Padma Lakshmi

Padma Lakshmi returns as host of Bravo's "Top Chef 3 Miami," introducing the challenges to the contestants each week and presiding over the Judge's table alongside Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, and Ted Allen.

Lakshmi is known internationally as an actress, food expert, model and award-winning writer. 2007 will be a busy year for Lakshmi with a new cookbook and returning as host of Bravo's successful series "Top Chef."

Lakshmi established herself as a food expert early on in her career, having hosted two successful cooking shows and writing a best-selling cookbook. Lakshmi follows this success with the publication of her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, for release by Miramax Books in October. A follow up to her successful book Easy Exotic, for which she won the International Versailles Event for best cookbook by a first time writer, it will be a larger endeavor filled with over 120 recipes from around the world and intriguing personal memoirs.

For The Food Network, Lakshmi hosted "Padma's Passport" where she cooked diverse cuisine from around the world. Lakshmi has also hosted "Planet Food," a documentary series broadcast on The Food Network and worldwide on the Discovery Channel. She journeyed to countries such as Spain and India.

On the big screen, Padma will be starring in Oscar-nominated director Deepa Mehta's ("Water") upcoming film, "Exclusion."

Lakshmi was last seen with Aishwarya Rai and Dylan McDermott in Paul Mayeda Berges' newest film "Mistress of Spices." She received a positive response for her performance as Princess Bithia in ABC's much anticipated mini-series "The Ten Commandments" alongside Naveen Andrews ("Lost"), Omar Sharif and Dougray Scott. The program was the second-highest rated television film of 2006. She also recently starred in BBC America's "Sharpe's Challenge" opposite Sean Bean. This two-part mini-series directed by Tom Clegg is the continuation of the popular BBC series based on Richard Cornwall's novels aired in September 2006.

She has appeared in films in the US, Italy, and India. Other television credits include hosting Rai Television's "Dominica In," Italy's highest rated program.

SRK beats Saawariya's hype

Shilpa Shetty's publicist believes that Shah Rukh Khan, the star his client began her career with, is unbeatable. And he had mentioned in his column, last week, that to pit a film against the superstar is nothing short of suicide. He had added, "I hope it is not a case of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's overconfidence versus Shah Rukh Khan's star power. Because such a game, if lost, can give a jolt to the industry." According to the publicist, "PRs build perceptions, but perception-building is not the only aspect required for a film. It seems Sanjay Leela Bhansali not only over-rated his product, but miscalculated its overall acceptance." He wonders why Bhansali did not see it coming. Just a week later, his predictions seem to be coming true. He had feared that such unjustified competition between a debutante and a megastar could result in mega shocks. Decidedly, 'Om Shanti Om' is now said to be a much stronger product, while 'Saawariya' is already facing criticism on the directorial front, after its premiere last night. It can be noted here that Bhansali has always made films with very big stars. While 'Khamoshi' starred Salman Khan and Manisha Koirala, 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' had Salman, Ajay Devgan and Aishwarya Rai in the lead. The makers' 'Devdas' went one step ahead to have a kind of a casting coup with Shah Rukh Khan pairing up with Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya, while 'Black' had the inimitable Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji leading the cast. This is the first time Bhansali took up the mantle of being a star-maker, by launching new faces Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor, along with Salman and Rani in special roles.He also said that if the release of 'Saawariya' were to be postponed to another week, it would have fared better."If 'Saawariya' was postponed to another week, it could have stood a better chance. I wonder why its makers couldn't see the crisis coming," says Dale, and explains, "PRs build perceptions, but perception-building is not the only aspect required for a film. The hype for 'Saawarya' has been tremendous, but it seems Sanjay Leela Bhansali not only over-rated his product but miscalculated its overall acceptance."

