Filmmaker Vinta Nanda is all set to direct two new projects titled MAGIC and TINSEL TOWN. A year ago, her directorial debut WHITE NOISE starring Rahul Bose and Koel Purie received rave reviews and critical acclaim. However the commercial success quotient somehow eluded her.

Vinta, who is simultaneously writing the script of MAGIC and TINSEL TOWN, plans to roll both the films in the coming year.

MAGIC is on a slightly bigger scale with a mix of established actors and newcomers in the cast, TINSEL TOWN which revolves around dancers, will feature all newcomers in the ensemble.

While TINSEL TOWN will be produced by Asad Sharif along with a group of enterprising under-25s namely Marc D'Souza, Debo Kini and Aakash Thakkar, Vinta will co-produce MAGIC.

Earlier, Vinta has been the force behind some of Indian television's biggest serials and soaps including 'Tara', 'Raahat', 'Rahein', 'Shatranj', 'Umeed', 'Deewar', 'V3 Plus', 'Agnichakra', 'Sansar' , 'Aur Phir Ek Din', 'Papa', 'Kabhi Kabhi', 'Hero Uncle' , 'Caf� 18', 'La Bellas', 'Sheila', 'Kasbaa' , 'Deewane Toh Deewane Hai' and 'Miilee'.

Life post-CBB has been one of mixed splendour for the actress. Her newly-found fame in Britain did not translate into foreign box-office gold: both of her post-win releases, Life in a Metro and Apne, crashed in the UK. As Tanuj Garg, former Head of UTV, which distributed the film, says: "Shilpa undoubtedly bagged a lot of publicity courtesy of CBB, but high media value is not the same as box-office clout, and the audience is cognizant of the difference."

Her ventures outside the film industry were more successful, if not particularly imaginative. Her jasmine-scented perfume, S2, became a bestseller and a box set has now been released for Christmas, which includes a Shilpa body cream.

Then there was Miss Bollywood, which premiered in Berlin in September amidst charges of alleged plagiarism by a leading Bollywood choreographer. It opened to mixed reviews in the UK last month and ends its run next week. In the "dancical", as Shetty calls it, she plays Maya, a "fresh off the boat Indian" who lands in London and dreams of establishing her own dance academy. Does the character encounter any bullying and racism? "She is bullied by a diva!" Shetty laughs.

Although officially single, Shetty's personal life has been just as high profile as her career over the past year. Her squeaky clean image took a beatingk when she was accused of being a home-wrecker by the wife of a businessman and film producer, who sold the story to a UK tabloid. Then a kiss with Richard Gere at a function in New Delhi created controversy, although most of the anger was directed towards the Hollywood actor, who was accused of indecency.

Life has certainly changed since January, when Shetty first entered the CBB house. Back then the former model's film career was on the wane. After debuting opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Baazigar (1993), Shetty enjoyed a golden period in the late Nineties sizzling in hits like Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994) and Dhadkan (2000), opposite her alleged cheating ex-boyfriend Akshay Kumar.

But by 2003 the lead roles had dried up, and younger actresses such as Kareena Kapoor and Bipasha Basu had emerged and raced past her. No major director was willing to cast her. An attempt at arthouse cinema with the film Phir Milenge (2004), in which she played a woman discriminated against because of her HIV status, failed to revive her career.

At 31, Shetty was at a professional crossroads and faced a hard career choice: dye her hair and take on mother roles or get married and quit acting. Shetty chose to gamble it all instead.

The risk paid off. CBB rejuvenated her flagging career. Not only did she emerge as the eventual winner, but she created international headlines after her fellow housemates were accused of alleged bullying and racism towards "the Indian". A diplomatic row between India and Britain very nearly erupted.

But if it was a year of far-flung fame, Shetty's future Bollywood prospects now appear bleak. She has no major forthcoming films, Hollywood beckoned, via the upcoming Pink Panther sequel, but Aishwarya Rai won out.

What's next for the surgically enhanced star? Shetty tells me: "I want to consolidate my current position, release a yoga DVD, write my autobiography and a cookery book and I want a tattoo!"

