Shah Rukh wants 3 more songs for Kolkata Knight Riders

Shah Rukh wants 3 more songs for Kolkata Knight Riders

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan is going the whole hog to promote his IPL team, Kolkata Knight Riders.

Just a few days back, the King Khan released the theme song of the team composed by Vishal-Shekhar. Now, SRK has roped in Bappi Lahiri to compose three songs for his team.

Of the three numbers, Bappi Lahiri will sing only one track. The second track will be sung by Usha Uthup and the third by a Bengali band called Bhoomi. All the songs will be in Hindi. Only one track by Bhoomi will have some Bengali words.

Reportedly, SRK wants all the compositions to be powerful and motivating.

Bappi Lahiri, who is a self-confessed fan of SRK, will record the songs next week. He says there might be a few surprises for listeners as he is cajoling SRK to sing a few lines in songs.

On the other hand, Preity Zinta and beau Ness Wadia are also coming up with a rocking Punjabi track for their Mohali team.

Business tycoon Vijay Mallya, too, has roped in Sanjay Gupta to direct an ad and a music video for his Bangalore team.

Less than a month remains for the IPL tournament to begin. And every franchise wants to promote its team best. SRK has the head-start so far.

Priety: I can't wait that long to marry

Priety: I can't wait that long to marry



Even while her home in Mumbai is being re-constructed, Preity Zinta had a dream and she's about to realize it.

"I always wanted a family home in my home town Simla. I'm now going to build a house there. The older one is in a locality that's so crowded I don't recognize it any more. Earlier it was just our house and lots of trees."

Preity has an ancestral land which she has been planning to use to build a dream house. "Now's the time to do it. Build a farm house where my kids and my brother's kids will grow up.

It's a little away from Simla near the golf course. A gloriously green patch. I want to make it completely eco-friendly. It's so difficult to acquire anything eco-friendly here in Mumbai.

I'm trying to buy an eco-friendly car. But it's so difficult. But I am determined to buy an eco-friendly car. Look at the fumes in Mumbai. I'm more determined than ever to start building my home in Mumbai at the earliest."

Preity is looking at entirely refurbishing her life. "Last year I badly hurt myself on my back and pelvis. I've been working on myself. We actors are constantly hurting ourselves and neglecting our health.

Preity Zinta’s real hero

Preity Zinta’s real hero




“My Marriage! Ain’t you guys (press) tired of asking me this question...aint you excited about my Cricket team instead”, joked Preity as we began our chat session with her at a suburban five star hotel in Mumbai. The dimpled darling had come there to launch a ‘gutsy’ tv show based on real life stories. Bold and feisty, Preity seemed the ideal ambassador to promote the show.

Dressed in a all black trouser suit, Preity looked the ideal businesswoman she has become of late. Zinta was at her chirpiest best when we cornered the actor, only to throw some random googlies and bouncers at her! (Now that she admits to know the Cricket!)

“Whenever I am invited by the Godfrey Phillips Bravery Awards team, I blindly accept their ambassadorship as nothing is more satisfying to me as a human being than saluting the human spirit! I come from an army background and have seen my father taking bullets in his chest for his country. The show that I am promoting salutes the human spirit. It honours the ordinary people who did extra-ordinary deeds of helping others’ lives! They chose life over death”, elaborated the actor talking about the motive of her presence at the launch.

However, who is Preity’s real life Bollywood hero, we probed. “Sunny Deol! I remember while we were shooting for ‘ Farz ’ we had a song sequence at the mountain peak and I almost slipped off from there! It was Sunny who saved me! He is indeed a real life Bollywood hero for me since then”, smiled Preity.

The actress also spoke about photographer Rakesh Shrestha and his gallantry! “I was about to meet Rakesh for a photo shoot and I might have been a little distracted when I was crossing the road! I was looking otherwise when a speeding truck arrived towards me. If Rakesh wouldn’t have pulled me away, I would have died!”

The actor in her sentimental conversation also mentioned how she owes her life to the security guards who saved her when she was trapped in the Tsunami at Phuket! “I would have been killed in the stampede if it wasn’t for those two security guards who rescued me during the Tsunami. After that incident I feel I like I am re-living my life. It has made me a better human being”, added Preity flashing her million dollar smile.

On a funny note the witty actor further added, “I am not as brave as the people I have mentioned above though. I have only saved my doggy once from drowning!”

''I've always looked up to Shah Rukh'' - Preity Zinta

''I've always looked up to Shah Rukh'' - Preity Zinta



The IPL also has Shah Rukh Khan coming in. How does it feel to have him as a competitor in cricket?
I've always looked up to Shah Rukh. When I did my first film Dil Se with him, he was already a huge star. To me it's a matter of great honor to stand on the same platform as him. We're all working very hard on the IPL. Ours is the youngest team among all the IPL owners. Let's be positive about it. Initially, it's very important for the IPL team to work in totality. more

Preity meets Mr FM!

Preity meets Mr FM!

Preity Zinta has a serious new agenda — women’s upliftment. It looks like Preity’s career is now going beyond films and cricket. Recently in Delhi, she met Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

“We met for just about 20 minutes, and I along with some other women like Renuka Chowdhary and some NGOs with a voice, got a chance to have a say. It was to urge him to make the budget women-friendly, to provide incentives for women in the industries, etc.”

It’s unusual to see an actress with such a glamourous image interacting with a senior politician on a social issue.

Preity protests, “I guess it’s a natural process of growth within all individuals. I may have started off as a glamourous entity in a glamour industry. But today, I look for substance and motivation in whatever I do. Whether it’s my roles in films or in real life, I’ve to get re-inspired.”

