Actor Abhay Deol, who is making an 'eco-friendly' house in Goa, joined a panel of experts to talk about energy conservation on the occasion of World Environment Day Thursday.

The actor-producer was here to be part of Mission Energy Sessions, organised by NDTV along with Grundfos Pumps India Pvt Ltd (Grundfos India) to highlight issues, recommend solutions for industry and the new government and focus on energy-efficient ideas for the future.

It was a platform for prominent energy experts, policy makers and industry leaders.

Abhay felicitated winners of the NDTV Grundfos Mission Energy Challenge, which saw 100 contenders competing to achieve highest energy and monetary savings.

This was televised eco-challenge, conducted in association with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and winners included Larsen & Toubro Ltd, Vadodara; Indian School of Business, Mohali; Kesoram Industries Ltd (Cement Division), Sedam and homeowner Ameetsinh Vaghela.

“This campaign is an attempt by us to create awareness around energy conservation and I am glad that we are able to highlight viable solutions that can be adopted, both at an individual level as well as at a national level,” said Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV.

The event marked the culmination of the NDTV-Grundfos Mission Energy Campaign, which was launched earlier this year to create awareness about the importance of energy efficiency and encourage individual efforts towards conservation.

Get ready to live the magic of the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Bollywood actor-producer and sports enthusiast John Abraham who will join a stellar line up of football icons - Peter Crouch, Robbie Fowler, Peter Shilton, Mikael Silvestre, Ellyse Perry and Sunil Chhetri - to reinvent primetime football viewing in India.

The FIFA mania is due to begin June 12 and it will go on till July 12.

Sony SIX is bringing two live marquee shows "Cafe Rio" and "Football Extraaa" on all match days, and John will be part of "Cafe Rio", a primetime wrap around show where he will interact and analyse matches with "some of the greatest legends of football".

"I am totally ready (to live the magic). I have football in my DNA. It is something I have grown up playing and not just me, I'm going to get the whole of India to live the magic with me," John told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

"This year, thankfully, there are all convenient slots of World Cup games - 9.30 p.m., 12.30 a.m., 3.30 a.m and 6.30 a.m. IST. As many as 64 matches are in the 9.30 p.m. slot and some of the big matches too, including one with Germany vs Portugal. It's going to be great viewing experience for the Indian audience," he added.

The idea is to captivate both the football purist and the fringe viewers.

Talking about the forthcoming tournament which is happening in Brazil this year, Prasana Krishnan, business head, Sony SIX, said in a statement: "2014 FIFA World Cup is the biggest and most anticipated football tournament of the world and keeping with its scale, we're excited to present to our viewers the most renowned and eclectic line up of current and erstwhile football stars as studio guests."

The channel believes John's presence will "render our show a generous dose of glamour and entertainment while the guests will bring in wisdom and insight" into the fame.

The line up of guests includes Crouch, fondly known as "Crouchy", who has represented his country in two World Cups and is a current Premier League player. He is accompanied by former professional footballer and manager Fowler with English goalkeeper Shilton.

The wrap around show will also witness the presence of French defender Silvestre, along with another sporting sensation, Perry. Completing the group of six experts will be Indian striker Chhetri.

The two shows come with their own unique flavours - with "Cafe Rio", a live primetime show at 8 p.m. leading up to the match kick-off at 9.30 p.m. A blend of sports and entertainment, the show entails interesting facts about victorious teams, historical venues and stalwart players along with in-depth analysis and discussion about squads, player forms, group standings and strategies.

The live breakfast show "Football Extraaa" will be a daily morning round-up show for viewers to relive the excitement and fun of the previous day's matches. It will be interactive and will allow the audience to dial in and share their perspective or ask questions to studio guests.

Both shows will be telecast across the Indian subcontinent where Sony SIX has exclusive rights to broadcast the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Actress Jacqueline Fernandez, who is a great cook and had always wanted to open her own restaurant, will finally get to achieve her dreams soon.

After buying an island off the coast of Sri Lanka,the actress now plans plans to open a restaurant in Colombo.

