Kakkar, Tikku murder case: Not enough witnesses against Vijay Palande, Simran Sood?

Mumbai: Mumbai Crime Branch officers fear that they don’t yet have a sufficient number of eyewitnesses to build a rock-solid case against the four accused — Vijay Palande, Simran Sood, Manoj Gajkosh and Dhanjay Shinde — in the double murder cases of Karan Kakkar and Arun Tikku.

Officers of the department revealed that they have secured 15 witnesses for both the cases, which they believe is an insufficient number. They are now looking for more witnesses against the accused, to make their case stronger. “We are tracing more witnesses in both the cases, to nail Palande and Sood,” said an officer.

Sood, who had been held for her involvement in the Karan Kakkar murder case, was arrested on Friday for her suspected role in the murder of Delhi-based businessman Tikku. Crime Branch sources also accepted that Palande and his accomplices were hardened criminals who had left very little evidence in their wake, making it difficult for cops to put together a sufficiently strong body of evidence.

15 witnesses have so far given statements against the two accused in the murders of Arun Tikku and Karan Kakkar.

After the duration of her police custody for the Kakkar murder case came to an end on Friday, Sood was produced in court. The magistrate remanded her in police custody till May 10 for her involvement in the Tikku murder case.

Honey trap

Crime Branch officers confirmed that Sood had accompanied Palande and Anuj Tikku to the Chiplun farmhouse where Anuj was kept captive, after his drink was spiked. “Sood’s involvement has been established in both the murders and we are now investigating her exact role in the actual crime,” said a Crime Branch officer. Cops added that they weren’t ruling out more arrests in the case.

Flesh racket

In another shocking revelation related to the murders, officers exposed that prior to his murder, Kakkar ran a prostitution racket in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Palande, who was initially arrested for the murder of Delhi-based businessman Tikku, was also remanded to police custody till May 10 for the Kakkar murder case.

Palande was arrested on April 10 for the April 7 murder of 67-year-old Tikku. On the same day, he had escaped from police custody before being re-arrested hours later. The court also extended the period of police custody for Palande’s two accomplices Gajkosh and Shinde till May 10.

Aamir Khan attends rickshaw driver's son's wedding

Mr. Perfectionist Aamir Khan kept his promise and attended rickshaw driver Nathuni's son's wedding in Varanasi on Wednesday. Aamir especially came down to Varanasi to attend Rajeev's wedding, son of Ramlakhan Paswan aka Nathuni, an auto-rickshaw driver. When Aamir toured the country in various
disguises while promoting his 2009 film, 3 Idiots, he had met Lakhan in Varanasi, and bonded with him over three days, says a member of Aamir’s entourage.

It’s been almost three years but Lakhan hadn't forgotten the bond, and he recently arrived in Mumbai with a wedding invitation for the actor.
Aamir Khan was touched by his behaviour and was trying his best to make it to the wedding. The actor's spokesperson had said at the time, “It’s not yet confirmed but he is trying to make time for it.” And the actor did make it to the wedding!

Aamir Khan in Kashmir during Satyamev Jayate shoot.

Aamir is currently wrapping up the final episodes of his TV show, Satyamev Jayate, after which he will start shooting for Dhoom 3.

Who will set a new Bollywood record this year: Salman, Aamir or SRK?

The stage is set, and the ball has been set rolling. We have a huge year at hand in terms of the money at stake in the industry. And as the Mayans ignited a spark centuries ago, some people actually believe that the world is about to end in December, hence, the trade analysts believe that this mindset will help the business of big film releases this year considerably, because film buffs will throng cinema halls in huge numbers to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars in full glory for ‘one last time’. And, a few big budget films involving our favourite Khan’s (Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir) have been lined up for release this year.

