'I can't jump into the ocean wearing jeans or a frock!' says Kareena

Says Bebo, arguing that she's wearing swimwear not to win titles but because scripts demand it

After Kareena Kapoor made headlines with her bikini bod in Tashan, she has now donned a swimsuit for her upcoming film Kambakkht Ishq.

Bebo is not afraid of being a sex symbol, "From my generation, I am the first actress who is a combination of talent-cum-glamour. How many actresses of my time are not just performers but can also carry off hot sexy outfits with equal ease?"

She says her beau Saif loves her sexy avatar, "Saif's extremely proud that I can dress in simple cotton Indian clothes and act in Omkara and carry off backless swimwear in Kambakkht Ishq, with equal ease."

However she isn't fighting for the sex-symbol titles, "I am not aiming for any title. If people want to give me the hottest sex symbol title tag, it's their choice. For me, it's all about what the script demands. My wearing hot outfits are not intentional. I don't wear them to get a certain tag but because the story demands such outfits. I can't dive into the ocean in a pair of jeans or a frock, can I?"

Lolo wore a swimsuit in her very first film while Kareena started wearing them much later in her career. "Glamour is in Karisma's blood. Our grandfather Raj Kapoor, projected heroines in a glamorous and sexy manner. So why should I shy away from it?"

When asked which of her contemporaries from Bipasha Basu and Priyanka Chopra looked better in swimwear, she turns diplomatic, "I am the wrong person to ask such things. I wouldn't like to comment on anyone's personal attributes. I am choosy, not just with my scripts but also with my comments these days."

In Pics: Akshay and Kareena at Kambakkht Ishq media meet

And now, it begins...

After the producers and multiplex owners came to a common ground over the weekend, filmmakers have been racking their brains to find a clear way to release their flicks without coming in each other's way.

In a meeting held late on Saturday night, all the biggie producers have decided the flow of films. Here's a look at some of the releases...

June 12 Kal Kissne Dekha
June 19 Paying Guests
June 26 New York
July 3 Kambakkth Ishq
July 10 Shortkut
July 17 Jashn, Fast Forward
July 31 Luck, Love Aaj Kal
August 7 Wanted, Phhir
August 14 Aladin, Kaminey and Life Partner

Kareena apprehensive about kissing Akshay

While Kareena is not the one who does not kiss on screen, wonder why she initially refused to kiss Akshay Kumar in “Kambakkht Ishq”?
Kareena has earlier had lip-locking scenes with Fardeen in “Dev”, and Shahid Kapur in “Jab We Met”. But when she was given a kissing scene with Akshay, she initially refused to do it. She agreed only after much convincing.

Might be she was trying to keep beau Saif happy because we can’t think of anything else that has changed from the times she kissed to now.

How Kareena was glossed in 'Kambakkht Ishq'

Kareena Kapoor's look in "Kambakkht Ishq" is being touted as her most glamorous ever, but her make-up artist Mallika Bhat says that apart from looking ultra glam, she will also sport a "Barbie doll-look" in the action thriller.

"One of Kareena's looks in the film is inspired by Barbie doll," Bhat told IANS over telephone from Mumbai.

"One day, while on the shoot, she came out of her vanity van and was ready for her shot. She was wearing a baby pink tube top with a white skirt and I gave her a creamy baby pink lipstain (colour) for her lips. Her hair was straight - and as soon as I saw her, I told her how much she looked like Barbie doll," she said.

In "Kambakkht Ishq", which is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, Kareena stars alongside superstar Akshay Kumar who plays a Hollywood stuntman. It also stars Hollywood biggies like Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards.

According to Bhat, Kareena's different looks in the film have a lot to do with the progression of her character.

"At first she has a plain Jane look, followed by a cute girl-next-door look and then she ultimately turns into an ultra-glam diva as she plays a model in the film," she said.

Bhat said that Kareena has been made to wear minimum make-up and tied ponytails for the first part of her character, while she leaves her hair open and sports little gloss for her second look.

But later Kareena's eyes are well accentuated with different colours, she added.

"For her glamorous look, I used metallic liners in colours like charcoal, blue, green, grey and played around with a lot of shimmer on her eyes. But what remained permanent for Kareena throughout the film was the creamy baby pink lip colour that I have not used on anyone yet," Bhat said.

Bhat, who was responsible for Deepika Padukone's Chinese looks in "Chandni Chowk To China", says Kareena too loves slipping into the glamorous look.

"She is a girl. Like every other girl, she enjoys getting ready and so I guess she enjoyed slipping into the glamorous character. She liked to get ready for it like any other girl her age would have," she said.

Coupled with Bhat's make-up techniques, Mumbai-based hairstylist Pompy Hans worked on Kareena's hair for the film.

