Shahid Kapoor has welcomed an apology from Saif Ali Khan over claims that he turned down the lead role in Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminey.

The pair had earlier clashed over reports that Kapoor was the director’s second choice for the film. However, Khan has since retracted his suggestion that the part was initially offered to him and now accepts he had discussed it with the helmer.

Kapoor told: “If he has said something like that I appreciate it. I have always said that he is a very senior actor. He has been around for much longer than me.”

Shahid Kapoor has been picked to receive the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Awards. The award, which has been previously given to Sachin Tendulkar, Mukesh Ambani and Amitabh Bachchan, recognises a person who shows eminence in his chosen field.

It will be handed out in the second week of August, just around the release of Shahid’s most anticipated film to date – Kaminey. Said an excited Shahid: “I was pleasantly surprised to get the news about my being chosen for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi award. “I’m only 28 years old and it’s really early in my career. I feel humbled and honoured to be chosen by the jury.”

The actor has-three films slated to be released later this year including Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminey opposite Priyanka Chopra, Aditya Chopra’s Dil Bole Hadippa opposite Rani Mukherjee which is releasing on 18 September and Ken Ghosh’s Yahoo opposite South Indian actress Genelia D’Souza which is to release at the end of year.

After eminent personalities like Sachin Tendulkar, Mukesh Ambani, Sunita Williams and Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor becomes the latest recipient of the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Award. The 28-year-old is going to be presented with the 12th Rajiv Gandhi Award in the best actor category. The award function will be held in the second week of August.

“I was pleasantly surprised to get the news about my being chosen for the prestigious award. I am only 28 years old and it’s really early in my career. I feel humbled and honoured to be chosen by the jury,” said Shahid.

This year, Shahid will be seen in three films — Vishal Bharadwaj’s “Kaminey” opposite Priyanka Chopra, Aditya Chopra’s “Dil Bole Hadippa” opposite Rani Mukherjee and a Ken Ghosh movie opposite Genelia D’Souza.

While suspense continues on whether Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra are dating; the two actors, who are promoting their film Kaminey, actually decided to travel in the same car to radio stations a few days ago. Of course their individual PR managers followed closely, and it so happened that despite their wanting to be together for the interviews, someone some-where goofed. So radio stations only announced that Shahid was on his way.

Priyanka’s name was left out because of an oversight. Insiders say that Shahid advised her to turn back and return for the radio interviews another day. Though it was just a minor mix up, it is reported that Shahid wanted Priyanka’s arrival to be announced with elan.

As reports of Ken Ghosh’s Shahid Kapoor-Genelia D’Souza film being called Yahoo fill the papers and television tickers, the director is one worried man. “Because as far as I’m concerned my film is not called Yahoo, ” explains Ghosh with much distress. “The title has registered with the public because it has been thrown at them so often. But it hasn’t been registered with us.

We don’t have the title, plain and simple. Some other producer has the title Yahoo. Not that I’m really keen on calling the film Yahoo.”

Ken feels once the title is entrenched in the public’s mind the power to claim the title from the original owners weakens. “I’ve gone through this when the American choreographer Marty Kudelka’s name was announced for our film before he was properly signed and put under the contract.

When the information was leaked out we were suddenly being armtwisted financially.”

Ken feels he may have to go through the same process of financial bullying for the title. He would much rather call his film something else.

The problem is, the public thinks it’s Yahoo. “And it would take us a while to erase that assumption and start afresh. To begin with everyone thought our film was called Star. That caused its own damage. We began calling the film Yahoo because of the association with Shammi Kapoor. But now we think we want to call the film that.”

Ken hopes to put the idea to public vote. “We can’t wait too long because we need the new title to sink in.”

With a superstar Shahid Kapur as her son Neelima Azim never had to worry about hunting for a lead actor for her debut project until now. Waiting endlessly for her son to give a green signal to her dream project Neelima seems to have had no option but to look for an alternative male lead for her directorial debut film. Working with top-notch banners and the filmdom famous taskmasters, Shahid seems to have no time to help his mother realise her dreams. According to the latest Bollywood buzz, Shahid has not only snubbed his mother’s offer but is also avoiding her altogether.

Met with such spiteful antics, Azim has now approached Emran Hashmi. But as luck would have it Hashmi too has refused to play the part. Known for working under the protective wings of the Bhatts, Hashmi didn’t want to take the risk of working with a new director. Emraan said, “Yes, she approached me for a film but I am not doing it.”Confirming the news a daily quoted a source as saying, “Neelima Azim was extremely confident that Shahid would act in her film. However, Shahid opted to do a film with his father instead. Neelima tried repeatedly to rope him in, but her attempts were futile. Finally, Shahid even stopped taking her calls and did not even meet her.” Well looks like Shahid is not a mama’s boy.

