So much of Shahid's fame now-a-days is based on his beefcake physique - that rippling 6-pack, that not so big stubbly head - but the menace that bubbles up in him on screen just isn't present in real life. Not, at least, from the front. He seems, if anything, a bit lost. Lost because he still hasn't had his time of 'that's great' day out to enjoy the super success of his hit film Kaminey. Half his time, he says, is spent 'trying to run from pillar to post for film shoots and photo shoots.'

From this angle, Kapoor is quite something. You feel an instant sympathy with the 38,000 plus members of the Facebook group 'Shahid Kapoor fans'. We mean, we're here with him in his sparkling silver Mercedes-Benz, his biceps are stretching his pale yellow jersey, his deltoids flexing like a pair of dolphins trying to nibble his ears. We meet the gun-toting geezer who is now carrying a cricket bat. It's time to play with Shahid Kapoor.

Are we meeting a different Shahid Kapoor today?
No man! I don't think so. I am as stressed out as I was because I have another release coming up in the next two weeks. I was supposed to take this three day Kaminey break (laughs). I haven't got any time to absorb the fact that the film has done well and that it's a success. I am trying to respond to all the messages that I've been receiving since Kaminey released and busy finishing up all my duties. Somewhere deep down, I'm really happy. I needed the audiences support and I've got it.

Now that Dil Bole releases, do you think the ones who are going to watch the film will be the ones who were impressed by Shahid Kapoor in Kaminey?
I'm hoping that all the positivity of Kaminey spills over on Dil Bole Hadippa. Secondly, I think people have always liked me in the commercial space of love stories and films that have a lot of dance, music and entertainment. They haven't seen me in my usual best since a year. Dil Bole Hadippa will put me back in that space. Thirdly, all those people who missed out on Kaminey, because it was an 'A' certificate, will probably be able to see Dil Bole.

Do you empathise with those who were below 18 and didn't get to watch Kaminey?
Of course yes. My younger brother is thirteen. All his friends were upset for not seeing Kaminey. I'm really happy for them that they'll go and watch Dil Bole Hadippa now. This is my first film with Rani and Yash Raj too. There is a lot to it which is so different from Kaminey.

Do you think Yash Raj Films as a production house is far more superior in their work ethics than the others you've worked in?
That will put all the other production houses I've worked with down, isn't it? But I would definitely say that as a hero you feel burdened by the load of a film because if a film works well, the first person to benefit is the actor and if vice versa, then too the actor. Working with Yash Raj is like working with a brand which itself has a certain credibility. Audiences want to see a Yash Raj film. It is also headed by a creative man who isn't merely a business man. They understand the content within a film and it is also from their creative point of view. With Aditya Chopra around, things are too organised.

The public opinion has it that Rani Mukherjee is the first actress that has perfectly matched up to Shahid Kapoor's steps while dancing
(Laughs). Rani is a great dancer and people have forgotten that it's been a while that she has done an out and out dance number. The last time I saw Rani match up with any actor was with Govinda. There have been times when I have calmed myself down a little to balance it out with my co-actor but Dil Bole Hadippa was the first time when I thought that I had to pull my socks up as Rani was going for the kill.

When was the last time you played cricket?
I am a great cricket buff dude. I first played cricket when I was a three year old. I've played for my school. I used to play seven hours of cricket everyday in my building. Unfortunately, I didn't get to pursue it at all. I went through that whole phase of thinking that I would be a professional cricketer when I grow up. As I grew up, there were others things that took over my interest. Dancing was one of them.

Any fond memories you had while filming for Dil Bole Hadippa?
Of course yes. We were shooting in D.Y. Patil ground and we had a whole day to shoot there. I refused to give my shot for half an hour because you could see the lush green grass, brown pitch, all hard with the wickets in tact. I was standing and murmuring, 'Somebody please bowl to me' because I wasn't going to get this moment again. Finally, the cast and the crew did manage to play a short match.

Is there any underlying message to the film?
Yes there is. There is something which the film says very subtly because preachy films can be really boring. Dil Bole Hadippa is very entertaining and in the end, it just leaves you with a thought.

You seem to be taking on all the hotties in tinsel town at the moment.
(Laughs) Am I? Finally the day has come. It's good to be working with new people. There is Rani Mukherjee who is my senior, there is Priyanka Chopra who has done as much work as me, there is a Genelia D'Souza who is newer and then there is Anushka Sharma who is just one film old. Working with people who challenge you, push you or you feel are competition at some level always helps you do better work, and I haven't done that for quite some time.

