Sonakshi Sinha says she took cues from veteran actresses such as Sridevi and Parveen Babi for a retro disco number that she shot last week for the forthcoming film Himmatwala. The number, choreographed by Chinni Prakash, is titled Thank God it's Friday. The movie's director, Sajid Khan, roped in the famed designer Manish Malhotra to construct Sinha's costumes. "Manish has done a fantastic job and I absolutely love both my looks. I also watched the videos of Sridevi and Parveen's old songs before I started shooting," Sinha said in a statement. Himmatwala, a remake of 1983 hit movie of the same name, features the actors Ajay Devgn and Tamanna. The film is scheduled to be released on March 29 in India. - IANS
'Turbanator' steals show in American Idol
On the season premiere of American Idol, which broadcast in the UAE on Thursday, one contestant stood out from the rest - thanks to his turban. The Indian-American Gurpreet Singh Sarin was among those auditioning in New York for the reality show. He told the judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and Randy Jackson that friends call him "Turbanator", thanks to his knack of matching the colour of his turbans to his outfits. Sarin even taught the show's host Ryan Seacrest the Punjabi folk dance bhangra. He performed a rendition of Maroon 5's Sunday Morning, as well as a few seconds of an Indian tune. He won over the judges, who advanced him to the next round of the competition. American Idol is broadcast in the UAE on Thursday and Friday, 9pm, on OSN. - IANS
D'Souza to write book on Indian dance
The choreographer-turned-filmmaker Remo D'Souza announced that he is writing a book on Indian dance. "Yes, it is true. I have indeed been approached to write the book that traces the history of Indian dances and I will begin doing that as soon as ABCD - Any Body Can Dance releases on February 8," said D'Souza. "It is a project close to my heart. The book will be a tribute to the Indian dance forms. And as a dancer, making India's first 3D dance film was something that I have always wanted to do." D'Souza did not provide a publisher's name or release date. - IANS
