Oodles of charm and a million-dollar smile may help in landing plum roles.

But they certainly don't help in stalling planes from taking off.

That's something Rani Mukherji will not forget soon.

There was pandemonium at the Jet Airways counter as her baggage and boarding pass were in but she wasn't. While the clock was ticking away, Mukherji Sr (Rani's father) made valiant attempts to persuade the staff to hold on, assuring them that his daughter would be at the airport soon.

"She must take the flight to Trivandrum today," he kept insisting. "Otherwise the schedules will go haywire. She has some important scenes to shoot."

The reason for the unavoidable delay? An evening -- Akshay Kumar's engagement to Twinkle Khanna -- that ended in a late night.

The story didn't have a happy end as the flight took off sans Rani. The last we know, Rani and her father were trying their best to manage tickets for the next available flight.

We are family!

Karisma Kapoor was conspicuous by her absence from uncle Rajiv Kapoor's wedding reception in the R K Cottage.

And yes, it's far more interesting to put her absence down to some strife or misunderstanding that took place during the wedding, which was held in Delhi.

But (un) fortunately, we'll let it be known that the reason for Karisma staying away was that she is down with chicken pox.

Her absence was adequately compensated for by Mamma Babita and sister Kareena. And Karisma kept calling Papa Randhir at regular intervals to inquire the goings-on of what was happening all through the evening.

Shah Rukh heeds Boney's pukar!

Time can change the direction of the winds. And how.

First, it was producer Boney Kapoor chasing the unwilling Shah Rukh Khan for a film with Shah Rukh putting Boney on hold. And Shah Rukh telling his friends, on the side, that there was no way he would agree to the film and that non-availability of dates was the easiest way out of the project.

Then, it was Shah Rukh willingly allotting dates to Boney for a film that is all set to roll by January 2001.

One can't help but wonder at this sudden change of heart. Is it because the Khan feels threatened with wonder boy Hrithik? Or is it because Sridevi no longer stars in the film and Karisma Kapoor has stepped into her shoes as the heroine? Hmmm...

All for a song and dance!

The chasm that separates a good performance from a memorable one is dedication.

On the one hand there is a Rishi Kapoor, one of the most talented stars of the decade who has not achieved the status that is due to him only because he refuses to put in the hard work that may be a star like Kamal Haasan does.

And it is this dedication that sets Madhuri apart and puts her in a class of stars who are remembered for their performances.

Today, despite the niche she has carved for herself and the tremendous fan following she has garnered, Madhuri still gives her profession her all.

For instance, in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas, Madhuri Dixit-Nene is religiously taking Bharata Natyam classes for dances that have an intricate classical base. Now, if this isn't dedication, we don't know what is...

Will Haasan tell and kiss?

Raveena is one relieved woman these days. And she has multiple reasons for being so.

Rumours about Aishwarya Rai being the first choice, followed by Manisha Koirala's inclusion into the cast of Kamal Haasan's Abhay, were making Ms Tandon insecure.

When she voiced her apprehensions to Hassan, a gallant Kamal made it known that Manisha was in the film only for a song and that Ash was never considered.

Moreover, there was also no cause for Raveena to worry about kissing her co-star, as there were no scenes to that effect.

So far so good.

But Kamal is known for adding these scenes as his films progress. This compels us to wonder how long Ms Tandon will bask in her unperturbed state of mind!

Hell hath no fury...

When all else fails, blame it on film journalists. That's the recourse Namrata Shirodkar seems to be taking.

After wondering where stories of her affair emanated from and drawing a blank, she placed the blame on the media.

But if she probes a bit deeper, she will surely unearth the culprit.

You want a hint, did you say, Ms Shirodkar? Here goes...The person who is spreading this story is none other than the wife of an actor.

We will be generous and throw in another clue: Mahesh Manjrekar had directed a film for a certain star and the star's wife apparently was not too happy with the way Mahesh behaved all through the shooting. Adding fuel to the fire was the fact that the film didn't do too well either.

So this better (and bitter) half is venting her displeasure and poor Namrata is the scapegoat in the entire episode. Or could it be that the wife has an axe to grind with Namrata and is killing two birds with one stone?