Madonna reconciles with estranged brother?

Pop diva Madonna has reportedly reconciled with her estranged brother Christopher Ciccone a year after he published an expose of their life together.

The "Music" hitmaker was allegedly furious over Ciccone`s tell-all book, "Life With My Sister Madonna" last year, which lifted the lid on the star`s private affairs, reports celebrifi.com.

Ciccone also incurred the wrath of his famous sibling when he spoke to the media following her split from British director Guy Ritchie in late 2008.

The pop superstar has now taken the first step towards a reconciliation, writing her brother an email in a bid to repair their broken relationship.

"Madonna did it more for her family than for herself. Her feud with Chris was creating huge tension within the family so she decided to be the bigger person. It`s been a nightmare. She`s calmed down since the book and had time to think. She realises blood is thicker than water and she will meet with him this year in LA," said a source.

Johansson confesses to having stage fright

Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson has confessed that she dreads heading out on musical tours because she suffers from stage fright.

The actress-singer has recorded a new album with music collaborator Pete Yorn, called "Break Up", and she fears success will lead to a series of live shows she`d rather not think about, reports Star Magazine UK.

"I have terrible stage fright. I`ve never had to sing in front of a live audience, other than some back-up vocals," she said.

"It seems incredibly revealing, very different from making a red-carpet appearance, where the glitz and glamour of movie stardom... can mask any sort of insecurity," she added.

If pushed, Johansson says she might consider dressing up for a concert: "I`d dress like a character from The Dark Crystal."

"Break Up" isn`t Johansson`s first musical effort - she released an album of Tom Waits songs, called "Anywhere I Lay My Head", in 2008.

Unlike Shah Rukh, Amitabh never complained of his detention: Amar Singh

Politician Amar Singh, who seems to be like family to the famous Bachchanparivaar, is apparently not too pleased with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan these days. Singh’s comments on SRK’s detention at Newark airport in the US, apparently, did not go too well with the actor, and since then there have been reports suggesting a war of words between the two bigwigs. Singh, who is presently recuperating from his surgery in Singapore, said, “He (Shah Rukh) says he’ll pray for my physical and mental health. Why? Because I commented on his detention at the US airport? Please tell him that I’m fine, both physically and mentally. But I pray for a better zubaan for Shah Rukh. He must understand that I didn’t comment on him. I commented on an issue much larger than his detention. Where were those four central ministers who’ve been so vocal about Shah Rukh’s detention, when Abdul Kalam was detained at an airport? Why didn’t they speak up then? Why has Shah Rukh’s detention become a national issue? If it has, let’s immediately cancel all diplomatic ties with the US.”

According to Singh, such detention at international airports is no big deal. He says, “Indians are stripped and frisked routinely at London airport. Amitji has been similarly detained in France and Switzerland. Have you ever heard him complain? And he isn’t even a Khan. My wife was detained at an international airport recently. So what’s the hue and cry about?”

Well, with that, this war of words already seems to be getting worse!

Paris Hilton`s ‘lovely’ European vacation with beau

Socialite Paris Hilton and her boyfriend Doug Reinhardt are having a swell time touring Europe, mixing business and pleasure all the way.The duo has been shopping in Venice, attending movie premiers and also doing a bit of business here and there during the trip which they seem to be thorougly enjoying.

Hilton launched a clothing line at a Budapest store, which was so popular among the Hungarian people that the store`s first order sold out immediately and they`ve already re-ordered, reported Radar Online.

The 28-year-old hotel heiress and her boyfriend attended the Venice Film Festival premiere of `Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans` starring Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendez on Friday night.

"We are having such a lovely time. Venice is such a beautiful city and the shopping is amazing," said Hilton.

"Doug whipped out his black Amex card and took Paris on a major shopping spree. They went to Cartier where he bought her the entire diamond Panther collection of rings,

necklaces, and bracelets," said an eye-witness.

Govinda and Riteish share a rare camaraderie!

With comedy king David Dhavan’s laughter riot ‘Do Knot Disturb’ waiting for the release, the movies’ lead stars Govinda and Riteish Deshmukh are getting along so well an onlooker wouldn’t be able to guess how fresh their acquaintance actually is.

Incidentally, ‘Do Knot Disturb’ brings Govinda and Riteish together for the first time on silver screen.

