Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Aamir Khan go green

Plus: Ashkay Kumar is moving in on TV, Nila Madhab Panda sings Cannes' praises, and the stars of Cocktail are coming to Dubai.

Akshay Kumar. Satish Kumar / The National

Three of Bollywood's biggest stars, Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Aamir Khan, have lent their support to the environmental campaign Greenathon, aiming to provide solar power to more than 500 villages in India without electricity. Rukh Khan provided funding for 12 villages, while Khan donated for five and Chopra for two. Other celebrities who lent their support to the cause, launched on Sunday, included Shahid Kapoor, Rahul Bose, Arjun Kapoor, the chef Ritu Dalmia and the music composer Bappi Lahiri. Last month, the actor and producer Milind Soman contributed towards Greenathon by embarking on a 1,500km run from Qutub Minar in New Delhi, across five states. * IANS

Rowdy Rathore star ventures on to TV as a guest star

To promote his new film Rowdy Rathore, Akshay Kumar announced he will make his first acting appearance on television, guest-starring in the popular Indian detective drama series CID. "TV is a very big venue to promote. It is wrong to call it a small medium. Its reach is enormous," said Kumar, who revealed he will be performing action stunts on the show. The 44-year-old actor said he's keen on taking on villain roles in the future. "But it has to be a villain that doesn't just beat up others. There should be something deep with the material." Rowdy Rathore is set to arrive in cinemas on June 1. * IANS

Nila Madhab Panda's Jalpari at Cannes

Nila Madhab Panda showcased his new feature film Jalpari: The Desert Mermaid at this week's Cannes film festival. Although a children's film, it focuses on the serious issue of female foeticide. Its producer Sushilkumar Agrawal said he's delighted with the response from buyers and critics. "The story of Jalpari is largely based on female foeticide, but it has been treated as an adventure thriller and journey film," Agrawal said. "We got a fantastic response here, with invites from many festivals." The film features the child actors Lehar Khan and Krishang Trivedi, as well as Parvin Dabas and Rahul Singh. * IANS

Cocktail actors coming to Dubai

After a successful promo tour for Rowdy Rathore, Dream Advertising and Ministry of Events are set to give the Emirates a taste of the forthcoming film Cocktail. The beloved duo Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone star alongside the newcomer Diana Penty in this romantic comedy directed by Homi Adajania. The actors are scheduled to come to Dubai early next month to promote the film's mid-July release. Ministry of Events promises a line-up of activities to surpass the tasty tricks pulled by Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha and Prabhu Deva at Ibn Battuta Mall last week. * Ujala Ali Khan