Let’s talk about the ‘perfectionist’ Khan first. We have not seen Aamir Khan on the big screen since his cameo in ‘Dhobi Ghat’ in 2010. The thinking man’s star is coming back with a suspense-thriller ‘Talaash’, which also stars Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor in the lead. The movie is directed by Reema Kagti and is set to release on November 30. Aamir is playing a cop in the movie for the first time since ‘Sarfarosh’. This movie is touted to be the movie of the year since Aamir is notoriously efficient in setting benchmarks at the box-office. If he wishes to do so, he has to get past his own movie ‘3 Idiots’ records, which is the only Hindi movie ever to gross more than Rs. 300 crores. And the fact that Aamir is ultra-cautious before signing on the dotted line itself tells us how good a movie this one is going to be.
Then we have the King of romance, Shah Rukh Khan. King Khan has gone back to working with arguably the biggest Indian ‘banner’, Yashraj films. And by doing so, SRK has gone back to his roots, since it was the Chopra-produced movies only that made a star out of him initially, and got him the ‘King of romance’ tag. And moreover, the movie is being directed by the legendary Yash Chopra himself, who is back after his hiatus. In fact, he directed his last movie with Shah Rukh only, ‘Veer-Zara’, which was way back in 2004. Though we already have many reasons to advocate why this movie is sure to be a blockbuster, but we have two more: First, this is going to be an out and out love story, and this genre is SRK’s forte. And second, Shah Rukh’s love interest is being played by his arch rival’s rumoured girlfriend, Katrina Kaif. Need we say more?
And now we come to talk of the ‘Dabangg’ superstar, Salman Khan. Though he probably has two releases this year, but his ‘Ek Tha Tiger’, which is due to release during his favourite time of the year, Eid, sounds mammoth. And according to us, this is ‘the’ movie which will achieve new standards in terms of box-office collections. According to rumours, Salman’s extremely loyal fan-following will get to see a new-improved Salman with ripped muscles, et al. Salman is also getting back together with Katrina Kaif in this one. And what makes the feature even more enticing is that it is a Yashraj movie. Aditya Chopra has reportedly paid a bomb to Salman to be in his production. The movie is being directed by Kabir Khan of ‘New York’ fame.
Well, who wins the box-office race is yet to be seen, but the ultimate winner is sure to be the audience only. With Bollywood getting revamped in the recent years, one can be certain that they will not merely be whistling to their favourite stars, but will also have a good story tagged along. Although we have quite a number of other big movies in contention this year, namely Ajay Devgn’s ‘Bol Bachchan’, Salman’s ‘Dabangg 2’, Ranbir’s ‘Barfi’, etc

Vicky Donor a winner at the box office, earns Rs. 13.40 crore in opening weekend

Vicky Donor is going places. After receiving rave reviews from the critics as well as the audiences, it has earned Rs.13.40 crore in the opening weekend. Director Shoojit Sircar is on cloud nine and says the film's success proves that the moviegoers have matured over the years.

Vicky Donor is a light-hearted take on the taboo attached to infertility, sperm donation and artificial insemination.

"I am happy with the kind of response Vicky Donor has got. While writing the script, me and my writers thought we will get a positive response from young boys and girls, but with the film becoming so popular among the masses, it feels great," Sircar told IANS.

"I never thought my film will get a U/A certificate from censors. It came as a shock for me. The success of the film is the biggest example of audience getting mature. I personally feel that the audiences are very clever and they know what they want to see," he added.

Co-produced by Eros International and JA Entertainment, the film was released on Friday at over 600 screens worldwide. The film, which was made with two newcomers - Ayushmann Khurrana and Yami Gautam - along with seasoned actor Annu Kapoor, has grossed over Rs. 11.40 crore in India and Rs. 2 crore overseas.

"We are very happy with the audience as well as critics' reactions to Vicky Donor. Sunday's collections showed a 91 percent jump over Friday figures," Nandu Ahuja, senior vice president, distribution, India, Eros International Media Ltd said in a statement.

"The film created a positive buzz right from the launch of its trailer and has delivered on audience expectations. With its unusual subject, characters and dialogues, we are hoping for repeat viewings and a promising run at the box office," he added.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says Vicky Donor success proves that content is king. "The success of Vicky Donor is the triumph of its story. The script of the film is the real hero. Every character, be it Ayushmann or Kamlesh Gill or Yami, has fitted so beautifully in the film. I give full marks to the script. With a taboo topic, new actors, a small budget, the kind of business the film has done is commendable," Adarsh told IANS.

"Films starring newcomers or lesser known actors don't find a theatrical outlet in the international arena. The success of Vicky Donor should also encourage distributors to go beyond the boundaries of India and explore newer horizons," he added.

Movie Review: Tezz is a rip-off of Hollywood film

The plot of the latest Ajay-Priyan flick is a copy of Speed, a rip-off of The Bullet Train

Slow down and you die. Now where have we heard that plotline before? At least three films that involve rapid transit systems have something to do with a bomb that will be triggered if the speed falls below a certain level.

While Priyadarshan's next Tez has a plot that reminds one of Keanu Reeves starrer Speed, the American blockbuster itself was a rip-off of a 1975 Japanese flick called Shinkansen Daibakuha (The Bullet Train).

While Shinkansen... had the action take place on a train, Speed suffered the same fate on a bus: there's a bomb on board that will go off if it slows down. 

Tez, which is being shot in London, goes the same route as the original film. 


