Host of stars descend on Capital

New Delhi, May 19: Star-crazy Delhi was treated to a "mouthful of stars" from the tinsel world in the last few weeks.

A host of Bollywood stars, from the "charismatic" Amitabh Bachchan to the "immensely talented" Tabu to "lover Boy" Emran Hashmi to "macho man" Sunny Deol to the "pretty" Amrita Rao to the charming Priyanka Chopra to the versatile star Akshay Kumar to the cute Shahid Kapur, descended on the Capital in the last few weeks.

Emran Hashmi was in the capital, along with his uncle filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, in the last week of April in connection with the promotion of his latest film 'Gangster'.

The Capital also witnessed the arrival of filmmaker Akbar Khan with the cast of his film 'Taj Mahal-An Eternal Love Story'. The filmmaker was in Delhi prior to leaving for Karachi for the Pakistan premiere of his film on April 28. Also accompanying him were filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, filmmaker and Akbar Khan's brother Feroz Khan and the lead star of the film Zulfi Syed, all of whom were part of the delegation to visit Pakistan for the film's premiere.

The last few weeks also saw filmmaker Soraj Barjatya make a fleeting visit to Delhi for the shooting of his forthcoming film 'Vivaha'. Also accompanying him were the lead par of the film, Amrita Rao and Shahid Kapur.

Then there was "macho man" Sunny Deol who was in the capital last week, along with the charming Priyanka Chopra, in connection with the shooting of his "long-in-the-making" film "Deodhar Gandhi"

The Bollywood's new "Mr Dependable" Akshay Kumar was also in Delhi last week as a chief guest of a function to mark the release of a new Music label. Last but not the least, the Capital was earlier this week graced with the presence of none other than Superstar Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu, who arrived in Gurgaon in the first week of May for the shooting of their film 'Cheeni Kum'. However, the trsyt of the Big B and Tabu with Delhites ended abruptly after the cast and crew of the film has to head back to Mumbai when the residents of the locality where the film wad to be shot refused to allow the shooting to take place.

In recent time, Delhi has increasingly become the shooting abode for many a film like the Abhay Deol Soha Ali Khan-starrer 'Ahista Ahista, the Aamir Khan kajol-starrer 'Fanaah' and Bhupender Gupta's 'Unns'.

Bollywood thespian Dilip Kumar may have missed out on being a part of the historic occasion of the premiere of K Asif's 'Mughal-e-Azam' on April 23, but the legendary actor may finally have a tryst with the Pakistani audience at a special premiere of the 60s classic film next month when the grand historical releases in 30 cinema halls across the country.

Sources in Sterling investment Corporation limited, the negative right holders of the 60s classic, told UNI that Dilip Kumar would, provided his health permits, grace the premiere of Mughal-E-Azam in the last week of May.

Though the veteran actor had shown interest in attending 'mughal-E-Azam's premiere in Karachi, his falling health had created a state of uncertainty about his presence at the premiere, the sources said. Infact, Nadeem Mandviwalla of Nadim Mandviwala entertainment, the distributors of 'Mughal-E-Azam in Pakistan said recently that he had received a letter of consent from the veteran Indian actor.

''If there is anything that places a question mark on his visit to Pakistan, it is his health. Otherwise there is nothing which can hamper the actor's voyage,'' Mandviwalla said.

''The Indian actor needs a go-ahead from his doctors for traveling abroad,'' Dipesh Salgia of Sterling invesment corporation told UNI.

''The exact situation in the regard would be known by the last week of May, when Nadeem Mandviwala is scheduled to visit Mumbai.

Dilip Kumar played the role of Prince Salim in 'Mughal-E Azam' , which stars Prithviraj Kapoor as Mughal Emperor Akbar and the ethereal Madhubala as Salim's beloved Anarkali.

Infact, Dilip Kumar is the only member of the cast and crew of the legendary film, relerased in India in 1960, to be alive.

Music Director Naushad, who had composed the music of the legendary film, died last week at the age of 87.

'Mughal-E=Azam' was released in Lahore's Gulistan cinema on April 22, making it the first Indian film in 41 years to be released in the Pakistani theatres.

UNI