You played cricket with Rani?
Yes I did. I had a really busy one and a half year. Jab We Met, Kaminey and then Dil Bole Hadippa. But I can recall days when I used to get call from Rani at half past nine in the night saying, 'Shahid, where are you? I am in a cricket ground near Juhu. Please come.' I would reply, 'Sorry Rani but I have an appointment at ten.' Rani would go, 'Just come for ten minutes but come.' I would reach there and she would be seen standing all padded up saying, 'See how I am playing cricket. Now you show me how you play.' I would then show her some of my shots and the reply would come, 'You know how to play, so you can leave now.'(Laughs). I loved the way she was so involved with the film.

You've worked with a lot of first time directors too.
Yes I have. And it's time for a change. This is a great time for anybody who is new. As an actor, I've felt that new directors bring in a fresh perspective to cinema and help us bring a fresh new talent to the film we are working for. I feel very comfortable with those who write and direct films. Imtiaz Ali and Parmeet Sethi are some of them.

You favourite Rani Mukherjee film
Black. As a performance, that was brilliant.

Your favourite cricketer and any match of his which you can recall.
Sachin Tendulkar. I remember the match in Sharjah when the sand storm happened followed by the Sachin storm. He went totally ballistic on the Australians. Then of course his match in the World Cup when Sehwag and Sachin murdered Shoaib Akhtar's bowling in the first fifteen overs.

What about the new Indian cricket team?
As a team, India is doing really well because their approach is new. It's all about the team. Greats will always be greats. I am a huge Sachin fan but I can't see him playing for the next ten years now. New players are finding a place for themselves. I like the rotation strategy that Indian Cricket team follows. Players who are sitting out in couple of matches get a chance to play in the third. That's great.

Even as Shahid Kapoor is excited about his much-talked-about filmDil Bole Hadippareleasing next Friday, September 18, another film of his has run into trouble.

The grapevine is abuzz with the news that Yash Raj Films next project starring Shahid Kapoor and Anushka Sharma is in trouble due to disagreement between the producer and the director regarding the title of the film.

It is said that director Parmeet Sethi suggested Right Hand Man and Friends and Company for the title of the film but Aditya Chopra didn't want them. Parmeet said that there is no fight though there might be differences in opinion. He added that he and Aditya have decided to think about the title only after the shooting of the film.

So, how do they refer to the film? YRF’s Production No 36!

A couple of years have passed since the split but it seems they are yet to get over each other. Just on the heals of Shahid Kapoor saying that Kareena Kapoor was his support system when they were seeing each other, Kareena has said that she loves Shahid's performance in Kaminey.

Interestingly, Shahid watched Saif Ali Khan's Love Aaj Kal along with Priyanka Chopra (his alleged girlfriend) when the film was released. This time around, Kareena watched Shahid's Kaminey along with her boyfriend Saif.

Kareena just can't stop praising Vishal Bhardwaj, the director of the film. She said that she really loved Kaminey and the second half just blew her mind. She added that the performances by the actors were great.

Dil Bole Hadippa was wrapped up long back and it is ready for release next Friday, 18th September, but the lead actors of the film Shahid Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee have not stopped bonding. Following Rani's footsteps, Shahid has taken up power yoga to maintain his muscular physique.

It was Shahid who first worked on his physique for his role in the film Kaminey. He managed to put on eight-pack-abs but he turned to Rani Mukherjee to maintain it. Guess what the actress suggested? She advised him to take up power.

It is said that Shahid was shocked to see Rani's well-toned body, which made her confident enough to sport a bikini in their upcoming release Dil Bole Hadippa. Now, another news is doing the rounds that Shahid is taking up power yoga on the advice of Rani to maintain his muscular look. She has even recommended her yoga instructor Payal Gidwani to him.

Well, Shahid and Rani seem to have grown very close after their stint in Dil Bole Hadippa, produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films banner and directed by Anurag Singh.

The maverick filmmaker N Chandra is a lonely man today. He has just completed a script about an intense romantic passion between a boy from a broken home and a girl from a well-to-do family.

He has named the film Fire and Ice. And he’d like to cast Shahid Kapoor and his old friend Anil Kapoor’s daughter Sonam Kapoor in it. Alas the doors to the gen-next stars are closed to N Chandra.

“I thought the doors would re-open for me after Yeh Mera India. But sadly not too many people saw it. It was a film I did in a completely contemporary language. There is a belief that I haven’t kept up with the times, that I’m a spent force. That I may have made Ankush, Pratighaat and Tezaab in the past. But that was then. I don’t follow today’s language of the cinema. I made Yeh Mera India in a very contemporary European style. The cameraman was an American.”