Whether Shetty can reinvent herself in 2008 remains to be seen, but it is undeniable that the dignified diva has been responsible for firmly entrenching awareness of Bollywood on the global cinematic map, especially in the UK. Today, if you ask a Brit if he knows anything about Bollywood, the answer will most likely be: "Shilpa Shetty".

I  am not much of a Hindhi movie buff but somehow I happen to see many of the movies because of the company I keep. There are two Hindhi movies which I saw last week - 'Om Shanthi Om' and 'Sawariya'.

The much hyped Sawariya is based on the novel 'White Nights' by Dostovesky. It is horribly picturised and so intolerable that I had to walk out of the movie after thirty minutes. After the huge pre-launch publicity this movie featuring two new Stars is relegated as a flop. Being a Dostovesky fan I am now on the look out for the english movie based on 'White Nights'.

'Om Shanthi Om' is the other blockbuster movie to hit the box office. It is proving to be the biggest hit of the year. This movie has all the elements, spices and masala of Hindi cinema and is quite an entertainer. This movie is a spoof of the bollywood of the 70s.  Reincarnation is the main theme of the movie. A young aspiring non descript junior artist is in love with the leading actess of the 70's. He dies along with her while saving her from her husband who kills her by burning up a big building.  He is reincarnated as the son of a bollywood star and starts up in his new life as a superstar. He also inherits the traits of his previous life, recollects  them and fulfills all his aspirations from his previous life. He eventually takes revenge on the person who had killed him in his previous birth. Karma is a recurring theme in this movie. The hero of the movie repeats several times in the film that life is a cycle and as you sow so shall you reap.  This is a cookie cutter bollywood movie with typical elements like poor boy falls in love with rich and famous girl, disappointment and breavement, elaborate song and dance sequences, good versus bad, hope and retribution even spanning across lifetimes.  Also it features the number one reigning superstar Shah Rukh khan as the hero of the movie. No wonder it is a box office hit.  There have also been other bollywood movies like 'Karz', which had reincarnation as its main theme.

Bollywood and Indian television are accussed by some sections of the media that it propogates the mainstream culture of Hindus. This accusation is made by many 'Progressive' thinkers in India who are very much into Hindu bashing and they take pride in sub altern and leftist themes in cinema. Bollywood itself is an offshoot of the tradition of Dance-Drama of Indian folk theatre. This is quite an old tradition and probably dates back to Bharatha's natyashastra, Kalidasa and Bhasa. In a way every bollywood movie has the typical elements of love, hate, song, dance, tragedy, comedy and fantasy. Bollywood directors have the strange knack of stealing hollywood themes and fitting them into the dance drama mould of Hindi cinema. But finally they like to produce what sells.

Some of these sub altern writers are now wondering why 'Om Shanthi Om' showcases Hindu ethos inspite of having a muslim director, Farah khan and produced and starred by the muslim Shah Rukh khan. The movie showcases hindu customs like breaking coconuts during Muhurat, depicts reincarnation and karma which are all the usual Hindu customs and beliefs. Of course most of the characters in the movie are Hindus.

 Ramachandra Guha, the leftist historian and author from Bangalore has mentioned in one of his books that there are two things apart from the demoractic state which keeps indian people united. The two are bollywood and cricket. Now with the subaltern studies getting increased funding from christian and muslim organizations, these two fields have come under attack as many claim that these represent the worldview and lifestyle of the upper caste people in India. The caste concious sub alterns accuse that cricket as a game is dominated by the upper caste people, they completely ignore the cricketers from other castes and religions. Bollywood has its share of muslim hereos and heroines but again they all work towards the same hindu worldview and message. This irks the so called progressive thinkers. They want and dream of a world which has no elements of hinduism in it. Over the years they have built up effective propoganda to demonize and reduce hinduism. They had movies on so called progressive themes which never could match the popularity and success of the surreal bollywood  melodramas.

