AKSHAY GETS HIS SON AARAV AN EXPENSIVE PC FOR HIS B'DAY

On his birthday (September 9), Akshay Kumar received numerous gifts. But the best present he received was a huge cut-out of Superman with his face place over on it by his son Aarav.

For the four-year-old, dad is Superman and he had planned his gift for his papa. In fact he had designed it on his computer with the help of his mom Twinkle. So for his son's birthday (September 15), AK got his beta a computer of his own.

Says a source close to the actor, "Aarav has been learning how to use the computer in his school for the last few months so this time Akshay decided to gift him a computer with all kinds of drawing and designing programs. He loves playing games on them.

That wasn't the only computer gift he got. Twinkle's mother Dimple also gifted Aarav an Apple notebook, which he can carry with him everywhere he travels."

Kumar Jr is excited with his two computers and has been proudly showing them off to all his friends.

In the Kumar family, birthdays are special. No matter where Akshay is shooting they all make sure they are together on each other's birthdays. September is a special month because it is Akshay (September 9), Aarav (September 15) and the actor's niece Simar's birthday too.

AFTER SERIOUS ROLES, ARJUN HAPPY TO SHOW HIS FUNNY SIDE

After playing a crooked film producer in "Om Shanti "Om", a gloomy failed musician in "Rock On!" and a lame unenthusiastic gangster in "Don", Arjun Rampal thinks it's high time he shed his serious image and show his funny side in multi-starrer "Housefull".

"This is why I am mixing it all up now. I guess these movies were a great platform for me to showcase my acting talent. Having established that, I deserve to let my hair down now. Due to this I picked a film like 'Housefull'," Arjun said.

"It was good fun to be a part of this riotous outing since it's a genre that I haven't ever ventured into. I wanted to do a lighter film after all the aforementioned films and I am glad I did 'Housefull' even though my character is still quite intense," he added.

Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and directed by Sajid Khan, the film also stars Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, Boman Irani and Jiah Khan. Along with the huge star cast of the film, Arjun had a blast shooting for "Housefull" all over Europe through the months of July and August.

"We all had a lot of fun since the overall atmosphere was so great. Both Sajid Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala made sure that our entire stay was so comfortable and happy. I could feel an overall positive energy that was prevalent all these days.

"It was so significant actually to get the right camaraderie since the film is about so many characters all thrown together in tricky comical situations," said Arjun, who is back in town after shooting for "Housefull", which is almost complete.

The actor has seen a huge upswing in his career over the last few years with movies like "Rock On" (2008), "Om Shanti Om" (2007) and "Don - The Chase Begins Again" (2006) bringing him critical as well as commercial success. And not to forget his performance in 2008 films "The Last Lear".

Even though his recent release "Fox" has come and gone, Arjun has already moved on and is now looking at his future projects. With movies like Prakash Jha's "Rajneeti" and Karan Johar's Hindi remake of "Stepmom" under his belt, Arjun is also happy to finally have a sense of belonging in the Hindi film industry.

"I have been around since 2001 when I had three releases 'Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat', 'Deewanapan and 'Moksha: Salvation', all arriving back to back. After almost a decade in the industry, I can now proudly say that the industry has embraced me," the supermodel-turned actor said.

A young man from Delhi who has managed to find a slot for himself all on his own, he remembers the times when he was a complete outsider.

"At that time a person like me just wished for a sense of belonging. Believe me, it's a lonely and tough journey and you have to slog really hard. I too learnt it all over a period of time. Today, I am happy with the work that I am getting and am finally coming into my own," Arjun said, getting a little emotional.

YES, I'M HOT & SEXY: BIPASHA

Hot and sexy that’s the trite image the junta has of Bipasha Basu. And, well, she isn’t sorry about it because at the end of the day, every woman seeks to be just that. But what the actress fails to comprehend is why people can’t see beyond the evident.

Bipasha, who has done some amazing work in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Corporate and Prakash Jha’s Apaharan and shown her own hysterics in Rituparno Ghosh’s Shob Choritro Kalponik besides proving she’s no bimbette in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara, said indignantly:

“Despite this, if I have to fight the stereotypical image that filmmakers have of me being just hot and sexy, then it is rather sad. There are a set of people out there who are myopic.”

Perhaps the Bengali beauty has a point. In all fairness one must say she has juggled the sexy parts with the meaningful ones. In the year of Corporate where she displayed acting prowess she also did Dhoom-2 where she romped around in a bikini.

“To remember one and overlook the other is unfair,’’ argued the actress. Her current lot of films though are a happy mix. There is Sanjay Gupta’s Pankh, where she is an actress on screen, Ajay Devgan’s All The Best — a madcap comedy that is a big ticket bet this Diwali, and Priyadarshan’s untitled venture where she has “a thinking role’’.

“Good work is happening,’’ admitted Bipasha. “Priyadarshan is someone I also wanted to work with. He is a filmmaker with foresight and I know I’m in a pair of very capable hands.’’ She is also happy with the way Ajay Devgan’s release has shaped up. “All The Best is one laugh-a-riot,’’ revealed the actress. “Believe me, we not only had a blast shooting it, we had a blast even while dubbing for the film because it’s a situational comedy that is so funny.’’

However, what comes as a shock is the news that Bipasha who has always had cordial relations with her female co-stars, is now having a cold war with Mugdha Godse, the other girl in All The Best. “Are you buying this story,’’ she asked incredulously.

“I read somewhere that I had stopped Ajay Devgan and Fardeen Khan from going to Mugdha’s party. Am I some mastermind who can actually stop my co-stars from doing what they must?’’ She herself was at an official event that day with her co-star Neil Nitin Mukesh because boyfriend John Abraham was not in town. She remembers wishing Mugdha and sending her flowers, a card and chocolates. “Over the years, I have rarely had a problem with my co-stars,’’ said Bipasha. “With some girls I’m friendly, with others I’m cordial. But to suggest that I have a cold war going with Mugdha is ridiculous.’’