Priyanka won’t buck Bollywood call { Picture Gallery }
The questions came thick and fast but she took on them with ease and loads of smile. The millennium's first Miss World Priyanka Chopra in her homecoming press conference showed that there was nothing to beat her self-confidence.

To a question whether Bollywood was her final destination, the dusky Miss World told a crowded news conference, ''I was waiting for this question. I have thought about it. I will accept films if a good offer is made.''

Quizzed about her controversial response to the final question which won her the crown, the confident Bareilly girl said, ''I answered Mother Teresa because for me she is a living legend.'' ''Is she not a living legend for you?'' she counter questioned.

Priyanka was asked in the final round to list out the living women in the world she admired the most and she had said she admired Mother Teresa for her passion for children, the poor and underprivileged.

Asked whether she had any plans to join politics, she replied in clear tone ''Politics is not my cup of tea.''

About her comments on the last week's Uttar Pradesh Government's decision to ban beauty contests in the Southern state, the glamour queen had a diplomatic answer in store. Priyanka said she had though heard about it, she was not in a position to give the answer because she did not know much about the decision.

However, Priyanka felt that had the decision about banning the beauty contests been taken in January last year, she would have never bagged the Miss World crown. ''It was in Bareilly in January last year where I started my stint with beauty pageant. I was crowned Miss Bareilly.''

Elaborating on the reasons for the judges accepting Priyanka's response for the final question, former Miss World and co-organizer of the beauty pageant Julia Morley explained that the Judges were not worried about one word or two being unheard by the contestants, who reply amid enormous amount of tension. Many of the contestants do not even understand English, she added.

''What we look for is the sincerity and the spirit of intention of the contestant. It is how a contestant replies,'' clarified Morley, who was one of the nine judges at the event.

Where does she grade her performance and achievement in comparison to the previous Indian Miss World and Miss Universe title holders, the student of Psychology said, ''Every contestant is different. It is difficult to compare. The winner is judged by a panel of judges and the best wins.''

About her reported views against arranged marriage, Priyanka said she wanted to get married to a person whom she loved, but with the consent of her parents. And what was the Man of her dreams, she said, ''It is a difficult job to identify the man of your choice. You have to think a lot. But I think he should have a sense of promise. A stunning smile. A strong character. And a man who sticks to his words.''

Listing out her future plans, she said she was studying Psychology in Mumbai and will go back to studies. ''Degrees are very important.''

Whether India's continued run of success of India at these global beauty pageants had anything to do with the growing interest of Multi-National in the country, Priyanka said the MNCs were investing in India because of the market here and not because of the success of Indian beauties.

Morley added that India has been winning crowns after crowns because of the contestants. ''It's India's destiny and it's Priyanka's destiny. Indians should be happy about it.''

M F Hussain leaves Madhuri for Sonali?
M F Hussain is hurt, not because his debut film Gajagamini flopped but because his muse Madhuri Dixit even after promising to be present at the premiere was absconding, leaving the 70 plus director heart broken. Now that he is katti with Madhuri he has found another heroine to give him bhav. The rumour is abuzz that svelte and sexy Sonali Bendre has been signed up by the painter and that he is going to launch the film soon. Sonali Bendre was out of town to give us her side of the story. But the moment she's back we will keep you posted.

Salman Khan and Aishwarya grilled by the Income Tax department
Trouble as always comes in droves. Barely had Salman recovered from the infamous black buck episode, was he raided by the Income Tax authorities in September.

Close on the heels of a police interrogation for criminal links for his role in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, Salman and Aishwarya were summoned by the IT dept. Salman along with girlfriend Aishwarya Rai apparently visited the Income Tax headquarters to meet Director General, Investigations.

Investigations revealed some documents belonging to his former girlfriend and Pakistani actress Somy Ali, which have caught the eye of the IT, imply financial irregularities. The department is now scrutinizing Somy Ali's foreign bank accounts on the basis of documents found at Salman's residence at Bandra.

Salman's house was one of those raided during a swoop by I-T sleuths on several film personalities. In a double whammy for Salman, Aishwarya's opening the door to the Salman residence surprised the IT sleuths. This resulted in raids on Aishwarya, who was originally not on the list of people to be raided. Aishwarya generally stays with Salman.

The department also recovered some blank stamp papers signed by Somy Ali's father at Salman Khan's house. Ali was staying at the Khan residence for several months when she was trying to get a break in the Mumbai film industry.

IT officials also recovered some documents pertaining to film stage shows organized abroad. The department suspects that some stars were using certain IT concessions to evade taxes. It believes that the stars, to evade taxes, were misusing a provision, which gives tax relief on professional fees earned abroad.

Similarly, another modus operandi was a provision being misused to siphon off money abroad through the hawala conduit.

Coming close on the heels of CCCC issue, Salman Khan has moved to his Panvel farmhouse and has switched off his mobile.

Release of Salman Khan-Rani Mukherjee-Preity Zinta starrer "Chori Chori Chupke Chupke" postponed
The Salman Khan-Rani Mukherjee-Preity Zinta starrer "Chori Chori Chupke Chupke" which was scheduled to be released all over India on December 22 has been indefinitely postponed following the arrest of its producer Nazim Rizvi. Noted financier Bharat Shah who financed the said film has also been arrested by the police. Both have been arrested for their underworld links. The film "Chori Chori Chupke Chupke" has been allegedly funded by underworld don Chhota Shakeel. The main three stars of the film Salman, Rani and Preity will also be questioned by the police. The police are planning raids on other big producers in Bollywood.

According to latest reports, film producer Nazim Hassan Rizvi, has been held in connection with cases of murderous assault and extortion, was today remanded to police custody till December 27 by a special court. Rizvi, who allegedly conspired with Karachi-based gangster Chhota Shakeel to eliminate some key Bollywood personalities, was produced amidst tight security before the designated Judge A P Bhangale. He has been booked under IPC and Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Police claim to have recorded telephonic conversations between Rizvi and Shakeel which allegedly reveal that film personalities were targeted by them for personal gains.

Mamta Kulkarni to act in soft porn film
Mamta Kulkarni is now doing a soft-porn film. If you wondered what she's been doing with her life post-China Gate and Tinu Verma, well, now it's almost official. She's doing a soft-porn film disguised as one on the temples of India and Devadasis, to be shot in Tamil and Hindi. Mamta claims it's a meaty role with ample scope for histrionics. She's also doing some southie flicks. No, she doesn't want to do Hindi films anymore because the leading ladies have nothing else to do but prance around trees. But soft porn is okay, eh?

Neha: Looks like she has got the fizz

Her pretty and innocent looks came like a wisp of fresh wind. But it did nothing to further her career in moviedom.

The Delhi girl who made her debut with Kareeb has suddenly woken up to a basketful of big banners and niceties.

Neha, after her debut film co-starring Bobby Deol, went on to parade her acting skills in a couple of flicks which too bombed at the box-office. Then came the much hyped Fiza which starred heartthrob Hrithik Roshan and Karisma Kapoor. Though Fiza didn't can much of her, Neha sure didn't go unnoticed.

Now, as the rumor goes, big time directors like Subhash Ghai, Partho Ghosh, Mahesh Manjrekar, Priyadarshan and many others seem to have been attracted by the Delhi damsel’s fizz. These biggies are heard to have cut out roles to exploit her latent talents.

Looks like Neha has proved that she has got more to flaunt than just her beau Manoj Bajpai. Good going lady!