Now in Fire and Ice Chandra claims to use a form of narration never used before. “It’s non-linear and in a way never seen before. It’s contemporary and I need a particular kind of personality for the two main parts.”

Getting Sonam should be less difficult for Chandra than getting Shahid. After all Sonam’s father Anil Kapoor teamed up for one of his best films Tezaab with Chandra.

“But that was in past. Things have changed. This is a new generation, a new era in filmmaking. Everyone has their own favourites,” says Chandra, hastily adding. “Anil and I are still very close friends.”

The Chak De casting director Abhimanyu Ray was debutant director Rupali Guha’s saviour. After Rupali saw the way the new girls had been cast in Chak De she gathered the courage to make her first film Aamras with four new girls.

“After Chak DeI was adamant. It had to be fresh faces no matter how much the pressure to get stars. I’m glad I stuck to my guns. The four news girls Vega, Natasha, Manvi and Aanchal are the backbone of my film about girl bonding.”

Debutant director Rupali Guha has a hard act to follow. Her father is the formidably prolific Basu Chatterjee and her father-in-law is the equally formidable Dulal Guha. Both legendary in there own right.

And yet Rupali had to knock from door to door to get her first screenplay approved. “I went to everyone from UTV onwards. They all said, ‘Who’ll watch this film?’ Or worse, ‘Get Shahid Kapoor to play the boyfriend.’ How could I fit Shahid Kapoor into a film about the bonding among four 18-year-old girls played by four absolutely new faces?”

The story of Aamras was born from debutant director Rupali Guha’s 13-year old daughter Jonaki’s experiences.

Says the director, “When I was growing up I had just one best friend and then I had my family. My daughter has a circle of eleven close friends from different strata of society. And she comes home with very different experiences. I needed to understand her world of incompatible emotions. Aamras has given me a chance to open up my daughter’s world.”

Next, Rupali is working on script called Cinderella about a girl’s dreams of a Prince Charming falling to pieces.

Regrettably Rupali ’s father Basuda is in Kolkata and has not seen the complete film.

“I can’t wait for his reaction,” says the nervous daughter and a mother whose daughter is nervously wondering how much of her life her mom has put on screen.

Anushka Sharma is one of the luckiest actresses around. She had a dream debut opposite Shahrukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi by Aditya Chopra. Now, she is all set to romance Shahid Kapoor, who is currently basking on the stupendous success of Kaminey.

Yes, Anushka will act with Shahid in Parmeet Sethi’s untitled venture. As if that is not enough, she will act with Akshay Kumar in Patiala House by Nikhil Advani. She revealed that she loved the script the moment she heard it but slept over it for a day and then gave the nod. She added that she is so excited by the thought of romancing Ahskay.

So, did she spoke to her mentor Aditya Chopra about her new venture? She said that Aditya is too professional to ask her about the script of another filmmaker. She added that she holds him in high regards and would remain special all her life because he gave her a dream break.

Well, Anushka seems to be on the right track at the moment. Way to go girl!

Dil Bole Hadippa means Heart Goes Hurrah! Will someone check Rani Mukherjee’s blood pressure? She must be pretty nervous at the moment. Yes, she was no doubt the queen of Bollywood a few years ago but the story is not the same anymore. The failure of her last few releases has put pressure on her like the tone of bricks on her shoulders. Luckily, she has a good company in Shahid Kapoor, who is on the verge of turning a superstar.

The highlight of Dil Bole Hadippais no doubt Rani Mukherjee. The story of the film revolves around her. It is all about a village girl whose dream is to play cricket in the big league. To make her dream come true, she disguises as a man and put on a turban and beard, as girls don’t play cricket. Her brilliant performance on the field earns herself a place in a team captained by Shahid. It may be recalled that the Sikh community protested against Rani’s avatar , as she didn’t put on the right turban.

Rani badly needs a hit at the moment, and Dil Bole Hadippacould be her saviour. Besides failing to taste success for a couple of years, the presence of young actresses like Katrina Kaif , Priyanka Chopra , Asin Thottumkal, Genelia D’Souza and others has threatened her place in Bollywood. Many feel that her loyalty to Yash Raj Films has caused the downfall in her career. She has got a chance to prove the critics wrong through Dil Bole Hadippa.

It looks like she has given her best to this film. She looks ravishing after shedding lots of weight. She claims that she looks younger than Shahid though she is older than him by three years. Her bikini show is one of the highlights of the film.

