The French actress Isabelle Adjani is set to make her Bollywood debut in Ishkq in Paris. Prem Raj, the film's director, says he was impressed by the star, who had to learn Hindi for the movie. "I was amazed. She arrived on the first day of the shoot with her homework done," said Raj. Adjani, 57, is a two-time Academy Award-nominated actress. The romantic film stars Preity Zinta and Rhehan Malliek as strangers who meet on a train from Rome to Paris. The movie is scheduled to premiere in Paris next month: "There's a lot of buzz about the film in France because Adjani plays a big role, so it's necessary to premiere it there," said Raj. – IANS
Amy Jackson busy with new films
The British actress Amy Jackson, who made her Bollywood debut earlier this year in Ekk Deewana Tha, is gearing up for the release of her new film, the Tamil action thriller Thaandavam, directed by AL Vijay. The movie will be released in India on September 28. After finishing the Thaandavam shoot in the UK last month, the 21-year-old flew to Hyderabad, where she is currently filming the romantic drama, I, with the actor Suresh Gopi. Then she is off to China next month for a 40-day shoot for a project that's still under wraps, said her spokesperson. "Amy is a hardworking girl. She never complains about the long hours and constant travelling. She has been out of her home in Mumbai for such a long period and definitely misses it." – IANS
Mukesh tweets from Ireland film set
The actor Neil Nitin Mukesh is currently shooting his new film, the gangster comedy David, in Belfast, Ireland. He told his followers on Twitter on Sunday that he has got a few bruises while filming the movie's action sequences. "All bruised with cuts all over, especially my hands. But back on set for some more bashing," the 30-year-old actor tweeted. Directed by Bejoy Nambiar, the film also stars Lara Dutta and Vinay Virmani. Nambiar earlier said the film will also be shot in Goa and Kerala. It will be released early next year. – IANS
Pieta to compete at Oscars
South Korea has chosen the director Kim Ki-duk's Pieta, which won the Golden Lion at the recent Venice film festival, as its entry for Best Foreign Film at next year's Oscars. Pieta – the story of a brutal loan shark who struggles for redemption – was the unanimous selection by the Korean Film Commission. "The plot, depicting the destruction of human relationships by greed and poverty, can be widely understood and shared by the Oscar juries and American audiences," the commission said in a statement. Pieta was among five movies considered by the commission; others included The Taste of Money, directed by Im Sang-Soo, and In Another Country by Hong Sang-Soo – both were shown at the Cannes film festival. The Oscar nominations will be announced in Los Angeles on January 15, with the awards handed out at a ceremony on February 24. – AFP