Inspite of so much of propoganda it is indeed strange how the modern day bollywood dramas have survived and thrived. But one thing quite noteworthy is Bollywood has never showcased hatred towards communities other than the imagined hatred by these sub altern writers. The overall message of harmony, peace and love projected by Bollywood is quite noble. Except for some stray violent and jingoistic themes there is not much of divisive themes in Bollywood films.  Like the hindu puranas most films are noble fairy tales.

Bollywood is also quite popular in many asian and african countries. It is the largest film industry going by the sheer number of films it churns out every year. In a way  Bollywood acts as a messenger for the Hindu propoganda machinery.  Hinduism lacks the missionary zeal and evangelizing mission of the christian and islamic religions and also it has very little defence against devious designs of the petro dollar and cash rich mullahs and missonaries. And it is through these mediums it keeps the culture intact and as long as it is humanistic why should anyone bother. Some of the themes might be unrational and superstitious but as long as it does not espouse hatred it is much preferred.

Ya, ya.. it's a joke! But he is actually selling watches as the brand ambassador of a Swiss watch maker, Tag Heuer. And he's even got a partner with him… gorgeous actress Priyanka Chopra, with whom he appeared in a recent launch show at a polo club in New Delhi.

While Om Shanti Om is breaking all sorts of Box Office records with it's fine run in the theaters, SRK was spending his Sunday watching polo matches and launching luxury watches, wearing a nice black suit (it's chilling in Delhi right now).

Priyanka was also looking chick in a polka-dotted white dress.
The Don girl only recently managed a Rs 2 crore deal and is having a healthy relationship with budding actor Harman Baweja .

Apart from jokes, if SRK ever wants to leave Bollywood (though I hope it'll never happen)… I thinks he's got a nice career option!

I have been hearing about Australian pacer Bret Lee and his upcoming Bollywood debut everyone's been buzzing about and it always made me wonder why no one ever offered our boys any roles?

Well guess what boys and girls! Our very own Paris Hilton, oops I meant Speedster, Shoaib Akhtar might be making HIS debut in Bollywood real soon!

"I have a piece of news for you. I have got an offer from Bollywood and will decide whether to work with them once I listen to the script,", is what Akhtar said to India Times on Sunday.

He said the producer and director would meet him with the script during the December 8-12 third Test against India in Bangalore. No idea as to who this producer and director are as of now.

I somehow just can not imagine Akhtar acting. I mean, he's a good bowler but will he fair as well in Bollywood is doubtful. For now I only hope this does not derail our Rawalpindi Express from what he is REALLY suppose to do; play for his country! He is known to get distracted quite easily by girls, night clubs, drinks, and what not.

But Shoaib Akhter in Bollywood? Someone please pinch me NOW!

Hold your breath guys. Some of the most desirable gals of Bollywood will strut their stuff on New Year's Eve.

They are hot and ready to rock. As many as six Bollywood hotties will set the temperature soaring with their performances at several New Year bashes organized by Country Club India Ltd (CCIL) all across India.

The shooting of the film Control is on in full swing and currently a song is being picturised on Mumbai's picturesque Marine Drive.

Though the film lacks star power, the interest lies in the subject. It is a movie about Ravindra Kantrole aka the beer man who had reportedly terrorized Mumbai a few months back.

Kantrole was later on released on bail.

The police alleged that he had killed a dozen odd pavement dwellers after befriending them and treating them to beer. Hence the name, Beerman.  

The film, written from his perspective, talks about the issue of drugs, slowly gaining a foothold among the city's youths.

The song currently being picturised too has this tapori element and the lyric goes like Yeh Hai Mumbai Mere Baap Ki.

And while this is a unique story in itself, another astonishing story is that of lead hero Waqar Khan, who plays Kontrolu in the film. Its a dream story for Waqar, who started off as an auto-rickshaw driver.

He has worked successfully in Bhojpuri cinema, and this will be his first Hindi release. "I play Ravindra Kontrolu in the film and the film talks about drug issues with undertones of love element too" says Khan.

The story is on the lines of a mafia war, where Waqar Khan falls in love with the daughter of a drug mafia. Almost all the faces in the film are unknown, but the curiousity about the real-life subject might help the film.