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Saif Ali Khan: To never smoke again, be extremely regular with my workouts, make more time for those I love, to stay focussed on my work and to make sure I enjoy what I do.

Sonam Kapoor: The death of my Nanaji at the end of the year made me realise how urgently I need to spend time with my family. And since my Nanaji would always joke about my lack of a boyfriend, maybe I need to get one of those into my life. Where can I order one?

Preity Zinta: 2007 was professionally stressful. I did some of my most complex characters and at the end of the year, I really needed a break. Now, in 2008, I will do some fun roles. I want to let my hair down.

Bipasha Basu: In 2008 I want to be fitter and healthier. I also want some more interesting work to come my way. And I want to travel a lot more in my free time.

Urmila Matondkar: Why make New Year resolutions? I learn from my mistakes throughout the year.

Kangana Ranaut: In 2008 I want to find love… but not the way you’d think. I want to find it within myself. I want to get to love myself so I can be a better person for myself and for others.

Malaika Arora: Oh, I make New Year resolutions religiously every year and break them throughout the year; 2008 will be no exception.

Dino Morea: I seriously don’t look at the whole year. I take it a day at a time. I see every day as struggle to do the right thing. So I guess in 2008 I’ll be struggling even more.

Upen Patel: In 2008 I want to be a good human being. And I want to get love back into my life.

Riteish Deshmukh: I want to become more energy-conscious and save on electricity wherever I can.

Arshad Warsi: I’m really going to start looking after myself. And I want to work even harder on my films. No more supporting roles for me. I’ll now support myself.

Koena Mitra : I don’t like to restrict myself to resolutions. So in 2008 I want to be even more spontaneous. I want to follow my heart wherever it takes me. I want to make mistakes, so I can learn from them, I want life to be full of surprises, unpredictable and adventurous.

Tusshar Kapoor: I want to get as physically fit as I can. And I’ve promised myself a holiday this year.

Raima Sen: I really need to get more regular about my work-outs. And I need to get more decisive this year. Too much of giving in just to be polite.

Manoj Bajpai: After 18 years of smoking, I’ve decided to kick the habit.

Amrita Arora: I know being bad is good. But I want to be a better person in 2008. I want to kick my habitual impatience and work much harder than I did in 2007.

Simi Garewal: I want to speak more Hindi as I’m going to be doing more Hindi shows on television.

Rakesh Roshan has turned down OSO girl Deepika Padukone. The film, starring Hrithik Roshan could have been Deepika’s ticket to the A-list in Bollywood.

Our sources, however, say that Deepika was not suitable for the role so she was shown the door. When contacted Rakesh Roshan confirms that they are not going ahead with Deepika. He says, “I am in the process of working on a film which will be directed by Anurag Basu. We may work with Deepika for some other film.”Anurag Basu, who is directing the film endorses, “We are yet scouting for the female lead.” As for Deepika, he says, “Deepika didn’t fit the role. We’ll definitely work with her in future for some other project. It’s quite a complex character and we are looking out for a female lead.”

After they dumped Deepika, Roshans are now looking at casting a non-Indian for the role. Says a source, “Filmkraft (Roshan’s production house) and Anurag have been auditioning girls. The female lead needs to be a Salsa dancer.”

The film is a romantic-action-thriller which will be shot abroad. It is scheduled to go on the floors by March 2008. Apparently, the film is based on Latin dance forms and Hrithik will be seen performing a lot of salsa.

It’s been a year full of work, and also link-ups, for Vidya Balan. But on the whole, she’s happy that it’s the work that gets more copy than the link-ups. “I have just laughed at the rumours. I am glad that it is my work that is generating more interest these days. As far as spicing up my life is concerned, leave that to me. I guess it’s high time I spice up my life on my own,” she laughs.

Considering Vidya turns 30 today, she would have loads of opportunity to do that by living it up. But that’s not what she’s doing. “I don’t generally have bashes or gala parties on my birthday,” she says. “Like always, I am going to be with my parents and close friends. I’m planning to take my parents out of town for a couple of days, that’s all.”