Ranbir is a very shy guy: Rani

Rani who plays a spicy tart in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya is thrilled to be part of the film. For her the director and his mother are family. "I don't want our friendship to get buri nazar (the evil eye). So I'd rather not talk about it much. I'm a prominent part of Sanjay's life and movies. We're always there for one another.Even if Sanjay asked me to walk across a frame and finish with my role, I'd happily do it.Even that one frame would be immortal. We're very comfortable in each other's company. We pour our hearts out to one another.The first role he ever offered me was Bajirao Mastani. That didn't materialize.When I invited him home he quipped, 'Since you aren't doing my film there's no point in our lunch.' I think our friendship started there. After that we spent a lot of time together for the reading and rehearsals of Black. That's when we really bonded. I'm glad our bonding has outlasted all the games of showbiz."Unlike Black where she featured in the pivotal role, Rani 's role in Saawariya is not pivotal."The actors don't choose the role. It's the other way around. I've implicit faith in Sanjay's vision. I'm lucky to have got such a variety of roles. In Saawariya I do something I've never done before. In both my films with Sanjay I was hesitant.He insisted nobody else could do them. If you compare it to my role in Black, then Saawariya was far less daunting. But I've never played anything like this prostitute in Saawariya before.I think Sanjay loves to challenge me as an actress. That thrills him and me. I've realized Sanjay finds me a far superior actor than I think of myself. I think he believes in me more than I do. There're times when he gave me a scene which I thought I couldn't do. He thought I could." After playing the central character in so many of her recent films was it hard to let two newcomers take centrestage in Saawariya?"I didn't look at it that way. Having said that, let me tell you I wouldn't do the same role for any other filmmaker. This is my family film. He had already cast Sonam and Ranbir when I came into picture. One day we were talking and he said he was really missing me in the film. It was then that he offered this role because he couldn't bear to do the film in my absence. That's the kind of confidence and love I find so encouraging. I immediately agreed.It doesn't matter what he offered me. Salman and me in Saawariya are like family supporting a collective endeavour. We didn't care about the length of our roles."Once she agreed to do the golden-hearted prostitute's role in Saawariya she gave herself wholeheartedly to it. "Sanjay's love and passion for his work are so infectious. And I 'm fond of Sonam.I'm very close to her mother. But there're things she can't tell her parents. She pours her heart out to me. I'm always there to guide her. She's a very very good child. As for Ranbir, I haven't spent that much time off-camera with him. He's a shy well brought-up kids. I'm too close to the project and these youngsters to talk about them." Rani left for LA and Bangkok after the premiere of Saawariya.

Jhia Khan host Wrangler

jiah khan will be the brand ambassador of the international denim brand Wrangler Jeans, the clothing brand from VF-Arvind brands. She will now be joining the likes of Wrangler’s other brand ambassador, none other than the hunky John Abraham. Even after a dream debut with ‘Nishabd’ opposite none other than Big B, things were not happening much for Jiah Khan except A.R. Murugadoss’ remake of ‘Ghajini’ with Aamir Khan. Now she seems to have taken a step further with bagging in her first endorsement deal

Shah Rukh Khan turns 42 on November 2

First Appearance: While audiences saw SRK for the first time in the television series Fauji in 1988, in the same year he featured in his first film, an English tele-film by Arundhati Roy, titled, In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones. He played a homosexual character in this one.


First Release: Raj Kanwar's Deewana (1992) opposite Divya Bharati was his first release but his first signed film as a lead was actress Hema Malini's directorial debut, Dil Aashna Hai.



First Hit: Deewana went on to become a huge musical hit with the title song filmed on SRK and Divya Bharati topping the musical charts.

First House: After coming to Mumbai in 1991 he had a brief stay in actor – producer Vivek Vaswani's house in Colaba. He purchased his first flat in Bandra, from the money he got from Producer Prem Lalwani for doing his Guddu (1994). He purchased his present house, Mannat, a sprawling 23,400 sq. feet sea facing villa situated at Bandra, Bandstand for a whopping Rs. 13.32 crores in 2001.


First Award: It all began with winning the Raman Subramanyam Award for Character, All Round Performance in Studies, Sports & Extra Curricular Activities in the Year 1983 in his school days. His first Bollywood award was – Filmfare Award for Best Newcomer in 1993. Till date he has won 21 National and International Awards.

First Special Appearance: For pal Ashutosh Gowariker's directorial debut film Pehla Nasha (1993), he did a guest role and featured in a scene playing himself along with Aamir Khan. This was probably the only time he featured with Aamir till date. He has done a total 14 guest appearances till date with the latest one being Heyy Babyy (2007). Most of these have been for his buddies.


First Hot Scene: For Ketan Mehta's Maya Memsaab, the King Khan featured in his first and only sexually explicit scene that incidentally featured the director's wife, Deepa Sahi in the nude. He hasn't done any kissing sceen on screen till date and is very clear that he will never ever do it.


