‘Tere Bin Laden 2′?

Another sequel in the making? Trustworthy sources have whispered in our ears that producers Pooja Shetty Deora and Aarti Shetty and director Abhishek Sharma are planning a sequel to TERE BIN LADEN. The low cost film, helmed by a first-time director and starring talented names such as Ali Zafar and Pradhuman Singh, ranks amongst the successful films of 2010, which, very frankly, is a big achievement since a majority of biggies made a deep hole in the pockets of their investors.

However, director Abhishek Sharma doesn’t rule out a possibility of TERE BIN LADEN 2. “Yes, we have had discussions [about the sequel], but till we don’t hit upon the right idea, there’s no point going ahead with it. Pooja, Aarti and I genuinely feel there’s no point announcing a sequel, if the script isn’t in place. If we hit upon an interesting idea some day and if we feel that the second part will be better than the first, we will go ahead and make one. But not in the immediate future.”

The soft-spoken director adds that he’s working on a few concepts, apart from TBL 2, and has discussed it with his producers. “But nothing is finalized right now,” he adds.

Prime Focus on expansion spree, reaches Chandigarh

It seems like Prime Focus is stepping on the gas.

After the successful conversion of Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader from 2D to stereoscopic 3D, Mumbai headquartered Prime Focus, one of the leading visual entertainment services groups has announced the launch of its new facility in Chandigarh, which will only be dedicated for the 2D to 3D stereoscopic conversion job.

In a trend setting move, Prime Focus has also recently bagged multipicture deal of Rs. 200 crores, for 2D to 3D stereoscopic conversion work from a leading Hollywood studio to be executed in the next 30-36 months. With its mark in Chandigarh as tenth studio, the company has already its operations in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Goa and Mumbai.

The 50,000 sq ft studio, which opens on December 25, 2010, will hold 3000 artists, and be dedicated to working on global projects, utilising Prime Focus’ global digital pipeline which connects India to North America and the UK.

Merzin Tavaria, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Director (India), commented, “Our new facility in Chandigarh is a major expansion of our View-D 2D to stereo 3D conversion capacity. Chandigarh is an ideal location due to its huge student population, many of whom are looking to establish a career in animation and VFX.”

According to an official release issued by the company, Prime Focus has signed several new international orders and has a full slate of 2D to 3D stereoscopic conversion work for next year. The company expects that Chandigarh, and Northern India in general, will benefit immensely from the opening of the new Prime Focus facility, as it will be generating close to 3000 jobs for the local population.

World’s first commercial spaceship makes successful test flight

The world’s first commercial spaceship made its first manned free flight over California Sunday and successfully landed at Mojave Air and Space Port, its creator announced.
Virgin Galactic, the US Company developing the worlds first commercial manned space flight system and tourism business, announced the successful completion of the first piloted free flight of Spaceship Two, named the VSS Enterprise.
The spaceship was released from its mother ship, the four-engine aircraft dubbed Eve, at an altitude of 45,000 ft (13,700 meters), the company told.
During its first flight the spaceship was piloted by Pete Seybold, assisted by Mike Asbury as co-pilot.The two main goals of the flight were to carry out a clean release of the spaceship from its mother ship and for the pilots to free fly and glide back and land at Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
The VSS Enterprise was a real joy to fly, especially when one considers the fact that the vehicle has been designed not only to be a Mach 3.5 spaceship capable of going into space but also one of the worlds highest altitude gliders, Seybold said in a statement.

BCCI warns to boycott ICC award ceremony

The annual awards ceremony of ICC to be held on October 6 in Bengal is in danger because of the infighting of the officials. It is believed that the president of ICC Sharad Pawar wants the ceremony to be held in collaboration with the Federation of International Cricketers which is deemed unacceptable by the Indian Board. These differences are sharpening, endangering the successful occurring of the ceremony.

IOC chief says give India a chance

LONDON: India’s potential for hosting future Olympics should not be written off before giving embattled New Delhi organizers a chance to pull off the Commonwealth Games with a “last-ditch” effort, IOC president Jacques Rogge said in an interview Friday.