Vidya believes that if you begin the new year with a particular routine, then that’s what you’re going to do for the rest of the year too. Laughing, she says, “And that’s why, I’m going to spend the day exercising, reading books, listening to my favourite music and generally having a very busy day.” But the year gone by will always be very special for her – the year of her “good five releases. If Halla Bol had been released, it would have been six. I did a lot of different roles and experimented a lot in 2007. I have learnt how to handle a choc-a-bloc schedule.”

She feels that she’s also not as guarded as she used to be when she joined the industry. “I guess when you are introduced to something new, you take time to explore it. But now, I have become more assertive,” she says.

Although Madhur Bhandarkar is currently shooting his next film Fashion, produced by UTV and Bhandarkar Entertainment, the inside khabar is that the National Award winning director has refused UTV’s upcoming project based on the controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin’s life. The film (untitled as yet) will star Tabu in the lead.

If Madhur had directed the film on Nasrin, this would have been the second time that Madhur and Tabu would have worked together. Earlier, Madhur and Tabu worked together in the muchacclaimed Chandni Bar.

A source close to UTV says, “UTV would have loved if Madhur had said ‘yes’ to the film. Madhur is a realistic filmmaker and a film on Taslima Nasrin requires that kind of treatment.” A source close to Madhur says, “Madhur found the subject too controversial. Hence, he politely turned it down. Frankly, he did not even take a minute before saying ‘no’ to the film based on Taslima Nasrin.”

When contacted, Madhur confirmed that he did not take up the film on Taslima Nasrin, but did not wish to get into the details of why he turned it down. “I don’t want to talk about this,” he says.

A couple of days back, Ram Mirchandani, senior official of the production team met Taslima (who has written books like Lajja and Dwikhandita) in Delhi, to seek permission from her. Our source says, “Producers did not want any problems later. They want to take official permission from Taslima before the project takes off.” Confirming this, Mirchandani says, “The meeting went off very well.”When asked whether Madhur not doing the project is a setback, Mirchandani says, “No, it is not a setback. I am going to announce a very big director, shortly.”

Bollywood‘s sexiest jodi – John Abraham and Bipasha Basu – broke off and went their separate ways. Rani Mukerji got engaged to Aditya Chopra and then married him at the Umaid Bhawan, and the couple lived happily ever after. Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif got hitched too. In fact, to prove a point to Abhishek -Aishwarya, Sallu-Kat got married the day before the Abhiash wedding. And of course, Shilpa Shetty is the next Bond girl, Kunal Kapoor has changed his ways and is seeing Konkona Sen S h a r m a, Dia Mirza and Minnisha Lamba, Preity Zinta committed suicide and Shilpa’s wax model was placed at Tussauds. Phew!

2007 certainly has been the year of non-stories. Each issue has been made into a non-issue and blown out of proportion. Katrina was shocked to hear she was getting married to Salman. “Why can’t people leave me alone? I have a family to take care of. While I was in South Africa and Dubai shooting for different films, people back home had planned my marriage. Hello?” she said. T he elusive Rani had to come out in the open to clarify that she wasn’t getting married. “I would’ve gotten married at Umaid Bhawan if I could afford that place,” Rani had said. Tell Jiah Khan that she is Aamir Khan’s half-sister and she snaps, “I don’t even want to rubbish that bit because it is so bad. I wouldn’t have reacted if I hadn’t known that my mother was getting affected,” she rued. Kim Sharma and Vivek Oberoi simply chose not to react to the news that was doing the rounds about them. Apparently, they were canoodling onboard an airplane. Ask PZ why she ‘committed suicide’ and she breaks into laughter. “I’d like people to know that I’m brave and will not chicken out by committing suicide. I’m a fighter – I’d rather kill than take my own life,” she joked.

And John sums it up, “This is just loose talk!” Well, that seems to be the last word!

