Mega myth: Sachin tons don't win games

New Delhi: Mumbai Indians vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala should have been discussed for all the right reasons. There was an excellent exhibition of batting and of a fearlessness that defined the game. Sachin Tendulkar's first IPL and T20 hundred came in a trademark classy style and then Mahela Jayawardene and Brendon McCullum replied with a fearlessness that was imperative to lift the team after two straight losses.

But what was disappointing to see was the usual refrain about how the team loses when Tendulkar hits a century. In the last one year and despite the fact that he was instrumental in India lifting the World Cup just over a couple of weeks ago, there has been this myth that seems to have been built around his hundreds. While everyone eagerly waits for a big knock from Tendulkar, they are equally wary about the outcome of a game once he gets to the three-figure mark. And so it has become important to bust the myth and state the facts as they stand.

Sachin Tendulkar has hit 99 international hundreds with 51 coming in Test matches and 48 in one-day internationals.

In Tests alone, 20 of Tendulkar's hundreds have come in winning causes, another 20 have come in games that have either been draws or no results, and only 11 have come in a losing cause. Of those 11 occasions, it was often Tendulkar who stood tall amongst the ruins. His 114 against Australia at Perth in 1991-92 series is considered to be among his finest hundreds. But with no support from the other end and Kiran More, who batted at No. 10 in that game, being the second top scorer with 43 there was no way India could have won the match.

In the second innings of the first Test against England at Edgbaston in 1996, it was Tendulkar again who scored a masterly 122 out of a total of 219 as Chris Lewis picked up a five-wicket haul to run through the Indian innings.

His third hundred in a losing cause came when he captained the team to South Africa in the 1996-97 series. Playing the New Year Test at Newlands, Cape Town and facing South Africa's mammoth first innings score of 529/7 declared, Tendulkar walked in at No. 5 with the team reeling at 33/4. It soon became 58/5 but the champion was undeterred. He smashed 169 in an innings that was studded with 24 boundaries. And for once he found support in Mohammad Azharuddin who scored an excellent 115. But once Azhar was run out after a 222-run stand, the others failed to keep their wickets. Tendulkar was the last man to be dismissed.

The 1998-99 season was surely the heartbreak year for the little master. His 177 against Australia in the Bangalore Test gave India a healthy total of 424, but with a second innings collapse India lost the Test by eight wickets. Then during the tour of New Zealand, Tendulkar scored 113 in the second innings of the Wellington Test, thereby giving India the chance to set the Kiwis a target of 213 that they chased down with four wickets to spare. A month later, Tendulkar - battling an immense back pain - hit 136 against Pakistan in the Chennai Test that India lost by an agonising 12 runs. Nayan Mongia (58) and Rahul Dravid (10) were the only other two batsmen to get to double figures in that match.

Again and again, it was Tendulkar who put up a fight. It was Tendulkar who fought till the last ball.

Seven of his eleven Test hundreds in losing causes came in the decade of the 90s. And as Team India turned over a new leaf and Tendulkar found support, his hundreds came in more and more winning causes. From 2001 to 2011, Tendulkar has hit 27 Test hundreds - 15 of which have come in winning causes.

In one-day internationals as well, 33 of Tendulkar's 48 hundreds have come in winning causes, while 13 have come in losing causes and two in matches that yielded no result.

His first five one-day hundreds, each against different opponents, all came in winning causes and it wasn't till the league game against Sri Lanka in Delhi during the 1996 World Cup that a hundred from Tendulkar's blade had gone in vain.

While his Test hundreds in 1998-99 ended up in losing causes, the champion - starting with that amazing 134 against Australia in Sharjah in 1998 - hit 11 of his next ODI hundreds in winning causes.

From 2001 to 2011, Tendulkar has hit 21 ODI hundreds and 12 of those have come in winning causes, while one came in the tied game against England in the World Cup. And again his hundreds in losing causes too came in games where the others failed the team.

Chasing 329 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2003-04, Tendulkar hit 141 with extras coming in second best with 37. His next hundred, 123 vs Pakistan at Motera, Ahmedabad in 2004-05 helped India get to 315, but the bowlers failed to defend the target. And who can forget the 175 against Australia in Hyderabad where India lost by three runs chasing 350. In that game as well, the other batsmen barring Suresh Raina (59) failed to contribute and Tendulkar was once again the lone ranger.

In all, his 99 international hundreds have seen India home on 53 occasions, while 24 of them have come in losing causes and 22 have come in games that have been either drawn or tied or seen no results. I rest my case!

Supermoon | Extreme Super Moon March 19 Expect Earthquakes, High Tides, Extreme Weather.......

