Dubai welcomes Salman and Sohail Khan for film shoot

Plus: Yadav all praises for Freida Pinto; Saqib Saleem talks about his new film with Karan Johar; Vairamuthu wins Ilakkiya Chinthanai award.

Sohail Khan is in Dubai shooting for the film Mental. Courtesy of Dubai Film and TV Commission

If you thought you'd spotted the Bollywood star Salman Khan walking around Dubai this past week, you probably weren't imagining things. The actor has been in town since March 1, shooting the family action drama Mental, co--starring and directed by his younger brother Sohail, with the entire production occurring in Dubai Wonderland Theme and Waterpark by the creek. According to reports, the shoot has involved around 150 crew members – both Dubai-based and from Bollywood – and is set to go on until tomorrow. Other scenes will be filmed in India. The South Indian actress Daisy Shah stars alongside the Khan brothers. – The National staff

Raj Kumar Yadav all praise for Freida Pinto

The actor Raj Kumar Yadav is impressed with Freida Pinto, his co-star in the forthcoming film NH10. Directed by Navdeep Singh, the movie is Pinto's Bollywood debut. "I just met Freida; I was nervous but she made me feel very comfortable," said the 28-year-old star, recently seen in Kai Po Che! "The best part is that she doesn't come with the baggage of being a star in Hollywood. She is a wonderful person. I am really looking forward to working with her." Talking about NH10, Yadav said: "The film is set in northern India and it's a love story and a thriller. We will be attending workshops for the movie this week." – IANS

Saqib Saleem talks about his film with Karan Johar

The actor Saqib Saleem describes working with the director Karan Johar as "unreal". The two teamed up for a segment in the new film Bombay Talkies, made up of four short films by Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Anurag Kashyap and Zoya Akhtar. "I couldn't have asked for more. I have grown up watching [Johar's 1998 romantic comedy] Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and I couldn't believe that these people were sitting right in front of me. It was unreal," Saleem said. "It is a short 20- to 25-minute film. I am done with my part. In fact, I even heard that the film has already been edited." Bombay Talkies will be out on May 3, to mark the centenary of Indian cinema. The film features the music of Amit Trivedi. – IANS

Vairamuthu wins Ilakkiya Chinthanai award

The Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu has won the Ilakkiya Chinthanai award for his Tamil novel Moondram Ulaga Por, a book dedicated to Cauvery farmers who committed suicide early this year. "It gives me happiness. I am distributing the profit that I earned through the novel among the families of the farmers," Vairamuthu said in a statement. "The novel was created after three years of research and 10 months of writing," he added. Moondram Ulaga Por is being translated in English and is expected to be published in the coming months. Vairamuthu will be conferred with the award on April 1. – IANS

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