A source reveals that the Priyan flick will be an out-and-out actioner, "Ajay Devgn plays a terrorist who puts a speeding London-Paris train in harm's way.

A bomb he plants will explode if the train's speed slows down. Anil Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut and Sameera Reddy are the passengers on the train who try to come up with a way to save people on board." 

The Bullet Train was a huge success in the late 70s. It spawned a series of Korean and Japanese films with similar plots. Speed was one of the biggest blockbusters the year it released. 

Tez will have scenes shot on the Eurostar, a tube that connects London to Paris. 

"The climax of Tez is similar to The Bullet Train where passengers will try and save their lives by stopping the bomb from exploding.

Priyan wants to keep the length of the film tight and won't have more than two songs in the film." 

Rajasthan court summons Shah Rukh for smoking in public

Jaipur: A court here Thursday issued summoned Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan to appear before it May 26 in connection with a complaint against him for publicly smoking at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match, a lawyer said.
The Bollywood star had allegedly smoked while watching the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders April 8.
"Smoking publicly is banned in Rajasthan since 2000 under the Rajasthan Prevention of Smocking Act. However, Shah Rukh Khan was smoking publicly in front of thousands of spectators. The actor was broadcast live while smoking on the TV channel which was showing the match," said lawyer Nem Singh Rathore who filed the complaint on behalf of Jaipur Cricket Academy director Anand Singh Rathore.
"The court of the additional chief judicial metropolitan magistrate today (Thursday) issued a summon to Shah Rukh Khan after taking cognizance of the complaint. The actor has been directed to appear before the court May 26," he said.
The lawyer said that spectators were being allowed into the stadium only after frisking.
"Police was confiscating any objectionable items including cigarettes while frisking. However, it seems Shah Rukh was allowed to carry the cigarette packet into the stadium which is negligence on part of police also," the complainant said.

Shah Rukh is the co-owner of the Kolkata side.

Chitrangada Singh's new avatars

New Delhi: First she opted for a glamorous role in "Desi Boyz" and then she gave a nod to an item number. Actress Chitrangada Singh, otherwise known for serious roles, surprised all and sundry last year and says the response has been encouraging.

"I really hope 2012 turns out to be a year full of surprises for me, and surprises spring after one another. I am really happy with the kind of response I received for my work in 'Desi Boyz'. It was really encouraging and I am looking forward to more good work this year," Chitrangada told IANS.
The dusky beauty, who will be seen on an upcoming episode of UTV Stars' "Superstar Santa", made her Bollywood debut in 2003 with "Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi", and was subsequently seen in films like "Sorry Bhai!", "Basra" and "Yeh Saali Zindagi".
"Desi Boyz", which also featured Akshay Kumar, John Abraham and Deepika Padukone, was a radically different project for her. Nevertheless, she loved it, and the audience loved her in it too.
No wonder she feels her fans will appreciate her item song in Shirish Kunder's 3D project "Joker".
"The item song was hard, we rehearsed for it a lot and it has turned out to be fabulous. It is not into-the-face, the music is very catchy and the choreography by Farah (Khan) is very sensuous. It was great fun doing it," said the 35-year-old.
In 2012, she is looking forward to "I, Me Aur Main" with John, and Sudhir Mishra's film with Arjun Rampal.
"'I, Me Aur Main' is going to be a great film. John is fantastic in it. It is an emotional, yet comedy film about a man, his relationships, his busy life in a metro city...it's basically about men. The film was a lot of fun and has a lot of drama," she said of the movie, expected to release within the first quarter of the year.
"Sudhir's film is about sexual harassment, it is about a woman's ambition in the workplace and how that is curbed...so it's an interesting script, and I am extremely excited about it," she added.
In the meantime, she has had to turn down an offer to work with Kamal Haasan, who had reportedly contacted her for a role in his Hindi-Tamil bi-lingual "Vishwaroopam". But she had to refuse as the dates clashed with those she kept aside for Mishra's film.
"I had to refuse the offer. I would love to work with him (Kamal), he is a legend to work with," said the actress.
On the small screen, Chitrangada says she loved playing Santa for a bit, on the show "Superstar Santa", where celebrities play peacemakers between two common people.

"Santa is too big a role to play. But it's always nice when as celebrities, we can do something for common people," she said.

Zohra Sehgal: Indian entertainment's 'laadli' turns 100

New Delhi: She was born a year before Indian cinema. Film, theatre and TV personality Zohra Sehgal, who turns 100 Friday, has grown to be as colourful and entertaining as the industry itself.

Her zest for life, wit and charm, which have continued to inspire generations, remain unmatched, say entertainment industry veterans.

