Chennai Express gives Shah Rukh Khan a comedic break

Plus: Kahaani tops technical awards; Annu Kapoor eyes director's chair; Imran all praises for Akshay; Esha Gupta performs number for new film.

Shah Rukh Khan says he's enjoyed working on Chennai Express, which also features Deepika Padukone. UTV Motion Pictures

Shah Rukh Khan has revealed that he is particularly happy with his current project, Rohit Shetty's action comedy Chennai Express, because it's a break from the intense and serious titles he's used to. "It's fun and I am enjoying it," he told reporters. "Yes, I end up doing very intense films such as Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Chak De! India and My Name Is Khan, so Chennai Express is a nice change for me." The film co-stars Deepika Padukone and is set to release in August. – IANS

2. Kahaani tops technical awards

Kahaani and Barfi! were the big winners in the first Times of India Film Awards, given out on Friday. Kahaani, directed by Sujoy Ghosh and headlined by Vidya Balan (pictured), won for Best Editing, Best Story and Best Screenplay. Barfi!, directed by Anurag Basu and starring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, won for cinematography, costume design, art direction and background score. Agneepath won for Best Choreography, while Raaz 3 won for Best Special Effects. The event was hosted by the filmmaker Karan Johar and the actress Chitrangada Singh. – IANS

3. Annu Kapoor eyes director’s chair

Following his National Award-winning role in last year's Vicky Donor, Annu Kapoor is now looking forward to getting behind the camera. "I am planning to get into direction soon," he said. "I have been thinking about it for a very long time and the audience will get to see it soon." Kapoor says he's unlikely to want to join the growing lists of directors who appear in their own films. "The chances of me acting in that film are few because I want to focus on one thing only." – IANS

4. Imran Khan praises Akshay Kumar

If you thought Akshay Kumar might be a bit of a bully on set, think again. According to Imran Khan, who co-stars with Kumar in the forthcoming Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Again, the actor is cool and calm. "He's actually an amazingly chilled-out guy," said Khan. "He is so massively successful but you won't get a sense of it when you are talking to him. Because he talks to everybody in the same way, he will happily sit on the floor, so you'll feel he is just a cool guy and not one of the biggest stars in the country." – IANS

5. Esha Gupta performs number for new film

Esha Gupta announced she has shot a special song-and-dance number for Punit Malhotra's new film Gori Tere Pyaar Mein. "I am looking forward to this song. It's a club song and not a typical item song. It's a very peppy song, which is a kind of introduction to the main character in the film [played by Imran Khan]." For the sequence, her wardrobe was designed by Manish Malhotra. "He makes anything look cool," Gupta said of the designer. Gori Tere Pyaar Mein also stars Kareena Kapoor. – IANS

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