According to a sources, ``Govinda and Riteish got along very well during the shooting of ‘Do Knot Disturb’ from the very first day. They would play a lot of pranks and keep on joking continuously. No one could ever make out that this is the first time they are shooting together. Their chemistry is very good.``

When enquired David Dhavan, the director lightheartedly said, ``Yes, Govinda and Riteish got along very well on screen and off screen during the shooting of ‘Do Knot Disturb’. We would often tease the two saying the reason for their special bonding was their Congress Party connection.``

Katie Price ‘tells son Harvey to treat lover like Peter Andre’

Hottie Katie Price has told son Harvey to call her boyfriend Alex Reid ‘Daddy’, a news which has upset Peter Andre, it has emerged.The ‘Mysterious Girl’ hitmaker is disheartened that his disabled stepson is being used as a pawn in the divorce battle, reports the News of the World.

An insider said: "He thinks Katie is using Harvey as a pawn in this divorce and it’s a disgusting way to act. Harvey`s the one thing Katie`s got over Peter.

"Peter is horrified she’s choosing Alex Reid to become a father figure to Harvey. It’s devastating to him.

"Peter may not be Harvey`s biological father but he`s been a dad to him since Harvey was one and sees him as a son. It breaks Peter`s heart when he imagines Princess and Junior visiting him while Harvey has to stay at home like he has done something wrong."

Price even stopped Andre from taking Harvey on holiday with the couple’s two younger children Princess Tiaami and Junior.

Secret behind Akshay’s success- touching parents’ feet every morning

Bollywood megastar Akshay Kumar owes his success to touching the feet of his parents every morning.He told a channel: "I would say my success lies at the feet of my parents because that`s been my biggest strength and that`s what we Hindus believe.”

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has lauded Kumar for faithfully following Hindu tradition of showing high regard to the parents and setting an example for other youth.

Parents were held in highest esteem in Hinduism and the world would be a better place if youth followed this example and sought parents’ blessings, Zed, who is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, added in a statement in Nevada (USA) today.

Kumar is quoted as giving a piece of advice: “Every morning before you go to work just touch your parents` feet and go ahead in life.” He has reportedly told this mantra to a lot of people and claims that they have also been successful.

Maggie Gyllenhaal inspired by Kate Winslet`s parenting skills

Hollywood actress Maggie Gyllenhaal wants to take a leaf out her contemporary Kate Winslet`s book as she is fascinated by the `Titanic` star`s parenting skills.

The 31-year-old actress, who has a two-year-old daughter Ramona with husband Peter Sarsgaard, admires the way Winslet has brought up her two kids, Contactmusic reported.

"I try to protect my personal life, and most of all my daughter. But I also recall things people I admire have said
in print that have helped me.

"I`ve thought, `Oh, wow, Kate Winslet thinks that way about parenting,` or, `Meryl Streep thinks that about acting.`

So I do also believe that it`s good to let a little bit out," Gyllenhaal said.

The `Secretary` actress also revealed her disinterest to hear or read anything about her.

"You can`t go and Google yourself. You just can`t. It doesn`t feel good. Just step away from Google, absolutely. How can you ever choose things in your life that will please everyone? The same goes for reviews," the actress said.

"I can do work I`m proud of, but then people don`t like it and it just ties you up in knots," she added.

Kerry Katona ‘accuses hubby of filming drug snorting video’

A troubled Kerry Katona has been at loggerheads with hubby Mark Croft and has accused him of setting up her coke snorting video, it has emerged.

A news daily quoted a distraught Katona as telling her friends, "This is betrayal by my husband.

"I know he`s done it. I know it`s him. I`m now wary of my own husband. All I had was my Marky, he was the only one there, he was the one I was trusting. Now I don`t know who to trust, he was my best friend."

She added, "Mark`s my best friend and he`s betrayed me. That`s the biggest f***ing sick thing he could do. And this is the hardest thing I`ve ever had to go through."

The former Atomic Kitten alleged that Mark was hungry for group sex.

She said, "I``m a bitch to him, I have him running around like a blue a*** fly, but I`ve always had this feeling about Mark. . . you know, the threesome and all that kind of s***. It`s like he gets off on it.

The 29-year-old said Mark reminded of maniac Dave Wheat who once lived with her mum Sue.

"That`s psychotic - and that`s why I`m scared. I know he won`t let anybody else have me. I`ve lived with a f***ing psychotic when my mum was with Dave Wheat. To do something like that is seriously wrong."

Katona also blamed her drug habit on Mark.

She claimed, "It wasn`t ME taking them, that`s what HE`S like. Everyone thinks it`s me, but HE hides it around the house and everything."

Lindsay Lohan believes in "karma"

Welcoming Lindsay Lohan`s belief in `karma`, Hindus have urged her to further explore the rich philosophical thought of Hinduism.

