Rihanna almost had a wardrobe malfunction

Singer Rihanna almost had a wardrobe malfunction at a recent charity dinner in New York. Her breasts just about stayed in place inside the deep, lacy neckline as she leaned over to greet some famous celebrity friends.

Rihanna had leaned in to say hello to David Bowie and his wife Iman, when the singer almost gave a little too much away, prompting fashion insiders to suggest that she should use sticky tape more often to protect her modesty.

The S&M singer looked stunning in a long black gown as she arrived at the gala held for leukemia awareness, but as she posed for photos, she almost gave the game away beneath the dress's plunging neckline, reports a newspaper. Rihanna was a guest of honour at the event where she was honoured for her dedication and fund-raising work in the fight against the disease.

AR Rahman can't perform in Delhi

After his series of concerts around the world last year, AR Rahman is back in the country and has two concerts planned next month, one in Nagpur on May 15, and the other in Bangalore on May 29.

The original plan was to have a five-city tour instead of just two, which included concerts in Delhi and Ahmedabad. But here's the sad bit – even though Rahman was keen on having a concert in the capital, the unavailability of a ground minus any logistical hassles lead to Delhi being dropped.

A source says, "Delhi was one of the cities the concerts were planned for. But logistical issues always create problems for big events in Delhi. No suitable ground could be found. Either the price for the ground was too much, or getting permissions was extremely difficult. Plus, the cancellation of Bryan Adams' concert and his experience in the capital has become a huge lesson for musicians looking to perform in Delhi-NCR. Who wants to risk going through an experience like that? Agar itne bade firangi performer ko mushkil ho sakti hai, toh how can an Indian performer manage? Delhi's no longer conducive to any performance or a big entertainment event."

Fan steals Shakira's ring

Pop singer Shakira was reportedly robbed on stage by one of her fans during a concert in Mexico.

Femalefirst reports that the 34-year-old singer was shaking hands with revellers as she performed in Monterrey, Mexico April 7, when an opportunistic concertgoer snatched her ring from her finger.

Even after noticing the robbery, the singer did not confront the thief and continued performing.

No arrests have been made and the concert at the University of Monterrey was her final show in the country.

Akon wants to act in Bollywood movies

Bollywood is his ultimate goal and India like his second home, Senegalese-American rapper and singer Akon said here Friday.

The "Beautiful" singer, who landed here on his birthday Friday, will be performing in Gurgaon and Bangalore.

"Thank you everyone for having me here. I love India and I keep looking for ways to come here. You guys show more than loyalty towards my art and my career. I don't have words to express my feelings...I hope I get many more opportunities to come here and share my talent with you. I feel like a family here. This is like a second home to me," Akon told reporters here.

He is here for the The Venky's Akon Live In Concert and will perform in Gurgaon and Bangalore.

"I'm waiting to get into Bollywood movies. That's ultimately my goal. I want to do it successfully. I'm not quite sure what character (I would play), but I definitely want to do it," said the singer, who has worked with composer Aadesh Srivastava and also sang a song for Shah Rukh Khan's forthcoming film "Ra.One".

"Working with Shah Rukh was an amazing experience. He opened me up to Bollywood. He made me see a whole new light and the possibilities. I enjoyed it so much that I'm trying to sneak in now," he added.

The singer will celebrate his 38th birthday in Pune and perform before 1,200 people at a private concert in West Inn hotel in the town.

Akon is skipping a Mumbai concert this time but looks forward to performing here soon.

"India is very big, we can't cover a lot in two days. So next time I'm going to do a tour and cover more cities," said the singer, who was dressed in all black and had come to press conference straight from the airport.

The Venky's Akon Live In Concert is being brought to the country by Netsurf Entertainment and B.M. Group and IVNO Events and Productions, in association with Thrive Entertainment and S. Raj Entertainment. Venky's, the single largest poultry brand in Asia, is the title sponsor of the two concerts.

