Ever since the Lady Luck has started smiling on Anees Bazmee, there has been no looking back for him. He is what one would call as the man with the 'Midas Touch'. Testimonies to this, stand in the form of blockbusters hits like Singh Is Kinng, Welcome, No Entry... to name a few.

Anees, who is busy with his next magnum opus No Problem, that has a gigantic cast of all the possible topnotch names, is now all set to roll his next film titled Thank You that stars Akshay Kumar. Speaking exclusively to us, Anees confirmed the news saying "Yes. I am starting UTV's Thank You. And so far, I have just signed Akshay Kumar. The rest of the star cast is yet to be finalized. All that I can say right now is that it will be a romantic comedy."

When we spoke to Vikas Behl, Chief Operating Officer- UTV Motion Pictures, he said "We are thrilled to have Anees Bazmee and Akshay Kumar on board for Thank You. It's an absolutely delightful story and will be a hilarious comedy. We hope to take comedy to the next level with Thank You." Here's hoping that Anees 'Midas Touch' Bazmee continues his golden marathon run with Thank You at the Box- Office.

Akshay Kumar is a thorough professional and hates to be inconvenient for people at any cost. The star is known to always being punctual and never cancels shoots under any condition. However recently the actor cancelled a day of shooting only because it was his home production. Reveals a source, “Akshay will shoot with injuries if he has to. He doesn’t like to trouble people and hates if any one suffers losses at his expense”

However recently Akshay had to when he hurt his back to such an extent that the doctor refused to let him get out of bed and recommended physiotherapy. “Akshay was shooting non-stop for Patiala House and his back problem was only getting worse with each passing day. It was then that he decided to cancel the shoot since he himself was the producer, “adds the source.

Well Akshay Kumar hates losses on his expense but then again the super star and box office King that he is, he surely has his producers laughing all the way to the bank

The news that has been doing the rounds for sometime now is about the search for the heroine of Farah Khan and Shirish Kunder's flick Tees Maar Khan. The film has been in news since its announcement. First it was Akshay replacing SRK as the lead, followed by the 'namesake' casting coup, wherein Akshaye Khanna was roped in for the film.

As far as the heroine for the film was concerned, the rumor mills went overboard with names that ranged from Sonam Kapoor to Deepika Padukone and likes. But, according to our confirmed sources it is neither Sonam, nor Deepika, because it is Katrina Kaif! When we spoke to Shirish to confirm the news, all that he said was, "I cannot say anything right now. I can only speak about it in a couple of days." Our source also went onto add that the trio of Akshay, Katrina and Farah have shot a cover page shoot for a daily (which is supposed to be out in a couple of days) to announce the coming on board of Katrina as Tees Maar Khan's leading lady.

With Katrina coming on board, expectations are bound to be sky-high about Tees Maar Khan, considering the hit track record that Akki-Katz have delivered in the past, like Namastey London, Welcome and Singh Is Kinng to name a few. What remains to be seen is that will Tees Maar Khan follow suit or will it create a new track record?

Jiah Khan was at the butt of a huge joke played by her Houseful co-stars Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, director Sajid Khan and producer Sajid Nadiadwala at a restaurant in Italy.

Akshay and Riteish, who came up with the prank, let everyone onto it, including the waiter at the restaurant who served them dinner. After everyone had finished their meal, Akshay quietly got up with his two forks and two spoons and pretended to talk on the phone. While keeping the charade on, he slipped his cutlery into Jiah’s huge bag. Riteish got up and did the same thing after a while. And what’s worse, the forks and spoons were used.

Everyone else passed their forks and spoons to Akshay and Riteish, who kept slipping them into Jiah’s bag. She remained unaware about this the whole time until the waiter came to the table and exclaimed how all the cutlery was missing. He then asked them to let them check their bags. When he checked Jiah’s bag, she was stunned to see the forks and spoons coming out.

Everyone then burst out laughing and told her about the prank. Jiah was so shocked, she couldn’t do anything. The news was confirmed by Sajid Khan..

Of late, Akshay Kumar has been receiving messages meant for Akshaye Khanna. Guess having a namesake is not always fun.

Akshay kept getting messages from an assistant named Nikki all of last week, when he was shooting at Mehboob Studios for Patiala House. Some of the messages were to inform Akshaye of his shoots and timings while the others asked him what he wanted for lunch.

