Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Roman Polanski may spend months in prison before extradition

The photo shows Sharon Tate, the 8-1/2 months pregnant wife of Roman Polanski, on August 9, 1969, the day she and three friends were murdered by the The Charles Manson Family. On the right is Polanski (1972).

In 1977, Roman Polanski, 44 years old at the time, was arrested in Los Angeles; he pleaded guilty, and released after a 42-day psychiatric evaluation. The case against him was raping the 13-year-old girl Samantha Gailey, now Samantha Geimer at age 45 living with her husband on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. But Polanski fled to UK on February 1, 1978 and from there to France and has had a U.S. arrest warrant against him since 1978. The US authorities issued an international arrest warrant in 2005.

Polanski always avoided visits to countries that were likely to arrest and extradite him to the US, and traveled mostly between France, where he resides and is a French citizen, and Poland. On September 26, 2009, he was arrested, at the request of the U.S. authorities, by Swiss police, on arrival at Zurich Airport. He was visiting Switzerland to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.

As Samantha Geimer had said, Polanski asked her mother if he could photograph the girl for the French edition of Vogue and her mother allowed a private photo shoot. Geimer said in a 2003 interview, "Everything was going fine; then he asked me to change, well, in front of him…. It didn't feel right, and I didn't want to go back to the second shoot." But Geimer later agreed to a second session, which took place on March 10, 1977 at actor Jack Nicholson’s house in Los Angeles. So, there were two sessions and the girl’s mother came to know of what happened from a telephone conversation Geimer had with her boyfriend.

In a 2003 interview, Samantha Geimer said, "Straight up, what he did to me was wrong. But I wish he would return to America so the whole ordeal can be put to rest for both of us… I'm sure if he could go back, he wouldn't do it again. He made a terrible mistake but he's paid for it".

In 2008, Geimer said in an interview that she wishes Polanski would be forgiven, "I think he's sorry, I think he knows it was wrong. I don't think he's a danger to society. I don't think he needs to be locked up forever and no one has ever come out ever, besides me, and accused him of anything. It was 30 years ago now. It's an unpleasant memory ... but I can live with it."

In February 2009, Samantha Geimer filed in the courts to have the charges against Polanski dismissed from court, saying that decades of publicity as well as the prosecutor's focus on lurid details continues to traumatize her and her family.

On September 26, 2009, Polanski was arrested by Swiss police while he was trying to enter Switzerland, to attend the Zurich Film Festival to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. The arrest was in response to a request by the United States that Switzerland arrest Polanski after U.S. investigators learned of his planned trip, which had given them enough time to negotiate with Swiss authorities and plan his arrest.

In 2008 Polanski sought to have the rape charge dismissed and in that context Geimer told The Times that she welcomed an opportunity finally to end the case. "It's been a long time," she said, "I don't wish for him to be held to further punishment or consequences."

In 2003, when Polanski’s film "The Pianist" was nominated for the Academy Award, she wrote an open editorial piece for The Times and said the case should not be a barrier to him winning an Academy Award. She wrote, “Now that he's been nominated for an Academy Award, it's all being reopened. I'm being asked: Should he be given the award? Should he be rewarded for his behavior? Should he be allowed back into the United States after fleeing 25 years ago? Here's the way I feel about it: I don't really have any hard feelings toward him, or any sympathy, either. He is a stranger to me. But I believe that Mr. Polanski and his film should be honored according to the quality of the work. What he does for a living and how good he is at it have nothing to do with me or what he did to me. I don't think it would be fair to take past events into consideration. I think that the academy members should vote for the movies they feel deserve it. Not for people they feel are popular.” And eventually Polanski won the best director Oscar for his film "The Pianist."

But now Roman Polanski will probably remain in prison for months as he fights deportation case. His Swiss attorney filed a request in court today that Polanski be set free while his extradition case gets through the judicial system. Polanski is now living the life of any other jailed suspect, confined to a single cell, with an hour of outdoor exercise a day allowed.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Roman Polanski

The 13-year-old Samantha Geimer

The 13-year-old Samantha Geimer as a Teen model

This is the 13-year-old girl Samantha Gailey, now Samantha Geimer, the French film director Roman Polanski allegedly raped and he was convicted for the rape of the teenager during a "photo-shoot". Now, at age 45, she lives with her husband Dave on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. She was a budding teenage model at that time.