Although the title of his film is not finalized, Ken Ghosh can literally shout Yahoo from the top of his lungs. His film has just two days of shoot before he can call it a wrap. Starring Shahid Kapur and Genelia D’Souza, the film had to be re shot following the decision to replace the then lead actress Jiah Khan.

Ghosh tells Businessofcinema.com, “The film is about a young couple and the relationship between a choreographer and a dancer. The chemistry between Shahid and Jiah was not what we desired once the script saw some changes. And contrary to popular belief, we had only shot for ten days with Jiah, before we made our decision.”

Talking about his new lead pair and the usually reticent director is all excited. He gushed, “You should see the chemistry between Shahid and Genelia. They are magic on celluloid. On hindsight, I am glad we took the decision.” Talking about their dancing, Ken added, “Shahid is a great dancer and everyone knows that, but Genelia really surprised me. She is easily one of the best dancers in the industry.”

Currently the Yahoo unit is shooting across various locations in the city. A big set has been put at Mumbai’s Film City to film some important dialogue portions. D’Souza wraps up her shoot a day prior to Shahid. And if all is smooth sailing, hereafter, the film should release in October.

Though Shahid cites professional reasons for his exit from IIFA, more will certainly be read in his departure particularly when it comes close on the heels of his Kaminey co-star and “very good friend” Priyanka Chopra ’s decision to not perform at the event to be held from June 11 to 13 in Macau, China. The Jab We Met actor was to perform with Chopra on the title track of the Vishal Bharadwaj film, but since the schedule of IIFA was clashing with the dates committed to a producer he decided to miss the ceremony.

“I was looking forward to performing at IIFA and showcasing ‘Kaminey’, however my commitment to my producer has to be honoured,” said Shahid in a statement.The dates could not be adjusted as ‘Kaminey’, Pathshala and Yashraj Films’ tentatively titled Hadippa are ready for release and there is patchwork shoot remaining for Ken Ghosh’s tentatively titled film Yahoo , said the statement. Earlier, Kareena Kapoor too had pulled out of the show. She had reportedly been practising for her performance and had also decided on her costume, but bowed out at the last moment to be with boyfriend Saif Ali Khan in London.

The film that had earlier been titled Yahoo had got Genelia D’Souza replacing Jiah Khan a few days back. Hardly has the film progressed, another controversy has started taking shape. It is recently in the news that actor Shahid Kapur is not happy with director Ken Ghosh due to his selection of actress nad wants Priyanka Chopra to be casted opposite him.

“Wow, it’s amazing how imaginative people can get”, Ken says in an amused tone, “Now they are saying that Shahid is upset with me and the whole world because Priyanka is not the heroine opposite him. First there were rumours around the film’s title being Yahoo, and then came the entire so-called controversy around Jiah being replaced with Genelia and now Priyanka Chopra. What’s going to be next is what I wish to know!” “In the times when we are searching for that quintessential romantic ‘jodi’ in Bollywood, Shahid-Genelia may well fill in the void. They both really complement each other quite well. Fingers crossed”, he adds.

Even though Ken is excited about his new cast, but according to the team, Shahid has become completely incommunicado on the sets of the film and is sulking away due to Priyanka not being roped in. his behaviour is even making Genelia feel like left out on sets.

After Jiah Khan was replaced by Genelia D’Souza in Ken Ghosh’s Yahoo, it was decided that since they’d already shot for fifty-odd days with the Nishabd actress, they’d use long shots and patch-up work to save on cost. But that was not acceptable to leading man Shahid Kapoor.

An insider says, “The film went on sets early last year, and should’ve been complete and ready for release if it wasn’t for Shahid. He had Jiah removed in what was meant to be the last shooting schedule. Then after much brainstorming, Genelia was roped in and now, it looks like further delays.”

The source adds, “It was decided that the director would try to cheat as many scenes as possible. We were to go with close-ups and wide shots to save as much of the film as we could. But now after shooting for a week, Shahid made it clear that he wanted the film re-shot.”

Shahid’s argument (which is valid) is that he doesn’t want to compromise on the film as he feels that audiences are very smart and cheating them with fake shots will affect the film adversely. Now the cost of the film has nearly doubled and the only reason the producers are putting up with their star’s diktats is because Shahid is also doing Kaminey with them, which they expect to be the runaway hit of the year.