Sources close to the Sri Lankan beauty revealed that the actress is soon planning to launch a restaurant in Sri Lanka sometime in mid-June. Despite having a busy schedule, Jacqueline is taking a keen interest in the restaurant plans and is also going to design the interiors of the place as the restaurant will reflect her style and personality.

Says Jacqueline Fernandez, "I had always wanted to open my own restaurant someday but could not get to it all these years. However, I am quite excited now finally realizing my dreams and am quite looking forward to the project.”

Salman and Armaan have been in touch since a very long time!! Not many are aware that Salman Khan's mother and Armaan's grandmother Krishna Raj Kapoor are fast friends and also play cards together.

Salman Spotted Armaan at Riddhima's (Ranbir Kapoor's sister) sangeet and said that he too would be a star. Remembering the incident, Armaan said, “I was practicing along with my brother Aadar and my friends for Riddhima Di's sangeet, where Salman bhai was also there chilling out with us.I was really fat and must have been close to 100 kilos then. He was first watching us and then even joined us, teaching us his steps for the song O O Jaane Jaana, on which we had been practicing. After practicing at Rishi uncle's house, we all moved to Salman's house where we continued our party . At that time, Ranbir was debuting in films and the media asked Salman about it and he said, `Mashallah!

Actress Tamannaah Bhatia, whose forthcoming movie is entertainment loaded "Humshakals", says she has her reservations about donning a bikini and kissing on-screen.

"I have always maintained that I will not wear a bikini and will not do kissing scene on-screen. This is something that I have maintained, and I intent to keep that. I am not comfortable (with it) at all," Tamannaah told IANS.

For a scene in "Humshakals", all three actresses - Tamannaah, Esha Gupta and Bipasha Basu were required to wear a bikini, but Tamannaah chose to cover it up with an unbuttoned sleeveless top and a pair of shorts.

The actress, who has two film releases lined up - "Humshakals" with Saif Ali Khan and "It's Entertainment" with Akshay Kumar, says both the actors are very different from each other.

"Saif can pull off any role - be it 'Omkara', 'Hum Tum' or 'Agent Vinod'. His kind of films are very different, wheras Akshay has a genre which he is good at. They are very different individuals," she said.

There were reports that there was animosity between Bipasha, Esha and Tamannaah. But the "Himmatwala" actress says Bipasha "was very sweet on the sets".

"She is an established actress, but she was very cordial with us."

Sharib Hashmi, who is being lauded by the film fraternity for his performance in "Filmistaan", played Shah Rukh Khan's friend in "Jab Tak Hai Jaan". But he says the Yash Chopra-directorial didn't garner much work for him in the industry.

"There was not too much of difference (in my life) after 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan'. I still remember, many critics loved my work and they praised my work a lot. But I didn't get too many offers post 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan'."

"I had felt that the film ('Jab Tak...') will help me after the positive reviews, but trust me, it didn't get me too much work," he added.

Now, he hopes that post the release of "Filmistaan", "things will change".

Sharib, who is said to have raised the bar in the Hindi film industry with the small budget film "Filmistaan", says he will try his best to choose only those roles which will justify him as an actor.

"At times you take films because of financial responsibilities, but now I will try my best to do films that will justify my acting skills."

Directed by Nitin Kakkar, "Filmistaan" released Friday.

Actor Ram Kapoor, who has had a successful stint on the small screen and is busy attracting a slew of movie assignments, says he doesn't take awards seriously as achieving success is not an overnight phenomenon.

"I don't take awards too seriously...that can't really help. Earlier, I used to like them, but after you get 30 to 40 awards, you don't take it seriously," Ram told IANS.

"Awards are good to get a feel-good-factor or else it's meaningless as your career doesn't move on because of awards. You feel good only for that night but next morning again you are back on track," he added.

Thanks to his TV career, wherein he has featured in shows like "Ghar Ek Mandir", "Kasamh Se" and "Bade Achche Lagte Hain", Ram won multiple awards. He says he feels lucky for the success he has achieved, but says the journey has not been easy.

"Today, every person on the road knowS who Ram Kapoor is, and that's not because of the films, but because of TV. Now because of the same TV, which has made me famous, the film world is coming to me...It took me 15 years for this. It was not overnight.