Swetha Basu hot picture

Swetha Basu photo
Swetha-basu-pics-(3), originally uploaded by CineJosh.com.

Namitha in red top

Namitha cleavage photo
namitha 6, originally uploaded by indian_desperado.

Look-alikes: Tina Fey & Sarah Palin

During the last Presidential campaigns in the US, there were many photos of comedian Tina Fey photographed in funny situations to look alike Sarah Palin and during the last stages of Palin's Vice Presidential campaign, Fey became very popular.

Look-alikes are people resembling other persons, and the most noted look-alikes are people who have physical resemblance to celebrities, politicians or members of royal families. Some of the look-alikes actually earn money and even fame by appearing in photo shoots, videos, magazines, TV and other events.

There are conspiracy theories on celebrities and look-alikes like the theory that Paul McCartney died in 1966 and since then a Canadian policeman named William Shears Campbell has been replaced as McCartney. Recently, after the death of Michael Jackson, the internet was full of stories even saying that Jackson’s look-alike died and Jackson is living in hiding in Mexico.

James LaRoe who had an amazing resemblance to the then US President Richard Nixon, and he was re-christened as Richard M. Dixon, the actor-comedian who became popular in the 1970s. He gained celebrity status portraying President Nixon in the films ‘Richard’ (1972) and ‘The Faking of the President’ (1976).

There were many stories of Saddam Hussein look-alikes during the Persian Gulf War in which Iraq invaded and annexed Kuwait, the Second Gulf War in which Iraqi forces were expelled from Kuwait and also the 2003 Iraq War. The stories spread that Hussein used several look-alikes for political purposes. Though these are conspiratorial in nature, Saddam Hussein himself had denied to an American interrogator that he had employed doubles or look-alikes.

The former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin is reported to have used look-alikes to mislead his enemies as he had a lot of them and there were assassination attempts, especially the two attempts at Yalta alone.

The legendary actor Charlie Chaplin loved to play Adolf Hitler and he had successfully done that in his films. The 1940’s The Great Dictator was Charlie Chaplin's first talkie in which Chaplin plays two roles of Adenoid Hynkel (a satirized Adolf Hitler) and a Jewish barber. Then the barber replaces Hynkel, who has been arrested after having been mistaken for the barber. Also there is an often quoted story (during the 1930s) about Charlie Chaplin once having gone to a “Charlie Chaplin Look-alike Competition”. Ironically, the real Chaplin didn't even make it to the finals.

Amazing celebrity lookalikes - video

Impersonators of Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn

Here is more on lookalikes: Marilyn Monroe lookalike Arianna is photographed with Audrey Hepburn impersonator Zoe Carter, as claimed by them at the GMG Radio Awards 2007.

Marilyn Monroe lookalike Arianna getting into the pool

Arianna getting into a jacuzzi in Hollywood as Marilyn Monroe...

This picture is of Marilyn Monroe impersonator (lookalike) Arianna unwinding in the Jacuzzi after a long day on Hollywood Boulevard. Though there were several other celebrities before and after her, Marilyn Monroe is the most copied or as, Arianna would like say, impersonated celebrity. Everything about Marilyn Monroe is still a craze decades after her 'controversial' death. Many noted female celebrity tried to emulate her in looks, style, acting, singing, etc. And many non-celebs too keep on emulating her. Why this Marilyn Monroe craze? Any answers?

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Kannada Actress Andrita Ray

Andrita Ray picture
Andrita Ray, originally uploaded by askgandhi.

Kannada Actress Aindrita Ray

Actress Aindrita Ray photos
aindrita-0011, originally uploaded by nareshtanuku@rocketmail.com.

Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai at Machu Picchu, Peru

Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai in a dance scene
25, originally uploaded by ilovebolly.com.

Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai as photographed at the Machu Picchu in Peru, South America, for a song sequence for the forthcoming science fiction Tamil film Endhiran (Tamil for Robot) being directed by S. Shankar. The heritage site Machu Picchu, known as "The Lost City of the Incas", is one of the most familiar symbols of the Inca Empire and now one of the New Seven Wonders Of The World.