On March 19^th 2011, the moon will make its closest approach to Earth in almost 20 years, possibly triggering earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other disasters.The phenomenon, called lunar perigee or Supermoon, happens when the moon reaches its absolute closest point to Earth. On March 19, the natural satellite will be only 221,567 miles away from our planet. There were Supermoons in 1955, 1974, 1992 and 2005, and these years had their share of extreme weather conditions, too. Although there are scientific laws that say the moon affects the Earth, it’s still ambiguous whether the lunar perigee and natural disasters is coincidence or not. British freelance weatherman John Kettley was quoted as saying "A moon can’t cause a geological event like an earthquake, but it will cause a difference to the tide. If that combines with certain weather conditions, then that could cause a few problems for coastal areas." Neo Earth Close Approach Tables By NASA

While hoping for a non-disastrous ‘moon giant’, point your eyes and camera lenses toward the night sky on 19th. If the sky is clear, you’re gonna get an exceptional celestial treat.

Japan quake seventh most powerful ever: USGS

TOKYO: The monster 8.9-magnitude earthquake which hit Japan on Friday was the country's biggest ever and the seventh largest on record, according to US Geological Survey data.

Here are the largest magnitude earthquakes in history, according to the USGS website:

* 9.5, Chile, May 5, 1960. A quake off the coast of southern Chile killed more than 1,600 people and left 2,000,000 homeless.

* 9.2, Alaska, United States, March 27, 1964. A quake and tsunami killed 128 people and caused severe damage to the state's largest city Anchorage.

* 9.1, Indonesia, December 26, 2004. An undersea quake caused a massive tsunami that devastated coastlines in countries around the Indian Ocean, ultimately killing more than 220,000 people.

* 9.0, Russia, November 4, 1952. A quake off the coast of the remote Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's far east caused Pacific-wide tsunamis.

* 9.0, Peru, August 13, 1868. The port of Arica, which is now part of Chile, was hit by a quake felt up to 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) away.

* 9.0, North America, January 26, 1700. A quake affecting 1,000 kilometres of coastline set off a tsunami that crossed the Pacific Ocean and caused damage to coastal villages in Japan.

* 8.9, Japan, March 11, 2011. An undersea quake off northeast Japan unleashed a 10-metre-high tsunami which left devastation in its wake.

* 8.8, Chilean coast, February 27, 2010. An offshore quake and tsunami killed more than 500 people, most in the coastal area of Maule, 400 kilometres (250 miles) south-west of the capital Santiago.

* 8.8, Ecuador, January 31, 1906. A quake struck off the coast of Ecuador and Colombia and was felt as far away as San Francisco.

* 8.7, Alaska, February 4, 1965. A quake in the remote Rat Islands generated a tsunami reported to be 10 metres high.

* 8.7, Portugal, November 1, 1755. The capital Lisbon was struck by a quake while many residents were in church. A quarter of the city's population perished.

* 8.7, Chile, July 8, 1730. A quake hit the city of Valparaiso, 120 kilometres northwest of the capital Santiago, causing a tsunami which hit more than 1,000 kilometres of coastline.

19 dead as huge tsunami hits Japan after massive quake

TOKYO: The biggest earthquake to hit Japan in 140 years struck the northeast coast on Friday, triggering a 10-metre tsunami that swept away everything in its path, including houses, cars and farm buildings on fire, media and witnesses said. ( See: Quake, tsunami hit Japan )

The death toll from the earthquake has reached 19, press reports said. The dead included a 67-year-old man crushed by a wall and an elderly woman killed by a fallen roof, both in the wider Tokyo area, press reports said.

Three were crushed to death when their houses collapsed in Ibaraki prefecture, northeast of Tokyo.

The National Police Agency, charged with compiling nationwide data on natural disasters, could not immediately confirm the figures. ( Read: How a Tsunami is caused? )

"The damage is so enormous that it will take us much time to gather data," an official at the agency said.

In Fukushima prefecture, four million homes were without power. The 8.9 magnitude quake caused many injuries, public broadcaster NHK said, sparked fires and the wall of water, prompting warnings to people to move to higher ground in coastal areas. ( Japan nuclear plants shut after quake )

The Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia all issued  tsunami alerts, reviving memories of the giant tsunami which struck Asia in 2004. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued alerts for countries as far away as Colombia and Peru. ( US widens tsunami warning to most of Pacific )

There were several strong aftershocks. In the capital Tokyo, buildings shook violently. An oil refinery near Tokyo was on fire, with dozens of storage tanks under threat.

"I was terrified and I'm still frightened," said Hidekatsu Hata, 36, manager of a Chinese noodle restaurant in Tokyo's Akasaka area. "I've never experienced such a big quake before."

