“Chiranjeevi is like a family member to us and we have come here to greet him as personal friends and not as politicians,” Amar Singh told the media after half-an-hour-long meeting with the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) president.

Amar Singh, however, did not rule out the possibility of an electoral alliance between his party and the PRP in Andhra Pradesh.

“Chiranjeevi is a good person and if good people don’t come into politics it will remain dirty. He is a member of our fraternity and we felt very happy when he decided to enter politics with the inspiration from Mother Teresa and (former president A.P.J.) Abdul Kalam. Politics is not easy as one has to be prepared to face allegations and criticism,” he said.

He, however, said there was no contradiction between Samajwadi Party’s alliance with the Congress and his meeting Chiranjeevi.

“I am not a member of the Congress party and the talks of alliance between the Congress and Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh do not cover the entire country. The talks are still on and it is not certain whether the alliance with the Congress will materialize or not,” he said.

He said even if the Samajwadi Party’s ties with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had continued, he would have come and met Chiranjeevi as a friend. “Friendship and politics are two different things,” he said.

“Jaya Bachchanji came as Chiranjeevi is a very good and close friend of Amitabh Bachchan. If Amitabhji was not out of the country he would also have come to greet Chiranjeevi. Abhishek and Aishwarya would have also accompanied him,” Amar Singh said.

On Jayaprada, Amar Singh said that she had acted in many films opposite Chiranjeevi and as a member of film industry it was natural for her to come and greet Chiranjeevi.

The meeting assumed significance in view of reports that Jayaprada was planning to contest from Andhra Pradesh as the Congress party wants Rampur (Uttar Pradesh) Lok Sabha seat, which she currently represents. “I will answer this at an appropriate time,” the actress-turned-politician said when asked whether she was looking for a constituency in the southern state.

PRP spokesman P. Prabhakar told reporters it was a courtesy call and no politics was discussed during the meeting.

There has been no big release after the Independence Day weekend when “Bachna Ae Haseeno” and “God Tussi Great Ho” hit the turnstiles on the heels of big-screen scorcher - “Singh is Kinng” - and unexpected blockbuster - “Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na”.

Since then a string of offbeat films have been giving good company to movie connoisseurs all of August and the likes of Ram Gopal Varma’s “Phoonk” and Arjun Rampal-Farhan Akhtar starrer “Rock On!” even made cash registers ring loud at multiplexes.

In fact, the month of August more than made up for the dull first half of the year when just a handful of films in form of “Jodhaa Akbar”, “Race” and “Jannat” were the big successes.

The three films that released this Friday - “A Wednesday”, “Tahaan” and “Hijack” - are a good indicator of offbeat films that are slated for release this September.

While “A Wednesday” brings together Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher after a gap of nearly a decade, “Hijack” is a film inspired from real-life and “Tahaan” is a typical festival-circuit movie.

Coming Friday, it will be “Hulla” time, which is Sunil Doshi’s next after his “Bheja Fry” that rewrote Bollywood’s business rules.

“Hulla” is a comedy based on day-to-day life in the overcrowded city of Mumbai.

The film is expected to release alongside “1920″, which is a historical, “Ru Ba Ru” a social drama by first-time director Arjun Bali, and “Saas Bahu Aur Sensex” that brings acclaimed actor Farooq Sheikh back in front of the camera after a long break.

Traditionally, the lean month of Ramadan does see a dip in business. Most small-budget films that have no backing of any stars are usually slated for release during this period.

It is heartening that low-budget productions featuring unknown actors are increasingly becoming multiplex box-office successes, but for the majority of single screen theatres it is still the big-budget productions with A-grade stars that keep the machinery of the entertainment industry well greased.

All eyes are now on many big releases lined up starting with “Drona” that is slated for release on Eid.

Directed by Goldie Behl, “Drona” stars Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Kay Kay Menon, Jaya Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt. The film with its high content of mystic myths and legends holds a better chance after audiences gave a nod to black magic-based “Phoonk”.

After “Bachna Ae Haseeno” turned around Yash Raj Films’ luck, “Roadside Romeo” too is expected to bring positive change when it releases in October. The animated film brings together voices of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor.

Shah Rukh Khan, the ‘King of Bollywood’, will attempt to secure his title and safeguard it from closest contender Akshay Kumar with “Billo Barber”. Based on the Krishna-Sudama friendship, the Priyadarshan’s comic caper has Shah Rukh alongside Irrfan Khan and Lara Dutta.

“Billo Barber” will hope to spread more joy to mark the festival of Diwali.

November will witness a string of big-budget productions hitting the big screen like “Dostana”, “Golmaal Returns”, “Yuvraaj”, “Chandni Chowk To China”, “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi” and “Ghajini”.