Endhiran, in which Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai portray the lead roles, is expected to cost 165 crores, one of the highest ever film budgets of the Indian film industry. As admitted by her in an interview with TV channel Aaj Tak, Aishwarya Rai is being paid Rs 6 crores for the lead role in Endhiran, and this makes her the highest paid actress in India.

Endhiran’s climax scenes were shot in various locations in and around Chennai recently. A fire scene for the film on a huge set put up at Prasad Studios, a scientist’s laboratory going up in flames, was shot. Hollywood’s visual effects experts were monitoring the fire scene and they will insert the graphics when the film comes on the editing table, perhaps, a first for Indian cinema, though such techniques were used long ago by George Lucas in Hollywood.

Nauheed Cyrusi in jeans and black top

Nauheed Cyrusi photo
nauheed-cyrusi-wallpaper2, originally uploaded by ilovebolly.com.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Wallpaper: Priyanka Chopra in What's Your Raashee?

The Bollywood movie “What's Your Raashee?”, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, starring Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja in the lead roles is the second film by the pair, after the disastrous film ‘Love Story 2050’, which mostly received negative reviews from the critics despite being one of the biggest and the most expensive films of 2008. Love Story 2050 crashed as a disaster in India and overseas markets and could not recover its budget making Adlabs lose over 40 crores.

Unlike their earlier film, ‘What's Your Raashee?’ in which Priyanka Chopra plays twelve different roles, each representing twelve zodiac signs, was premiered in TIFF and promoted very well. It is going to do well as reported. The film also has evoked a lot of curiosity, as Priyanka is, perhaps, the first actor in world cinema to play twelve different characters in a single film. The characters played by Priyanka in the movie are Anjali (Aries), Vishakha (Taurus) Kajal (Gemini), Hansa (Cancer), Mallika (Leo), Pooja (Virgo), Rajni (Libra), Nandini (Scorpio), Bhavna (Sagittarius), Jhankhana (Capricorn), Sanjana (Aquarius) and Chandrika (Pisces), all as brides for the same bride-seeker (Harman Baweja), who desperately wanted to have a marriage within ten days.

Interestingly, Priyanka Chopra is to play seven different roles in another movie by Vishal Bhardwaj in which she will be playing the roles of seven wives instead of twelve prospective brides she played in ‘What's Your Raashee?’. Vishal, impressed by her in 'Kaminey', and also having seen the rushes of her twelve roles, is yet to finalize her screen husbands. The film will go on the floors as soon as the male actors are finalized to pair opposite her.

Priyanka Chopra's avatars in What's Your Raashee? - 9 wallpaper

Priyanka Chopra's avatars in What's Your Raashee? - 11 wallpaper

Priyanka Chopra's avatars in What's Your Raashee? - 2 wallpaper

Priyanka Chopra's avatars in What's Your Raashee? - 5 wallpaper

Priyanka Chopra's avatars in What's Your Raashee? - 4 wallpaper

Priyanka Chopra's avatars in What's Your Raashee? - 8 wallpaper

Priyanka Chopra's avatars in What's Your Raashee? - 6 wallpaper

Priyanka Chopra's avatars in What's Your Raashee? - 7 wallpaper

Priyanka Chopra's avatars in What's Your Raashee? - 10w

Priyanka Chopra at TIFF

Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka at TIFF, originally uploaded by doonboy.

TIFF: Actress Priyanka Chopra photographed at premiere of her movie "What's your Rashee?" in Toronto.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Marilyn Monroe - Lustre Creme Shampoo Ad

This ad seems to be of the days of Marilyn Monroe’s film ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ (1953 adaptation of the 1949 stage musical) directed by Howard Hawks. As you can see there is promotional reference to the film on the ad, though it is purportedly to promote the shampoo. The movie is special as it features the song “Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend”. Monroe's rendition of the song is an iconic performance and it has been copied by many singers over the years, such as Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, Anna Nicole Smith, Geri Halliwell, and many others. Madonna's video "Material Girl" is noted for the use of similar sets and costumes for herself and her male dancers. But none could perform it to beat Monroe’s iconic status in performing it, as can be understood from the fact that the song was listed as the twelfth most important movie song of all times by the American Film Institute. The song is also performed in the film Moulin Rouge (2001) in which it is sung mainly by Nicole Kidman who did the role of Satine, the fictional star performer of the famous Moulin Rouge nightclub in Paris in the beginning of the 20th century.

