‘Patiala House’ which Akshay Kumar is currently shooting at Film City will shortly move to the outdoors of London, and with good reason.

Akshay Kumar plays a cricketer from London. A bowler to be more precise. The cricket sequences, according to director Nikhil Advani, will be shot at the best and biggest stadiums of London.

Says the director, “Akshay will be shown playing at the World Cup. He better look professional doing the bowling. We will shoot the cricket match at the Lords and Oval cricket grounds in London.”

Permission for these have been obtained months in advance. And to train Akshay for his bowling the director has the world’s greatest living fast bowler Wasim Akram. Akshay has met Wasim Akram. The two start training shortly.

Wasim, currently mourning his wife’s sudden death, has been roped in after much persuasion.

Says Nikhil, “It wasn’t easy to convince Wasim. But we were adamant that Akshay would play a world-class cricketer and that too a bowler. We’ve never had a hero who’s a bowler. They are always batting on the cricket field. There’s almost a ballet-like choreographic precision when a hero is captured bowling on camera. I think bowling is a far more intricate exercise than batting.”

Akshay intends to devote considerable time with Wasim Akram as soon his back injury is healed. A lot of other retired and active cricketers including Imran Khan are being roped in to make appearances with Akshay in ‘Patiala House’.

Informs Nikhil, “A substantial part of our budget is going into hiring these cricketers for the climax game. We want the game to look as real as it can get.”

Interestingly the climactic cricket game in David Dhawan’s ‘Hook Ya Crook’ has been delayed. Though it started two years after David’s film ‘Patiala House’ may complete its shooting and release before ‘Hook Ya Crook’.

John Abraham will have to wait to show his batting skills to the audience. Bowler Akshay ‘maidaan maar gaya’.

The 31-year-old rapper, who was nicknamed “K-Fat”, told Entertainment Tonight that his bitter divorce and custody battle with pop diva Britney Spears were the factors behind his weight gain.

“When I saw this picture, I did not think I was this big,” the New York Daily News quoted him as saying.

“I thought it was Photoshopped, you know? And then I realized that I was just letting myself go.

“I went through a lot of things and I definitely say that those things contributed to my weight gaining for sure,” he added.

However, he credits his two sons with Spears - Sean, 5, and Jayden, 4 - for helping him get back into shape.

“It was easier to eat more when they were younger because they weren’t as active,” said the former dancer, who admits to barely being able to make it up the hill on the side of his house while at his heaviest weight,” he said.

Earlier this week, the Daily Mail had published the ‘Mean Girls’ star’s pics with the pill bottle.

“They are Trazodone, a non-narcotic sleeping aid for when I travel. They’ve been prescribed to me since I was in rehab,” the Daily Star quoted Lohan as telling Gossip Cop.

Rumours that Eminem and ex-wife Kim Mathers had reconciled and were planning on having a baby together had surfaced at the start of the week, leading his rep to blast the rumours as being unreliable.

“Contrary to false rumours spread by unreliable tabloids, Marshall and Kim Mathers are not romantically reunited in any way, nor are they expecting a child together,” the Daily Express quoted the rep as saying.

Abhishek who turns 34 on today doesn’t feel his age at all. “Am I really 34? I feel I’m 23. That’s the age that I came into movies. I feel the same anxiety and excitement facing the camera this birthday for Abhinay Deo’s film as I did for J.P Dutta Saab on my 23rd birthday.”

The year begins with the shooting of Abhinay Deo’s film and ends with Prabhu Deva’s film, a first for Abhishek since it would be his first full-fledged action flick.

“I’ve done action films like ‘Zameen’, ‘Dhoom’ and ‘Run’. But nothing like what Prabhu has planned for me,” says Abhishek excitedly. “Yeah it’s a wonderful year. And I better make sure I don’t let my family myself and my audience down.”

This has got to be Abhishek Bachchan’s busiest year ever. He’s just wrapped up Mani Ratnam’s ‘Raavan’ and is in the process of wrapping up Ashutosh Gowarikar’s ‘Khelenge Hum Jee Jaan Se’. He’s now shooting for Abhinay Deo’s film tentatively titled ‘Crooked’. Abhishek then turns to Tarun Mansukhani’s ‘Dostana 2’, followed by films with Rohan Sippy, Abbas-Mustan, Anees Bazmee, Neeraj Pathak and Prabhu Deva…all to be released, shot or completed before the year is through.