TV pictures showed the tsunami carrying the debris and fires across a large swathe of coastal farmland near the city of Sendai, which has a population of one million. The pictures suggested the death toll was going to rise.

NHK showed flames and black smoke billowing from a building in Odaiba, a Tokyo suburb, and bullet trains to the north of the country were halted.

Black smoke was also pouring out of an industrial area in Yokohama's Isogo area. TV footage showed boats, cars and trucks floating in water after a small tsunami hit the town of Kamaichi in northern Japan. An overpass, location unknown, appeared to have collapsed into the water.

Kyodo news agency said there were reports of fires in Sendai where waves carried cars across the runway at the airport.

The western prefecture of Wakayama ordered 20,000 people to evacuate after further tsunami warnings.

The building shook for what seemed a long time and many people in the newsroom grabbed their helmets and some got under their desks," Reuters correspondent Linda Sieg said in Tokyo. "It was probably the worst I have felt since I came to Japan more than 20 years ago."

GREAT KANTO QUAKE The quake was the biggest in 140 years. It surpasses the Great Kanto quake of Sept. 1, 1923, which killed more than 140,000 people in the Tokyo area. Seismologists had said another such quake could strike the city any time.

The 1995 Kobe quake caused $100 billion in damage and was the most expensive natural disaster in history. Economic damage from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was estimated at about $10 billion.

The Tokyo stock market extended losses after the quake. The central bank said it would do everything to ensure financial stability.

Passengers on a subway line in Tokyo screamed and grabbed other passengers' hands during the quake. The shaking was so bad it was hard to stand, said Reuters reporter Mariko Katsumura.

Hundreds of office workers and shoppers spilled into Hitotsugi street, a shopping street in Akasaka in downtown Tokyo.

Household goods ranging from toilet paper to clingfilm were flung into the street from outdoor shelves in front of a drugstore.

Crowds gathered in front of televisions in a shop next to the drugstore for details. After the shaking from the first quake subsided, crowds were watching and pointing to construction cranes on an office building up the street with voices saying, "They're still shaking!", "Are they going to fall?"

Asagi Machida, 27, a web designer in Tokyo, sprinted from a coffee shop when the quake hit.

"The images from the New Zealand earthquake are still fresh in my mind so I was really scared. I couldn't believe such a big earthquake was happening in Tokyo."

The U.S. Geological Survey earlier verified a magnitude of 7.9 at a depth of 15.1 miles and located the quake 81 miles east of Sendai, on the main island of Honshu. It later upgraded it to 8.9.

A police car drove down Hitotsugi Street, lights flashing, announcing through a bullhorn that there was still a danger of shaking.

Japan's northeast Pacific coast, called Sanriku, has suffered from quakes and tsunamis in the past and a 7.2 quake struck on Wednesday. In 1933, a magnitude 8.1 quake in the area killed more than 3,000 people. Last year fishing facilities were damaged after by a tsunami caused by a strong tremor in Chile. ( Major tsunamis in the world )

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater. ( Read: Taiwan on tsunami alert after Japan quake )

Widespread tsunami warning issued after Japan quake

SINGAPORE: A tsunami warning has been issued for the entire Pacific basin except mainland United States and Canada following a huge earthquake that hit Japan on Friday, the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. 

The warning includes Hawaii and extends from Mexico down to South American countries on the Pacific, the center said. 

Among the countries for which a tsunami warning is in effect are: Russia , Taiwan , the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji , Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica , Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru. 

Australia and New Zealand, which had been on an initial warning list, were later removed. The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre confirmed there was no tsunami threat. 

Indonesia, which bore the brunt of a huge tsunami in 2004 when 170,000 people were killed in its Aceh province, said it expected tsunami waves could hit its eastern areas North Sulawesi, Papua and the Moluccas at around 1135 GMT. 

Taiwan's coast guard has begun evacuating its east coast, which is not heavily populated. Waves about 50 cm (20 inches) high are expected to reach the island's north and east coasts later on Friday, its central weather bureau said. 

Hawaii's civil defense agency ordered all coastal areas, including the main tourist hub Honolulu, evacuated by 2 a.m. local time (1200 GMT). The first tsunami wave was expected to reach Hawaii at 3 a.m. local time. 

Waves were expected to hit the Pacific island of Guam, 2,400 km (1,500 miles) south of Japan, at 7 p.m. local time (1100 GMT). Beaches had been cleared there, and hotels were moving guests to rooms on higher floors, while in the nearby Northern Mariana Islands, all residents were ordered to evacuate to higher grounds. 