Desktop Walpaper: Lara Dutta

Lara Dutta - face closeup photo
lara_dutta, originally uploaded by kpss_pinky.

Blue Wallpaper: Lara Dutta and Sanjay Dutt

Lara Dutta and Sanjay Dutt with sharks
Blue Wallpaper, originally uploaded by srkL.

Bollywood film ‘Blue’ scheduled for release on October 16, 2009, releasing just a day before Diwali, starring Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Lara Dutta, Zayed Khan, Katrina Kaif (special appearance), Rahul Dev, Sunil Shetty, Kabir Bedi and Kylie Minogue (special appearance in the song Chiggy Wiggy), is perhaps the first underwater Indian action film that is shot in the Bahamas.

The main actors had shooting along with real live, wild sharks, sting rays and other marine fauna and a real sunken ship. The filming has, perhaps, become possible because of the development of “Shark Tourism” in the Bahamas. The sharks there are habitual of being hand-fed by human beings and they will not generally attack humans. The actors of BLUE have had training in Scuba diving before the underwater sequences were filmed in the sea off the coast of the Bahamas.

The story (similar to the 2005 Hollywood film, Into the Blue) is about two brothers, Sagar and Sam, along with Mona (Sagar's wife) travelling to the Bahamas in search of a treasure hidden 200 feet deep within the sea. On the way they meet Aarav who is searching for the same treasure. The treasure is guarded by sharks, sting rays, and other marine animals. The four characters dive deep in the sea in search of the treasure.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Wallpaper: Kim Sharma

Kim Sharma in bra
kim41a, originally uploaded by nivesh60.

Wallpaper: Mona Chopra

Mona Chopra with ice cream
mon8a, originally uploaded by nivesh60.

Wallpaper: Kamal Sidhu

Kamal Sidhu sexy photo
kamal-sidhu-0a, originally uploaded by nivesh60.

Red Hot Mallika Sherawat - Maxim

Mallika Sherawat in skimpy bikini
mallika-sherawat-69a, originally uploaded by nivesh60.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Nandana Sen Wallpaper

Nandana Sen Wallpaper
nandana-sen-9a, originally uploaded by nivesh60.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Mamatha Mohandas wallpaper

Indian film actress Mamta Mohandas has been modeling for quite some time doing both print ads and on the ramp, before taking up acting in films as a career. She debuted in the Malayalam film Mayookham in 2005 directed by Hariharan. It was followed by movies such as Bus Conductor, Adhbutam, Lanka, Madhuchandralekha, Sivapathigaram, etc. Mamatha Mohandas has acted in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada language movies. A trained classical singer, Mamta has also excelled as a playback singer.

Mamta Mohandas stills #3

Mamta Mohandas stills #2

Mamta Mohandas stills #1

actress Mamatha Mohandas photo
mamta-mohandas-thighs-1-13, originally uploaded by akalanka47.

Mamatha Mohandas - Tattoo

Mamatha Mohandas shows her Tattoo
mamathamohandas_017, originally uploaded by CineJosh.com.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Manorama calls for impotency tests before marriage

Are you ready for declaring your sexual potency to your future life partner before marriage? Are you capable of fathering a child, or delivering a child? Get ready to answer these questions if you are planning to marry, at least in Tamil Nadu, if the veteran actress Manorama succeeds in her efforts in what most people consider as a social cause. And not only in Tamil Nadu, it may become legally binding in the rest of India too.

As is well known, actor Manorama is now campaigning for a cause that is widely prevalent but that is mentioned only in secret. "I met the chief minister a few days ago and briefed him on the trauma of discovering that one has married an impotent person. I have asked him to bring in a law whereby it is necessary for the bride and groom to produce a medical certificate before marriage stating that they are not impotent and another saying they have tested negative for HIV/AIDS," she added.

Apart from Chief Minister Dr M Karunanidhi, Manorama has also met Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin and Health Minister M R K Paneerselvam for legalizing the cause, and reportedly all the three have assured her that they would study the matter.