"I've handled failures and success and then reached here. I am extremely thankful to TV," said the actor, for whom respect in the industry matters the most.

These days, Ram is caught up with promotion of "Humshakals". Directed by Sajid Khan, the entertainer features Saif Ali Khan and Riteish Deshmukh, besides Bipasha Basu, Esha Gupta and Tamannaah Bhatia.

In the recent past, Ram has been seen in films like "Student Of The Year", "Mere Dad Ki Maruti" and "Shaadi Ke Side Effects".

Acclaimed filmmaker Deepa Mehta, who has worked with actors as diverse as Aamir Khan and John Abraham, is now getting ready to direct Randeep Hooda. She has paired him with Canadian actress Sarah Allen in a yet-untitled project.

Sarah, who has acted in over two dozen films and television serials, is best known for her vampire's role in TV show "Being Human".

Talking about the project, Mehta said: "I am doing a film with Randeep Hooda later this summer. Sarah Allen, a fabulous and beautiful actor with huge acting chops is playing the lead opposite Randeep, whose character leads the charge. It's an edgy role that I'm positive he will do justice to."

The eclectic cast of the film would be from the US, Canada and India.

"Some are from here in Canada, Asome from Los Angeles. Some from New York city and some from Mumbai. It's a male-centric film, a lot to do with guy bonding and the peripheral part women play in that process," said the filmmaker.

While Mychael Danna is doing the music for the film, actor Kulbushan Kharbanda is also in the cast. Gulshan Grover too plays a prominent part.

"I worked with Gulshan in 'Earth' and he blew me away," said the Indo-Canadian filmmaker, who said her movie would keep in mind the change of government in India.

"Whatever transpires in India, and I'm talking about the recent landslide victory of Narendra Modi, invariably effects the diaspora. The climate here in Canada amongst the NRIs is one of euphoria.

"They feel Modi means the end of corruption; jobs for all...Values are shifting globally and the Canadian diaspora is no different."

She also said the Indian diaspora is doing well in Canada.

"They are young, passionate and very talented. Broad and light-hearted filmmakers are thriving here. Entrepreneur Ajay Virmani's son Vinay Virmani Ahas become quite a star among Athe desi community. It's pretty heartening," she added.

Jay Bhanushali, who is set to make his big screen debut with "Hate Story 2", says he was not at ease shooting bold scenes for the movie.

"To be really frank, I was not very confident about doing such scenes. I am not that confident about them, but thanks to (co-star) Surveen (Chawla), we have been able to do a good job. How good is it, only the audience can tell," the 29-year-old said here Thursday at the film's trailer launch here.

"Hate Story 2" is a sequel to the 2012-film "Hate Story" which starred Paoli Dam in the lead.

Surveen is said to have delivered some daring scenes for the movie with Jay and also actor Sushant Singh. The film is directed by Vishal Pandya and produced by Vikram Bhatt.

As the lead actress in the film "Hate Story 2" actress Surveen has done a lot of bold scenes with her co-star Jay Bhanushali. She describes them as a portrayal of "sensuality and sexuality", not skin show.

Before "Hate Story 2", Surveen was seen on the small screen and Punjabi films.

"If you ask me, I am the most comfortable in my skin, today. I am extremely happy for who I am, what I am and that to me is sensuality and sexuality, not showing off skin," Surveen said here Thursday at the promo launch of the film.

"That (showing skin) is only a way to showcase glamour and nothing more than that. So I don't give it a lot of importance," she added.

"Hate Story 2", a sequel to the 2012 film "Hate Story", which starred Paoli Dam in the lead, also stars Sushant Singh.

It has been directed by Vishal Pandya and produced by Vikram Bhatt.

Surveen wants the Indian audience to stop smirking at bold scenes in Hindi films now.

"Time has come (when) we stop being hypocrite about it and show love the way it is supposed to be shown. I think times and cinema have changed," Surveen said.

"We acclaim films from overseas and say 'what a great job done'. But when we Indians do it, it becomes weird. For me and every professional, it's just a job, I don't see a reason why it should be prohibited," she added.