Akon says he loves Indian audiences and the culture of the country.

"Indians never have a hard time expressing themselves, so you get a great crowd here. The most I love about India is its culture. I love the fact that it is so parallel to African culture. They never forgot their history and passed it down to the generations that's why the culture is so strong here. It's amazing. Most cultures do not put emphasis on history. The generations do not forget their traditions and carry on the legacy."

The sue game!

He said, she said, they all said. Until, someone said: "I'll sue you." Perhaps the second most impactful set of three words after 'I love you', 'I'll sue you' is losing its edge somewhat.

Heck, everyone's saying it these days. For everything, from a tempest in a teacup to a gentle gust. Naturally, those at the receiving end are far from trembling leaves. Like Ishq Bector, who is probably humming his Hiphopper tune in the face of a similar threat: from none other than Rakhi Sawant. Yes, the shoot-from-the-lips lady has vowed, "I will sue Ishq Bector. He will have to pay for it". So will she, actually, what with the lawyer's fees and all. So while she works out the logistics, here's a look at others who pulled defamation suits out of their sleeves. Or maybe just threatened to.

Satish Sharma VS detractors
In a bid to prove his innocence when allegations flew thick and fast about how he had bribed MPs to vote for the UPA during 2008's confidence vote (through his aide Nachiketa Kapur), Congress leader Satish Sharma threatened to sue those behind this 'expose'. The defamation case was never filed. Smart move, we say.

Dheeraj Dixit VS Veena Malik
Veena Malik tossed her lustrous mane and pouted out freelance photographer Dheeraj Dixit's name as a co-matchfixer along with her ex-boyfriend, Mohammed Asif. Dheeraj hadn't gambled for this, and threatened to sue Veena. "I am going to sue Veena Malik for tarnishing my image. I am talking to my lawyers as to how much damages can be claimed," he thundered. Still calculating, are you Dheeraj?

Yuvraaj VS Onir
One fine day, newcomer Yuvraaj Parashar smarted and seethed over how director Onir had outraged his delicate modesty. The gobsmacked Onir then threatened to sue the aspiring actor, which he promptly did, but only for a token sum of `1. Onir, after all, simply had a point to prove. Yuvraaj, determined to play his part till the end, lobbed a counter-threat: that he would sue Onir instead. And then, just as suddenly, came the apology, from Yuvraaj of course. Don't ask us how the tables turned, Dunno y... na jaane kyun...

Mohammed Siddiqui VS Shoaib Malik
After the letters, photographs and nikaah namas failed to do it, Mohammed Siddiqui, father of Ayesha Siddiqui, who claimed to be Shoaib Malik's first wife, threatened to sue Shoaib if he didn't divorce his daughter before marrying Sania Mirza. Surprisingly, the defamation suit disappeared just as quickly as Shoaib's name did from the Pakistan cricket team list.

Bappi Lahiri VS Abhijeet
When singer Abhijeet took potshots at Bappida on a television show, calling him a "besharam sangeetkar", a tearful Bappi told the press, "Bardasht ki bhi ek hadh hoti hai!" And then he decided to make Abhijeet face the music. "I'm definitely suing Abhijeet for defamation. He has to prove in court that I'm besharam!" he announced. Tall order, that. And Bappida, who is as generous as his proportions show, is giving Abhijeet all the time he needs to prove the alleged "besharmi".

Shilpa Shetty VS Kavita Kundra
Raj Kundra's fuming ex-wife Kavita declared to the media that Shilpa didn't just loot UP and Bihar, but her home too: she had stolen her husband. Shilpa did not take too kindly to the home-wrecker tag and threatened to sue the now ex-Mrs Kundra if she continued to tarnish her image. Kavita had said, "Our marriage was in a rough patch but I was certain we could make it work for the sake of our new baby daughter. But then along came Shilpa. Suddenly Raj changed and now he wants a divorce." It seems the accusations weren't reprehensible enough to drag her to court for, after all.

