Elsewhere, Aishwarya Rai has finally figured out that she needs to do a movie with Will Smith to "arrive" internationally. After letting the "Stitch" movie go, she was recently reported to have been in talks with Will Smith on his tour of India. Where he, incidentally, was on Indian Idol.
-Sumita

Courtesy ApunKaChoice

Aishwarya Rai may act opposite Will Smith

If things go as planned, you may see the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai sizzle the screen with Will Smith.

Smith recently met Ash on his maiden trip to India. A grand welcome was hosted by Smith for Ash at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, where he and his team received her in warm cordiality.

The meeting lasted a good one and a half hours and after the initial pleasantries, Smith sat down and gave Ash a detailed narration of the film's story after which he offered it to her.

Reports quote Ash’s business manager, Hari Singh as saying, “It is a fantastic story and Ash was absolutely delighted on hearing it. She was more than pleased to accept it.'

He further revealed that the film will be made on par with some of the expensive Hollywood projects made in recent times. 'It is incomparable to the international films that Aishwarya has done so far,' Singh added.

At the end of the meeting Singh presented Smith with a brass idol of Lord Ganesha as a symbol of love from India and put a 'tilak' on his forehead, which delighted the latter to no end. 'Oh it's Lord Ganesha', he remarked excitedly and held on to the idol for a long time.

He was deeply touched by the gesture,' Singh recalled.

Needless to add, both Ash and Singh were overwhelmed by Smith's down-to-earth demeanor and his simplicity.

"It was great to discover the simple and unpretentious reaction of one of the world's best-known actors. That's what great people are made of," Singh said.

Harry Potter & the Spawn of Satan
I dont know about everyone else, but I LOVE the Harry Potter books. Whereas in 2002 I was a skeptic, scoffing at the long lines outside bookstores in anticipation of this book, a summer of "catching-up" turned me into a raving (perhaps even "rabid"?) fan. In light of this (and my penchant for San-Fran based show "Charmed"), it was distrubing to hear rumbling of how Rowlings was actually advocating the dark arts, potentially turning good children into Satan's spawn. As the Church (seriously) continues to stress this connection, here's what "THE Vatican's chief exorcist yesterday claimed "
-Sumita

Courtesy Entertainment News

Harry Potter then Devil: Vatican

From correspondents in The Vatican

THE Vatican's chief exorcist yesterday claimed the Harry Potter stories could lead children into Satanism.

Father Gabriele Amorth said: "You start off with Harry Potter, who comes across as a likeable wizard, but you end up with the Devil.
"There is no doubt that the signature of the Prince of Darkness is clearly within these books."

Father Amorth, 80, who has carried out more than 3000 exorcisms since 1986, said: "By reading Harry Potter a young child will be drawn into magic and from there it is a simple step to Satanism and the Devil."

The series of books, whose popularity with children has made millions for author JK Rowling, has already been criticised by Pope Benedict XVI.

Three years ago, before becoming Pope, he said the character was a bad influence because the stories contained "seductions which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly