Asoka - the box office Dud
According to Film Information, a Bollywood trade journal, Asoka's collections went down from 100% in the first in Mumbai to about 60 - 65 per cent on the 4th day. Delhi was worse, with collections dropping from 90 per cent on Day one to just 35% on Day 4. In Jaipur, it was down from 65 - 70 percent on the first day to mere 20 per cent on the fourth day. The saving grace has been that the film was sold at a very low price to the distributors - only Rs. 1 crore per territory, about half a price a Shahrukh starrer normally commands. So, while the distributors might just scrape through, producers will have to bear considerable losses. The story repeats itself in abroad too. In UK, 1,50,000 pounds were spent on publicity. The film was released in record number of 84 cinemas and grossed 2,35,000 pounds in four days of its release, ending Number 9 in UK Top 10. Its first weekend collections across 67 screens in Northern America amounted to $3,37,464, much less compared to Hum Saat Saat Hain ($6,51,575) and Taal ($5,91,289).

Taj Mahal - India's first IMAX film
Incidentally, Taj Mahal is turning out to be first IMAX film by India. IMAX is a screen that is ten times larger than the conventional screen, with 20,000 watts of sound enveloping you, taking you inside the picture in front of you. The seating too is very special, to give users a one-on-one experience with the film. Investors of the film 'Taj Mahal' are K B Chandrasekhar and B V Jagadeesh, co-founders Internet infrastructure firm Exodus Communications Inc; Gururaj 'Desh' Deshpande, chairman of optical networking firm, Sycamore Networks, and Kanwal Rekhi, former chief technology officer of Novell Inc; and Lata Krishnan who is also on the TiE board. Aishwarya does the honours as Mumtaz Mahal. Rumours are rife that Amitabh Bachchan is being signed in for a key role. Shah Jahan might be a Hollywood actor. A R Rahman will compose the music, while Nitin Desai will create his magic on the sets, to Sooni Taraporewala's script. Another point to be noted is that the IMAX version of the film will be for only an hour. But the Hindi 35mm version would be of 2 and half hours.

Wife Swapping is the new story line in Bollywood
Abbas Mastan of 'Baazigar' fame are coming up with a bold subject. They are making a film titled 'Ajnabee' that stars Bobby Deol, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor and Bipisha Basu. There are lot of discussions going on about having a sensitive point like 'wife swapping' in Indian film. As the people like Tanuja Chandra and Pooja Bhat are supporting the theme and directors like Subhash Ghai are fundamentally against these kind of offbeat and bold subjects. Though, this film mainly revolves around a murder mystery, it has also got a subtle plot of wife swapping that led to the murder.

Aishwarya Rai plans a portal
You would not realize the liability of owning portal till you burn your fingers. After Ajay Devgan and Sharukh Khan launching cineexplore.com and srkworld.com, Aishwarya Rai too is contemplating on floating her own entertainment dotcom. There is a misconception among the people from tinsel town is that dotcom is a money-spinner. And Aishwarya has fallen lure for that. The name of the portal has not been finalised as yet and Aishwarya is busy working on the technical and logical aspects of the same. According to insiders, her portal would be launched by the third quarter of this year.

DDLJ crosses Sholay record
Till four weeks back, Sholay used to hold the record for running 265 weeks in a single theater. But Aditya Chopra's debut film 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' has crossed that record by running for 269 weeks so far (still running). That means this film crossed 5 years and 9 weeks in a single theater. Sholay created this unique record in Minarva Theater of central Mumbai. And DDLJ has cross this record in Maratha Mandir Theater of central Mumbai.

Hrithik was caught coochie-cooing with Kareena on an aircraft ?
And now Shobha De has alleged that Hrithik was caught "coochie-cooing" with Kareena on an aircraft days before his marriage. When Rakesh Roshan was contacted, he said that the story was a fabricated one aimed to malign Hrithik. "Shobha De doesn't even know they were shooting together in London for Subhash Ghai's Yaadein. She wrote that Kareena had gone to London to meet Hrithik. And please, Hrithik has more sense than to cootchie-coo on a plane full of with people." informed Rakesh. He added that the timing of the story was suspicious and expressed his surprise that a woman of Ms De's stature wrote such a story. According to him, the relationship between Kareena and Hrithik is limited only to friendship and nothing more

So does Rakesh Roshan plan to take Shobha De to court? As of now, it is still undecided. The Roshans believe that all the controversies are an attempt to pull down Hrithik who has become a superstar overnight.Hrithik is currently in Australia along with his wife Suzanne for honeymoon. He is also shooting for Vikram Bhatt's Aape Mujhe Achhe Lagne Lage opposite Amisha Patel in Sydney and Canberra. According to a crew member, he plays a college going student who is studying in a boys-only college.