With inputs from Kritika Kapoor

Avril Lavigne gets safety pin tattoo

Canadian singer Avril Lavigne is said to have recently got a new tattoo in the form of a safety pin during a girls' night out.

Lavigne, 26, had swore she would not get anymore tattoos done, but it seems to have slipped her mind as she tweeted about getting one on her neck.

"Girls day!!!!!! Listening to my new record with my girls and catching up," the New York Daily News quoted her as tweeting.

"Uh-oh girls day turning into girls night ... Should I get a tattoo???? Haha," she stated.

Lavigne kept her more than 720,000 Twitter followers updated on her mini adventure and provided a clue to the design she chose to get permanently inked with.

"It's comes in handy all the time, it can hurt you, but at the same time keep you together, safety first!" teased the singer, who asked fans to guess what design she chose while posting pictures of the inking process.

"What a great day with my girlfriends. Just being me ... Girl time is always necessary. And I got a tattoo. Holy crap hahah," she wrote after getting her new body art.

Sunidhi Chauhan dubs for Hollywood film

She has lent her voice for the Hindi dubbed version of the 3D animation Hollywood film Rio. Shaan, Vinay Pathak and Ranvir Shorey are the other voices in the film.

Singing superstars Shaan & Sunidhi Chauhan will be voicing for the lead characters 'Blu' & 'Jewel' respectively in the forthcoming 3D animation film ' Rio '.

Not only that, the duo will also be lending their melodious voice for some of the Hindi songs of the film's soundtrack, as music is an important aspect of this comedy adventure!

Apparently Shaan, a huge fan of animation films was highly impressed when he saw the film's rushes and immediately loved the idea of lending his voice for the lead character. The singer says, "Associating with Rio was a very unique & exciting opportunity that I couldn't refuse. The film is super fun and will be enjoyed by people of all ages. I had a great time dubbing and singing for the film."

Sunidhi too, is quite excited about her association with Rio and quips; "I wanted to do an animation film for years. Rio is such an amazing film that I just had to do it. Even though my character is a bird, Rio is a beautiful love story!"

The producers had also recently roped in the comical duo Ranvir Shorey and Vinay Pathak to do the Hindi voiceovers for Nico & Pedro (Blu's friends) respectively.

Jesse Eisenberg, who rose to fame after his portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in 'The Social Network' will be voicing 'Blu' in the original version of the film; whereas Anne Hathaway lends her voice for 'Jewel'.

'Sunidhi, Enrique didn't shoot together'

It was big news that Sunidhi Chauhan was to croon with international singing sensation Enrique Iglesias.

But TOI has stumbled upon some startling facts. Sunidhi hasn't recorded with him for 'Heartbeat'. The collaboration is simply to make an Indian version named The Masala Mix composed by Shamir Tandon. The other 'fact' being drummed was the music video that she shot with Enrique. Sources say the original video featuring Enrique and Nicole Scherzinger of Pussycat Dolls has been edited. Nicole has been chopped out, and Sunidhi fitted in! Apparently, Enrique is not in touch with Sunidhi or the composer, he is only in touch with the record label. When confronted on this, Sunidhi attempts to come clean. Read on....

Was Enrique present when the recording happened? We hear otherwise.
Enrique has not re-recorded the song. His part is from the original song. My portions have been fitted in. We've brought in Indian elements into his song.

What about your interviews about "working with Enrique"?
There might be a misunderstanding. You may want to hear the recording before jumping the gun. I mean, it was great to collaborate with Enrique, which is his song, and we have made a totally different new song for the Indian audiences. It is fresh and doesn't sound like the original. It isn't a remix.

