Shabana elated with response to new film

Plus: Shabana elated with response to new film; Sanjay Gupta blessed with baby girl.

Kalki Koechlin says she's looking forward to release her next film, in which she stars in her first out-and-out horror flick. "I have not done a horror film before," said the actress, who describes Ek Thi Daayan, which also stars Konkona Sen and Huma Qureshi, as "a scary film". She believes the audience will have a tough time figuring out which of the three is the "daayan" (witch). Kalki added, "The promotions start this week, so prepare to be scared." Produced by Ekta Kapoor and Vishal Bhardwaj, Ek Thi Daayan, which features Emraan Hashmi in the male lead, is scheduled to release in April. - IANS

Shabana elated with response to new film

She's done some meaty and critically acclaimed roles in her long and eventful film career, but Shabana Azmi is still happy with the response to her latest movie, Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola. "I have got a lot of compliments for my portrayal and I am thankful to my director Vishal Bhardwaj for giving me such a wonderful role," said the 62-year-old actress, who has won five National Awards for Best Actress and four Filmfare awards. Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola opened last Thursday in UAE cinemas. In India, the film collected 70 million Indian rupees (Dh4.7m) in the box office, making it the highest-ever opening for the composer-turned-director Bhardwaj. - IANS

Sanjay Gupta and wife welcome second child

The filmmaker Sanjay Gupta and his wife Anuradha welcomed a baby girl, their second child, on Monday. The couple has a son, Shivansh, born in March 2011. "My wife delivered a cute little baby girl on Monday morning. Both the mother and the daughter are perfectly fine. It was a normal delivery. Thanks a lot for your wishes," Gupta said in a statement on Tuesday. As the news came out, the Bollywood film fraternity sent their wishes to the couple via Twitter. "Congrats my brother Sanjay Gupta. A new angel arrives in the family. Shivansh gets a new rock star company. Love you a lot," tweeted the actor Sonu Sood. Gupta, known for his dark thrillers, is currently working on Shootout at Wadalam, a crime film he wrote himself. The movie stars Sood, John Abraham and Anil Kapoor. It is scheduled for a May cinema release. - IANS