T-Series gets music rights for Salman's latest films

Plus: Shilpa Shinde quits Chidya Ghar; Vishal Bhardwaj and Ekta Kapoor to do cameos in TV series; Balakrishna's Ruler to start shooting in May; and Big B wants Shoebite soon.

Bhushan Kumar, the managing director of T-series. Manav Manglani / Reuters

T-Series gets music rights for Salman’s latest films

T-Series, a major Indian music and film production company, has acquired the music rights for Kick and Mental – Salman Khan's latest movies. Bhushan Kumar, the chairman of T-Series, confirmed the news in a statement yesterday. "Right from Tere Naam, we have believed in getting the music rights of his projects," said Kumar. "I always make sure that both of us are happy with the deal. Our friendship spans many years." Kumar added that Khan, who recently flew to Dubai for a stint of filming for Mental, has complete faith in the production company when it comes to promoting and marketing his films and that he bought the rights to Dabangg 2 three months before the film was released. – IANS

Shilpa Shinde quits Chidiya Ghar

Saying that the job has "lost its newness", Shilpa Shinde has quit her role as Koel Narayan in the hit comedy show Chidiya Ghar. Although she said last year that the show "rocks" because it follows family traditions and gives a moral message to the viewers through the character of Babuji (Rajendra Gupta), Shinde has now said she will not extend her contract with the SAB TV show. "I would like to do a variety of roles. I don't want to get typecast. I want to quit the serial when it is still popular, so people remember me as the heroine of a hit serial and not of a boring one," she said. – IANS

Vishal Bhardwaj and Ekta Kapoor to do cameos in Ek Thi Naayka

The producers of Ek Thi Daayan, a thriller due for release next month, will take up cameo roles in a TV series to promote the film. Vishal Bhardwaj and Ekta Kapoor will join the other cast members in an eight-part series about Indian folklore. The pair admit to being nervous about their screen debuts with Kapoor, saying: "I am the most terrible actress you can find on the face of this Earth." Bhardwaj will make his entry in the first episode. The film itself, whose title translates as "There was a Witch", is a supernatural tale warning that the power of a witch lies in her plaited hair. – IANS

Balakrishna’s Ruler to start shooting in May

Nandamuri Balakrishna, one of the well-known stars of Tollywood (or Telugu cinema) has announced the start of his new film Ruler. The political drama, which is scheduled for release around the time of the Indian general elections in 2014, will begin filming on May 15. The film will be the 101st for Balakrishna and will be directed by Boyapati Srinu, who previously directed Balakrishna in the Telugu super hit Simha. It is being co-produced by Ram Achanta, Gopichand Achanta and Anil Sunkara under the 14 Reels Entertainment banner. – IANS

Big B wants Shoebite soon

The megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who played a man in his 60s on a journey of self-discovery in the UTV film Shoebite, says he wants it to be released soon. The film, directed by Shoojit Sircar, is embroiled in a legal battle with 20th Century Fox, which says it owns the rights and wants to make the movie starring Denzel Washington. Bachchan says a lot of hard work went into the movie. "A great amount of hard work and personal sweat has been put into that film. But such is life." – IANS

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