Spears joins the likes of rapper Eminem, who leads this year’s nominations with 10 nods in 10 categories, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Indie group Arcade Fire, who will also be performing at the event.
Members of the Association of Friends of Japan (AFJ) and other regulars are miffed that people were denied use of the unique garden for the duration of the shoot and added that the facility was damaged by the film crew.
Angry with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for allowing the shoot, members of AFJ now plan to take up the matter with civic body, the state government and even the Okayama state government.
“We are very upset over the PMC’s granting of permission for shooting at the garden. It is shocking that we were not even informed about it,” said Sameer Khale, President, AFJ.
The PMC had laid the garden with Japanese Government funds and technical support on the premises of the Pu La Deshpande Udyan on Sinhagad Road in 2003. This is the first time a Bollywood film is being shot there.
The shooting took place over the past three days. Over 2,000 people who visit the POFG regularly were stopped from entering the premises. The PMC was paid Rs 50,000 rent by the producer for the three days of shooting.
“I got to know about the shooting when I saw a crowd. We are taking up this issue with the PMC and the state government, with whom the agreement was made by the Okayama state to create a Japanese garden,” Khale said.
Anant Kulkarni, a senior citizen residing in the area, said that the PMC does not allow even visitors who are charged an entry fee of Rs 5 to step on the beautiful lawns, but it allowed the shooting in which the lawn was used in a big way. Kulkarni said the shooting also resulted in some damage to the lawns.
Mandira Chachar, POFG ticket window clerk, said, “We faced a lot of inconvenience as the garbage created by the crew of the film was a lot and out staff members had to do all the cleaning. On Sunday many senior citizens went back disappointed as the garden was closed the entire day. There was a total loss of Rs 10,000 in revenue over these three days of shooting.”
Gardener Viththal Chandare said that food for the crew was prepared on the premises of Pu La Deshpande Udyan and plastic plates and bottles were strewn around.
“We all heaved a sigh of relief after the crew left late in the evening on Monday,” he said.
The Kennedy' - an eight-part, $30 million TV mini-series headlining Katie Holmes as Jacqueline Kennedy and Greg Kinnear as the late John F. Kennedy - will debut April 3 on ReelzChannel, according to The Hollywood Reporter (THR).
The series had earlier been turned down by the History Channel, reportedly under pressure from the Kennedy family.
Explaining the rejection, History Channel's parent network, A&E Television, had told THR, "After viewing the final product in its totality, we have concluded this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand."
Other networks - Showtime, Starz and FX – similarly passed on the series.
ReelzChannel is viewed in 60 million homes as part of services offered by DirecTV, Dish Network, AT&T, Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Charter Communications. It's a 4-year-old independent cable channel owned by Minnesota-based Hubbard Communications.
ReelzChannel CEO Stan Hubbard confirmed the acquisition to THR saying, "We think it will drive ratings and put a spotlight on this network that has never been on it before."
"One of the benefits of being an independent network is that you can be an independent voice and you don't have to worry about corporate pressure or political pressure," Hubbard added. "This is a project that deserves to be seen."
Priyanka Chopra says she has never seen cash amounting to Rs 6 Crore, so there is no question of having had it in her house during the recent IT raid, as reported by Mumbai tabloids.
Priyanka was speaking at a press conference in Mumbai on Monday, January 31, to refute the report.
As to the presence of her rumored beau Shahid Kapoor at her house during the raid, Priyanka said since her mother, who usually stays with her, wasn't at the house, she asked Shahid, who stays three minutes away, to be there on her behalf.
Priyanka told the assembled pressmen that she was deeply hurt by the unsubstantiated headlines that unaccounted cash totaling Rs 6 crore was recovered from her house.
"You believe in rumors when they run it as front-page news, without checking its authenticity. Neither you ask the accused person whether the allegations are true or not, nor do you substantiate it with any paper work," she said.
"I had never experienced anything like this before. Whatever happened has deeply hurt me and deeply affected me. I have already said whatever I had to say and we have continuously cooperated with the investigating authorities."
Priyanka prides herself in being amongst the highest tax payer Bollywood star.
"I still feel proud that I am counted among the few highest tax paying Bollywood stars and hope to be so as long God continues to give me the opportunity," Priyanka said.
A scene in the upcoming film LOL showing Miley Cyrus smoking pot with a male friend is being digitally altered because producers are wary of parallels being drawn to a video leaked in December showing Miley taking a salvia hit from a bong.
"The scene can't be reshot," a source tells UsMagazine.com. Instead, using "tricky editing and effects magic, they are erasing all traces of her inhaling or being in the same shot with the actor."
"The studio doesn't want to take any chances having the controversy affect the film," says the insider.
LOL is a remake of the French film with the same director. It is a comedy that follows a 15-year-old girl who is coping with her first broken heart and a difficult relationship with her overbearing parents.
Miley plays high schooler Lola and Demi Moore her mother, Anne, who reads Lola's journal and realizes just how much they still need to talk about.
Miley's character in the film reportedly loses her virginity, smokes pot, gets wasted and kisses two girlfriends on the lips - Quite a climb out from the Hanna Montana mold for 18-year-old Miley.
The film additionally stars Adam Sevani, Ashley Greene and Jay Hernandez.
The magazine has spoken to people including Ash`s husband Abhishek Bachchan, designer Manish Malhotra, director Ashutosh Gowariker and ace make-up artist Mickey Contractor, said a statement.
Abhishek shared the memories of his first meeting with Ash saying: “The first time I met Aishwarya was in August 1997. I was on a recce for my father`s film `Mrityudata` in Switzerland and she was shooting her first film `Aur Pyar Ho Gaya` with my dear friend Bobby Deol. I remember one evening Bobby invited me over to his hotel for dinner and Aishwarya and the rest of the unit were there. That was the first time I actually met her.”
“If you ask her, she will tell you the same thing – that the minute we came together, we both knew that this was something for keeps. So, there wasn`t just this `one` defining moment, it always felt perfect,” he added.
Others too have shared similar interesting episodes related to the beauty queen.
Anaita Shroff Adajania, the fashion director for Vogue India magazine, has styled her for the shoot.
The Hollywood actress, 48, herself looked runway-ready, as she arrived with Ashton Kutcher for the Colcci show at the Sao Paulo Fashion Week in Brazil, reports a daily.
Kutcher was starring in the fashion show, previewing the label’s 2011-2012 Fall collection. At the end of the show he emerged alongside the designer who hugged him to thank him for his hard work.
Earlier this weekend the couple attended a party hosted by Brazilian football star Ronaldo to kick of Sao Paulo Fashion Week.
The dinner party, held at Dom restaurant, was attended by a host of local celebrities as well as the Hollywood superstar couple.