Lohan recently wrote on social networking service `twitter`: "I`m all about Karma.. what goes around comes around!"

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), said that `karma`, the web of cause and effect and the rule of universal causality resulting from action, was first commented in ancient Satapatha Brahmana, and forms one of the basic principles of Hindu philosophy. The sum total of one`s actions, desires, feelings, and thoughts form one`s karma, which is a cosmic law of debit and credit for good and evil.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, also urged Lohan to visit a nearby Hindu temple to have firsthand experience of Hinduism.

He offered to supply a set of Hindu scriptures to Lohan to help her in comprehensive understanding of its philosophy.

If Lohan needed any assistance in her study of Hinduism, he or other Hindu scholars would be glad to share their knowledge or arrange the appropriate expertise, Zed added.

Cheryl Cole gets mother to watch over husband

Pop star Cheryl Cole wants to keep an eye on her wayward husband footballer Ashley Cole and has asked her mother to move in with them.The `X Factor` judge is planning to convert an outbuilding in the grounds of their 3.5million pound mansion into a bungalow for her 49-year-old mother Joan Callaghan, Daily Mail reported.

"Cheryl and Joan are so close they are like sisters, and Cheryl can`t wait to have her around. She has always relied heavily on her mum for emotional support and when Ashley was accused of cheating it was Joan who Cheryl turned to," a source said.

However the news of his mother-in-law moving in has not gone down too well with 28-year-old footballer. "Ashley is not thrilled but he hasn`t got much of a say in it. He would like to have Cheryl to himself a bit more and he feels awkward under the watchful eye of his mother-in-law," the source added.

The 26-year-old singer wants to keep a tab on her husband as he was recently arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly and had previously cheated on her with hairdresser Aimee Walton.

"Joan won’t be around all the time, but this way she can keep a watch on Ashley and the house when Cheryl is away," a source said.

Katie Price`s hellraiser lifestyle could make her lose kids and £5mn

Hottie Katie Price could lose custody of her kids as well as 5 million pounds to her estranged husband/singer Peter Andre due to her hellraiser lifestyle, according to a top showbiz lawyer.

Ambi Sitham has said that the reality star`s boozy jaunts to Ibiza may do her harm during the divorce procedures at court.

"Price`s behaviour over the last four months is probably going to contribute to the custody arrangements, especially her well-publicised trips to Ibiza," the Daily Star quoted her as saying.

Price`s explicit relationship with boyfriend Alex Reid, who has acted in an X-rated movie, may become a problem too.

She added: "She was obviously getting very drunk. In addition she has exposed her children at a very young age to a new relationship with Alex Reid.

"They will look into his background and at his suitability as a potential stepfather to Price`s children.

"The courts will not look favourably on anyone they deem a bad role model.

"I should think the least the judge would decide is to grant joint custody of the children to Price and Andre. He might even get sole custody.

"Andre, coming from a strong Greek-Cypriot family background, has conducted himself as the model father."

The lawyer believes that Price could lose out on at least a quarter of the 20million pounds she has made since her wedding to the ``Mysterious Girl`` singer during the settlement.

Ambi said: "The courts will look at what role was played in emotional support as well as financial.

"Andre will be able to show he contributed to the Katie Price brand. Before they met she was purely known as Jordan the glamour model.

"As a result of marrying Andre she was able to create an alter ego. I think she is in line for a bit of a shock.

"She will not be walking away from this without making a substantial payout."

Katona`s ex says he’s too broke to launch legal battle

Kerry Katona`s former husband Brian McFadden has confessed he is too broke to launch a legal battle over the custody of their kids.The ‘Westlife’ singer had pleaded the troubled former Atomic Kitten to give him the custody of their daughters, Molly, seven, and Lilly-Sue, six.

"I want Kerry to give me the kids, and me and my mum will look after them for the next six months to a year to give her time to get her life together,” News of the World quoted him as saying on Irish TV.

The 29-year-old, who is engaged to Australian pop star Delta Goodrem, added: "Kerry can`t afford a court case at the moment, neither of us can. Our last one pretty much cleaned me out."

Brian, who has found considerable success in Australia, further admitted: "People think because I was in Westlife I must have millions of pounds. But I still have to work to live."

Sonam Kapoor in love with Delhi

Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor, who is currently in the capital for the shooting of ‘Ayesha’, says she loves everything about the city except its unpredictable weather."I`m in love with this city. I love the food, shopping, parties and people of Delhi - they are so lively. When you watch this city on the big screen, it looks beautiful," Sonam told reporters here.