Ocean waves up to 6 feet (2 meters) above normal sea level were detected by deep-ocean gauges near Wake island, Midway and Guam in the North Pacific, said Chip McCreary, a spokesman for the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. 

Papua New Guinea has issued a tsunami watch for its northern provinces effective at 9 p.m. local time (1100 GMT). 

"By the time it reaches our shores, the wave will be between half a metre and one metre high," said Andrew Oaego, officer in charge of operations at the National Disaster Center in Port Moresby. 

The tsunami is higher than some of the Pacific islands it could wash over, the Red Cross in Geneva said, warning that developing countries in the Asia Pacific region were particularly vulnerable to tsunami damage. 

The biggest earthquake to hit Japan in 140 years struck the northeast coast on Friday, triggering a 10-metre tsunami that swept away everything in its path, including houses and cars. At least 22 people were killed in the quake and tsunami. 

By 1015 GMT there had been no reports of a serious tsunami hitting anywhere beyond Japan. 

"A tsunami is a series of waves and the first wave may not be the largest," the center said. "The threat can continue for many hours as multiple waves arrive."

Huge tsunami slams Japan after 8.9 quake, at least 5 dead

TOKYO: The biggest earthquake to hit Japan in 140 years struck the northeast coast on Friday, triggering a 10-metre tsunami that swept away everything in its path, including houses, cars and farm buildings on fire. 

At least six people were killed, five in Fukushima prefecture north of the capital, Tokyo, where four million homes were without power, and one in eastern Tochigi prefecture, media said. A hotel collapsed in the city of Sendai and people were feared buried in the rubble. 

The 8.9 magnitude quake caused many injuries, public broadcaster NHK said, sparked fires and the wall of water, prompting warnings to people to move to higher ground in coastal areas. 

The Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia all issued tsunami alerts, reviving memories of the giant tsunami which struck Asia in 2004. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued alerts for countries to the west and across the Pacfici as far away as Colombia and Peru. 

There were several strong aftershocks. In Tokyo, buildings shook violently. An oil refinery near the city was on fire, with dozens of storage tanks under threat. 

"I was terrified and I'm still frightened," said Hidekatsu Hata, 36, manager of a Chinese noodle restaurant in Tokyo's Akasaka area. "I've never experienced such a big quake before." 

Stunning TV footage showed the tsunami carrying the debris and fires across a large swathe of coastal farmland near the city of Sendai, which has a population of one million. The pictures suggested the death toll was going to rise. 

Sendai is 300 km (180 miles) northeast of Tokyo and the epicentre at sea was not far away. 

NHK showed flames and black smoke billowing from a building in Odaiba, a Tokyo suburb, and bullet trains to the north of the country were halted. 

Thick smoke was also pouring out of an industrial area in Yokohama's Isogo area. TV footage showed boats, cars and trucks floating in water after a small tsunami hit the town of Kamaichi in northern Japan. An overpass, location unknown, appeared to have collapsed into the water. 

Kyodo news agency said there were reports of fires in Sendai where waves carried cars across the runway at the airport. 

The western prefecture of Wakayama ordered 20,000 people to evacuate after further tsunami warnings. 

"The building shook for what seemed a long time and many people in the newsroom grabbed their helmets and some got under their desks," Reuters correspondent Linda Sieg said in Tokyo. "It was probably the worst I have felt since I came to Japan more than 20 years ago." 

The quake was the biggest since 1872, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. It surpasses the Great Kanto quake of Sept. 1, 1923, which had a magnitude of 7.9, killed more than 140,000 people in the Tokyo area. Seismologists had said another such quake could strike the city any time. The 1995 Kobe quake caused $100 billion in damage and was the most expensive natural disaster in history. Economic damage from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was estimated at about $10 billion. 

Japan earthquake: Houses swept by tsunami

Houses swept by a tsunami smoulder near Sendai Airport in Japan on March 11, 2011. A massive 8.9 magnitude quake hit northeast Japan on Friday, causing many injuries, fires and a ten-metre (33-ft) tsunami along parts of the country's coastline. There were several strong aftershocks and a warning of a 10-metre tsunami following the quake, which also caused buildings to shake violently in the capital Tokyo. A tsunami warning has been issued for the entire Pacific basin except for the mainland United States and Canada following a huge earthquake that hit Japan on Friday, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. (REUTERS)

Deepika and Siddharth Mallya are not hiding it anymore

Deepika Padukone and Siddharth Mallya appear to (quite literally) be going to town with their relationship! Guess they don't want to be discreet anymore and are more than happy to pose for photogs when together. Miss Malini got her hands on these candid pics of B-Town's newest couple at a private function in Goa. Instead of being coy and hiding their faces, the lovebirds preferred giving their best profiles to the person clicking! PS: Notice Deepika's hand on Mallya Jr's thigh putting him at ease!