We hear Enrique hasn't shot even for the music video and that you've merely been fitted in?
As I said, you have to see the video before you can decide that. Enrique has shot for the video. We have scenes together in the video. (Sources from the record label reveal that when Sunidhi was in LA for four days, Enrique might have shot a couple of shots with her for some part, but most of it was shot separately)

'Meet'ing of minds
Meanwhile, the public relations executive of the music label informed us that the entire office staff was busy in a crucial meeting and and thus unavailable for a comment. Hmmmm... what was the agenda? An album with Sunidhi and Jay Z?

Himesh in a MJ-Based film

Himesh Reshammiya marks his international debut in French director Christopher Lenoir's film A*, based on Michael Jackson's death

Recently there was a buzz in the industry that Himesh Reshammiya was about to embark on an international debut.

Well, Reshammiya has not only signed and sealed the international deal with French director Christopher Lenoir, but has also completed shooting for the movie.

The film, called A*, which is reportedly based on the death of pop icon Michael Jackson, will feature Reshammiya essaying the character of Sidharth Patel.

Our source tells us, "The makers of the film have come up with a unique strategy and have just released the promo of the film on the web. In the promo of A*, the mysterious circumstances leading to the death of a superstar has an uncanny resemblance to Michael Jackson's death. Himesh has already shot for the film.

He was selected by producers ARI Films and director Christopher Lenoir, who felt that he would best suit the part of Sidharth Patel, the only Indian actor in the film.

Himesh's character, Sidharth, is an Indian musician mesmerized by the superstar."

The source adds, "While everyone thought that Himesh is down and out, he has now surprised everyone with a film, which is sure to make headlines all over, especially in India due to its controversial subject." Despite repeated attempts to contact Christopher Lenoir and Reshammiya, they remained unavailable for comment.

MJ's controversial death

On June 25, 2009 - MJ died after he suffered cardiac arrest, at his home. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, said he found Jackson in his room with a faint pulse, and so he administered CPR, however to no avail.

Initial reports discussed the possible role of painkillers in Jackson's death. He reportedly took medication for insomnia.

July 08, 2009 - MJ's death certificate was issued by the Public Health Officials, who referred to cause of death as "deferred".

August 28, 2009 - The Los Angeles County Coroner declared Jackson's death a homicide caused by the combination of drugs in his body. Before his death, Jackson reportedly had been administered Propofol, along with two anti-anxiety medicines.

Law enforcement officials investigated Jackson's personal physician, Conrad Murray, who told investigators that he had been trying to wean Jackson off Propofol.

Some statements described Murray using a non-standard CPR technique on Jackson. During the tape of the emergency call, released on June 26, the doctor was described as administering CPR on a bed, not on a hard surface such as a floor, which would be standard practice.

Drugs made George Michael lose 15 pounds

Singer George Michael lost 15 pounds since he got addicted to drugs. 

Michael, who now sports a lean physique, insists he no longer suffers cravings.

"I'm having therapy about my ongoing drug abuse. Hopefully the period where I was a bit lost is over for good. I hope it's self evident just in the fact I've lost about 15 pounds, I hope it's self-evident I'm not eating as much any more, which should tell you a lot. None of my trousers fit anymore, for the right reasons this time. I've dropped about 14 or 15 pounds without really trying," dailystar quoted him as saying.

"I've always been the porky boy in my head. I didn't know on the last tour I was carrying all that extra weight! Now if anything, I'm a little bit skinny. I have two pairs of black jeans and they're the only ones that fit me. In my head I obviously think I'm going to put the weight back on so I haven't bought any new jeans."

Kelly Osbourne bitten by spider

Singer Kelly Osbourne is nursing a swollen eye after she was bitten on the face by a spider.

The daughter of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne paid a visit to her doctor after her cheek swelled up, leaving her looking fearful, reports contactmusic.

"I got bit by what my doctor thinks is a spider under my eye and I look like I got punched... I spent all day with my dad feeling all sorry for myself looking like Quasimodo! On the plus side we a had family dinner tonight. We have not all been in the same room since xmas except without fighting (sic)," Osbourne posted on her Twitter page.