"She has such a glamorous role in the film. I tied her hair into neat ponytails for her first look, gave her simple and straight hair for her second and then experimented with a layered haircut, a nice bouncy blow dry on her hair and even coloured her hair copper, mostly dark blonde tints for her model-like look," Pompy told IANS.

Kareena sports fashion designer Aki Narula's outfits in the movie.

Women are good for only one thing: Akshay Kumar

Kambakkht Ishq is on the eve of release on 10th July, 09. StarBoxOffice spoke to Akshay Kumar on his film and his experience working with Hollywood stars.

Finally, your latest release is just around the corner. Are you happy?
I am very happy about it. ‘Kaun khush nahi hoga’. I am working continuously and almost three films are ready to release. I was not happy with the strike which seemed like it would never end. It’s very good that the strike is over and now we have come to an agreement and finally our films are releasing.

You are playing the character of a stunt man- you must have had a free hand with that?
I am playing the character of Viraj Shergill, a flamboyantly adventurous stuntman in Hollywood. I got an opportunity to do stunts with Superman, Rambo which was great. But the film is not about stunts, it’s actually about the battle of the sexes. And let me tell you that the woman always wins.

Do you have an English version of KI releasing simultaneously since it features so many Hollywood biggies?
I actually don’t know about it because they signed me as an actor not as a distributor or exhibitor but I will find it out and let you know. But I guess it will be right to have an English version for the international market although we haven’t dubbed in English for the film.

Sabir Khan is a new director so how was it working with him? Anything you’d like to share about working with a new director?
I have always enjoyed working with new directors. And the suprising thing is I have always given hits with new directors whether it is Vipul Shah , Sajid Khan or Naresh Malhotra. When I heard the concept from Sabir I saw a hunger in his eyes as new directors are always raring to go. He is very hard working with lots of new ideas. So I just agreed to do the film.

How technically different is Kambakhht Ishq from other Sajid Nadiadwala films you have done?
Starting from the beginning where it is Judwaa, or Mujhse Shaadi Karogi all his films have something new to offer. I guess this is his biggest film releasing. The uniqueness of this project this time is that he has got all Hollywood actors in it.

Hollywood work culture is different from here. Did you feel the same?
They play it safe, everything is carefully planned. I had to sign lots of papers before I do a stunt scene. Here its like, ‘Chalo sets tayyar hai, kudo, gira toh nahi hai, jaldi kudo, dhadaam’ and their they just show us that what you have to do and what safety they are giving us. Lots of things we had learnt from there as well. When I tell them about our work culture they are very shocked.

So do you think the USP of the film is your stunts?
I am just playing a stunt man character in this film, they have not written the whole katha on my stunts alone.

This is the seventh time you are working with Kareena. Anything special this time?
I have taken the whole theka of the Kapoor girls almost. I have done 14 with Karishma and 7 with Kareena. So let’s see how many more I can do with their kids in the near future.

Talking about Sylvester Stallone what did you pick up from him?
That man has lots to say for all his movies and everything especially about his experience. And the best thing is we shared a lot of stories in Thailand because he has shot all Rambo films in Thailand and I have lived there for quite a while. The special thing about his style of working is he used to stand with script in his hand and he would rote all his dialogues as well as all of ours. So I have learnt not to only mug your own dialogues but also that of your co-stars so that you know what the next person will say, and you can help them with it.

We saw the promo in which you say that women are good for only one thing. What is it?
Ya, for motherhood. Have you heard the complete dialogue? It’s about motherhood I swear. (He laughs and signs of).

StarBoxOffice hopes Akshay bounces back in the fray with his kambakkht film. He is good for only one thing! You tell us what you think, our lips are sealed.

Kareena Kapoor: People don’t go swimming in jeans!

Firebrand Kareena Kapoor looked gorgeous in a white outfit with splashes of colour at Kambakkht Ishq’s first promotional event. The superstar actor spoke to StarBoxOffice about working with Akshay Kumar, wearing a swimsuit again, her glamorous clothes and why Saif will always be on top.

Your character in the film is called Simrita Rai. Tell us more about her.
Simrita is a feminist. She doesn’t like love, she doesn’t like men and she doesn’t like relationships. The reasons for all this are established in the film. Actually, what happens to her and how and why she falls in love forms the story of Kambakkht Ishq.

This is the seventh time you are working with Akshay Kumar. How did it feel?
I love working with Akshay and feel very comfortable with him. I have known him since I was a kid. Akshay gave his first shot with Karisma in the film Deedar. I was in my school uniform when I saw him give the shot. Today, I am working with him. He is one of India’s biggest superstars. He feels like family to me. I am good friends with his wife Twinkle. It is great fun to work with him. He is my favourite co-star and one of the biggest superstars in India. He is India’s true action hero. I want him to be at the top. All my wishes and prayers are with him.

If you want Akshay to be at the top, what will happen to Saif?
Saif is at the top anyway!