Versatility is Annu Kapoor's forte and now he is taking his craft to another level by stepping into A.K. Hangal's shoes for the "Shaukeen" remake. He insists that he won't see Basu Chatterjee's 1982 directorial venture to prepare for his role because he believes in originality.

Director Abhishek Sharma is wielding the megaphone for the remake and has also roped in other seasoned actors like Paresh Rawal, Anupam Kher, Piyush Mishra along with Lisa Haydon.

"It's an honour to be part of the film," said Annu, who took the audience on a funny ride as doctor Baldev Chaddha in "Vicky Donor" and even won a National Award for supporting role for his stellar performance in the hit movie on sperm donation.

"I have not seen 'Shaukeen' and I don't intend to watch the film now as I believe in originality. As an actor, you have to get under the skin of the character," the actor told IANS.

Having said that, the 58-year-old has high regard for Chatterjee and his cinema. In fact, he had worked with the director in the fun-filled entertainer "Chameli Ki Shaadi".

Talking about Basu, he said: "I have worked with Basu earlier in my films. He is one of the finest filmmakers we have."

The major portion of the film has already been shot and the last schedule will be canned in Mauritius.

"We are having a great time shooting for the film. It's like a get together on the sets," said the actor.

A Spanish remake of Yash Raj Films' (YRF) Bollywood offering "Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl" is underway, an official statement from the Indian movie studio confirmed Friday.

YRF sealed a deal with Colombia’s 64-A Films to remake the Aditya Chopra-produced and Maneesh Sharma-directed film, which stars Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma.

"This is truly path breaking for not just YRF as a studio, but also for the Indian film industry at large, as it paves the path for more such opportunities for everyone. We look forward to Ricky getting up to his tricks in Latin America now," Avtar Panesar, vice president - International Operations, YRF, said in a statement.

The deal was closed in Cannes and Diego Ramirez of 64-A Films expressed his excitement at tying up with YRF on a first of its kind remake of a Bollywood film.

“I think the character of Ricky Bahl is the real asset of this film and we look forward to adapting this for Colombian and Spanish audiences everywhere.

"As of now we are looking to film this in four Colombian cities of Cali, Medellin, Bogota and Cartagena for the sun and beaches there - there is a possibility to go across Latin America once the final script is locked," Ramirez said.

The Bollywood version of the movie, about a conman, was a hit.

They have formed a mutual admiration society. If Mahesh Bhatt is in awe of Hansal Mehta's work, the latter is so fascinated by Bhatt that he wishes to remake his "Saaransh".

Mehta, who associated with Bhatt for "Citylights", said: "I love the kind of films Mahesh Bhatt has made and if given an option, I would love to remake 'Saaransh'."

Bhatt, who made the highly appreciated film with Anupam Kher, a newcomer then, is okay with the idea.

When asked if he is fine with Mehta's 'Saaransh' remake plans, Bhatt promptly replied: "I will be more than happy if he wants to remake 'Saaransh'."

Meanwhile, Mehta is happy the way "Citylights", which stars Rajkummar Rao and Patralekha in the lead roles, has been accepted.

"It was an honest attempt to make the film and I am extremely happy the way the film has been accepted by the audience," said the filmmaker.

Newcomer Tiger Shroff was left blushing when comedienne Bharti kept flirting with him on the set of "DID L'iL Masters".

Jokingly, the comedienne teased Tiger saying that his dad and actor Jackie Shroff is her future father-in-law and that she would like to marry the "Heropanti" star and have lots of kids with him.

Bharti even asked Tiger to take off his shirt, and almost fainted at the sight of his perfect abs.

On the set of the Zee TV show, Tiger was accompanied by his "Heropanti" co-star Kriti Sanon, and they had an experience to remember.

"These kids possess exceptional dancing skills and unwavering dedication towards dance. We are glad that we could experience this level of perfection. Without a doubt, we enjoyed sharing the stage with them. And we're still reeling under the effect of Bharti's antics... she's adorably cute and so funny," said Tiger.

Catch the "Heropanti" special of the show Saturday.