With so much star power yet to come our way coupled with more and more low-budget films hitting the jackpot, the year 2008 could well match the super-duper successful year of 2006.

Lakhia has roped in Zayed for a remake of a big-budgeted Hollywood gangster epic. The film, which is being produced by Sa Re Ga Ma (HMV), is about the journey of a father and son through a series of adventures.

“HMV is right now in final stages of negotiations with the American producers of that film. So I wouldn’t like to reveal the title on record. But, yes, it’s a very different and unusual take on gangsterism,” Lakhia told IANS.

Three years ago, Lakhia cast Amitabh Bachchan in “Ek Ajnabee” - an almost frame-by-frame remake of the Denzel Washington-starrer “Man On Fire” - without bothering with copyrights. But he wants his next remake done in a proper manner and says he will buy the rights of the Hollywoood movie.

“Times have changed now. Warner Brothers, for example, is letting Indian filmmakers do remakes of their films while remaining co-producers on the adapted projects. I think Nikhil Advani is co-producing a desi version of Warner’s ‘Wedding Crashers’ directed by David Dhawan. We’d like to outright buy the remake rights for the American film that I’m planning to remake.”

Earlier this week Lakhia, who was busy with his brother’s wedding in the US, flew down to Bangkok to narrate the script to Zayed, who is shooting for “Blue” there.

Apart from this, Lakhia is also set to start a film for Suniel Shetty and Ekta Kapoor.

From pop and cabaret songs to club mixes, romantic numbers, bhajans and ghazals - singing diva Asha has sung it all. The magic of her voice continues to enthral listeners across all ages and inspire budding singers even now.

Having sung for actresses of older films like Madhubala, Nutan, Asha Parekh, Helen and Rekha to giving playback to Urmila Matondkar, Kajol, Karisma Kapoor and Gracy Singh among the newer ones, Asha has contributed to the Indian film industry for more than six decades now.

TV actor Kinshuk Mahajan of “Sapna Baabul Ka Bidaai” will feature in the music video of the title song of Asha’s new album. “Asha-ji is like a kid! She is so down to earth and simple. When she called me, she was so sweet to talk to,” Kinshuk told IANS.

“It was so nice to know that she was adamant about taking me for the music video. The song is very romantic. I wish her all the best though I don’t think I would be able to attend the birthday celebrations,” he added.

Asha began her singing career with her first film song “Chala chala nav bala” for the Marathi movie “Majha Bal” in 1943.

When she set out to make a mark in Bollywood with her first Hindi song “Saawan aaya” for Hansraj Bahl’s “Chunariya” in 1948, she faced tough competition from her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar and others like Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begum, and Suraiya, who dominated the world of playback singing.

Asha showed her charisma with the sensual songs “Aiye meherban” from “Howrah Bridge” in 1958, which was picturised on Madhubala, and “In aankhon ki masti” from “Umrao Jaan” in 1981. She also sang the evergreen number “Chura liye hai tumne” for Zeenat Aman in “Yaadon Ki Baraat”.

Her romantic numbers were also widely lauded with songs like “Haal kaisa hai janab ka” (”Chalti Ka Naam Gadi” 1958), “Mur mur ke na dekh” (”Shri 420″), “Pal do pal ka saath hamara” and many others.

“She is simply blessed and her voice is god’s gift. Not many have a voice like hers. More than a singer, she is a performer who has a feel for every song. One should see the expressions with which she performs on stage - she enjoys each and every bit of it,” new-age pop singer Shibani Kashyap said.

She added: “Her zeal and zest for life is very inspiring. She lives life to the fullest and this is evident from her singing.”

Born into the musical family of Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar, Asha took her initial training in music from her father. Her father died when she was just nine and her training came to an end.

After his death in 1942, the family moved from Pune to Kolhapur and then to Mumbai. Asha and her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar, started singing in films to support their family.

The year 1957 was the breakthrough year for Asha when music director O.P. Nayyar got her to sing in “Tumsa Nahin Dekha” and “Naya Daur”. “Ude jab jab zulfein teri” from the latter film still remains a favourite among music lovers.

The same year the legendary S.D. Burman had a rift with Lata Mangeshkar. This came as a blessing in disguise for Asha, who soon became his favourite female singer.

In the 1970s Asha came closer to another legend of Indian music, R.D. Burman, who added a new and stylish dimension to her singing. The songs “Piya tu ab to aaja”, “Dum maro dum” and “Chura liya hai tumne” were a result of this combination. The two also tied the nuptial knot in 1980.

Her ghazals in Muzaffar Ali’s “Umrao Jaan” fetched huge accolades and remain an all-time favourite.