First Look: Ranbir-Imran's lip-lock

The actors 'lip-locked' twice on Koffee With Karan to get him to cast them in his iconic film with gay characters Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan found a unique way of putting an end to the speculation around their cold war by cheating a liplock on Koffee with Karan. They also used the kiss to encourage KJo to cast them in his Dostana sequel. They demanded that KJo live up to a promise he made to them during an awards show (of casting them in his film). They reminded him that they got an underwear each as a signing token from Karan. A laugh riot A source who was present during filming says, "They were a riot on the show. They were all over each other and if they have a problem, it didn't show. To convince Johar that they would be just as compatible on screen, they ended up kissing twice! Karan was totally taken aback by their madness. After they kissed the first time, the host asked them to do it again as they returned from a commercial break. Without hesitation, they embraced each other and broke into another kiss!" Before the shoot, Ranbir had matched dates according to Imran since the latter was in the middle of a shoot. "It didn't seem like there was any rivalry between the two. Ranbir graciously adjusted his dates for Imran. They were seen joking and having a long conversation before the shoot." Good actors or good friends? We'll never know.

Kareena is not happy with Rohit Shetty

Director Rohit Shetty has carved a niche for himself in the industry with his blockbuster Golmaal series. The last two films were super hits and he made the characters of the film very popular with his unique comedy timing.

However, there is one actor or say actress, who is not very happy with the director and she is none other than our very own Kareena Kapoor, who has been associated with the series since the second film.

In Golmaal Returns, the second part, Bebo was portrayed as the television serial freak wife Ekta, who keeps on suspecting her husband, played by Ajay Devgn. Their chemistry rocked and the film was a big hit of the year.

However, Kareena does not seem to be very happy with the development of the third film. She found the treatment of the film very boring and comic situations very repetitive. She was fed up shooting at the same locations again and again.

There is a buzz that Bebo is quite miffed with the director Rohit Shetty. According to her, Rohit has given a very out-of-date look to the third film, which is likely to hit the theaters during this festive season of Diwali.

The reports suggest that most of the scenes in the film have been shot in Goa. The earlier two films were also shot at the same places and this has annoyed Kareena and that has made her doubt about the directing skills of Shetty.

As per the sources, the monotony of locales is not liked by Bebo and she wants the director to take a different approach on the film. A recent report has indicated that Kareena wants Rohit to shoot the film in foreign locales. So, does she want Shetty to shoot the film in her favorite destination Switzerland? Well, this sounds to be a new gimmick to promote the film just before the release!

I was clear I wouldn't kiss Emraan Hashmi: Prachi Desai

Prachi Desai will do a Bobby (a la Dimple Kapadia) for her next, Once Upon A Time In Mumbai.

Says a source, "In the film, Emraan Hashmi plays a gangster based in Dubai, who's obsessed with Dimple Kapadia.

In the film there's a song where Emraan and his girlfriend (played by Prachi Desai) watch Bobby and then Emraan gifts her Dimple's outfit.

It's a passionate sequence which has Emraan and Prachi getting drawn to each other. Initially, the demure Prachi was reluctant to wear the bold outfit but the director Milan Luthria managed to convince her."

Prachi, says, "Emraan's called Shoaib in the film. I play his conservative Muslim girlfriend Mumtaaz. Bobby was a big hit at the time the movie was set in. Shoaib is inspired by multiple real life personalities and one of them had a fascination with Dimple's Bobby persona. Hence Emraan is seen gifting me outfits due to his fascination with Bobby."

Prachi says she was initially hesitant, "Dimple looked so gorgeous that I didn't want to be compared to her but Milan convinced me. In fact, Milan gave us a month to work on our bodies for the song. While he wanted Emraan to flaunt his six-pack in the song, he wanted me to tone down my body."

She adds, "The scenes were shot over few months. Emraan is one of my fav co-stars and I am most comfortable with him. I was clear we wouldn't kiss, though."

Princess Diana’s ‘engagement dress’ fetches $276,000

The black taffeta gown that Lady Diana Spencer wore just weeks after her engagement to Prince Charles in 1981, has fetched a staggering amount of USD 192,000 in an auction.
The gown, with a plunging neckline, designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel sold for nearly four times what it was expected to achieve.
The dress, which was estimated to sell for around the USD 61,000 was bought at an auction in London by a fashion museum in Chile.
It was the star attraction at an auction of items from the Emanuels’ archive held at La Galleria, in central London, by specialist vintage fashion auctioneers Kerry Taylor Auctions.
The Princess of Wales, who was then Lady Diana Spencer, wore the dress to a black-tie benefit event at Goldsmiths’ Hall in the City in March 1981, her first official engagement with her fiance, Charles, Daily Mail reported. 
Diana was just 19 at that time and the couple were attending an event in aid of the Royal Opera House development. The photographs of the royal bride-to-be stepping out of a limousine in the black gown with the daring neckline made headlines and established her as the most glamorous member of the royal family.
Diana returned the gown to the designers to have it altered just before her weddding as she had lost weight but the designers made another one and the original remained forgotten for many years.
Elizabeth later wrote in her book that the bridal gown was created as a sample that had been loaned out to the actress Liza Goddard but Diana made it famous.