"She is the most incredible woman I have ever met and one of the finest actresses I have ever seen," filmmaker R. Balki, who roped her in to play Amitabh Bachchan's 'bindaas' mom in his 2007 film "Cheeni Kum", told IANS.
"During the shooting of 'Cheeni Kum', we celebrated her birthday on the sets. She shot with us even in 42 degrees at Qutub Minar (in Delhi). She was full of life and didn't care about the heat and went on dancing. She is awesome," he added.
In 2008, she was named the 'Laadli of the Century' by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF)-Laadli Media Awards. And she continues to prove how apt the title is for her!
The tireless performer resides in New Delhi with her daughter, renowned Odissi danseuse Kiran Sehgal. In 1994, she was diagnosed with cancer, but she has fought this off too.
She will celebrate her 100th birthday at home with the daughter and a few close friends from the artistic fraternity, said a member of her family.
"She is in fine health barring a few age-related complications, which are not serious, Her spirit is still high, along with her enthusiastic, articulate persona," the source told IANS.
As a youngster, Zohra was passionate about dance. Her tryst with showbiz began with dance when she joined Uday Shankar in 1935 and worked with him for a few years.
She went on to teach dance in Almora later, and that's where she met painter and dancer Kameshwar Sehgal and married him. She later took to dramatics with the Prithvi Theatre in 1945. She worked with them for 14 years, travelling to various cities, and even joined the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA).
From Prithviraj Kapoor to Raj Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, she has worked with four generations of Bollywood's famous Kapoor family - and she hasn't let age dampen her spirit at all.
Zohra, considered a doyen of Indian theatre, has appeared in over 20 films. She is best remembered for her appearances in "Bhaji on the Beach" (1992), "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam", "Bend It Like Beckham" (2002), "Dil Se..." (1998) and "Cheeni Kum" (2007).
Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who directed her in two of his films -- "Hum Dil..." and "Saawariya", had once said: "To call her a livewire is an understatement."
He couldn't think of a second name for a particular role in "Saawariya" other than her.

"It had to be Zohraji and no one else. There was a kind of hesitation within me - after all Zohraji is 94. But all our doubts were dispelled once she came on the sets," Bhansali had said during the shooting of "Saawariya".

"Her enthusiasm gets to all of us," he added.
She was perhaps one of the first Indians to have a taste of international entertainment. In the mid-1960s, she featured in an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's "The Rescue of Pluffles", and then also anchored a few episodes of television series "Padosi".
While she was in London, she featured in a film called "The Courtesans of Bombay", directed by James Ivory in 1982. There was no looking back in international showbiz thereafter.
She went on to feature in TV series like "The Jewel in the Crown", "My Beautiful Launderette", "Tandoori Nights" and "Never Say Die".
Zohra came back to India in the 1990s. She was around 80 years old then. While many would have thought she would quit the entertainment world, she was not ready to call it quits.
On the small screen, she featured in "Amma and Family", and bagged roles in big banner movies.
When it comes to awards, in 1998 she was honoured with the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honours, following which she received the Kalidas Samman in 2001, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2004. In 2010, she was bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan.

Small parts or big, Zohra continues to spread smiles.

Bollywood actress Meenakshi Thapa killed by co-stars

Actress, 26, was kidnapped, strangled and beheaded in gruesome murder

Meenakshi Thapa

A stunning young Bollywood actress was killed in a gruesome murder that seems to be straight out of a horror movie.

Meenakshi Thapa, 26, was kidnapped, strangled and beheaded by two aspiring actors whom she met on the set of her latest film, “Heroine”.

According to police, Amit Jaiswal and his girlfriend Preeti Surin allegedly lured Thapar on a trip with them to Gorakhpur, a small town known for its Buddhist temple.

During the trip, however, the duo reportedly held Thapar hostage and threatened her mother that they would force Thapa to do pornography if their demands were not met.

Her mother paid 60,000 rupees (about $1,150) but never saw her daughter again.

Instead, according to the report, the couple strangled and beheaded Thapar and dumped her torso in a water tank before throwing her head out of a bus window.

“They wanted to extort money from her family. They have confessed to the crime. She was strangulated in a hotel and her body was hacked into pieces and thrown in a water tank. They threw her head from a moving bus while traveling back to Mumbai”.

They were busted when they were caught with Thapar’s cell phone SIM card and confessed to the killing.

Authorities are hoping the accused killers can lead them to the actress’ body.

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Brief Profile:

Meenakshi Thapa (1985 - 6 April 2012) was a Bollywood actress from India.

She hailed from a wealthy family in Dehra Dun. Thapar made her debut in the 2011 horror film 404:Error Not Found.

