Grammy winner Norah Jones says Dev Anand's intention of making a movie on her is "exploitative." Anand doesn't think so.

Q. Norah is not amused with your new venture.
A. She should be flattered. Is it not flattering to have a film made on you? I was in the US when she won the Grammys and I thought, "My God, what a great story this is." Isn't it a great story?

Q. How do you plan to do it?
A. It is definitely a musical. I will call it Song of Life. I want to play Ravi Shankar. I would have liked Nicole Kidman to play Norah. For the American mother, I would like to cast Shirley MacLaine (Anand was once her houseguest).

Q. No role for the real characters.
A. It is inspired by the Shankars, but I am the creator of the film. I don't want Norah to interfere. If they comply, they can be in the film.

Lady Tabu

She may have signed on to play Lady Macbeth in Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of Shakespeare's psycho-drama, but she is not at all daunted by the task of getting into the skin of the bard's most complicated character. Tabu says she approached her role in Mian Maqbool-for which she just shot for a month in Lucknow-"as a totally original piece of work". A sort of Bindu-meets-Membsaab Macbeth, the film is set in Mumbai's underworld. "It is not in any way similar to Macbeth and I haven't looked or reacted to it in that way," says the actor, who will be seen with Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri in the film.

Male Order

Look hard at the picture. You might be feasting your eyes on the first piece of locally manufactured international beefcake. Acquin Pais, 23, has walked for Diesel, strutted for Ralph Lauren, D&G and Ungaro in London. He has been approached by Boss Models in New York and Y Not in Milan and is now trying to move to the Italian city. Fashion photographer Colston Julian calls him the "next Ujwalla Raut who will make waves abroad". What works for Pais? "My tall, lean and boyish looks," he says. Not very modest, but we told you to look, not listen.

Shilpa Cannes Do

One thumka by her, as the song goes, can reverberate across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It is also known to leave in its wake victims as diverse as T.N. Seshan and Geoffrey Boycott. But Shilpa Shetty is not satisfied. At the Cannes Film Festival, the actor will do a 40-minute song-and-dance act for a Bollywood special. "I am thrilled. A bit nervous too, but I love performing on stage." She is involving also-headed-to-Cannes Aishwarya Rai's choreographers Pappu-Malu and costume designer Neeta Lulla to get it right. Good luck to the Indian Navel Force at Cannes.

-Compiled by Kanika Gahlaut