Michael’s new album influenced by sexuality

London, March 9 – Singer George Michael has revealed that his new album has been influenced by ‘club music and his sexuality’. 

The 47-year-old singer – who revealed he is gay in 1998 – believes the openness of his new songs is similar to those featured on his 1987 classic album ‘Faith’, but with a more uptempo sound as he wants to stay true to his sexuality.

‘Somebody said to me, ‘This album is going to be like a more electronic ‘Faith’, because your writing with that directness again.’ I think there’s a lot more joy to put in the writing this time around. Since I’ve been out as a gay man, house music has been more of an influence in my life. So ultimately as a gay man, you don’t really stop listening to club music as early as straight people do and I wanted the album to reflect that,’ contactmusic.com quoted him as saying.

The ‘True Faith’ singer also admitted he likes experimenting with his music.

‘This other project I’m doing reflects somebody who’s getting older as a singer and an interpreter as well, so what I thought is, ‘What do you want at this point in life?’ I can honestly say I have no interest in just repeating my successes.

‘There are aspects to the new material which I think are progress. Once you’ve reached a certain point, to drive you forward as an artist you look for authenticity. And that involves doing the type of tour I’m planning to do which I haven’t done before and express more personal truths that I now think about having lived as a gay man for 12 years.’ 

IANS

Jason Trawick and I are really normal: Spears

Los Angeles, March 6 – Singer Britney Spears has revealed that her relationship with Hollywood agent Jason Trawick is like any other normal couple. 

‘We’re really normal,’ Spears said on Ryan Seacrest’s KIIS-FM radio show.

She and Trawick have been dating each other since 2009 and usmagazine.com reports that Spears also told the Radio station that they love doing things together.

‘We like to just watch movies. We work out a lot. We love to work out. We do stuff together like that. We take walks,’ she said.

Christina to turn music coach

Singer Christina Aguilera will soon appear as a singing coach on a new music reality series "The Voice".

The show will be aired on NBC, starting April 26. She will join rapper and record producer Cee Lo Green and Maroon 5's Adam Levine as a musical coach on the show, and is extremely excited, reports dailymail.

"I am so excited to be part of such a wonderful project that celebrates music and the talent behind it. To be given the opportunity to help shape new artistes' careers and mentor them to see their dreams come to fruition is a task I welcome with open arms," said Aguilera.

The 30-year-old had quite a dull start to 2011 with a disastrous Super Bowl performance, a collapse on stage at the Grammy Awards, and a public intoxication arrest.

However, bosses at NBC network are still all praises for her and call her an "inspiration".

"Christina has a once in a generation talent. Her voice is phenomenally distinctive and instantly recognizable," said Paul Telegdy, executive vice president of Alternative Programming at NBC and Universal Media Studios.

"Her journey as an artiste, who started so young in the music business, will be an inspiration to the talent she coaches on the show," he added.

Nelly Furtado to donate $1M paycheck from Qaddafi to charity

Washington, March 1 – Canadian singer Nelly Furtado has announced on Twitter that she will donate 1 million dollars she earned performing for the family of Libya’s embattled leader, Muammar al-Qaddafi, to charity.

“In 2007, I received 1 million dollars from the Qaddafi clan to perform a 45 min. Show for guests at a hotel in Italy. I am going to donate the dollar,” Fox News quoted her as tweeting.

Furtado won a Grammy Award in 2000 for her breakthrough hit “I’m Like a Bird.”

Canada’s Globe and Mail reported that a representative from Furtado’s label, Universal Music, said more information would be forthcoming on her Twitter page.

Other performers, including Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Usher, have come under criticism for performing at private events for the Qaddafi family.

Meanwhile US Secretary of State Clinton told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that Qaddafi and his inner circle must be held accountable for violence that has so far left at least 1,000 Libyans dead since an uprising calling for an end to his four-decade rule began on Feb. 15. (ANI)