Mostly impotency comes to light only after couples are married, said Manorama. Apparently she was moved by the case of a young woman who, a few weeks ago sought Rs 1 crore (Rs 10 million) as compensation from her impotent husband who had been married off with the full knowledge of his condition by his parents. The woman has also filed a police complaint against him.

"More recently, a close family member underwent a similar fate, and after discussions with fans, friends and family I learnt that impotency is a major factor in today's life," said the legendary actor. The current lifestyles, often blamed for diseases like diabetes and hypertension, are embarrassing many couples in their bedrooms. The rate of impotency is rising, according to sexologists.

"Ours is a traditional society and a marriage is considered binding. However, with growing instances of strains in physical relationships, the problem of impotency has huge sociological implications," said sexologist Dr Narayana Reddy.

There are divorce cases pending in courts and the reason for seeking divorce is sexual impotency. "However, when a person is aware of impotency it is better to disclose the same," said fertility specialist, Dr Priya Selvaraj. "Unlike the 80s, women are unwilling to suffer in silence anymore," she added. "However, an act of law alone may not be enough. We need to create awareness and make it easier, as a society, for voluntary disclosures," she added.

"Everything cannot be monitored by law," said lawyer Sudha Ramalingam. "The increasing number of cases shows that rather than looking at horoscopes, parents need to go in for background checks on medical history," she added. "Only then can you make married life work for you," she added. "Creating awareness through campaigns and sex education is the way forward," said Selvaraj.

In India, verifying and matching horoscopes of the brides and bridegrooms are considered a “must” by most believers in Hindu religion and most other religions. Though it is not a legal requirement, it is sometimes followed stricter than legal requirements. In such cases if the horoscopes do not match, there won’t be any marriages. It is almost an unwritten law. If it can be given social sanction, why can’t a “medical matching” be considered? It will simply make relationships more transparent, avoid cheating by impotent brides/bridegrooms, avoid unwanted divorce proceedings and avoid being gifted with HIV/AIDS along with solemnization of marriages!

But Manorama is getting more support for the cause and she said, "I will not rest until the issue of impotency is brought out in the open and not whispered behind veils." Manorama, still very active in her career and who has three generations of addicted fans, can harness enough support for her social cause, her fans and others feel.

In a career spanning about 55 years, Manorama has the rare distinction of having acted with five Chief Ministers; C N Annadurai, Dr M Karunanidhi, Dr M G Ramachandran, Dr Jayalalitha Jayaram, and Dr N T Rama Rao. Also she holds a Guinness World Record for acting in the most number of films. Some sources place her performance records as having acted in more than 1500 films, 1000 stage performances, and a few television serials. She is affectionately called as Aachi by the Tamil people, about which she once told the press, "Aachi? As Pannyur Bhagyam, I spoke Chettinad lingo. And the name stuck”.

Having started her acting career at age 12, Manorama is a theatre actress, 'Neethipathi' (1955), stage playback singer, film actress 'Maalayitta Mangai’ (1958), TV actress, and has acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films, and have paired with leading comedians like Chandrababu, Cho Ramaswamy, Thangavelu, Thengai Srinivasan, M R Ratha and Nagesh. Apart from character roles and comedy roles, Manorama has acted as heroine in Konjum Kumari, Alangari and Periya Manithan.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Kavya Madhavan to return to movies

Kavya Madhavan still photo
kavya madhavan, originally uploaded by 143 to you.

Here is good news for fans of Mollywood’s popular heroine Kavya Madhavan. She is on a come back mood and considering some good scripts and she can be expected to sign some very soon. However, she is not in a hurry, but she is looking for the right kind of roles. She is quite fond of classical dance forms and she has had training in Bharatnatyam and Mohiniyattam both of which she has been learning from childhood. But she could hardly show her dancing skills in films so far. So, it would be her priority to do a role that has classical dance. Recently she was in Kozhikode to inaugurate a beauty salon when she talked to a national newspaper about her future plans!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Sheetal Sheth - Maxim

Sheetal Sheth on Maxim
sheetal-sheth-gm_l4, originally uploaded by initx2005.

Lisa Ray with a golf club

Lisa Ray with a golf club
Lisa_Ray_(7), originally uploaded by NEO!!!.