Hrithik to tie knot in Bangalore on 20th December
The speculation on Hrithik and Suzanne marriage is over. Hrithik will tie knot to Suzanne Khan tomorrow at Sanjay Khan's Golden Palms resort and spa on the Bangalore-Pune road. The mehndi and other ceremonies will be held tonight at Feroze Khan's Bangalore residence. Hrithik fans, who are expected to turn out at the venue, will be kept away by both the police and private detectives. The police force has been patrolling the resort's premises to prevent "intrusions". Hrithik and Suzanne will return to Mumbai on Thursday after the wedding while Rakesh Roshan is expected back on Saturday. We wish the couple the very best in life!

Sridevi signs Karishma Kapoor
Sridevi has bought the remake rights of a Telugu film titled 'Anthahpuram', which is based on 'Not, without my daughter'. Initially Sridevi was supposed to play the main lead. Later on it landed into the lap of Kajol. Now it's Karishma Kapoor's turn to accept the role. Nana Patekar play another main lead in this film. Shahrukh Khan will play a special role in this film. In Telugu Soundarya, Sai Kumar and Jagapati Babu play these three roles respectively. Incidentally, this film will be the first film to be produced by Sridevi. Krishna Vamsi will be directing this film.

Akshay Kumar and Twinkle engagement on 12th December
After a prolonged relationships with Pooja Batra, Ravina Tandon and Shipa Shetty …. Akshay Kumar has decided to stick himself for the rest of his life to a beauty. Akshay Kumar is getting engaged to Twinkle Khanna on December 12th. Relatives and a few friends will attend the function. It will be held at Twinkle's grandmother Betty Kapadia's bungalow in Juhu. Akshay Kumar confirmed the news.

A majority of the films that Nandita Das is working in, depicts sex and rape
Nandita Das seems to have decided that she will only do films which deals with sex, rape and AIDS. In Lal Salaam, she plays an adivasi woman who has been raped so at the end she becomes a naxal. In Bavandar, she is a victim of a gang rape who then takes revenge against her rapists. Ek Alag Mausam depicts her an AIDS victim. The only films where she does not play such characters are AKS and Hari Bhari. In Aks, she plays Amitabh's wife. Amitabh plays an old man while she plays a young girl. The film sheds light on their relationship. Hari Bhari is a Muslim subject where she plays an arrogant character. She has also sung a song in Hari Bhari and Bavandar.

Smriti Mishra in a soup by posing nude
Controversies seem to stalk Smriti Mishra! A few months back, there was a big hullabaloo over Smriti being caught kissing Saif Ali Khan by the latter's wife, Amrita. And now we hear about the actress of Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin and Jaya Ganga fame being blackmailed by a lensman who had apparently clicked her in the nude! The buzz is that Smriti had posed in a bathtub for a fashion photographer last year. It was their little secret till now. Apparently, the photographer is harassing Smriti by threatening to publish her nude pictures. Though we do not know what favours he's asking her in return of the pictures, we do hear that Smriti is very upset about this because she had trusted the photographer with respecting her privacy. Guess one can never know friends from enemies in this industry!

Hrithik mania helping Kiwi Tourism!
Talk about Hrithik mania, this is ridiculous! According to Peter Healy, the trade commissioner of the New Zealand Trade and Development Board, the demand for visas/permit applications of Indian to the land of the Kiwis, have shown a marked increase post Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. The demand was so high that the High Commission couldn't cope with it, so they quadrupled the space of their office and doubled their staff to handle the overload. In fact a local paper reported Haley as saying "We call this additional area the 'Hrithik Addition'. We invited Hrithik to open the building but unfortunately he was abroad." Here are the bare statistics are that the number of student visas/permits issued in January this year were 15, in Feburary, they zoomed to 70! In July '99, 42 visas were issued while July 2000 recorded over 150! See the difference? Even the tourist inflow has doubled to 600-700 per month. Not just from India but from Indians all over the world. Apparently it's the beautiful locales showcased in the movie that attracted tourists by the dozen.

Salman and Ash relationship on the brink
Salman and Ash may be the best looking couple in the industry, but are they the happiest? According to the grapevine, there might just be a few cracks beneath their blissful façade. Apparently the two lovebirds were jigging at the Fire 'N Ice disco when a couple of males dared to cast their eyes upon Ash. Salman, the possessive fellow that he is, flexed his muscular mass and proceeded to give them a few of his famed 'dhishums' and took care of them once and for all. Apparently one of the eyewitnesses insists that Salman even gave Ash one swift slap, possibly for encouraging them! Though everybody is wondering why Ash quietly took the treatment, especially when she had stated that she 'would never submit to caveman tactics'! After all she can't always make excuses for bruised eyes with an accidental fall down some steps.

Dil Pe Mat Le Yar - Hansal Mehta
In a shocking incident, Hansal Mehta, director of the film 'Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar', was forced to get down on his knees and touch his forehead to the feet of an old female resident of Khar-Danda area near Koliwada, and apologies for using offensive dialogues in his movie.

The incident, which occured on Thursday afternoon(2nd November 2001), took place after the Shivsena launched a protest against teh film last week for using a particular dialogue in the movie that makes a reference to the Khar-Danda area as a place where there is "lot-maar, chori and ladkiyon ka adda (burglary, robbery and prostitution)". Thursday's "forgiving" incident was presided over by Shivsena leaders.