"But the weather is unpredictable - one moment it`s sunny and suddenly it starts raining and that is the only thing that I don`t like about this place. But every time I come here, I feel good," said the actress whose aunt lives here.

Before "Ayesha", she was also here to shoot for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra`s "Delhi-6". Though the movie didn`t do well at the box-office, the actress enjoyed her stay here.

She has teamed up with Abhay Deol for "Ayesha", which is her father Anil Kapoor`s home production. An adaptation of Jane Austen`s novel "Emma", the film is about the perils of misconstrued romance.

Actress Divya Dutta buys Ludhiana Gully Cricket Team

After the craze for owning a Twenty 20 team, now the game`s T-10 format, called Gully Cricket, has started attracting celebrities. Actress Divya Dutta has become the first proud owner of the Ludhiana team.

Divya bought the Ludhiana Gully Cricket team Saturday for season two that will kick-start Sep 19 and end in a grand finale at Kanpur Nov 20, a spokesperson said here Sunday.

It will be played amongst 896 players from 64 teams in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Panchkula, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Ballia, Patna, Gwalior, Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Surat, Nashik, Latur and Daman and will be telecast live on DD Sports Channel.

Divya, who is from Ludhiana, will patronise the team and be responsible for marketing and promoting it nationally. She will also be involved in activities like grooming the players, cheering them and sponsorships for the team.

"I am thrilled to be an owner of this team and will do my best for them. The T-10 format has enabled bringing out some of the best youngsters from all over the country. There are some very good players who play in the back alleys of our country and it is time their talent is showcased before the country," Divya said.

Reasonable Communications Pvt Ltd director Anoop Wadhwa, one of the organisers of the Gully Cricket, said that apart from Divya, they would `sell` the 16 city teams across different states to other sponsors and celebrities to further popularise it.

Film actor Riteish Deshmukh is the brand ambassador of the event, the first season of which was completed in January-February 2009.

The spokesperson said that T-10 is played for 10 overs by each team. It is not open to any established players, but only the real gully players in small cities or far flung towns around the country.

T-10 format is not officially sanctioned by the Indian cricket board.

Zellweger insists turning 40 hasn`t affected her career

Renee Zellweger, who celebrated her landmark 40th birthday in April, believes her quirky appearance will always land her roles, regardless of her age.

Asked if she had noticed more exciting parts drying up, she said, "It`s so hard to comment because I don`t see it. I don`t know. I`m so spoiled with respect to the experiences I`ve had and the opportunities I`ve had that I don`t see it. I`ve never been that girl who is dependant on how fabulous my hair is or my stature or that I look good in order to work. So I don`t really think about it in those terms."

The actress insists the only bad thing about turning 40 is that people are expecting her to feel differently about life, reports contactmusic.com.

She said, "I`m so sad that everyone keeps pointing to this birthday, `You had this birthday, how do you feel now?` I`m thinking, `I feel nothing different`."

Sandra Bullock `jealous of hubby’s star power`

Actress Sandra Bullock is seemingly jealous of her husband/reality TV star Jesse James` increasing popularity.

‘The Net’ star, who is used to getting most of the male attention, is upset that men at her film sets are more keen on knowing about her hubby.

"I guess it`s called man crush or a dude crush... He does cool stuff. It`s awesome but it`s a little disheartening,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

She added, “I go to set and I want to be the big actress - I`m the lead one here. And everyone is like, ``Yeah, that`s cool, but where`s Jesse?``"

James has gained fame with daredevil show ‘Jesse James is a Dead Man’.

Health freak Salman Khan trying to quit smoking finally!

He might be known as the Bollywood brat, but it looks like Salman Khan is now trying to turn a new leaf. He says he is trying to quit smoking.Asked about the habit that is hard to kick, he said: "I`m trying to (quit smoking)... Smoking is something people start to either enter a social circle or to show off."

But he does have a word of advice for others trying to quit cigarettes too.

"Once you quit, there are also chances of picking it up again because when you find people around you smoking, you join them to be with them. But it slowly and slowly kills you and people stop only when they are advised by the doctor. So everyone should quit it before reaching that stage," Salman said.

Shah Rukh in face off with Prakash Raj for best actor award

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Tamil character actor Prakash Raj are front runners for the best actor award while Aamir Khan for the best director for his `Taare Zameen Par` in national film awards for 2007 which are likely to be announced on Monday.While Shah Rukh is in race for his role in "Chak de India" Prakash Raj is a strong contender for his performance in "Kanchivaram directed by Priyadarshan.

"Chak de India" is also a strong contender for the best film providing wholesome entertainment.