Controversy’s favourite child Mika Singh is back. And this time it’s not Rakhi Sawant, but Tanushree Dutta and Koena Mitra, with whom he allegedly had some issues. We heard that Mika along with Tanushree and Koena were scheduled to perform for a New Year’s party, at a 5 star hotel in Mumbai. And accordingly the three of them were rehearsing, when a TV channel landed up and wanted the three of them to pose together. While Mika was more than happy and willing to pose, Tanushree and Koena apparently refused to pose with him. “Both the girls refused to come out and pose with Mika, as they didn’t want a repeat of the infamous Rakhi Sawant controversy,” our source said.

Actor Lara Dutta has become hot and happening. More so after her films Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and Partner, next year she plans to jhoom a little more. Ask her about her New Year resolutions and she quickly says, “To work hard and to meditate harder, to progress professionally and spiritually.” Well, it seems she has solid plans for the year 2008.

There’s a certain quietude about Priyanka Kothari these days, which makes you wonder what this screen siren is up to. After all, we are used to seeing this gal heat up the glam quotient of films with her oomph and dare-bare roles. Ask her about it and she says, “I am enjoying the journey called life and am feeling very happy.” Is this sense of inner happiness in any way related to her reverting to her original name from Nisha? She says, “Not really. Life was fantastic then and now as well. I just did what I wanted to. That’s the way I live life -on my own terms and I follow my own rules.”

So, is she taking the failure of Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag in her stride as well? After all Ram Gopal Varma is looking for new faces for his next venture? “I’ve said this many times and will say it again. I don’t belong to any one director. I belong to the film industry. Ram Gopal Varma is not my destination. Yes, he has shaped my career to a great extent, but there are other brilliant directors too out there and I am waiting to work with them.”

And waiting she is also for the ‘right’ kind of roles. Priyanka is finding it difficult to shed the sex-kitten tag and do roles that portray her as a simple, girl next door.

She explains, “I am a very simple girl at heart and would love to do roles, which explore this facet of my personality. I really wish some directors offer me such roles.”

On her way to Katni, Priyanka wishes her Nagpur stopover was longer. She says, “I haven’t been to the city earlier, but I’ve heard so much about the santra barfi that I am packing some for my mom.” And isn’t she going to taste some of it? She laughs and adds, “No way. I can’t afford a pimple or weight gain!” So does she sacrifice quite a bit of these goodies for that perfect body? Laughing again, she says, “I don’t like ice creams or chocolates, so no question of sacrifice. But I am very conscious of what I eat. I don’t diet but I eat right and exercise for at least one-and-a-half hour everyday.”

The actress whose Telugu film is slated to release soon says she isn’t too bothered about the Bollywood-South divide. She says, “Cinema is all about expression, not language. You emote well, you get appreciated.”

And appreciation she has received for her dance numbers. Ask her to choose the one number she’d love to do and she says, “Madhuri’s Ek do teen, Dhak dhak and Sridevi’s Kaate nahi kat te..I think they are marvellous songs and both the actresses have done full justice to them. If I get a chance I’d love to do them!”

After days of endless speculation, the verdict’s finally out! We are talking about the name of Rohan Sippy’s forthcoming film with Akshay Kumar that will see the ‘Khiladi’ back in action. The film – being directed by Nikhil Advani and produced by Rohan, Nikhil and Mukesh Talreja to be presented by Warner Brothers – that was tentatively titled Made In China has now been named Chandni Chowk to China at the insistence of the actor. The film – touted to be the first Bollywood film to be shot in China – is kind of autobiographical, as it traces the superstar’s rise from Chandni Chowk to superstardom. A source reveals, “Rohan and Akshay were both keen on different names. At the end of it, both want it to work in the favour of the film and had even had a sort of SMS poll conducted amongst the crew and cast. And everyone found Chandni Chowk to China more unique as against Made in China.” The shooting for the film that stars Deepika Padukone opposite the action king, will kickstart early this month and will be shot extensively in China and back in Delhi. Well, as long as the audience makes it from their ‘homes to theatres’ for this one… we’re sure Rohan’s not complaining!