Mukesh back in telecom, RIL buys broadband winner Infotel

 
Returning to the telecom arena after nearly five years, Mukesh Ambani today announced that RIL had entered into an agreement to acquire 95 per cent stake in Infotel, the only pan-India bidder to acquire 20 MHz broadband spectrum at the end of a 16-day auction.
Announcing the deal, Mukesh Ambani said: “We see this as a next wave of value creation opportunity in the wireless broadband space. We believe this will pole-vault India’s economy into the digital world at an accelerated pace while creating next generation tools that will enhance productivity and create world class consumer experiences.”
In a statement, RIL said: “RIL will invest about Rs 4,800 crore by way of subscription to fresh equity capital at par to be issued by Infotel Broadband. Post this investment, RIL will own 95 per cent of the equity and Infotel will be a subsidiary of RIL.”

First Look: Imran and Sonam's 'I Hate Luv Storys'

Bollywood actor Imran Khan has posted a picture of his upcoming film "I Hate Luv Storys" on the micro-blogging site Twitter.

Produced under Karan Johar's Dharma productions and directed by debutant Punit Malhotra, nephew of designer Manish Malhotra, the movie also stars Sonam Kapoor and Sameer Dattani.

"First look of I Hate Luv Storys," Imran posted on his Twitter page Monday. The picture s

hows Imran along with Sonam.

After seeing Imran's post, singer Shreya Ghosal wrote: "Oh wow! Both look awesome."

Replying to the responses from the fans, Karan posted: "Thanks for all the feedback on IHLS!! Its the twitter family film with @1mrankhan @sonamakapoor @punitdmalhotra and me...all twitteractive!"

Aishwarya-Akshay to do a Rishi-Dimple, Amitabh-Jaya

Akshay and Aishwarya are thrilled. They’ll get to enact songs featuring their mother-in-law Dimple and father-in-law Amitabh, respectively. But composer Pritam Chakraborty is in a bit of a jam. Vipul Shah has decided at the last minute to re-record an entire complicated track for Action Replay for a retro-song to be filmed on Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Akshay Kumar.

And this is no ordinary request. The one all-comprehensive track will have to represent screen jodis as diverse as Raj Kapoor-Nargis, Rajesh Khanna -Mumtaz, Amitabh Bachchan-Jaya, Dharmendra-Hema Malini and Rishi Kapoor-Dimple Kapadia.

The long-planned retro-song representing various eras of evergreen screen-jodis has now undergone a massive change. Every section of the song will now have differently mooded lyrics and tunes to go with the different looks that Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will don to represent screen pairs over the decades.

Pritam had recorded a straightforward love song for the situation. That just won’t do. The director has a far more ambitious tune-plan which Pritam has not quite understood as yet.

Vipul who has just got Akshay and Aishwarya’s dates in July to shoot the song in Manali, has asked his exceedingly-busy composer Pritam to scrap the song that he had recorded and create an entirely new composition that would aurally represent Akshay and Aishwarya’s tribute to screen pairs over the years.

Explains Vipul, “I feel it isn’t enough to simply dress up Akshay and Aishwarya to represent the various screen pairs. Every section of the music, vocals and lyrics will represent the pair that we show Akshay and Aishwarya playing.

For example if the mukhda is dedicated to Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz then I want the R. D Burman feel of Jai jai shiv shankar in Aap Ki Kasam.

On the other hand if I want Akshay and Aishwarya to do a Sanjeev Kumar and Jaya Bhaduri I’d want Pritam to come with a suitable mood and tune, like R D Burman’s Bahon mein chale aaon in Anamika.

If I show Akshay-Aash doing Raj-Nargis I want a Shankar-Jaikishan piece. If I show Akshay-Ash doing Dharmendra and HemaMalini then I want a Laxmikant-Pyarelal section in the composition.

But if I want Akshay-Ash doing Shammi Kapoor- Sharmila Tagore then I want O. P Nayyar to come into play. ”

Just how Pritam would get all these diverse and seemingly-imcompatible compositional style into one song is a mystery to the composer.

