Hollywood agency signs Priyanka Chopra

She is surely riding high on a recent success wave. After back-to-back hits like Don 2 (2011) and Agneepath, Priyanka Chopra has added another feather to her cap. She has become the first Bollywood actor to be signed up with CAA (Creative Artists Agency).

CAA is a prominent entertainment and sports agency headquartered in Los Angeles. Their client list includes names like George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, Will Smith, and Reese Witherspoon.

CAA is also considered to be extremely choosy in picking their talents. “In the past, several Bollywood stars have approached them, but they turned them down politely. Right now, Priyanka is gaining popularity in LA due to the big-ticket album deal she has signed with Universal,” says a member of her entourage.

When contacted, Priyanka — busy shooting for Krrish 3 in Hyderabad — confirms: “Yes, I have a completely new team working for me in Los Angeles. Let’s see how things go.”  Her debut album with the international label is due to release later this year.

Of late, Priyanka has been receiving accolades for her performance in Agneepath. “I knew that the film will be appreciated but, the kind of response we have got — especially the words of praise for me — has been amazing,” says Priyanka, who wants to focus on her work in India.

“Besides Krrish 3, I am also going to wrap up parts of Barfi!,” says the actor. She has just wrapped up the shoot of Teri Meri Kahaani, which also stars Shahid Kapoor.

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Don 2 Nets Rs. 8 Cr On Monday; 4-Day Total 57 Cr

Don 2 continued to do good business after a very good weekend at the box-office. The Shah Rukh Khan starrer collected Rs 8.01 crore (all-India net) on Monday (December 26) from all the three versions. The film had earlier collected Rs. 15.30 crore on Friday, Rs. 15.09 crore on Saturday and Rs. 18.16 crore on Sunday. This takes the 4-day total net collection of the film to Rs. 56.56 crore.

Don 2 Monday Collections Break Down

Bombay: Rs. 2.40 crore

Delhi: Rs. 1.50 crore

Punjab: Rs. 65 lakh

Mysore: Rs. 60 lakh

Bengal: Rs. 45 lakh

Nizam: Rs. 54 lakh

Tamil Nadu – Karnataka: Rs. 21 lakh

C.P.-Berar: Rs. 31 lakh

C.I.: Rs. 25 lakh

Rajasthan: Rs. 43 lakh

Bihar: Rs. 20 lakh

Assam: Rs. 7 lakh

Orissa: Rs. 6 lakh

Nepal: Rs. 4 lakh

Hindi version total: Rs. 7.71 crore

Telugu version: Rs. 20 lakh

Tamil version: Rs. 10 lakh

Monday grand total: Rs. 8.01 crore

Four-day Total: Rs. 56.56 crore

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Hrithik-Priyanka: The next hot jodi?

Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra may have shared screen space in the past - Krissh, for example. And they are all set to sizzle in Agneepath, too.

Priyanka Chopra was recently seen with Shah Rukh Khan, and many spoke of their chemistry. However, the satellite rights acquisition of 'Agneepath' maybe proof that Hrithik-Priyanka starrer is being more looked forward to than the SRK-PC Don 2.

Sattelight rights of Don 2 may have been sold Rs. 32 crores, and that of Krrish 3 for Rs. 37 crores. The rights of Agneepath, we hear, has been acquired for a whopping Rs. 41 crores.

A trade analyst tells us, "It's not just the lead stars acting in it but also the director and the whole gamut. Agneepath is a Karan Johar film, with Hrithik and Priyanka in the lead. Also, it's a remake of a product that has been extremely successful, so it has a brand attached to almost everything. But yes, people seem to be quite positive about the Hrithik-Priyanka jodi going by the promos. Also, Katrina's item number has only added to the already existing list of things working in favour of it."

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Move over 'Sheila', 'Chikni chameli' is here

Katrina Kaif can move, and how! The Britain-born actress might have taken time in perfecting her Hindi accent, but Bollywood's latka-jhatkas is something she has mastered, and proves with her latest item song "Chikni chameli".

Industry members are smitten with the song. They feel it will definitely be a USP of Karan Johar's remake of his father's classic "Agneepath", and overshadow "Munni", "Sheila", "Shalu" and "Jalebi bai" item numbers.

Composed by national award-winning duo Ajay-Atul, the spicy song, sung by Shreya Ghoshal, is the Hindi version of their own Marathi hit "Kombadi palali".

The lyrics of the number, penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, are as cheesy as they could get, but the rhythm is extremely peppy and catchy. And Katrina's vigourous moves and sensual expressions, choreographed by Ganesh Acharya, go in total sync.

The 26-year-old had set a benchmark with "Sheila ki jawaani" last year, but with this song, she has surpassed it with her killer desi look.

"Agneepath" director Karan Malhotra is all smiles and believes Katrina has done full justice to the song.

"I think the way the song was made, it was so wonderful, that only a topmost actress could have done justice to the song. And as far as Katrina is concerned, her USP is that she has never been seen in any film in that kind of zone that 'Chikni chameli' is in...which is why she also stands out in that atmosphere and that is why the song is catching a lot of eyeballs," Malhotra said at the music premiere of "Agneepath".

As much as he avoids talking in media about Katrina, even Salman Khan, her former beau, couldn't stop raving about the song.

"I love the song! I saw it a few days back and I am completely smitten by it. A lot of hard work has gone behind it and it is visible on the screen. Hats off to Katrina. She has come a long way," Salman said at a recent event in Mumbai.

A 30-second promo of the song was first launched, followed by an over two minutes-long video on YouTube. The video has registered over 3 million hits so far, and producer Karan Johar is ecstatic.

