bigger dream for you than you can dream for yourself,” Winfrey said. “I try to live in that space that is the universe’s dream for me, the bigger dream. As you heard me say to Barbara Walters, my prayer is: use me. I see myself really as a messenger for a message that is greater than myself. The message is: You can. You can. You can. You can do and you can be and you can grow and it can get better and it doesn’t matter where you were born or who your mother was or how many doctorate degrees you did have or your family had or your father had. It doesn’t matter. You can. You can do.”

Your OWN Show has contestants competing to get their own show on OWN. Will it be the spiritual talk show or Zach Anner’s travel show for people in wheelchairs? Our America with Lisa Ling explores issues of transgenders, drug addicts and sex offender camps in the forest.

“My goal in my lifetime is to really help people to understand that we’re all as human beings to evolve,” Winfrey continued. “So the evolving of consciousness is really what I’m about but I’m not telling people that’s what it is. All of us are here to become more of who we are, of who you really were born to be. Every single one of us in this room has that. That is how we are all equal, because I was born to be who the creator intended, whether you believe in the creator or not. Whatever you believe put you here, you were born to perform the highest expression of that coming. That is my goal as my personal self and it is also my goal to help other people see that in themselves. I fully understand that this platform that I have been given is a gift.”

She’s not preaching about OWN though. Part of the philosophy is to just BE positive, not to force positivity on people. “The whole network is about encouraging people, for the most part, to live with an open heart. It’s about opening yourself to all that is possible for you and extending yourself in grace and gratitude for what you have. There is a spiritual thread to it. I don’t think it’s wise for us to go around announcing we’re the spiritual channel. There are many different ways to assert the nature of what is good without calling it good TV, without calling it spiritual, labeling it that.”

Winfrey has learned her lesson. There’s no doubt that she has changed people’s lives, both hands on and just through broadcasting issues on her show. She can’t take credit for that though.

“One of the things that makes me not anxious but accepting the challenge at this time is that I’ve learned a lot from my mistakes. Being on the air for the past 25 years, I’ve learned a lot about myself, like all of us and our jobs. You learn from what worked and what didn’t work. I made a big mistake about 10-12 years ago of calling what we were doing on television ‘Change Your Life TV.’ That came out of a natural organic process for me, meaning that whenever I would meet people, people would always say to me, ‘Oprah, you changed my life.’ I started to try to hear that and not just dismiss it. I said, ‘What actually changed in your life?’ People would tell me the various things. ‘I went back to school, got a degree. I stopped beating my kids because of you. I left a bad marriage. I was abused.’ I came back to my team and said maybe there’s something to this Change Your Life thing. We started a new season calling it that and felt immediately the pushback from some of you probably in this room.”

One of the television critics actually put it in perspective for Winfrey. “I appreciate good criticism. I don’t appreciate criticism that’s just done from somebody who hasn’t done their research and isn’t looking at it from an objective analytical point of view. My thing is if you’re going to tell the story, tell the whole story. I read one critic that did a really nice analysis of who was I to try to change somebody’s life. In reading that passage, I thought there’s some truth to that. Who am I to say that I’m actually changing your life? What I realized was that’s not for me to say. That’s for somebody else to say. That’s a big lesson I learned. Don’t go around telling people you’re going to change their lives. Let them tell you if that’s what their experience was. Having learned that lesson, I’m moving forward now and wanting to create television that we feel is meaningful and mindful.”

Winfrey won’t buy into the polarizing television of extreme news and reality TV debauchery. OWN could stand out in the cable listings. “All the divisions between the right and left and red and blue, most people are in the middle. Most people are really good. Most people are really, really good. When I started The Oprah Winfrey Show and we were going to be syndicated around the country, I felt pretty confident that show would be successful. Being in this space right now, I know that going forward, it’s really only going to get better and there are enough people, there’s a critical mass of people, we haven’t found them all, who want something better, who want better programming. I know that’s true. I see them every day.”

More repairs ordered for Discovery fuel tank

CAPE CANAVERAL: NASA ordered additional repairs to space shuttle Discovery after more cracks were discovered in the ship”s fuel tank, but the flight remains targeted for early February, officials said.

The shuttle”s cargo run to the International Space Station, one of the final missions before the United States ends the 30-year-old shuttle program, has been on hold since November 5 when a hydrogen fuel leak scuttled a launch attempt. Technicians later found a 21-inch- (53-cm) long crack in the foam insulation that covers the tank, a potential debris hazard for launching.

Further investigation revealed underlying cracking in structural supports, the cause of which has not been determined.

X-rays of the backside of the tank, completed this week, showed additional cracks in three more of the aluminum lithium tank support structures, Kennedy Space Center spokesman Allard Buetel said late on Thursday.

Those cracks will be repaired while managers consider if additional modifications to the tank will be needed, work that could delay the scheduled February 3 launch to later in the month.

The shuttle fuel tanks have been a top safety issue for NASA since the 2003 Columbia accident, which killed seven astronauts. A piece of foam insulation broke off Columbia”s tank during launch and smashed into the ship”s wing. The damage caused the shuttle to break apart as it flew through the atmosphere for landing 16 days later. NASA redesigned the tanks after the accident and developed new in-flight inspection procedures.

NASA is ending its space shuttle program in 2011 after two or three more missions to complete the space station, a $100 billion project of 16 nations that has been under construction 220 miles above the planet since 1998. Russia already has taken over the job of transporting crew members to and from the outpost – at a cost of $51 million a seat – in anticipation of the shuttles” retirement.