But Vipul is confident. “Pritam is smart and he is talented. He will do it. Our film music is so rich. Not only are there composers as far-ranging as Madan Mohan and Shankar-Jaikishan, even the composer that you hear in one kind of cinema is different from what he does in another kind of cinema.

How can we compare what R D Burmam composed for Rajesh-Sharmila with what he composed for Rajesh –Mumtaz? I want all of this diversity to be part of that one song. ”

Pritam who has already composed two full-on retro numbers for Action Replay --a satire on marriage and an Elvis Presley styled rock ‘n’ roll track—has a month to rise to the occasion. The most ambitious retro song in the history of Indian cinema will be shot on July 12, 13, 14 and 15 in Manali.

'Sania's heart is not Indian as it beats for Pakistani' Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik's marriage plans seem to be heading towards legal trouble. Just when the families of the sports personalities in India and Pakistan were getting down to make arrangements for the April 15 marriage, the family of Shoaib's first wife Ayesha Siddiqui in Hyderabad has threatened to launch legal action against Shoaib for cheating. Ayesha's father Ahmad Siddiqui, a Saudi Arabia-based businessman, told the media in Hyderabad that he could not understand how Sania Mirza's family agreed to this proposal when Shoaib had cheated another girl from Hyderabad. "Does he deserve a girl like Sania?" he asked, adding that even if this marriage takes place, Sania will be Shoaib's second wife as he had already married his daughter Ayesha. Meanwhile, Shoaib Malik has denied marrying Ayesha. However, talking to press, Ayesha said, "I think he himself did confess that he got married to me. I have nikahnama as a proof. I don't want anything from him nor am I doing this for any publicity. He feels trapped and to get out of this and to give a bad name to me. They are saying so many things for the past two years. They said I made him say that, he is not a kid that anybody can make him say anything." "I am shocked to hear those things. I went through really really bad time. I know him since year 2000. It has been 10 years now. Me and my family have spent many traumatic years." When asked why she was not living with him after marriage, she said, "Our careers kept us away for the first few years of our marriage. By the time everything started working for us, it had become a little too late. He had become a star. He said you don't look that great. I am embarrased by you. He screamed and yelled on phone. I don't want to recall those things, they bring bad memories. If Shoaib wants to divorce me, he should do it publically," she said. Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray also took a potshot at the tennis star in his latest editorial. The veteran politician flayed tennis star Sania Mirza for her decision to marry Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, saying "had Sania's heart been Indian, it wouldn't have beaten for a Pakistani." "Henceforth, Sania will not remain an Indian. Had her heart been Indian, it wouldn't have beaten for a Pakistani. If she wished to play for India, she should have chosen an Indian life partner," 84-year-old Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'. "More than victories on tennis court, Sania became famous for her tight clothes, fashion and love affairs. More than her play, people's attention was on her mannerisms," he claimed. Bal Thackeray also alleged that "for Shoaib, India is an enemy, not only in sports arena but also in the battlefield. "We have heard that Shoaib has many affairs in India and has promised many girls he will marry them," he said.

Swami Nithyananda caught having sex with South Indian Actress

Swami Nithyananda, a popular swami of South India has been caught having sex with a South Indian Actress . A footage has been released in which Nithyananda Swamigal and a well known actress whose name starts in “R” were in bed together in very passionate way.

The video has got two segments, at the first segment the actress comes in a saree while Nihtyananda is lying in bed and watching TV. The lady gives a tablet and some water to Nithyanandha. After that she get up in the bed and giving him a leg massage and towards the end she climbs on him and the light goes off. In the second segment the same lady comes in a white chudithar and giving him a tablet. Then they get into the bed and the light goes off. This video shows that these things are a routine to them and is been there for many years. Nithyananda Swagial was born in Thiruvannamalai. His real name is Rajasekaran. He has lakhs of follewers all over the country. Two ashramams are ther in Bangalore and in Thiruvannamali.

The latest news is that a lot of police men were sent to protect the ashramam in Thiruvannamalai. Soon after the telecast of the video in TV, the local people gathered in front of the ashram and shouted against Nithyanandha. Swami Nithyanandha was taken away immediately to a  safest place which is 10 Kms away from Thiruvannamalai town.

She will launch a book written by a former princess

Bollywood actor Manisha Koirala, who became unpopular in her own country Nepal five years ago by supporting the army-backed coup of King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah, is set to lend a helping hand to another member of the former royal family.

Next month, Manisha, who now also has a foot in the Nepali film industry, will launch in New Delhi's Oberoi hotel a third novel penned by Sheeba Shivangini Shah, who is married to the nephew of the deposed king, Lt Col Bikash Bikram Shah.

