The most powerful couple Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan won’t be able to attend the screening of their film Raavan at the upcoming 67th Venice Film Festival, due to prior commitments with their brand endorsements. Raavanan and Raavan - the Tamil and the Hindi versions of the Mani Ratnam film - and Anurag Kashyap’s That Girl In Yellow Boots will be screened at the festival, starting on Wednesday.

“Aishwarya and Abhishek are not going for the Venice Film Festival as reported in some media outlets. The festival falls on the same dates on which they have previously committed. Aishwarya is going for an event for Longines (as she is the brand ambassador), while Abhishek will be busy with a shoot for Omega in Italy,” said a source close to the actors.

“There are other film festivals too - Doha and Pusan - where Abhishek and Aishwarya are being invited, to showcase their film or even for individual honours. But the duo will decide which ones to attend according to their schedules,” added the source.

The actors who have worked in Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar few years back, will be teaming up for not less than three movies. They have signed Tarun Mansukhani’s Dostana 2, Abbas-Mustan’s Italian Job and Vipul Shah’s next. Katrina and Abhishek will begin work on Dostana 2 as soon as Katrina returns in the first week of August from the shooting of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Abhishek and Katrina worked together in Sarkar about five years ago. So how closely they know each other?

“But that was so long ago!” Katrina tells Mumbai Mirror, “We were both different persons and different actors back then. So much has changed. I hardly know Abhishek that well.”

“Now that we’ll be doing so much work together I guess the process of getting to know one another will happen automatically. The little that I know of him, Abhishek is great fun,” continues Katrina. Source

Unable to spend quality time together due to their hectic work schedules, Bollywood’s first couple Abhishek and Aishwarya are all set to go for a vacation in London. 

Buzz has it that Aishwarya is leaving no stone unturned in making sure that she spends some quality time with hubby Abhishek in London, where the actor will be shooting for Karan Johar’s ‘Dostana 2’. It is believed that Ash will be taking a week off in order to be with Abhsihek and also celebrate three years of their marriage.

Talking to a news daily, a source said, “Ash will be travelling to London to be with Abhishek. She has made sure that she does not have anything important on her schedule as she just wants to spend quality time with him. The couple has been neck deep in work, right from shooting for their individual films to promoting ‘Raavan’ that saw both of them star in it. They hardly had a breather and so as soon as Ash learnt that Abhi will be in London to shoot Karan’s movie, she decided to book her tickets to England too.”

“Ash loves London. It is one of her favourite cities in the world and the couple will have great fun there. We hear Ash has got everything fixed right from them partying to hooking up with their friends to even shopping,” said the source. More

The Prince Vivek Oberoi has been trying to mend his relationship with the Bachchans for sometimes. After bonding with Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan at an award function, he has finally succeeded in winning the heart of the junior Bachchan. Abhishek Bachchan is all praise for the actor after watching a glimpse of Vivek starrer, ‘Raktacharitra’.

Abhi wrote in his blog, “Shooting for dum maaro dum and @RGVzoomin just dropped in for lunch. Showed me a bit of his new film rakthcharitra. Looking awesome!”

Abhi’s wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was Vivek’s ex-flame and this old relationship created potholes in the relationship between the Oberoi and the Bacchans.

Let bygones be bygones, now both the actors moved in their life. Vivek is busy with his career and Abhishek, Aishwarya leading a peaceful life. Source

After a bit of sorrow there’s atleast something to celebrate. Abhishek Bachchan’s “Raavan” may have failed to rock the box office, but the actor has managed to make his mark on the small screen by winning best anchor award for hosting a game show for Colors.

The actor bagged the the best anchor (Male) for his debut on television as host of “National Bingo Night” at the New Talent Awards event, which is a tellychakkar.com initiative.

Abhishek was given the award by Ashwini Yardi, programming head of Colors at the event in Mumbai.

It will be aired Saturday on the channel. Source

The original Dhoom star John Abraham has now replayed his ‘Dostana’ act in real life! He is very obvious that as and when he sees ‘Raavan’, it will only be for Abhishek Bachchan.

