Esha Deol marries Bharat Takhtani

Plus: Karan Johar talks about his new film, Akshay Kumar to appear in On My God, Vivek Oberoi gets his gangster on, and Kabeer Kaushik praises Naseeruddin Shah to the Maximum.

Bollywood actress Esha Deol, centre, with her mother and actress Hema Malini and groom Bharat Takhtani pose during their wedding in Mumbai on June 29. AFP

The actress Esha Deol married the businessman Bharat Takhtani in a traditional South Indian ceremony in Mumbai on Friday. "I am very happy for Esha. She has found the right person," said Deol's mother, the actress and filmmaker Hema Malini. Deol's father, the veteran actor Dharmendra was also present, along with countless stars from the Hindi film industry, including Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek, Vyjayanthimala Bali, Rani Mukerji, Vinod Khanna, Manoj Kumar, Abhay Deol and Ramesh Sippy. The fashion designer Neeta Lulla, who had previously designed Deol's costumes for her film roles, created the couple's wedding outfits: a red and gold sari for the bride and a white sherwani for the groom. The newlyweds hosted a separate reception party on Saturday at a Mumbai hotel. * IANS

Karan Johar talks about his new film

The filmmaker Karan Johar says he has shot so much footage for the forthcoming comedy Student of the Year that he has enough material for a sequel. "I may have overshot it a tad. I think I'm making a sequel along with the actual film. It seems like a never-ending saga, though it's really a fun, happy project," he said. The movie, which Johar is co-producing with the actor Shah Rukh Khan, will launch three newcomers: Varun Dhawan, Siddharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt. The film has been shot in India and Thailand. "I feel I am in a new phase of filmmaking, which is great. I am directing fantastic newcomers so I am recharged," Johar said. "I feel blessed. I'm in a profession that lets me and others sing, dance, laugh and cry and still be at work. I don't think I could be more fortunate than this." Johar, 40, is also currently sitting on the judging panel of the reality dance television series Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5. "I'm in the middle of too many things, but it's great fun," he said. * IANS

Akshay Kumar to cameo in Oh My God

The actor Akshay Kumar has confirmed a cameo appearance in the forthcoming film Oh My God, which he is producing. In the movie, he plays a modern-day Lord Krishna, as seen in the film's poster, released this week, which shows the star riding a motorcycle through the clouds. Based on the acclaimed Gujarati play Kanji Viruddh Kanji, Oh My God chronicles how an antiques shopkeeper tries to pick up his life after a tornado destroys his store. Starring Mithun Chakraborty, Paresh Rawal and Sonakshi Sinha, the film is scheduled for a September release. * IANS

Vivek Oberoi's next project to be 'gangster comedy'

The actor Vivek Oberoi will star in the forthcoming film Jayanta Bhai Ki Luv Story, which its first-time director Vinnil Markan describes as a "gangster comedy". "It's about how we fall in love unknowingly with people we least expect to. It's not a clone of some Western movie, but a true Indian romcom that's light-hearted, sensitive and entertaining," said Markan. In the movie, Oberoi is paired with the actress Neha Sharma. Markan says they began production in March and expect to complete filming by the end of the month. "Khotachiwadi, a heritage village in Mumbai, was a beautiful setting for the film and lent itself so perfectly to the scenes. Both Vivek and Neha were extremely supportive of the gruelling schedule." The movie is scheduled for an October release. * IANS

Kabeer Kaushik lauds Maximum star

The filmmaker Kabeer Kaushik, whose new thriller Maximum will be released in Indian cinemas this week, says he has nothing but praise for the film's lead star, the 61-year-old actor Naseeruddin Shah. "I am extremely honoured to have Naseer in the film. I'm sure the audience will appreciate the hard work he put in," said Kaushik. Maximum, which also features Sonu Sood, Vinay Pathak and Neha Dhupia, tells the story of two rival cops in Mumbai. "It's a true-to-life police and crime story. It's a complete package," Kaushik said. * IANS