CELEBRITY HUB: September 2010

Sep 26, 2010

Sep 24, 2010

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Ashton Kutcher& Demi Moore: Rumors Their Marriage

Sep 23, 2010

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Koena Mitra's Trendy Photo Shoot Video

We are engaged, says Lara Dutta, Mahesh Bhupathi

After winning the Miss Universe crown ten years ago, Lara Dutt lived in New York for a while. Tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi was there, too. But, they never bumped into each other then. Still, the city remains one of their favourites in the world, and that is perhaps why Mahesh chose to pop the questionthere, during the recent US Open. “He did it over a candlelit dinner and took me completely by surprise. I couldn’t believe that he had picked the stone and designed the ring all by himself,” beams HT City columnist, Lara, flashing her diamond.

The engagement has made the relationship “official”, as the couple has been spotted often, publicly, but till now neither had confirmed or denied a relationship. “When I was asked if I was single, I said ‘no’, but beyond that refused to divulge details about my personal life. I’ve always said that I’d speak about my relationship only when I knew where it was headed. Mahesh was going through a divorce and he needed space to sort things out and not a complicated khichdi,” she reasons.

Lara MaheshEven when Mahesh’s ex-wife Svetha Jaishankar opened up to the media, insisting that Lara had been responsible for the end of her marriage, the actor maintained a dignified silence. Today, Lara says, “I met Mahesh a year after he had separated from his ex-wife. So I was not involved or responsible for their break-up. Once we started seeing each other, I knew instinctively that he was my Mr Right. But we waited, gave ourselves time to see if things would work out right and announce it properly.”

So, when did epiphany strike? “I was shooting for Houseful in London, Mahesh was training non-stop. We hadn’t seen each other in six weeks. When we finally met, I knew we both were in trouble,” Lara laughs. When’s the marriage? Not this year,” she says. “Both of us are too busy. After the Davis Cup, Mahesh has the Commonwealth Games coming up.” She adds, “Our families are excited. We love each other and our three dogs. Life’s beautiful!”

Sep 16, 2010

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O'Donnell's primary victory is a win for . . . the White House?

Of all the primaries so far this year, none has been sweeter for the White House than the one in Delaware on Tuesday night.

Christine O'Donnell's stunning victory in the Republican Senate primary changes the subject - at least for now - from the troubled national economy to the fractured Republican party. It also puts the seat once held by Vice President Biden back in play for the Democrats, which in turn reduces the odds they will lose control of the Senate.

The Obama administration is uniquely bound up in this small state: Biden represented it for more than three decades, and when he left, his son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, entertained the idea of running to replace him. His decision not to do so created a vulnerability for Democrats, because it was widely assumed that moderate Republican Rep. Mike Castle would have the edge in whatever race emerged.

White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer and 2008 campaign manager David Plouffe are also natives of the state, which Obama won in the Democratic primary (54 percent to 42 percent against then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton) and in the general election (62 percent to 37 percent against Republican Sen. John McCain).

On Wednesday morning, after Castle lost and the Republican establishment was set reeling, White House officials were ecstatic about the turn of events.

"Until last night, the Republicans were counting on Delaware. Not anymore," Pfeiffer said, adding that when the seat first came open, "no one could envision Mike Castle losing."

Best of all, from the administration's perspective, are the conservative social views O'Donnell has promoted during her repeated attempts at political office. "The energy in the Republican party is now centered around a series of policies that are anathema to most voters, including abolishing Social Security and Medicare and eliminating the Department of Education," Pfeiffer said. "These are the Republican candidates. And now these are the Republican positions, and they must defend them."

At the White House briefing, press secretary Robert Gibbs tried to repress a smile when the subject of the Delaware race arose.

"Last night showed that there's a very vociferous debate going on inside the Republican Party for the hearts and minds of Republican voters," Gibbs said. "I think if you look at what people like Karl Rove, what people like the GOP state chairman, have said, the Republicans in Delaware have nominated someone they don't think could win." At a different point in the briefing, answering an unrelated question on tax policy, Gibbs cheerfully volunteered that the "Republican party appears to have differing viewpoints on a whole host of issues."

Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist, warned Democrats against making too much of O'Donnell's victory. But he did so without praising her.

"The White House should still be very wary," Madden said. "The Republican turnout was indicative of a hyper-energized conservative base. It also indicates just how prominently spending issues and big government sentiments are figuring into the mobilization of voters right now. The midterms are still a referendum on the guys in power and, wow, are voters ticked off at the guys in power."

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