At first Akshay didn’t realize that the messages were for Akshaye Khanna. But he later realized that the assistant had his number saved against Akshaye’s name. And since the messages have come to him so frequently, he wonders how Akshaye managed to reach his shooting on time. He also wondered how many of his messages might have reached Akshaye. Interestingly, Akshay and Akshaye are co-stars in Farah Khan’s Tees Maar Khan and Anees Bazmee’s Thank You.

This isn’t the first time Bollywood has had namesake trouble. Director Feroz Abbas Khan and actor Feroz Khan, director Sanjay Gupta and the cinematographer by the same name and jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali and director Farah Khan are among the many people who have been in the same boat.

How often we see celebrities, who are well behaved even when things go wrong? How often we read about celebrities travelling in a economy class? Here is a celebrity who travelled in economy class even after flight was delayed for two hours. It is none other than Twinkle Khanna.

Actress turned interior designer Twinkle Khanna recently went for a holiday without her hubby Akshay Kumar to Goa along with her son Aarav. She was seen travelling in low cost airline and to the surprise of many she didn't lose her temper when flight was delayed for two hours. She was found playing with her son Aarav, claims some reports.

Well people might have used to sing Twinkle twinkle little star, but now they may ask Mrs. Akshay Kumar how I wonder what you are!

The actor is in Hamburg, Germany with wife Twinkle for a two-day course in water therapy at a wellness centre there. On Tuesday night, Akshay Kumar and his wife Twinkle left for Germany to attend a course in hydrotherapy at a wellness center in Hamburg, a city that boasts of the best spas in water therapy.

Says a source close to the actor, "They've gone to Hamburg for a two-day hydrotherapy water treatment course. They decided to enroll after they read about how beneficial hydrotherapy is, as it doesn't put any strain on the bones. Akshay loves water -- he calls himself a hydro baby and whenever he's in Mumbai, Aarav and he spend time swimming at the 5-star hotel pool near his house."

According to the source, "Akshay knows a bit about hydrotherapy but he wanted to increase his knowledge and take a proper course. Twinkle will undergo the training with him. The two-day course involves being in the pool for a couple of hours and learning various exercises. Akshay wants to learn exercises that are helpful for the spine, shoulders, back, knee, ankles and other joints and bones. It's one of the best form of natural exercises."

Before leaving on Tuesday night Akshay confirmed, "Hydrotherapy is amazing treatment for many injuries and especially the back and spine. You are put in an environment where the body is weightless and impact-free so you can rehabilitate your muscles without further stress or injury to the specific joint or muscle. The biggest sporting personalities go through rehab this way. I am intending to come back from Germany with a bigger bounce in my step than usual."

About Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy, involves the use of water for pain-relief and treating
illness. It's the generic term for water therapies using jets, underwater massage, mineral baths, whirlpool bath, hot Roman pool, hot tub, jacuzzi, cold plunge and mineral bath. These treatments use physical water properties, such as temperature and pressure, for therapeutic purposes, to stimulate blood circulation and treat the symptoms of certain diseases. Hydrotherapy which involves submerging all or part of the body in water can involve several types of equipment: Full body immersion tanks and arm, hip, and leg whirlpool

On the sets of Vipul Shah’s time-travel caper Action Replay Akshay Kumar retro-wig which he wears for his 1970s look is his most prized possession. Apparently the wig designed by one of Hollywood’s biggest makeup artistes Paul Pattison (who has done films like Braveheart and Mission Impossible 2) made Akshay paranoid. He was petrified of losing it. Says Vipul, “Since we haven’t copied our 1970s look from Hindi films Akshay and Aishwarya sat down to look at real-life footage from the decade to get the look right. They specially looked at television footage of live cricket matches in the 1970s. Akshay was busy peering at the pavilion of spectators, what they wore, how they spoke moved their body language. That’s how he conceived his character in the 70s. That’s where Paul Pattison’s wig came in.”

There are 400 other wigs all done under Pattison’s supervision for junior artistes posing as people in the 1970s. Says Vipul, “We were very particular about the 1970s look recreated at the Nitin Chandrakant Desai‘s studio in Karjat. We needed the cars from the 70s which we had to get from all over India from private owners at a very heavy price. The BEST buses in the 1970s were very different from their counterparts today. Getting authentic BEST buses from the 70s was the hardest part of the whole era- recreation. Getting Akshay and Aishwarya to go retro was the easiest thing. They had a ball getting into their wigs clothes and body language.”