Lead actor Shahid also has his share of pressure. All eyes will be on him following the success streak in Jab We Met and Kaminey . He will be looking forward to the success of Dil Bole Hadippa, as it can turn him into a superstar.

Another highlight of the film is the skin show from Sherlyn Chopra and Rakhi Sawant, who are known for their bold attitude. The Yash Raj Films, which was known for its clean family entertainers, has decided to take on glamour. It invited the wrath of the moral police. The Censor Board has issued a U/A certificate to the film for Sherlyn's hot outfits and Rakhi Sawant's raunchy dance number.

Dil Bole Hadippa is produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films banner and directed by Anurag Singh. It is releasing tomorrow, 18th September.

Will the Heart Go Hurrah? Watch out!

What is cooking between Shahid Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee? Nothing. Shahid has been linked with his co-stars from Amrita Rao to Vidya Balan to Priyanka Chopra , so, he is surprised with the indifferent attitude of the rumourmongers this time . He just can't believe that he has not been linked to Rani, his co-star in Dil Bole Hadippa.

Shahid said that both he and Rani are amused with the fact that the media has not linked them in spite of their on-screen romance. Meanwhile, he had fun working with her. He said that it was great to play her hero , considering that he acted with her in an ad years ago when she was already a big star.

Besides Dil Bole Hadippa, produced by Aditya Chopra and directed by Anurag Singh, Shahid has a string of films on hand. Chance De Dance with Genelia D'Souza is scheduled for release in November and then Paathshala will follow. He is currently shooting for another Yash Raj film directed by Parmeet Sethi and then he will take up his father's film.

Watch out for more from Shahid. It's just the beginning!

Cricket, like Bollywood, is an addiction for a wide majority of Indians. Dil Bole Hadippa tries to capture the spirit of the game and the aspirations of a sportsperson, who's keen to play for her pind. On paper, the concept, which bears an uncanny resemblance to She's the Man, sounds interesting, but the problem is its writing, which is tame and mediocre.
Let's elaborate. The plusses, first...

It's mandatory for cricket-based films like Lagaan and Victory, which conclude with a cricket match, to have a thrilling finish. Dil Bole Hadippa too has a awe-inspiring end. Also, the story of an ordinary girl who aspires to play cricket for the national team is motivating, with Rani Mukherjee handling her part with complete understanding.

But there's a flipside too. The romantic moments between Rani and Shahid Kapoor lack fizz. Even the assorted characters in the film, like Sherlyn Chopra, Vrajesh Hirjee and Rakhi Sawant, contribute nothing to the film. They're mere props.

Final word? You expect Dil Bole Hadippa to score a century, like several films churned out by Yash Raj. But it settles down in the half-century range. Strictly average!

Veera [Rani Mukherji] is a fire-cracker of a girl who lives in a small village, but chases big dreams. She works in a local theatre group, but dreams of playing cricket in the big league. Yes, believe it or not, she wants to play with Tendulkar and Dhoni for India.

While Veera dreams on in India, Rohan [Shahid Kapoor] is an accomplished captain of a county cricket team in England. Rohan returns to India to captain his father's cricket team, which has been losing consecutively for the last 8 years.

In a village where girls don't play cricket, Veera has to put on a turban and beard and become a man to fulfil her dreams. Her brilliance on the field earns her a place in Rohan's team and Veera Kaur becomes Veer Pratap Singh. But what happens when the secret is out?

Dil Bole Hadippa has a patchy script. It's interesting initially, but takes the beaten path later. Rani's obsession for cricket is well established at the outset. So is the friendship between Anupam Kher and Dalip Tahil [who heads the Pakistani team]. Also, the initial scenes between Anupam and Shahid are well integrated in the story.

The film shows promise when Rani transforms from Veera to Veer. All this happens in the initial 20-25 minutes, but the story comes to a screeching halt thereafter.

Problem begins... Shahid loses his heart to Rani and the film suddenly turns into a love story. Sherlyn surfaces in between to spice up the proceedings, but nothing happens. The conflict during the finale - when Shahid learns the truth - doesn't make the desired impact either. Even the re-emergence of the mother [Poonam Dhillon] in the story looks like a complete compromise from the writing point of view.

However, the match between the Indian and Pakistani teams in the climax is well executed and though the viewer is well aware what the ending would be, it keeps you hooked nonetheless. Unfortunately, the final speech by Rani [after the match is won] is outright predictable. The film would've benefitted with an innovative end.
Anurag Singh shows sparks of brilliance at times, but how one wishes the debutante director and his writers would've come up with a solid script. Pritam's music doesn't help either. Barring the title track, the balance songs are plain average. Cinematography is nice.