In 1995, a 62-year old Asha did playback for young actress Urmila Matondkar in the movie “Rangeela”. She pleasantly surprised her fans with superhit songs like “Tanha tanha” and “Rangeela re” after which she also sang for Karisma Kapoor in the song “Mujhko hui na khabar”.

For her contribution to music in Indian cinema, Asha was conferred the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, the highest title in Indian cinema in 2000. She was also honoured with the Padma Vibhushan by President Pratibha Patil May this year.

Asha’s popularity goes beyond the Indian shores owing to her various foreign collaborations with artistes like Boy George and Stephen Lauscombe. In 2002, she teamed with Michael Stipe on the track “The Way You Dream” on the self-titled album by 1 Giant Leap.

In 2006, she recorded an album “Asha & Friends” with film actors Sanjay Dutt and Urmila Matondkar and cricket player Brett Lee.

Sanjay, who is known for his generous ways, invited his closest friends to join him and wife Maanyata in Bangkok to party and relax while the underwater adventure “Blue” was being shot in the middle of the ocean. The action thriller directed by Anthony D’Souza also stars Zayed Khan and Akshay Kumar.

And to make sure his friends have a great time in the ocean, Sanjay hired the yacht and all his buddies are housed in it.

When contacted, Sanjay told IANS: “Who told you about this? Ya, it’s true. All my close friends are here with me. Paresh is here from Chicago. Matt has come from Los Angeles and Raja and Pradeep came from Mumbai. So we’re shooting and having fun. It’s more for my own happiness than of my friends.”

Director Apoorva Lakhia, who had cast Sanjay in his successful crime-thriller “Shootout At Lokhandwala”, can’t stop raving about the experience.

“Sanju is a rock star. You’ve heard right. He has rented a 40-foot catamaran with the full crew on board for all his friends’ comfort. We all hang out in the middle of the ocean while the cast is shooting in the deep sea,” said Lakhia.

“It’s non-stop deep sea diving, music, snorkelling and barbeque in the middle of the bluest ocean god ever invented. This is the most thrilling holiday I’ve ever had,” he added.

Also joining the merry gang of Sanjay’s friends is Zayed Khan’s wife Mallika. Buddy Suniel Shetty is busy shooting, or else he too would have joined the Bangkok merrymakers.

“The friends that I have now are with me for keeps,” said Sanjay.

Mehta was in attendance with her whole cast, including Preity Zinta for the screening Saturday. Before the start of the film, she introduced the cast to the audience and also said that the theme was dear to her heart.

Mehta praised Preity for playing her role with aplomb.

Set in the Toronto suburb of Brampton, “Heaven in Earth” is the story of a Ludhiana girl Chand (Preity Zinta) who moves here after marrying Rocky Grewal (Vansh Bhardwaj) only to find herself locked in a loveless marriage, and a life of beatings and torture by her husband and in-laws.

Chand’s journey into hell begins the moment the naïve girl lands in Canada (considered heaven in Punjab). The awkwardness of their relationship is captured brilliantly, with the newly married couple not knowing how to consummate their relationship.

Then they go on honeymoon only to be intruded upon by Rocky’s mother and brother on their very first night.

Soon, Rocky’s Punjabi male instinct to dominate overtakes, and he starts subjecting Chand to verbal abuse and beatings at the slightest pretext.

Like a typically overbearing Indian mother-in-law, Chand’s mom-in-law too begins very demanding. The newly arrived Chand snaps one day when her mother-in-law holds up a chapatti to tell her how badly prepared it was.

When Chand floors her with a violent push, all hell breaks loose and she gets the beating of her life.

After this, she is subjected to beatings almost daily, suspected of infidelity and forced to go through ‘agni pariksha’ (test by fire) to prove her innocence.

And like most immigrant women, Chand is also sent to work in a factory. But she cannot collect her salary because it goes directly to her husband.

As her misery deepens, Chand calls her family in Ludhiana to plead with them to send her an air ticket so that she could escape. Which, of course, she does in the end by walking out on her husband.

In between, Mehta brilliantly brings out what most Punjabi families seeking ‘phoren’ (NRI) grooms for their daughters covet: sponsorship for them also to settle abroad.

Chand’s parents too want Rocky to sponsor their son Gurpreet.

A jam-packed open-air venue at the Select Citywalk mall at Saket in south Delhi was inundated by fans who came to attend the concert here Saturday evening, courtesy the nominal priced-passes worth Rs.500 for standing and Rs.1000 for seating respectively.

Then there was an equal crowd ratio that could not resist the “Rock On” charm and managed to mark their attendance by occupying every nook and corner available to fit in.

The show began with a “Ganesh Vandana” by music composers trio Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. While Shankar recited the vandana, Ehsaan was on lead guitar and Loy was on keyboard.