Akshay Kumar, usually seen as a larger-than-life character in commercial cinema, says he would love to take up character-driven roles if the filmmakers approach with such offers.

"The content has become the most important thing for me, but I have to do films like 'Boss' or 'Khiladi 786'," Akshay, whose latest release "Holiday - A Soldier Is Never Off Duty", the official remake of Tamil hit "Thuppaki", opened to mixed reviews from the critics, told IANS in an interview.

"People are making more commercial cinema than character-driven films. I would love to do character-driven films, but the roles have to come to me. Also, I have to diversify all the time. Our media is like a hawk and it will catch anything they feel is repetitive," he added.

He is never missed at the box office for too long, thanks to the frequency of his releases.

For instance, he was seen in five films in 2012 that included content driven "OMG: Oh My God!" as well as commercial potboiler "Housefull". In 2013, he opened his account with "Special 26", a film with a superb plot and marvellous performances and it was followed by two more releases.

A.R. Murugadoss directed "Holiday", which is produced by Vipul Shah, is his first film of 2014 and there are two more to follow.

So, normally, he returns to the box office with his movies every three months.

Asked whether he'd prefer to keep a longer gap between his films, he said: "I would love to, but the release of a film is not in my hands."

"My last film 'Boss' released nine months back. The producers invest money and they have specific reasons to release a film on a particular date.

"I asked Reliance (co-producers of 'Holiday') and Vipul to release the film a little earlier, but they decided to release the film in June. My next film "It's Entertainment" releases Aug 8 and then 'Gabbar' will release.

"I can manipulate the producers, but I have never done that. I have never manipulated my career," he said.

With such a busy schedule, how often did he holiday?

"I take a week off every three or four months. I have one annual holiday, which is a month long. I have divided my life very well and try to take six to seven holidays in a year to spend some quality time with my family," said the actor, who is married to actress Twinkle Khanna. The couple raises two children - a son and a daughter - together.

She's walked the ramp for designers of repute like Tarun Tahiliani and Rohit Bal, but actress Kriti Sanon, who recently made her Bollywood debut with Tiger Shroff-starrer "Heropanti", says facing the camera has been an easier and more comfortable experience for her than doing the catwalk.

"I feel that modelling has groomed my personality and made me a confident person, but even today when I go on the ramp, I get nervous. I am more comfortable being in front of the camera than walking on the ramp," the 24-year-old told IANS on phone from Mumbai.

She has her reasons.

"While walking on the ramp, you face a live audience and those few minutes of walk has no retakes, while even if you are surrounded with many people in front of camera, you are sure of correcting your mistakes with retakes," she added.

Kriti was born and brought up in Delhi. She did her schooling from Delhi Public School R.K. Puram and later pursued her B.Tech in Electronics and Communication. Her first ramp show was at the age of five when she shared the ramp with biggies like Madhu Sapre and Milind Soman.

However, modelling was a hobby for her. Acting became a natural progression.

"Modelling was never a career option for me, it was always a hobby. I was modelling while I was pursuing my B.Tech, so the obvious choice after finishing my studies was to do a job. But while I was modelling and doing TV commercials, I really loved being in front of the camera. I enjoyed the shooting process.

"Probably, I was meant to act," she added.

"Heropanti", that was released May 23, was declared a hit at the box office with a collection of over Rs.21 crore in its opening weekend itself. Co-presented by UTV Motion Pictures and Nadiadwala Grandsons Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, the film was directed by Sabbir Khan.

Kriti is overjoyed with the success of her very first Bollywood project, and she's determined to impress the audience again with her second venture.

"'Heropanti' is a film of newcomers and still it has caught such a great response, so it's a great feeling. It feels very encouraging as a newcomer and I am feeling overwhelmed," she said.

"The first film is very important and one needs to choose the right kind of debut project. I also think the second film is equally important as it needs to be a notch higher.

"You need to choose the right kind of film because it's an important career move. I don't think one film is enough to showcase your talent or to show your abilities as an actor. So, I would want another great script and good role," she added.