"The nation is singing and dancing to 'Chikni chameli', so I am really excited about it. It is already an established big hit song," Johar said.

According to Atul Gogavale, "Katrina spent eight days in rehearsal before starting to shoot the song. It took nine days to finish the shoot, and her energy levels never saw a dip."

"This song has a very high tempo and requires speed in steps. Even if I or someone else wants to dance to it, you cannot match up to the tempo for more than two minutes. But Katrina just took it to another level. She has left us speechless," he said.

Celebrities from the film fraternity feel Katrina has raised the bar of item numbers with her energetic dance steps.

Writer Milap Zaveri tweeted: "Katrina's dance steps in 'Chikni Chameli' are too brilliant and energetic! But there should be a disclaimer saying 'Don't try this at home!'"

"'Chikni chameli' from 'Agneepath' is just outstanding. I have never seen an actress dance like Katrina does - she raises the bar to another level," tweeted Ritesh Deshmukh, who recommended Ajay-Atul as composers for the film.

Even choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant, who has choreographed item numbers like "Kajra re" says she is in awe of Katrina's effort.

"Katrina is looking very good in 'Chikni Chameli' and I told Karan (Johar) about it. I really loved it and whenever Katrina comes and does a song like this, you know what the effect is," she said.

The action-drama slated for a Jan 26, 2012 release, features Hrithik Roshan as Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, originally played by megastar Amitabh Bachchan in Chandan Barot's directorial venture of the same name.

Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt and Rishi Kapoor will also be seen in key roles in the movie.

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Kareena perfect choice for Heroine, says Priyanka

Priyanka Chopra admits Madhur Bhandarkar offered his most ambitious project Heroine to her, but she couldn't accept it due to its streak of similarity with Fashion. However, she is sure Kareena Kapoor will do full justice to the role.

"Madhur and I did talk about Heroine. For me, however, it would have been like a Bollywood version of Fashion. Kareena is the perfect choice. She's such a brilliant actor," Priyanka told ETC's "Bollywood Business" host and trade analyst Komal Nahta on his show.

"As a filmmaker, Madhur brings out the best in any actor, and Kareena's such a superior one," she added on the episode to be aired Wednesday.

Both the actresses shared the screen in hit movie Aitraaz.

Aishwarya Rai was the original choice for Heroine, which narrates the journey of a once successful film actress whose career is on the decline.

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Hrithik, Priyanka get wet and naughty

The on-screen couple sizzles in a romantic song for KJo's Agneepath
He has the intensity of a wild cat, while she has the vulnerability of a trapped deer. In a slow, romantic number in Agneepath, their wet clothes accentuate the raw physicality, and the downpour on screen is hardly enough to keep the smouldering temperatures at bay.

It's a no-brainer why Karan Johar decided to cast Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra together in Agneepath. The filmmaker knew he could recreate the magic of their 2006 mega-hit Krrish; the five years they'd stayed away from each other only enhanced the magic of this sensual screen pair.

Commenting on their pairing, trade guru Taran Adarsh says, "Hrithik has a raw appeal that is yet to be tapped. Even in his father's masala movies, he comes across as being polished. But in Agneepath, director Karan Malhotra has managed to bring out untapped aspects of Hrithik's persona. Priyanka has already proved her versatility. From Fashion to Saat Khoon Maaf, one has seen a wide oeuvre. She is not only a glamorous girl; she's an actress of substance too.'' Leading film critic Rajeev Masand feels Hrithik and Priyanka are perfectly matched physically. "Both are tall and lean... he is fair, she is dusky... they make a very striking couple. Theirs is the perfect casting because they are physically very compatible on screen. I really liked them together in Krrish.''

Vajir Singh, editor of a film trade magazine, says, "In Krrish, PC didn't have much to do except be ornamental. She was younger then, and roles weren't being written for her. Now it's a different ball game. Whether a cameo or a full-fledged role, PC is capable of stealing the show. As for her and Hrithik, even in Krrish, you couldn't help but notice that whenever she was on screen with him, she complemented him in every sense. Both actors take their craft beyond just being attractive lookers. They are both powerhouse performers."

Since public opinion is totally in their favour, Rakesh Roshan too has chosen this screen couple for his Krrish sequel.

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Priyanka Chopra at the People Magazine Best Dressed Awards 2011

Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra had earlier made news with her stylish wardrobe, which won her the title of India's Best Dressed by People magazine.

The style diva has now posted a picture with Bollywood's favourite designer Manish Malhotra. The Fashion actress was seen in the designer's creation at the Mercedes-Benz Best Dressed Show 2011. The show was held in Mumbai on Saturday (October 8th) evening, in a celebration of the special issue of the magazine.

"Thats last night at the People magazine best dressed launch. Me and Manish Malhotra. Great show," the actress tweeted with the picture.

"Been a crazy few days. Looking forward to walking for Manish Malhotra for the people magazines best dressed issue. Should be super fun," she has tweeted prior to the show.

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Kareena doesn't mind Saif-Priyanka's proximity?

Kareena Kapoor, who's undoubtedly the most fortunate heroine in the industry, thanks to her back to back hits, is playing safe of late. Recently, when the actress was questioned about whether she feels insecure about her beau Saif Ali Khan being cast with her contemporaries, she literally surprised everyone with her answer.
 
Bebo stated that she is looking forward to a film, where Saif is cast opposite Priyanka Chopra. According to Bebo, there’s something very approachable about PC and something very suave and sexy about Saif.
 
Surprisingly, she even went ahead and commented on their chemistry saying, she’s sure that the pairing would work well on the screen.
 
Well, we think this ‘sudden yet unexpected change’ is thanks to her success. Way to go Bebo!

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