Phew! So has Abhishek turned into a certifiable workaholic? Even on his birthday on Friday Abhishek was shooting. And his birthday was brought in on the sets of ‘Crooked’. “What to do? If I can’t be with my immediately family for my birthday I can at least be with my extended family on the sets. I’m shooting round-the-clock. It’s not a time when I can afford to be lackadaisical. Not when I’ve done television for the first time and discovered a terrific connectivity with the audience. The response to my tv show ‘Bingo’ has been overwhelming”

His television debut has boosted Abhishek’s confidence. “I want to dedicate my 34th year to consolidating my career as an actor and building my rapport with the audience. I know I’ve the most exciting range of directors and assignments this year.” The last year Abhishek had a thinner work-load. He was shooting ‘Raavan’ through most of the year. “And for a Mani Ratnam film giving up the experience of doing a variety of other roles is definitely worth the while. 2010 is relatively crowded with no space. And I’m enjoying every bit of it,” says Abhishek emotionally.

Today Abhishek feels he is more equipped to face the camera than before. “I remember shooting with JP Saab for my debut ‘Refugee’ when I was 23. I was so raw and inexperienced. Today I’m in a position to contribute actively to the process of making the films that I am in. And I do. If I am not comfortable enough with a director to participate in the process of creating a film I’m working in, then I won’t work with him.”

After doing a serious bone-cruncher with Salman Khan, Prabhu Deva is all set to direct Abhishek Bachchan in an out-and-out action film. The film will have the kind of stunts Abhishek or for that matter any other Bollywood actor, has never done. The preparations are on. But Abhishek isn’t talking about them.

He’d rather talk about his 34th birthday on Friday.

“Every year I try to make sure I’m working on my birthday. I don’t know why. But to me shooting on my birthday is very comforting. Of course I love spending the day with my family. And as soon I pack up on Friday evening I’m rushing home to be with my parents and wife. But it wouldn’t be a happy birthday for me if I’m not working. Every year since I started my career in 1998 I’ve made sure that I’m shooting. I remember I was shooting with J P Dutta Saab on my 23rd birthday. Only last year I missed shooting on my birthday because I was in New York promoting ‘Delhi 6’. I hope to continue working on all my birthdays.”

Each year at the festival enthusiasts from across the globe gather to experience this unique celebration. At times like these, when the world is slowly turning into a global village, UTV World Movies goes a step ahead and weaves the diversity in a unique way. India’s first and leading world cinema channel will screen some critically acclaimed and award wining titles that will explore every human emotion.

Keeping with the theme of the festival ‘Presence of the Past’, UTV World Movies will present cinematic enchantment that will understand the impressions of time. Showcasing of these titles will enable comprehending its many intangible effects on the human existence through the medium of films that will trace the journey of growth and change as we know exist today.

Sameer Ganapathy, Business Head UTV World Movies Comments “ The Kala Ghoda Festival is one of the most prestigious events that takes place in Mumbai and it is a matter of pride for UTV World Movies to showcase a handpicked selection of our movies and sponsor the Film vertical of the festival. With world cinema rapidly gaining popularity in India, the festival provides a great opportunity for consumers to see and know more about great cinema from all over the globe.”

So get ready to get a taste of world culture with UTV World Movies, the initiative to provide India with its very own understanding of cinema from around the world that transcends to not just showing movies but giving a whole feel of different ethnicity only at the Kala Ghoda festival 2010.

According to E!Online.com, a judge has ordered Georgia-native Dennis Shaun Bowman to stay at least 500 yards away from the socialite.

“Mr. Bowman willingly entered into a written agreement to stay away from Ms. Kardashian,” the New York Daily News quoted Kadarshian’s attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, as saying.

He added: “This morning’s court order simply enforces the agreement between the parties.”

Bowman had allegedly surfaced, during many of the reality star’s appearances in Los Angeles, dressed like Heath Ledger’s Joker character from “The Dark Knight.”

Last month, TMZ.com reported that the ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ star had won a temporary restraining order against the alleged “Joker Face” stalker.

Now, the new ruling extends the order and prohibits Bowman from contacting Kardashian in any way, including social networking sites, until 2013.

Also, he’s not allowed to posess any firearms, E! reports.

Laverne and Shirley is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from 1976 to 1983, starring Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams.

Foxx, 42, who co-stars with Biel, 27, and Garner, 37, in new movie ‘Valentine’s Day’, said that he found their off-screen chemistry reminded him of Marshall and Williams’ role in the TV show.

The actor is so convinced Biel and Garner are destined to make a comedy together, that he even told director Garry Marshall about it.

“During the movie, they were doing stuff off-screen that reminded me of Laverne and Shirley. I think they’re the new Laverne and Shirley,” the Daily Star quoted Foxx as saying.

Sister La Toya, 53 hit back and said the charge against Murray is too lenient.

“He should be facing a murder rap. He should have been charged with premeditated,” the Daily Star quoted her as saying.

Murray, 58, who is facing four years in jail, told detectives he had given the 50-year-old singer the general anaesthetic propofol and two other sedatives to help him sleep.

Meanwhile, a lawyer for Murray, who has repeatedly denied any wrong doing, said the physician will turn himself in if charged.