We saw Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone traveling back to the 1970s in Om Shanti Om.
But Akshay was adamant about doing his retro-look very different from SRK. Director Vipul Shah takes serious umbrage to the suggestion that the retro look in his film is similar to Om Shanti Om.

“We haven’t copied anything from the films of the 1970s (as Om Shanti Om has). If we got into that 35 mm space we’d have ended up copying only Mr. Bachchan’s clothes and style. Akshay insisted we do more authentic research. We dug into archival material on the clothes mannerisms and people of the 1970s.” And now Vipul Shah is paranoid about his 1970s look going out. “We, Akshay’s designer Shabina Khan, Aishwarya’s designer Manish Malhotra and all of us have worked really hard to give ‘Action Replay’ a unique look. If that look is leaked out we’d lose our biggest USP.”

Much like the Big B’s Paa look which was given out premature. “We’re taking stringent steps to ensure the confidentiality of our look,” says Vipul. And what does he have to say to Action Replay being compared with ‘Back To The Future’? “Well earlier my film was supposed to be ‘The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button’. Now that accusation has been wrongly passed on to another film (Paa). Now I’m supposed to have copied ‘Back To The Future’. Again, untrue. If anything all time-travel films including mine are inspired by H.G Wells’ Time Machi.”

The day after Akshay Kumar landed in Mumbai after his back treatment, he was doing some of the most dangerous stunts. Before he left for his back treatment, Akshay Kumar was unsure if he could ever return to normal activities that he liked, let alone action sequences. In fact, Vipul Shah’s action-laden climax for Action Replay, which was to be shot after Akshay’s return was seriously jeopardized.

But after the hydro-therapy that he underwent in Germany last week, Akshay Kumar returned to work, more confident than ever before, ready and eager to shoot heart-stopping stunts for Action Replay. When Vipul offered to change the climax, Akshay laughed and told him to change his plans to change.

Not only was Akshay seen hanging from cables doing and flying through the air, he even cajoled his co-star Kirron Kher to get try the aerial stunts.

Speaking from Manori where director Vipul Shah shot Akshay’s action sequences with action direct Allan Amin immediately after the actor’s return from Germany the director confided, “It’s true we were very unsure about what shape Akshay’s back would be in once he returned from his hydro treatment. The climax of Action Replay required very complex and strenuous stunts on wire-cables. I offered to change the climax and do away with the cable stunts. After all, those are tough even for actors with normal healthy backs. Akshay told me to wait until his return before taking a final call.”

The actor’s recovery post his treatment has been far more quick and complete than imagined. Vipul just can’t stop gawking at the actor’s recovery level. “Why just me? The entire cast including Aishwarya Bachchan, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav and others just can’t believe Akshay’s capacity to bounce back on his feet. Here we were thinking of doing away the cable stunts and somehow managing the climactic action without the planned aerial shots. But Akshay has been wired and suspended mid-air for almost a week now. Cable stunts are really tough on the back. But Akshay was super-confident on his return.”

Akshay was so kicked by the idea of starting afresh on his newly-repaired back that he even encouraged Kirron Kher to join him on the cables in Manori.

Says Vipul, “A shot required her to join Akshay in the air. Kirron ji was at first hesitant. But we ensured her it was fully safe to be suspended with cables. Akshay is so charged and enthusiastic he will soon have the whole cast and crew on cables. We are shooting funny action sequences. But hanging midair from thousands of feet is as dangerous whether done for fun or otherwise.”

Akshay who sounded discernibly pained before his restorative trip to Germany is raring to go. “I’m back on my feet and doing action scenes for Vipul’s film. The treatment worked fully and I am completely recovered.”

Apparently Akshay has recommended the hydro-treatment to Sunny Deol who suffers a chronic back problem and has undergone to major surgeries to repair his back. For Akshay surgery was never an option, even when his back had given a decade back and he was laid up for six months.

By now its common knowledge that Vipul Shah is all set to take a trip down the retro lane with his Akshay Kumar- Aishwarya Bachchan starrer Action Replayy. However, what did catch us by surprise was when we saw this picture of Akshay in a complete retro rock star look from Action Replayy.