Currently she was doing the film Heroine, which stars Kareena Kapoor in the leading role.

The Doon school alumnus was a dancer by profession, and her father is employed with the ONGC. She started her career in Bollywood by doing bit roles, acting in "Saher" and "404", parts of which were shot in Doon. Last year, after she was selected for "404", she'd told us, "I was lucky to land a meaty role as a newcomer. My parents too are happy. Though they were apprehensive earlier, they are now open to the idea... I've been asked to move to Mumbai, which I am planning to do shortly. I want to take a chance in Bollywood." Thapa also had a diploma in aviation from Frankfinn Institute, but she'd said that it was dance that fascinated her. She was working as a dance teacher with St Joseph's Academy and Yeti Skates in Dehradun at the time, before moving to Mumbai.

The acting bug took the MKP PG College graduate to Mumbai, where she met the two accused, Amit and Priti, both of whom reportedly hail from Allahabad. According to reports in Allahabad papers, Amit Jaiswal (who's married and has two kids) ran a coaching centre in Allahabad, where Priti worked, and where the two came close. After Amit - whose father is a reputed lawyer in Allahabad - faced opposition from his family for his proximity to Priti - whose father is a school employee - they ran away to Mumbai in July 2011. Amit only came back to Allahabad once after that, in September 2011, to meet his ailing father. He left again for Mumbai despite repeated requests to stay back, and told his family he was earning `16,000 per month in a bank. But locals say that everyone knew that Lale (as Amit is known in the neighbourhood) was acting in Bhojpuri films in Mumbai, and that he always wanted a lavish lifestyle.

Perhaps that's what pushed Amit and Priti to kill Thapa, who had shifted to Mumbai only two months back. After befriending her, they took her to Gorakhpur in March this year on the pretext of work, where they allegedly beheaded her, while also asking for money from her family.

Says Deven Bharti, additional commissioner of police, crime, Mumbai, "When Meenakshi became friends with Amit and Priti, she led them to believe that she came from an affluent family and was acting as a hobby. As Amit and Priti needed money, they conspired to kidnap her and demand a ransom. They demanded `15 lakh from her family, but her mother could only arrange `60,000. When they realised that Meenakshi was of no use to them, they killed her. They disposed her body in a water tank in Allahabad and threw her head out of a running bus. We've sent a team to UP to find her severed body."

Several celebs attend the birthday party of Poonam Dhillon

POONAM DHILLON’S BIRTHDAY BASH

Poonam Dhillon, who turned 50 yesterday, threw a bash to celebrate her birthday and the party was attended by Bollywood biggies like Yash Chopra and Asha Bhosle! Chirag Paswan, Alka Yagnik, and several other celebs were also clicked by the shutterbugs. Asha Bhosle said that Poonam Dhillon might be an actress for the world, but for her, Poonam is a loving daughter! Poonam also said that people know Asha as the best singer in this world, but what they don’t know is that she is the best mom in this world!

Manisha Koirala has replaced Urmila Matondkar in the sequel of Bhoot

The actress, who was last seen in the National Award winning film I Am, has now been signed on by Ram Gopal Varma to star in Bhoot 2. 

RGV, who has directed Manisha in Company, shares a very good rapport with the actress and finds her extremely talented. The leading man for the sequel is yet to be finalized. The film will also star J.D Chakravarthy and south actress Madhushalini. 

The shooting for the film has already begun and the buzz is that it will be a 3D venture. The film is likely to hit theatres in August this year.

Kahaani - A must-see thriller



Owing to the powerful performances by the leading actors, Vidya Balan, Parambrata and Nawazuddin Siddiqui and gripping plot NRI Bollywood gives 8 out of 10.

Aamir Khan starrer 'Talaash' has been postponed.

 

The keenly awaited Aamir Khan starrer 'Talaash', which was slated for release on 1 June, has been postponed.

Though the film is complete and the post-production would also conclude much before the due date, the producers, Ritesh Sidhwani, Aamir Khan and Farhan Akhtar, have decided to push the release of the film ahead.

What's the reason for rescheduling the release date? "Aamir is occupied with his television show, which is starting around the same time. The perfectionist and uncompromising person that he is, Aamir will be left with little time on hand to promote 'Talaash'. Since 'Talaash' is the actor's next big release after '3 Idiots', we mutually decided to push the release of the film forward. Besides, Aamir will have sufficient time on hand to promote the film," producer Ritesh Sidhwani confirmed to this writer.

So what's the new release date of the film? "It's 30 November. We are looking at releasing the film after Diwali," Ritesh divulges.