Dil Bole Hadippa belongs to Rani and as always, she delivers a sparkling performance as Veera as well as Veer, carrying both the roles effortlessly. Shahid plays second fiddle to Rani, which is very surprising. Nevertheless, he enacts his part well. Anupam Kher and Dalip Tahil lend decent support. Poonam Dhillon has nothing to do. Rakhi Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra are wasted. Vrajesh Hirjee is passable. Shri Vallabh Vyas does well.

On the whole, Dil Bole Hadippa is an ordinary fare. At the box-office, the film has some chances in North mainly thanks to the Punjabi flavour. The holidays ahead may help its prospects at multiplexes essentially, but the single screens will be dull.

Everything around the much-hyped filmDil Bole Hadippa looked fine till it hit the theatres. Surprisingly, this Rani Mukherjee's comeback film had a disheartening opening.

Going by the publicity and good reviews it got, people in the trade circle expected Dil Bole Hadippa to rock on the opening day. However, it is reported that it managed to get only 45-60 percent occupancy on the average in multiplexes. Advance booking for the film was also weak.

Meanwhile, FUN Cinemas is said to have a wonderful opening. It experienced 100% per cent occupancies in their Chandigarh and Ahemdabad chains for the first two shows while Mumbai had an average occupancy of about 50 per cent.

In spite of the weak opening, Dil Bole Hadippais expected to pick up in the days to come with good word of mouth. Rani Mukherjee acts with Shahid Kapoor in this film produced by Aditya Chopra and directed by Anurag Singh.

Wait for a couple of days to know the final verdict!

Last Friday witnessed a fierce fight between Salman Khan and Shahid Kapoor. No, we are talking about the clash of their films at the box-office. The off screen rivals were made to eat into each other’s collections by releasing their films on the same day.

Salman’s film Wanted, a remake of Telugu film Pokiri, was released last Friday. This film produced by Boney Kapoor and directed by Prabhu Deva features Ayesha Takia Azmi in the female lead role. Shahid’s film Dil Bole Hadippa, with Rani Mukherjee as his heroine, was also released on the same day. It’s produced by Aditya Chopra and directed by Anurag Singh.

Interestingly, both the films received good reviews. However, they failed to make a good opening in spite of the hype and hoopla. Both the films will become the most-disappointing films of the year if they fail to pull in the crowd with the good word of mouth. Muslim audience could save them, as the Ramzan season has ended.

Wanted and Dil Bole Hadippabelong to different genres but the producers should have avoided the clash. No doubt it has affected the collections at the box-office. So, who will win the war, Salman or Shahid? You will have to wait for a couple of days to know the answer!

It may be recalled that Salman and Shahid turned foes after a bitter fight at a show a few years ago.

Pankaj Kapoor has finally agreed to direct his first ever film, Mausam, starring son Shahid Kapoor. Produced by Religare
Vistaar Entertainment, the film promises to be a romantic entertainer, which will be shot in UK, Italy, India, Spain and Austria.

Shahid will start shooting for it in the last week of January 2010. He has been asking his father to direct the film for ages and would like it to be his launch vehicle, but Pankaj likes working at his own speed. The film’s screenplay has been written by Pankaj Kapoor himself and it spreads out over 10 years.

A newcomer will be roped in for the female lead in Mausam. The producers of the film want a girl with a fresh face and a novel look.

Shahid Kapoor needs to wear bum bags to make his rear look in shape. Shahid, who has worked on achieving a good physique, was still not very confident about his butt. So, in order to make his hips look nice and round, he wears a bum bag, which is a small pouch like thing secured with a zipper and is worn at the waist.

Shahid has been wearing bum bags since his first film in 2003. While he doesn’t wear these at home, he needs to wear them during film shoots because he is afraid his near-flat butt will look bad.

Guess everyone has their own little quirks!

Bollywood actors Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao look hot together. They hit off very well in their film Vivah and were romantically linked though they denied any affair. This time around, they are going to appear together in birthday suits.

The news is doing the rounds that Shahid and Amrita will appear nude in a PETA advertisement. They will campaign with the theme ‘Let Vegetarianism Grown on You’. They will be wrapped in tomato vines as the look is ‘tomato-and-pepper’.

Sources said that Shahid has been chosen for the campaign because he has been a vegetarian since the age of 18 and was even chosen the sexiest vegetarian. Amrita also went vegetarian ten years ago. The duo will showcase how sexy vegetarianism is!