Sounding so much like Shabana Azmi, Preity avers, “I strongly feel women with a voice in this country need to get together to create better opportunities for the silent majority. Getting home loans are so difficult for single women or widows when they don’t have a collateral security to offer. I’d like to see that change. I also want to work for improving hygiene and personal sanitation. And of course, free and compulsory education for women.”

Preity discussed all of this with Mr Chidambaram. “It wasn’t easy getting an appointment with him. He gave us all a patient ear. He heard us out so gracefully. I had never met Mr Chidambaram before. He’s highly qualified and wonderfully articulate. We had a very positive meeting. And I hope our conversation reflects somewhere in the budget.”

Preity was the only spokesperson from the film industry who met the Finance Minister on Monday. “I suppose it’s because of my
work with women, especially the issue of female foeticide. I seriously feel it’s time for me to give back to society some of what I’ve been given.”

Wanted: New reel queens

Wanted: New reel queens

When we go number crunching for Bollywood beauties, it’s tough to figure out who’s really reign woman of the present and future.

Marriage has mellowed Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s screen image and the good bahu is reportedly planning a family in 2009, Rani Mukerji, the official queen bee of the box-office has had two major debacles (Ta Ra Rum Pum and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag) and possible marriage.

With Preity Zinta opting for ‘off-beat’ films and cricket (she’s bought the Chandigarh team for Indian Premier League), Bipasha Basu’s career on a yo-yo mode and Kareena Kapoor looking committed to a new love and acting pricey too, is there a second lot of heiresses in this numbers game? more

'We got what we wanted'

'We got what we wanted'

Preity was happy-nervous when she accompanied beau Ness Wadia to bid for cricketers for her Mohali team.

However, her little jig to dhol beats, minutes after the auction, was clear indication that the nervousness was gone. “I wore my lucky red dress,” she said.

With Yuvraj, Pathan and Brett Lee, among others, in her team, PZ’s content. “I’m happy because we got what we wanted,” she said. But didn’t they want Bhajji too? “We so wanted the Punjab da puttar, but couldn’t because of the five million cap. We still have many champs, though. Yuvi’s the captain and Tom Moody will coach the team,” she added.

And PZ wasn’t bluffing when she said that she knew all about sixes and fours. She said, “As opposed to the ICL, IPL will reach the grass-roots level.

Cricketers who couldn’t play nationally because of the quota or because their parents thought the game was only about glam can play here.”

As an afterthought, she added, “I understand why everyone wants to talk only cricket with me. I’m the only woman here, but I want more women to be a part of this.” Hear, hear!


‘We’ll play to win’

I’m exhausted but happy,” said Ness Wadia, after the bidding for the IPL. Ness asserts that even though they couldn’t get Bhajji, their team comprises only winners.

“If you see our team carefully, you’ll note that it is a team of winners. And we will play to win!” he said.

He added, “India has been starved of good sporting events for a long time now. Though cricket has been a national passion, there have been fluctuations. I feel that the IPL has potential and it is also a build-up to a better Team India.”

And is it paisa-vasool? “Oh, completely! Cricket was becoming cumbersome. I never had the time to watch a whole match and I ended up watching just the highlights. Now, I can take out three hours and sit down to watch a cricket match without thinking twice,” he answers, adding, “IPL will give even other sports a boost.” Amen.

Preity Zinta And Ness Wadia Inspect Facilities For Their IPL Team

Preity Zinta And Ness Wadia Inspect Facilities For Their IPL Team



Top Bollywood star Preity Zinta along with her boyfriend Ness Wadia visited the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, located at Mohali in Chandigarh, earlier today. The star couple, the franchisee of Indian Premier League’ Mohali team, supervised the facilities prevailing at the stadium.

This is the first visit of Preity and Ness to the stadium, who as per media reports were said to be upset over the fire incident, which gutted the top floor of the main building of the stadium on February 10.

I know about fours and sixes: Preity

I know about fours and sixes: Preity


As a present for her birthday on January 31, beau and businessman Ness Wadia could not have given the lovely Preity Zinta anything as exciting as a partnership in the Indian Premier League deal he cut with her and partners Karan Paul and Mohit Puri last week.

They bid Rs 300 crore and got the Mohali team in the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) thrilling new T20 format starting this April.

Preity is happy to be part of the IPL especially since Shah Rukh Khan, with whom she started her career in Dil Se, has bid for and won the Kolkata team. “Today we’re both making our debuts in cricket,” said Preity.

This is not the first time she is doing business with Ness. She’s also reportedly a part of (and endorses) the Wadia family airline. “But this is my first bona fide business venture. I’ve never before submitted a tender and felt the thrill of watching it materialise. I can’t be a sleeping partner in any business. I’d give everyone nightmares! Can you imagine me keeping quiet? Not when the entertainment industry is rocking. Cricket and Bollywood coming together is huge,” laughed Preity.

Do their professional alliances indicate a life together? “I don’t know,” replied Preity, “but Ness and I work well together. We hope to make the IPL deal a success. It’s the first time I’m sitting in a boardroom. So many firsts for me! I’m excited. It’s very different from working on a film where you’re on your own when ‘action’ is called on camera.”

The perky Bollywood actress happens to be the only woman in the IPL. “I know,” said Preity, “why do boys have to have all the fun? It’s 2008, women should get more active in business. I won’t pretend to be a huge cricket buff, but now I’ve no choice, I’m learning about the game. I’m reading books, watching old matches. I think cricket is a gentleman’s sport, regardless of winning and losing. And I know how to hold a bat and I know what sixers and fours are all about!”