A fan of actresses like Kangana Ranaut, Deepika Padukone and Anushka Sharma, this Delhi girl doesn't want to restrict herself to only glamorous roles.

"These days there are so many different kinds of roles that are being appreciated. I believe the audience is reacting well to different kinds of films. So, I would also want to do a role which gives me a chance to show my skill as an actress.

"It should be an opportunity where I have something to do rather then just playing a side role or adding a glamour quotient," said the actress.

The public has loads of expectations from the new Indian government led by Narendra Modi. Actor Suniel Shetty hopes it boosts sports as a career option.

"Abhishek (Bachchan) is supporting kabaddi and then the tennis league will happen. The new government should also be concerned about sports. I believe if football, hockey and cricket...all the sports are given a boost, then it can create an alternate career option for children," the 52-year-old said here Friday at a promotional cricket match.

The match was held for his film "Desi Kattey".

"In education also, if a kid excels in sports, then he should be given some extra marks for that and the government should definitely do something about it," he added.

Suniel has been associated with promoting multiple games, including boxing and hockey.

"Desi Kattey", his forthcoming film, directed by Anand Kumar, also stars Jay Bhanushali and Sasha Agha.

After creating magic in "Jodhaa Akbar", Ashutosh Gowariker and Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan are reuniting for yet another love story - "Mohenjo Daro", set during the Indus Valley civilisation. The National Award winning filmmaker is excited to face the "challenge".

"I'm extremely excited with the challenge of telling this love story, set during the Indus Valley civilisation," Gowariker said in a statement.

"I just love love stories, especially those which are set in different times. And if those 'times' are several centuries ago, then the intensity of that romance grows multiple fold. In the case of 'Mohenjo Daro', the times are 2500 BC.

"And to have Hrithik play the protagonist in this ancient world I am creating, with his portrayal of romance, which is so passionate and pure, makes it all the more exciting. I'm absolutely glad that we are both coming together to tell this epic romance of 'Mohenjo Daro'," he added.

The pre-production of the film is on in full swing and it is slated to go on the floors in the last quarter of 2014.

Hrithik, who played Akbar effortlessly in "Jodhaa Akbar", too is excited about working in the new period romance.

He said: “It's very rare to come across a vision that challenges every aspect of the norm; that defies your ability of the physical and mental. A film that is truly about spirit and add to that an epic love story set in ancient India.

"The Indus Valley civilisation is very centric to India - popular across not just our country, but of interest and intrigue for the rest of the world. But more than anything I am truly excited to once again to be working with Ashutosh. I think the right words would be - "We're BACK!"

Bollywood's action titan Akshay Kumar, who has started a school along with Aditya Thackeray to train women in self-defence, says the initiative is not for personal gain, but to give back to the society.

"We are here to give something to the society. There is no monetary gain from it. I am doing it because I have earned a lot in life due to martial arts and it is my way to give back (to the society," the actor, who is trained in martial arts and has a black belt in taekwondo, told reporters here at a press conference Friday.

Akshay has also promised active participation in the training sessions.

"Whenever I will get time and if I'm in Mumbai, I would teach martial arts to them (the women). Like, I am starting the whole thing July 29," said the actor, who is set to go away on a holiday soon, to return in time for the training sessions.

Akshay's latest film "Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty" released Friday, and he will soon start shooting for "Singh Is Bling" with Kareena Kapoor.

Actress Swara Bhaskar, who chooses versatile roles in Hindi filmdom, will now be seen playing a mother of a 13-year-old girl in "Nil Battey Sannata". She is thrilled about it.

"I am very thrilled about playing a mother of a 13-year-old child. It's a very challenging role and I am very excited about it," Swara told IANS.

The reason for her immense excitement?

"I'm actually playing the role of woman in an age group which is elder than me. It's a challenging part and I didn't want to refuse it on the basis of fear of playing a mother," she added.

The film is to be directed by filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari's wife Ashwini Iyer Tiwari, and the "Raanjhanaa" actress began shooting for it Saturday.

"A major portion of the film will be shot in Agra. It's a lovely film which is presented by Nitesh Tiwari. He has written the script and his wife is directing it," she said.