• Indian court gives convicted Bollywood star Salman Khan permission to travel to Dubai where he is scheduled to appear at an awards show on May 29. One of India's most bankable stars, Khan, 49, was convicted and sentenced to five years in a 2002 hit-and-run case, in which the actor – driving under the influence – ran over and killed a homeless man and injured four others in Mumbai. The Mumbai session's court found him guilty of “culpable homicide not amounting to murder.” Following his May 6 conviction, Khan was immediately given bail by the high court, with instructions to deposit his passport with authorities and seek permission for overseas travel. Khan's case is set for another hearing in July.
• Atif Aslam ready for an acting debut in Bollywood. “I'm a little confused between two films but I should be acting in one by the end of this year I've already experimented with drama in Bol. Now I want to play a romantic hero. Hopefully, I'll sing too. All my songs have been on the charts.”
• In the name of honour, Bollywood's take on honour killing. Cases of murders by family members of those who dare to love outside their caste grab headlines every now and then. While activists and the society at large have been condemning these barbaric acts, several Bollywood film-makers have also been mirroring this grim reality in their films. Recently, in Tanu Weds Manu Returns, R Madhavan and Deepak Dobriyal's characters are saved in the nick of time from being murdered by the family of the girl, the former wants to marry. Even the upcoming Arshad Warsi-starrer Guddu Rangeela (GR) has the backdrop of the khap panchayats, and revolves around such crimes.
• Could Bollywood's Aamir Khan Be China's Next Big Movie Star? The record-setting PRC release of his Bollywood satirical comedy PK has now cemented Aamir Khan's standing as the highest grossing foreign star of non-English language films in China. As of this past weekend his current release there, PK, owns the record for the most successful Indian film in Chinese history, and if it can continue to perform well for another week or so it could even become the mainland's highest grossing non-English language foreign film ever.
• After reality show, former Miss India set for her Bollywood debut. After showcasing her athletic side in the reality show Zor Ka Jhatka — Total WipeOut hosted by Shah Rukh Khan, former Miss India Priyanka Shah is all set for her acting debut with the Hindi film I Love Desi. Releasing May 29, the film is a family drama in which Priyanka plays the role of a hoity-toity Punjabi NRI, who learns the value of her culture after getting married to an Indian.
• The spirit of Bollywood hits Dubai with first edition of Indo-Arab Bollywood awards. The debut Arab-Indo Bollywood Awards will be held in Dubai on Friday, with a star-studded line-up of celebrities set to attend and perform, including Priyanka Chopra, Jacqueline Fernandez and Salman Khan.The ceremony, at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, will be hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar and television presenter Manish Paul, the host of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, a dance-based reality show. The nominees have been selected from Hindi films released last year and 25 awards will be handed out across three categories – Main, Technical and Special Awards. — Compiled by Mariam Nihal