First Production: He floated Dreamz Unlimited, a production company in partnership with close pals, filmmaker Aziz Mirza and Juhi Chawla and produced his first film, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000). He followed it up with Asoka (2001) but both these films flopped. But he went on to be third time lucky with Chalte Chalte (2003). He also set up another production company Red Chillies Entertainment under which he produced his first film for another close pal Farha Khan, Main Hoon Naa (2004).


First Stunt Direction: He has been the 'Thrills' co-coordinator for four films till date. His first stint was for close buddy, Karan Johar's debut film, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) followed by, Main Hoon Naa (2004) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006).

First Singing Experience: Shah Rukh sang for the first time in Mansoor Khan's Josh (2000), the Apun Bola number picturised on him and Aishwarya Rai.


A few famous quotes from the Witty Khan down the years –

I am Try-sexual. I try anything that's sexual.
Awards that ignore me are losers.
I have no competition. Every year the names I'm pitted against keep changing. You can't cream the competition, you have to kill it.
If I talk to a girl, it's assumed that I'm having a scene with her. If I don't, then it's assumed that I'm gay.
I'd like to believe there's a little of Hitler and Napoleon in me. Even if I try, I can't be as selfless as Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa.
My children look like Gauri, but Thank God they have my brains!
Though my wife thinks I'm mad, I know I'll drop my daughter to the parties she's invited to. I'll want her friends to say, "Wow what a handsome father you have!" When she's with her boyfriend in the backseat of our car, I'll be at the wheel, driving her around.

Priyanka, now Virgin supergirl

Bollywood actress and former Miss World Priyanka Chopra is all set to become a super heroine character in comic books, games and animation films through Virgin Comics.

Priyanka's as-yet un-named character would be an adopted girl who discovers she is of royal lineage and blessed with great mystical powers and has a duty to destroy evil.

For the comic book series, to be launched in 2008, Priyanka will team up with well-known author Deepak Chopra and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.

The new role will make Priyanka the first winner of a Miss World crown to feature as a super heroine character in comic books.

"I love cartoons and animation, so being able to create my own original super heroine with Virgin Comics is a dream come true. I hope it will capture the imagination of the Indian youth," Priyanka said about the venture.

Announcing the launch before a select gathering in Mumbai Wednesday night, Sharad Devarajan, CEO, Virgin Comics said: "Priyanka is a real-life heroine who embodies both sophistication and beauty.

Together, we plan to create a new super heroine character that will capture her spirit and carry forward Virgin Comics' mission of redefining the Indian character entertainment industry."

Virgin Comics president Suresh Seetharaman said it would be developed across other platforms, including animation games and theatrical live-action films. "It promises to be an exciting and fun entertainment character cutting across age barriers," he said.

Virgin Comics was founded by Sir Richard Branson in 2005. Apart from Priyanka, it is developing new stories with acclaimed filmmakers, actors and musicians like John Woo, Guy Ritchie, Terry Gilliam, Dave Steward, Ed Burns, Nicholas Cage, Duran Duran and Sachin Tendulkar.

Some rare facts about Ash

Aishwarya Rai – the name itself spells grace, scintillating beauty, fame and adulation.

She turns a year older today and enjoys perfect bliss as she celebrates her first birthday after marriage, as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with her hubby’ s family.

Here're some facts about Aishwarya...

The first Indian actress to be on the jury of the Cannes International Film Festival.

Is reportedly the highest paid actress in Bollywood.

Created a frenzy at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival when she arrived at the premiere of her film ‘Devdas (2002)’ in a coach and wearing a beautiful yellow-orange embroidered sari.

Made her first commercial for Camlin pencils when she was in the 9th grade

Was the Coca Cola Girl for the Middle East and South Asia

Favorite subject in college was Zoology.

Is featured in the 2004 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records

In a poll conducted by Hello magazine, she was voted the number-one attractive woman of 2003, beating actresses such as Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Gwyneth Paltrow

In April 2003, L'Oréal signed her as its new international brand ambassador (spokesperson)

The first Bollywood star to appear in Rolling Stone magazine (Issue 932, October 2, 2003)

Gained 20 pounds for ‘Bride & Prejudice’ (2004) because she didn't want her character to look like a supermodel and also felt that it would add a sense of realism to the character

The first movie star she ever met was Rekha. Aishwarya was still in high school at the time and was a model. While at a grocery store with her mother, Aishwarya was tapped on the shoulder by none other than Rekha herself.

