Officers of Bombay's police crime branch gunned downed four gangsters affiliated to Abu Salem, in the early morning of Saturday, October 13. Chhagan Bhujwal, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, claimed that these four had threatened the filmmakers of Lagaan -- actor Aamir Khan, director Ashutosh Gowariker and financier Jhamu Sugandh for extortion money.

Police sources said that the gangsters had received orders to eliminate Aamir because the actor had refused to sell the overseas rights of his film to the underworld don.

Bollywood goes to the UK

England's fascination with the world of Hindi cinema has certainly not ebbed. At least that's what the Time Out magazine would have us believe. For its October 10-17 issue carries a five-page spread -- Salaam Bollywood featuring interviews with Shekhar Kapur, Nitin Sawhney, Meera Syal and Baz Luhrmann all paying tribute to Indian cinema.

The cover story begins with a piece on Asoka, an interview with Shah Rukh Khan. Tom Charity, the interviewer, describes the film as "more reminiscent of a Kurosawa epic than a Bollywood romance."

The other sections featured the usual suspects -- Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan and Kajol.

Chunkey replaces Saif

Post Dil Chahta Hai, Saif Ali Khan has doubled his remuneration. And that's prompted director Sanjay Chhel had to replace him in his Govinda-Hrishitaa Bhatt- starrer Yahoo, with Chunkey Pandey.

Saif, incidentally, is the surprise packet of Vashu Bhagnani’s Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein.

Rahul Dev's the next big thing

Rahul Dev seems like the only supermodel who’s made it big in Bollywood.

With Padam Kumar’s Champion and Supari, Indra Kumar's Aashiq, SRK’s Asoka, Sunny Deol’s Indian, Vikram Bhatt’s Aawara, Kalpana Lajmi’s next, Santosh Sivan’s next and J P Dutta's LoC it sure look like the stapping hunk's hit the big time.

Compiled By: Vivek Fernandes
Design: Imran Shaikh