NASA is also investing in commercial companies with the hope that private industry will be ready to provide launch services for astronauts by about 2015.

Sonakshi Sinha signed up as brand ambassador for Dyna Soaps

She came, she saw, she ‘Khan-querred’. We are indeed talking about the one and only Gen-Next dynamite Sonakshi Sinha, the very PYT who was one of the vital names instrumental in making her debut film Dabangg a mega success.

And once you are a top-notch heroine, it’s not just the films, but also the ad world starts beckoning you. After having signed Joker, Shirish Kunder’s 3-D bonanza, Sonakshi is now all set to enter the ad world with a bang! The pretty actress has now been signed up as the brand ambassador for ‘Dyna Soaps’, so reports Bollywood Hungama’s most trusted sources. When we tried calling up the company officials, they confirmed the news, but denied to reveal any further details. Readers may recall that Katrina Kaif was the previous brand ambassador for the said brand of soap.

Do watch this space for more details.

Ekta & Tusshar Kapoor attended the NY Festival separately

Ekta Kapoor loves her only sibling Tusshar to death. But when it comes to providing space, she’s next to none. A totally non-interfering ‘Didi’, Ekta carried her hands-off policy to a new high when Tusshar and she attended the Tenth Annual Indo-American Arts Council Film Festival in New York. Not only did Ekta and Tusshar travel separately from Mumbai they also did their own thing in New York and believe it or not, met only at the venue of the Festival!

Tusshar confirms this when he candidly says, “Ekta and I travelled separately to New York. She was with her friends on one flight, I went later on my own, crashed out the minute the flight took off and woke up when we were to land in NYC, so I was grateful for not being in company on flight. In New York, I shopped the whole day and only then attended the Festival. That’s where I met Ekta.”

Tusshar admits the celebrity-siblings like to give each other space. Rohit Shetty, who has just delivered a whammy of a hit Golmaal 3 which features Tusshar Kapoor, is all set to direct a comedy for producer Ekta Kapoor. But guess what! Tusshar is not too keen on being part of a hit team when sis Ekta is proving the financial backing.

Tusshar, who turned 35 this month, is evasive on this issue. “Yes, Rohit is committed to direct a film for my sister. But I think he’s first planning to direct an action film for Ajay Devgn. When the film produced by my sister happens we shall see. Right now I am just so happy to be part of a film that is so successful.”

Success on his own terms, and not arranged by his tycoon sister. That’s Tusshar’s policy. A rarity in an industry where youngsters are on the prowl for godfathers and patrons.
Everyone has noticed how Ekta and her brother Tusshar Kapoor have been occupying individual spaces as much as possible. However, the reason for it is not anything as scandalous as sibling rivalry.

By now every hopeful mother-in-law and her eligible son in town know, Ekta Kapoor is a recluse. Even when it comes to her own brother Ekta has a completely hands-off approach letting him make all his career decision independent of their home production Balaji Films.

Jacqueline Fernandez signed up as brand ambassador for Titan watches

Jacqueline Fernandez is someone who can be very correctly called as ‘Beauty on a Duty’. Besides being the Sri Lanka’s beauty queen, she also has carved a

niche for her in Bollywood in such a short time. So much for a beauty, who once wanted to be a journalist!

After having made her debut in Bollywood with Aladin, followed by Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai, this PYT surely has come a long way. Besides

Bollywood, Jacqueline is also catching the attention of commercial brands in India. According to Bollywood Hungama’s confirmed sources, Jacqueline

Fernandez has been signed up as the brand ambassador of Titan. The actress will be seen in Titan’s upcoming commercial alongwith Aamir Khan.

Watch this space for more details!

Toonpur Ka Superhero director joins International Animation Consulting Group

International Animation Consulting Group (IACG) has approached Indian filmmaker Kireet Khurana to be part of their advisory board. Kireet has directed an animation plus live action film, Toonpur Ka Superhero starring Ajay Devgn and Kajol that is slated to release on Dec 24 this year.

World Renowned animators like William Bill Denis, Max Howard and Frank Lunn are few members who are part of IACG. IACG that provides first-hand knowledge on how to develop, produce and distribute animated content for feature films and television have made their presence felt in West. They are now looking forward to service India since Animation is one of the fastest emerging trends in Indian Film Industry.

Kireet has been offered a very prestige position in the advisory panel at IACG with 15 top professionals in animation filmmaking from all over the world.

Kireet is the Creative Head and Director at Climb Media. Kireet’s father Mr. Bhim Sain is considered to be pioneer of Indian Animation who brought animation to the country with features like Ek Anek Ekta (Ek Chidiya Anek Chidiya). Mr. Bhim Sain is also a Veteran of avant-garde parallel cinema who won an unprecedented 16 President’s National Awards and has directed and produced award-winning feature films like Gharaonda and Doooriyan.

Bill Denis said, “The group is very pleased to add Kireet to its advisory board. I’ve known and admired Kireet for the past dozen years. He has the rare combination of creative talent, daring, character and knowledge that personifies the spirit of the International Animation Consulting Group”.

Max Howard, co-founder of IACG and former head of Warner Bros. Features, who also produced classic films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Space Jam, visited Climb Media along with DreamWorks India Head – Shelley Page. Max was very impressed with Toonpur and Ajay Devgn’s performance in particular, so much so that he has started talking about Toonpur in a leading social networking site.

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