Rekha recognized Aishwarya from her modeling ads. She complimented the young Aishwarya on her good looks and wished her all the best

Aamir Khan and Aishwarya Rai are the only stars to advertise for both Coca Cola and Pepsi

After winning the title of Miss World in 1994, the host of the event, Richard Steinmetz, actually asked Aishwarya out. But being a professional, she refused right away

During the filming of the song 'Dola Re Dola' from the movie ‘Devdas (2002)’, Aishwarya's ears were bleeding because to the heavy earrings she had to wear, but she continued to perform anyway

Is a trained classical dancer. She learnt classical dance and music for five years while in her teens

Won the title of Miss Photogenic in the 1994 Miss World Pageant

Has won over 100 awards since 1994 when she was 20

Is good friends with actress Preity Zinta

Was listed in Time magazine as one of 100 most influential people in the world (The 2004 TIME 100)

Ran the Olympic-torch relay in June 2004

Turned down a role in ‘The Myth’ (2005) due to her touring schedule. The role was eventually given to Mallika Sherawat

Has over 17,000 Web sites dedicated to her

In 2004, Aishwarya became the first Bollywood and Indian actress to have her own statue at London's Madame Tussauds museum

On January 2nd, 2005, she became the first Indian actress to be interviewed on "60 Minutes" (1968).

Voted #9 in Harpers and Queen magazine's list of the 100 most beautiful women of today. (Harpers and Queen, June 6, 2005)

A tulip produced in 2005 was named for her

Member of the jury at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival

When Oprah Winfrey saw Aishwarya's interview on ‘60 Minutes’ (1968), she was so fascinated by her that she got a hold of Ash and invited her to be a guest on her show. On April 25, 2005, Aishwarya became the first Indian and South Asian actress to be featured on ‘Oprah Winfrey Show’

Is said to have turned down the role of Helen in the film ‘Troy’ (2004).

Director Andy Tennant offered her a part in ‘Hitch’ (2005), but she turned it down because she was so busy with other films. Actor Will Smith later talked about how he missed out on working with the beauty

In the summer of 2005, Mattel released limited-edition Barbie dolls inspired by Aishwarya and her costumes. They were released only in Britain and sold out within minutes. These dolls are now considered rare collectibles among fans.

Her favourite film is Casablanca.

Was voted number 12 on VH1's 50 Sexiest Actresses of the Last 20 Years. (December 2005)

Roger Ebert has said he considers her the most beautiful actress in the world.

Was voted as E's 7th sexiest celebrity in the world

The first actress from India to get signed on with the American Library Association and also have a poster made of her for schools and library's all across America

When President George W. Bush visited India in March 2006, he invited Aishwarya, along with Aamir Khan, to a luncheon. Aishwarya could not attend because she was in Brazil at the time filming for ‘Dhoom:2’ (2006).

Performed to an audience of 85,000 in Melbourne, Australia at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games with 800 backup dancers (March 2006)

Is very popular in many Arab countries

Featured in People Magazine as one of the 100 Most Beautiful People in the World. (Issue May,8,2006)

Caused a day long traffic jam in Dubai, United Arab Emirates while filming a soap commercial. People would stop for hours just to catch a glimpse of their favorite actress. (September 5, 2006)

Listed #3 by UK magazine Eastern Eye one of "Asia's Sexiest Women" (Sept/ 2006)

Her Pepsi ad with Aamir Khan was shot in one night during the infamous Bombay riots.

Came in #1 in BollySpice.com Magazine's list of "Top 10 Actresses of 2006"

Was invited in 2005 to be a presenter at The 77th Annual Academy Awards (2005) (TV), but was unable to attend because she was busy filming for The Mistress of Spices (2005)

Is active in various charities and often visits orphanages.

Her favorite Western designer is Giorgio Armani. Whenever she is in London, clothes are taken to her hotel for her to choose from

Director Brett Ratner is a fan of Aishwarya's and he wanted her to be cast in ‘Rush Hour 3 (2007)’, but she turned down the offer

Her wax statue at Madame Tussauds Museum in London was borrowed by the museum in New York for six weeks. The statue was flown to New York and made its debut on August 15, 2007, making her the first Indian actress in the American version of the museum

Her wedding invitations were embossed with two entwined As and delivered along with a box of chocolate meringues.