How was it working with your best friend, Amrita Arora?
Working with Amrita is fun. I worked with her in Golmaal Returns and it did well, so I hope KI does well too.

Tell us about your look in the film.
Aki Narula has styled my look in the film. He bought the clothes, which are non-filmy, from Rome and Milan. There are no sequins and bling and stuff you normally see in Hindi films. The costumes are very chic, understated and classy, which you don’t normally see. I love shoes. Everyday, there were sixty pairs of shoes to choose from and I picked the best for the shot. I get lots of messages on my phone about the look. I am glad people like it.

How different is Kareena Kapoor from Simrita Rai?
Simrita Rai is a feminist, I am not. Simrita is a tough nut to crack, which I am not and she is very insensitive, which I am not. To play characters that are very different from our true selves-that is where the fun lies.

Weren’t you apprehensive about working with Sabbir Khan, who is a new director?
I have always worked with new directors. Even when I worked with Imtiaz (Ali), he was a new director as Jab We Met was his second film. My faith lies in the script more than anything else. Anybody can make a good film. Sabbir has done a great job.

The film has words like ‘Bitch’ and ‘Bastard’ which the Censor Board had a problem with. Do you think it’s justified in the film?
Definitely! It fits perfectly in the film. You will know when you see the film. We see English films all the time, and the language is foul, so why are we making such a big deal of the dialogues of KI.

How was it shooting in Hollywood with a Hollywood cast and crew?
I love Los Angeles and the weather was great. We had a Hollywood crew; they were very helpful. I just have one scene with Denise Richards and two with Sylvester Stallone. They are as normal as normal can get. It was amazing talking to Sylvester Stallone about movies and just sitting next to him was such an honour.

Tashan also starred you and Akshay and there was a lot of focus on your look in the film. So how was making KI different from making Tashan?
Tashan was tiring as I had to maintain a figure that sent the national economy in a tizzy. I challenged myself to do action and also changed my body type for it. Nobody expected that. KI is different. The girl needed to be more fashionable with a fuller and voluptuous figure. I wore a bikini in Tashan and have worn a swimsuit in KI. I don’t know why it is such a big deal because people don’t wear jeans when they go swimming. I will mould myself according to my roles.

We have heard the title song and it’s great. What is your favourite song in the film?
A song in the movie has my name, Bebo, in it. That is my favourite.

Bebo, Bebo, aye Bebo Bebo! Wasn’t there a song like this which was a bit hit in the discos? Here’s hoping Kareena has the same luck with her new film.

Kareena, Akshay kiss

It’s not only her bathing costume scene from Kambhakt Ishq that Kareena Kapoor has contractually prevented from being aired or put on hoardings.

Apparently, there’s also a sensual kiss she enjoys in the film with Akshay Kumar that’s being given the miss. You won’t see that popping up on your television screen during the film’s promos.

Barring a fleeting peck with Fardeen Khan in Govind Nihalani’s Dev, the only time Kareena did a kissing scene was in Jab We Met with Shahid Kapoor whom she was then seeing. And, now she’s done one with Saif Ali Khan in Rensil D’Silva’s film.

Kissing Akshay was problematic for Kareena. The actress was reportedly hesitant. Akshay was her sister Karisma’s co-star. As a 12-year-old, she had vsited Karisma’s sets and hid shyly from him. And Akshay treats her like a kid. He’s very protective of her. So he, too, was hesitant. But they knew that the kiss comes at a point in the plot when an intimacy beyond the superficial had to be shown. Both stars took their respective soul mates into confidence before getting into it. Neither Saif nor Twinkle minded. So, they kissed!

May 29 onwards, flims to releases at single screens

The United Producer and Distributor Forum (UPDF) have finally decided that they won't wait for the multiplexes to meet them mid-way on the revenue-sharing issue. The UPDF has now released a series of notifications through a trade magazine in the past week telling the producers that the new movies will be all set to release as early as this month-end.

A trade source reveals, "The UPDF and multiplexes have been at loggerheads for a while now. Last week, it had seemed that the deadlock between the two parties would be called off. But after both parties couldn't get to an agreement on the profit-sharing issue, the meeting was called off abruptly. After the meet, the producers had an informal get-together and decided that they would be releasing films May 29 onwards."

The source further adds, "All the films will be released in single screens and the promotions of the film which had come to a standstill will start once again soon. Another major thing the producers have decided is that there will be only solo releases and every film will have a two-week breathing time and no new film can release two weeks after a film has released. This will allow all the films to grow on the audiences and will showcase the unity of the producers."

The first film, which will release after the suspension is Vashu Bhagnani's Kal Kissne Dekha and from then on, films like New York, Hadippa, Shortkut, Luck, Jashn, Love Aaj Kal, Kambakkht Ishq, Kaminey, Agyaat and Main Aur Mrs Khanna and finally, Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani will make their way to the single screens till the UPDF doesn't reach an agreement with multiplexes.