Rogge told The Associated Press that he hopes India can come through, just as Greek organizers overcame “doomsday scenarios” to stage the successful 2004 Athens Olympics despite severe construction delays and political wrangling.

The International Olympic Committee leader will travel to New Delhi next week to attend the Oct. 3 opening of the Commonwealth Games, which were put at risk this week by filthy conditions at the athletes’ village, a pedestrian bridge collapse and health and security concerns.

The chaotic preparations have seemingly doomed India’s hopes of bidding for the 2020 Olympics, but Rogge said

China aims to build Pakistan big nuclear plant

BEIJING: China’s main nuclear energy corporation is in talks to build a 1-gigawatt atomic power plant in Pakistan, an executive said on Monday, a move that could intensify international unease about their nuclear embrace.

China has already helped Pakistan build its main nuclear power facility at Chashma in Punjab province, where one reactor is running and another near finished, and it has contracts to build two more there, despite the qualms of other governments.

Qiu Jiangang, vice president of the China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC), told a meeting in Beijing that the company was already looking beyond those deals to an even bigger plant.

“After the successful, safe operation of the first 300- megawatt reactor in Chashma…the second reactor is now under testing and is expected to start formal operations by the end of this year,” Qiu said.

“Both sides

Boss Engira Baskaran

The Arria – Nayanthara film ‘Boss Engira Baskaran‘ has been ratified by the film can be watched by people of all ages. The film won, who went to the control on a clean U certificate. Proposals is a romantic comedy directed by Rajesh of the ‘sword Manasula Sakthi’. The film is released on Sept. 10. Red Giant, who has a track record of very decent to make a movie with the successful promotion of the marketing of this movie as well.

‘Boss Engira Baskaran’ waiting for many reasons. Arya is one for the first time I have done comedy. Another reason for that was not good that is speculated this film to be the final film of Nayanthara in Tamil. Nayanthara but did not say anything about plans for her retirement.

Kunal Kapoor signed up for Don 2

Here is good news for all the Don fans. Farhan Akhtar is back to the job of making a sequel to the successful remake of Amitabh Bachchan’s Don. As reported earlier, Arjun Rampal won’t be starring in this project. Because of some differences he has left the project and the worthy replacement is none other than the Rang De Basanti hunk Kunal Kapoor.

Expressing his sheer delight on being part of the project Kunal tweeted, “Yes, I am doing Don 2.. Very excited!! Really looking forward to working wit King Khan and Farhan ( how nice, tht rhymes )”. From the original cast, the sequel will have Shah Rukh Khan, Boman Irani, Priyanka Chopra and Om Puri. Kunal has quite an important role to play and this is probably his chance to shine among some of the biggies from the industry.

Aid will not fall to extremists’ hands: Malik

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Wednesday reassured international donors that aid for flood victims would not fall into Taliban hands.

The comments came as the UN said it had received less than half the $460m (£294m) it needs for the relief effort.

The shortfall has been blamed on fears over corruption and Taliban influence.

But Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the an international news channel that the government would not let Taliban to get profit from donations.

“I assure the entire international community who would be supplying aid in any form, we give them assurance we will be auditable, he said, adding that the government was considering hiring international auditors to oversee the use of funds.

“This belongs to the poor people, the flood victims. I assure that it will travel to

Flood-hit Pakistan faces economic catastrophe

KARACHI: Pakistan faces economic catastrophe after the devastating floods that have wiped out farmland and ruined infrastructure, with feared losses of billions of dollars likely to set back growth by years.

The country’s worst ever humanitarian disaster has ravaged an area roughly the size of England, affected 20 million people, exacerbated a crippling energy crisis and raising fears of social unrest.

“It seems we’re doomed to walking through a dark tunnel. We’re on an unending path of misery,” said Morio Pahore, a farmer from small town Thul in southern Pakistan who is now living in a tent on a highway.

Shirtless, his face burnt dark by the sun, the greying 50-year-old said he lost everything when the rains fell and the river burst its banks.

“We had goats and buffalo and a wooden hut. We had grain to eat. The river ate everything, leaving the

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