John and Abhishek the — renowned ‘Dostana’ jodi — share a warm friendship, and though their real life friendship is not the kind that can tickle your funny bone, John genuinely likes AB Junior.

These two are all set to fly to London end July beginning August for their Dostana sequel. And before he leaves for London, John wants to catch up on Raavan. “I’m a huge Mani Ratnam fan; and I like Abhishek a lot,” tells Johnny boy. Source

Abhishek Bachchan, who pretended to play John Abraham’s lover in the hit comedy “Dostana”, not only calls Bipasha Basu his “sautan”, but also had a debate with the actress over the same topic on Twitter.

Bipasha joined the microblogging site Sunday and Abhishek welcomed her saying “@bipsluvurself please welcome my ’sautan’ bipasha…. fyi John still likes me more! Haha.”

To which Bipasha replied, “Thank you for a warm welcome my dear sautan, and the cutest and the naughtiest co-star of mine.” She took a pot shot at Abhishek adding, “John likes me the most and you are his only male lover. Ha ha ha!.”

Both critics and audiences enjoyed Abhishek and John’s on screen chemistry in “Dostana”. The comedy brought the homosexuality out of the closet was a big hit at the box office.

Abhishek and Bipasha go a long way. “To clarify, my 1st ever screen test was with Bipasha, but that film never got made. She’s been a friend since.” Source

Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan really wants to work with his mother, veteran actress Jaya Bachhan, in a comedy.

‘I want to do a comedy with maa (mother). I think we’ll be mind-blowing in it.

Let’s see if something comes up,’ Abhishek told.

In the past, Jaya and Abhishek have acted together in serious films like ‘Drona’ and ‘Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’. Source

For all those eagerly awaiting the pairing of Abhishek Bachchan-Kareena Kapoor again on the screen, here’s the sad news. Contrary to recent reports, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is not casting the two of them in his next movie.

It was reported that Abhishek and Kareena- whose relationship soured after Abhi’s breakup with her sister Karishma- had finally put the past behind them and had agreed to costar in Bhansali’s next Hira Mandi, supposedly based on the life of a sex worker. After kick starting their filmy careers together with their debut movie Refugee, they were paired once again in Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon. They were also a part of Yuva and LOC Kargil although they did not have scenes together. And though they always stated in public interviews that they would love to work with each other if a proper script came their way, sources say that Abhi wasn’t comfortable working with her even though Bebo tried to patch up with him. So much so that he supposedly had her replaced in Dostana and Dilli 6.

Which is why news of their coming together created such a strong buzz. However, a source stated that Bhansali doesn’t have any plans to revive Hira Mandi-nor Bajirao Mastani- and for the time being he is only concentrating on Guzaarish starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. After that, he will start working on My Friend Pinto which boasts of an unusual starcast of Prateik Babbar, Kalki Koechlin, Divya Dutta, Makrand Deshpande, Shakeel Khan, Arjun Mathur and Raj Zhutshi

Looks like this combo will continue eluding the silver screen for a long long time. Source

Well, the east might not be that pleased but the west media is totally swept by the striking images and the quality of filmmaking by our genius from Chennai Mr. Mani Ratnam. The movie has got the rare distinction to be called as a ‘Critics Pick’ a distinction rarely if ever earned by an Indian film.

Leading American daily ‘The New York Times’ hailed it as a ‘Critics’ Pick’. The world top entertainment trade publication ‘Variety’ and ‘Hollywood Reporter’ too have praised the film that opened Friday on over 2200 screens around the world in 35 countries including US and Canada.

‘Raavan’ has “Bollywood glamour aplenty, with the lovely if occasionally dramatically challenged Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Bachchan’s wife, playing the Sita stand-in,” said the New York Times. “The real star, though, is Ratnam, a talented visual storyteller who directs action crisply and fills the screen with striking images.”

The reviewers in west are very much impressed by A.R. Rahman’s ‘excellent score’ and Mani’s way of strory telling. More