“Delhi, are you ready?” screamed Mahadevan and crooned to the lyrics of their earlier movies like “Dil Chahta Hai”, “Lakshya” and “Don - The Chase Begins”, all directed by Farhan Akhtar, to warm up the mood of the people.

The trio has also given the music for “Rock On”, the first Hindi movie on rock music.

The concert took an echoing start with the title track of “Dil Chahta Hai”. New singer Raman joined Mahadevan on the vocals with “Main Aisa Kyun Hu” from “Lakshya” followed by the title track of “Don…” and another song “Aaj ki Raat” from the same movie.

The audiences clapped their hands high in the air in sync with the songs as they played the numbers.

Farhan, who was unwell before the concert as he had difficulty breathing due to the change of weather in the city, also performed at the show.

The show picked on the tempo with audiences jamming to the beats of “Pichle Saat Dino Me” as he took on the vocals with Arjun Rampal on the guitar.

Farhan, who is hugely enjoying his popularity in his latest avatar as an actor, has sung six of the nine songs in the film.

Co-stars Purab Kohli and Luke Kenny preferred encouraging the audiences without taking on the instruments unlike in the movie.

Also present on-stage were newcomer Shahna Goswami and producer Ritesh Sidhwani for the movie with director Abhishek Kapoor.

Kapoor was elated at the electrifying crowd and their reaction.

He shared: “I am loving every moment of the evening. When I was making the movie, I was told ‘Rock On’ won’t work out but you all have made it work.”

A last-minute surprise for the people was co-star Koel Puri’s presence and Purab Kohli’s English jig from the movie.

Though the concert melodiously ended with the film’s song “Sindbad the Sailor”, the audiences chanted for “more” and the cast had to take to the mike again wrapping up the hour long concert finally with the title number “Rock On”.

Anshul Ojha, a freelance photographer could not stop singing the songs even after the event and said: “‘Rock On’ rocks. I drove all the way from Bikaner for the concert with my friends and the drive was worth it.”

Another fan Pallavi Singh, a student of Lady Shri Ram College who was here with a group of her college mates said: “This is the best concert I’ve ever attended. This movie made us groove to our own (Indian) songs for the first time or else we would have been jamming to only western songs.”

The rock concert, organised by Big 92.7 FM, is the cast’s third after they performed in Mumbai and Pune last month.

Set in Mumbai, “Rock On” has an urban feel and revolves around a group of four aspiring musicians who form a hippie rock band called “Magic”.

It is led by singer Aditya (Farhan) and also has temperamental guitarist Joe Mascarenhas (Rampal), talented keyboard player Rob (Kenny) and drummer Kedar Zaveri (Kohli).

“Yes, I’m finally doing ‘Delhi Belly’, and never mind if my maamu (uncle) is a bit of a slave-driver,” joked Imran. “But seriously… I’m actually thrilled to be doing ‘Delhi Belly’. Working with Aamir maamu is always great. And after ‘Jaane Tu …’ we’re doing something totally different this time,” Imran told IANS.

“Delhi Belly”, to be directed by ad-maker Abhinay Deo, is a sex comedy about a young foreign-returned youth’s adventures in the capital. Ranbir Kapoor of “Bachna Ae Haseeno” fame was finalised for the role, but date hassles cropped up.

Ironically, Imran says he was the first choice but had to opt out due to date problems.

“I had met the director of ‘Delhi Belly’ about six-seven months ago and he had even screen-tested me. But there were major date hassles. Since my dates were locked in for ‘Luck’ I requested the ‘Delhi Belly’ guys to adjust accordingly. But they were unable to do so. And since I had combination dates for ‘Luck’ with Mithun-da (Mithun Chakraborty)and Sanju baba (Sanjay Dutt), I had given up the idea of doing ‘Delhi Belly’,” Imran said.

“My ‘Luck’ dates were pre-poned and ‘Delhi Belly’ dates were shifted forward. So I’m finally doing the film. Kehte hain daane-daane pe likha hai khaane wale ka naam. The same goes for roles, I guess,” he remarked.

Imran became popular as the ‘chocolate boy’ in his debut film. Any regrets about not being in Abbas Tyrewala’s next film?

“No regrets at all. After ‘Jaane Tu…’, Abbas is a dear friend. If he needs me for a film he’ll call me. I’m now working with other directors. He’s working with other actors. We aren’t in a space where we need to sit and cry because we aren’t working together.

“There’s so much stuff happening to me I’ve no time to brood over what I’m not doing. Fortunately I’ve people in my life like my mom and my girlfriend to keep me grounded.”

But taking a break is important, even for a newcomer.

“After I finish ‘Luck’ and start my uncle’s ‘Delhi Belly’, I plan to take a break,” Imran said.