Apparently, Akki's look in this particular dance number is modeled on the lines of John Travolta's in the cult classic Grease. Akshay, who is a huge John Travolta fan, was more than happy to step into this get-up for this special song sequence with Ash. The duo thoroughly enjoyed practicing the dance steps of the disco era for this particular song.

An elated Akki, who thoroughly enjoys listening to retro music, said, "The 70s was full of energy, that's the reason why retro is hip. There is something about the fashion and music of that era which makes it so funky even today and perhaps it will always be that way." With Akshay and Ash bringing together a sizzling chemistry in this electric number, filmmaker Vipul Shah must be surely grinning from ear to ear. After all, it looks like he has a winner on hands.

Akshay Kumar's deadly stunt atop a plane in Khiladi 420 many years ago is still quite famous. Now Akshay is all set to do yet another action sequence in an airplane in Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan.

Farah, who seemed all excited at the prospect of shooting this scene. "Yes...you heard it right. We have constructed an actual Jumbo Jet at Film City for a very important sequence in Tees Maar Khan. The scene is Akshay's introductory shot in the film. Akki, who plays a smart-alec, is being taken captive in the airplane and how he outsmarts everyone and plans his escape forms the crux of the scene. He will be seen doing some really funny yet deadly action stunts in this particular scene. The scene also features popular VJ Mia along with her Chihuahua dog."

On being asked the cost of constructing a huge airplane, Farah said, "I can't reveal how much it exactly costs but yes, it did cost us a bomb. It's a beautiful Jumbo Jet with plush interiors. Our art director Sabu Cyril has done a fantastic job. In fact, if anyone wants to use a Jumbo Jet for a shoot they can contact me."

This huge comic-action sequence is going to be shot from March 1st onwards.

Akshay Kumar is the luckiest actor in Bollywood! And why not when three of the hotties in the industry will be enacting the role of his wives in Housefull. What's more Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutt and Jiah Khan will don bikinis in the movie. The sizzling trio will be flashing their thigh, showing some cleavage, revealing their skin, all for Akshay!

The Sajid Khan directed movie will hit the theatres on April 30 and is being produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The three leading ladies of the movie are busy bonding with each other. Deepika and Lara being from Bangalore have had a camaraderie right from the word go. The sizzling Jiah Khan was not to be left behind and has gelled well with the group.

If there is one man in Bollywood who is on a roll, then, it has to be him. We are indeed talking about the one and only Akshay Kumar. After having being chosen as the brand ambassador for a million products, Akki is all set to lend his 'Phase Value', this time round to the electronics major LG.

Sources said, "Akki was always an immediate choice for the said brand, after Abhishek Bachchan." Rumours have it that Abhi's contract was not renewed because he insisted on having his better half Aishwarya Rai as a part of the deal, which LG officials were not too forthcoming about. That's the reason they chose Akshay over Abhishek."

One may recall that, just a few days back, LG had signed up John Abraham, Abhay Deol and Genelia as their Brand Ambassadors for their mobile range. With Akshay now at the helm of things, LG definitely seems to be high on Bollywood power.

The eagerly awaited promo of Sajid Nadiadwala's Housefull will be unveiled this week along with the Farhan-Deepika starrer Karthik Calling Karthik. Housefull, directed by Sajid Khan, is a multi-starrer featuring Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Riteish Deshmukh, Lara Dutta, Arjun Rampal and Jiah Khan in lead roles. The film is a romantic comedy about normal people caught in abnormal situations sparked off by a white lie. It's a story of the world's unluckiest man trying to find true love to change his luck.

Talking about the promo, director Sajid Khan says, "A trailer is meant to excite audiences enough to get them talking about the film. But as a maker you definitely do not want to give away too much of the story. I'm sure the audiences will enjoy the promo."

Housefull once again brings together the super-hit team of producer Sajid Nadiadwala and director Sajid Khan who earlier gave us the blockbuster Heyy Babyy.

Akshay Kumar has struck a Rs. 25 Crore deal with Dollar Club to promote inner wear. Salman Khan who had earlier endorsed Dollar Club is now will be showcasing his macho look for Dixcy Scott. Hrithik Roshan is the ambassador for Rupa MacroMan. Shahrukh Khan had got his entire Kolkata Knight Riders team to endorse Lux Cozi but scrapped it after protests erupted in Kolkata. All we can says is 'Yeh Ander Ki Baat Hai'!