‘Facing my Phantoms’, published by Rupa, is a semi-autobiographical novel, tracing the migration of Sheeba's family, the turmoil in Nepal, the reign of four different kings and the 10-year Maoist insurgency.

The book launch is being handled by an event management company. The list of invitees includes the media, socialites and a virtual who's who of India and Nepal.

A special list will be drawn up by Devyani Singh nee Rana, whom Nepal's crown prince Dipendra wanted to marry before he died in a carnage in the palace in which the then king and queen also perished.

The April 24 launch will be followed by a second one in Kathmandu at the Hotel de l'Annapurna where the former royal family still holds stakes.

The 34-year-old former princess debuted as an author in 2003 with ‘Loyals of the crown’, a mammoth tale of the court intrigue and bloodbath in 1846 when a junior queen of the Shah dynasty ordered a mass killing of noblemen in revenge after her lover was murdered.

Now established as a serious writer with three novels, Sheeba's next venture will be a coffee table book.

Sheeba herself is also eyeing Bollywood.

She has been seeking to draw attention of producers towards her second novel, ‘Beyond the Illusions’, that revolves round "tantra" and the transgressions of a tantric bent on acquiring superhuman power.

She has presented a copy of the novel to Manisha's brother Siddharth, who is also an aspiring actor in Bollywood. Siddharth is in contact with a famous director, who is planning to make a film on a Nepal-based story in which he may cast Naseeruddin Shah, Irfan Khan and Farooq Sheikh.

Was her transparent sari, minus a blouse, an attempt to shock or an accident?

We’re no strangers to Elizabeth Hurley’s penchant for revealing her amazing body (who can forget the Versace safety-pin dress?). But if you thought that the 44-year-old was going to dress gently into the night with age, you thought wrong. Just check out this ensemble she wore to the Love Ball charity event in London. As you’ll notice, she’s missing a blouse.

The end effect of this left little to the imagination, and we saw a little more of Liz than we wanted to. The thing to think about of course, is whether this was a conscious and bold choice on her part or simply a rather unfortunate wardrobe accident. Certainly, her hubby Arun Nayar doesn't seem too unhappy in the picture. We’re still undecided about what really happened. What do you think?

Sunil Shetty's open appeal to Rahul Gandhi

The sports event at Chandigarh on Saturday touted as the ultimate teaser before the world Cup matches, ended up being a damp squib when representatives of our film industry who were supposed to attend were asked to stay away by the organizers.

Dharmendra, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol who were shooting in nearby Patiala and were expected to attend, cancelled at the last minute.

Protests Sunil Shetty, “It was not Dharamji's fault at all. He was all set to travel from Patiala to Chandigarh when the organizers informed him not to come because of the chaos that happened over the money the hockey players demanded.

I was also told not to come. But I didn't listen. And I'm glad I went. There were 30, 000 expectant people in the stadium at Chandigarh.”

Sunil Shetty who champions the cause of our national sport hockey, wants Rahul Gandhi to step into the arena and save the sport.

“Only Rahul Gandhi with his initiative and youth power can rescue hockey from the doldrums. Othewise the game is doomed.”

Sunil intends to put forward an appeal to Rahul Gandhi on behalf of the hockey federation urging the young Congress leader to bring an impetus and sense of direction to the game.

The fiasco on Saturday at the sports event hosted in Chandigarh by the AMR Sports Foundation where the National hockey players apparently asked for Rs 5 crores at the eleventh hour to play at the event, has not left Sunil disillusioned or discouraged

Says Sunil, “See, what happened in Chandirgarh was really sad. I don't know what happened between the event's organizers and our boys from the National hockey team.

If they really asked for the money then they shouldn't have. But think of it from their point if view. Hockey players in our country are still so underpaid.

They're under so much pressure from their family to give up hockey and do something more paying. How long can our players withstand the financial pressure?”

Sunel feels every sport in this country barring cricket is in a shoddy condition. “Look at the way our world-class sport-persons like Abhinav Bhindra are treated! It's a shame.

We really need to respect sports and sportsmen other than cricket. Otherwise with the Al Qaida (telling the international sports community to stay away), kya fayda? Hockey humne haan ki ya na ki?

We keep forgetting we have a hockey World Cup coming up. And we cannot allow our hockey players to be demoralized in this way. Like I said we need Rahul Gandhi to step in.”

Looking at the brighter side Sunil is pleased that the hockey team from the Indian film and television industry played against a local Chandigarh hockey team on Saturday.

Says Sunil, “It was a goodwill match. But we need to take hockey much beyond goodwill now. The hockey federation needs a capable President…and hockey needs Rahul Gandhi.”