KUALA LUMPUR – Bollywood fever has hit Malaysia as Indian movie icon Shah Rukh Khan flew in to be awarded the nation's equivalent of a knighthood.
Khan was presented with an award from Malacca which carries the title "Datuk", equivalent to a British knighthood, after a 2001 film which was set in the southern state boosted its profile as a tourist destination.
The actor was decked in a gold and black traditional Malay outfit for the Saturday ceremony, which was attended by more than 500 invited guests.
The crowd -- including the wives and teenaged children of diplomats and politicians -- shrieked his name and mobbed the star.
The 42-year-old heartthrob is well-loved in Malaysia, where Indian films have a huge following among ethnic Indians, majority Muslim-Malays and the ethnic Chinese community as well.
"It is a wonderful honor, it is very, very prestigious for me and... for all the people who act in films in my country," Khan told reporters.
"When you are an actor, you truly believe that the language that you speak can be truly international and go across boundaries and bring hope especially in today's time and age, when the world is full of strife."
Khan was taken on a tour of Malacca's tourist attractions before meeting thousands of fans.
"I love Shah Rukh. I got especially dolled up for him today and even though I am an ethnic Chinese, I really enjoy watching Hindi movies with Shah Rukh in them," said 22-year-old Chia Hooi Ling who attended the ceremony.
The award drew some controversy, with politicians questioning whether local artists should be recognised instead.
But fans were thrilled by the visit, which drew a large crowd of citizens, tourists and trishaw riders with Hindi movie songs blaring on their radios -- all hoping for a glimpse of the legend in the flesh.
"It is a dream come true for me. I traveled from Kuala Lumpur to see him and I managed to take a picture with him," said Siti Asmah Abdullah, a 21-year-old university student.
"He's lovely and very charming. Even my grandmother is in love with him," said Angelica Das, 16, who waited for hours to see him.
For local trishaw driver, Abu Mat Kassim, Khan's presence in the state -- where he filmed "One 2 Ka 4" -- meant a boost for his business.
"Look at how much he has done to make Malacca famous," he said. "We love him and we are proud to have this fabulous star as a Malaccan Datuk."
Actress Jennifer Anistons raunchy wet T-shirt pics could be illegally making their way onto the mens computers as a 2009 Desktop Calendar.
Turn to the month of November in the calendar and the Friends star appears in a wet dishevelled fine cotton T-shirt with her breast clearly visible as she tosses her head back under a waterfall.
But Anistons rep says that the calendar might be illegal.
“I dont think this is legal,” Fox News quoted the spokesperson for Aniston as telling Tarts.
“The rights for those photographs belong to the photographers,” the spokesperson added.
An attorney also confirmed that uncredited pics are generally a violation of the photographers rights.
Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie has proven again how handsomely it pays to combine gun-wielding action with serious roles, as she topped The Hollywood Reporter's list of highest-earning actresses on Friday.
But salaries are plummeting for top actresses and still lag the earnings of leading men, the trade paper said.
Jolie, 33, earned $15 million for the action movie "Wanted" this year and she could make $20 million to star in a possible sequel, it said.
Jolie played dramatic roles in 2007's "A Mighty Heart" and in this year's "Changeling." The mother of six and partner of actor Brad Pitt last month talked about eventually fading away from acting to spend more time with her family.
Oscar winner Julia Roberts, 41, claimed the No. 2 spot after a long absence from the screen, making more than $15 million for "Duplicity," which comes out next year.
Actors are also earning less, with the exception of Will Smith, star of blockbusters "Hancock" and "I Am Legend," who is riding high with up to $25 million per movie.
"Everyone else's prices have gone down," an unidentified talent agent told The Hollywood Reporter.
Reese Witherspoon, 32, who topped the female list last year after winning an Oscar for her role in the 2005 movie "Walk the Line," dropped to No. 3. She earned $14 million for appearing in the comedy hit "Four Christmases" that opened last week.
Cameron Diaz, Katherine Heigl, Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Aniston rounded out the list, with 39-year-old "Friends" star Aniston earning more than $8 million for the comedy "Marley & Me" opening on Christmas Day.
Big stars such as Halle Berry and Nicole Kidman -- both Oscar winners -- are no longer able to earn $10 million a movie.
Compare that with Pitt and Johnny Depp, who according to The Hollywood Reporter make between $15 million and $20 million per film.
Actress Naomi Watts is all set to shed her clothes to pose for artist David Bromley's submission for the Archibald Prize next year.
Popular for his waist-deep portraits of women starkers, Bromley, has claimed that talks are on with Watts’ camp to rope in the actress for the sexy portrait.
In an interview with SiT, the painter said that he has no plans to alter his signature style when he paints the Mulholland Drive star.
"My people are talking to her people. I think she will fit the pop quality of what I do really well, [also] she has these amazing eyes and a really strong gaze, which is why she is wonderful as an actress," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted him as saying.
Bromley has not set any sitting date, but is ready to wait while Watts is through with her pressing concerns, which includes the arrival of her second child with partner Live Schreiber.
Bromley has earlier painted Kylie Minogue, and an exhibition held last year contained a collection of well-known faces, including those of Megan Gale, Cheyenne Tozzi, Kirsty Hinze, Collette Dinnigan and Kate Ceberano.
As if she couldn't be any hotter? Monica Bellucci graces the cover of Italian GQ magazine this month. Not only is she a great actress but she embraces the glamour of a sexy movie glam icon. Here she is posing in a vintage style, something like Claudia Schiffer and Gemma Atkinson did it and she is no dough always the jaw-dropping Monica.
Britney Spears turns the power on, flipping the candy cane switch to light the tree on stage at the ‘Light of the Angels’ Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony at the LA Live entertainment complex on Thursday, December 4, in Los Angeles.
The 27-year-old pop princess was joined by councilwoman Jan Perry and the mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa.
LA Live is a $2.5 billion dollar project and is only three years into construction. There’s still a ways to go–the cineplex won’t be ready before next year.
Victoria Beckham arrives at the London hotel Claridges after launching her clothes range at Selfridges.
“I was so nervous that I for days before I drank loads and loads of water. God, I’m such a square,” Victoria said of her launching her clothing line.
“I was never that good a singer,” she told the Times Online, “but I think I am good at fashion. Even when I was at school, where I was bullied–sometimes physically, sometimes verbally–I was always customizing my uniform.