Mumbai, Aug 07: When it comes to endorsements, it looks like Katrina Kaif is desperately trying to be the next Ash. The London babe is reportedly accepting endorsements on such terms and conditions that are being turned down by other B-town queen bees.

The bodylicious babe had recently snatched the prestigious Nakshatra diamonds deal from Ash’s kitty, OK we grant that she is now the numero uno choice for leading brands, but if sources are to be believed Kat was not the first choice for the diamonds giant.

Story goes that the deal was initially offered to Deepika Padukone, but the actress had turned down the deal after studying it closely as she was not satisfied with the terms and the money that was offered to her.

UTV Network’s Hindi movie channel UTV Movies will premiere Jodhaa Akbar on 15 August at 11 am. The television premiere is within six months of the movie’s theatrical release.Released in February this year, the movie stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as protagonists.

Jodhaa Akbar is the story of Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar, Rajput princess Jodhaa, and their marriage which began as part of a political alliance and eventually turned into love.

The channel will also showcase “unseen footage” from the movie, which was not a part of the theatrical release. The “unseen footage”, spanning 34 minutes, would be introduced by director Ashutosh Gowariker after the movie ends.

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Abhishek and Aishwarya Bachchan live on Love Bollywood with Raj and Pablo on the BBC Asian Network, from the IIFA Weekend 2008 in Bangkok.

India’s dream factory is waking up to some hard facts: Illegal internet downloads and rampant piracy is eating into their profits. That’s why you’ll find Bollywood resorting to every trick in the book to boost its opening weekend box-office. That after all — as is the case with the global film industry — is where the moolah is.

The latest gimmick is carpet-bombing of multiplexes. Starting Friday, the Akshay Kumar-starrer Singh is Kinng will reel out in 28 shows a day across multiplexes all over India.

Devang Sampat, senior VP, Cinemax, confirms the strategy: “We will run the film as many as 28 times each day for a week. The first show will start as early as 7am.’’

Shravan Shroff of Fame Cinemas, too, affirms that his chain will have 19-25 shows a day across the country. ‘‘With 150-odd releases fighting for the 52 Fridays in a year, such tactics are bound to become the order of the day,’’ says a trade insider. ‘‘Such a move is usually successful because even before the reviews or public opinion dig in, 70% of the public has already seen the film or made bookings for it.’’

There have been many rumours in Bollywood about actresses making their way towards Hollywood. But they just remained rumours. So far Aishwarya Rai was one of our only heroines who was a known name in Hollywood. But as early as last week, Bombay Times had hinted that Kareena Kapoor who is currently in Hollywood was discussing big time offers. But the final announcement has taken even B’town by surprise.

The same paper confirmed Kareena has signed a film tentatively titled Chamera where she will be paired opposite Billy Zane. Some of Billy Zane’s hit films have been Phantom, Mummy and the Titanic.

After creating mass hype in tinsel town even before it was made official, Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif was on Tuesday named brand ambassador for Gitanjali’s Nakshatra Diamond jewellery, taking over the mantle from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Aishwarya has endorsed the brand since 2004. “I am delighted to be associated with a brand like Nakshatra that has garnered immense popularity not only in India but worldwide. I hope this association is amiable and mutually profitable,” Katrina said in a statement here on Tuesday.

Gitanjali Group chairman Mehul Choksi said, “Katrina is the perfect representation of the young, trendy and fashionable woman that Nakshatra targets. She lends a refreshing look to the brand. We are excited about having her on board as the new face for Nakshatra.”

This is the second time this year that Katrina has overtaken Aishwarya in terms of popularity and endorsements. Earlier, Katrina replaced her as the Bollywood star with the maximum number of downloads and searches on the Internet.