Presently, guidelines formulated by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in 2005 are used for surrogacy cases. “There are doctors who follow guidelines sincerely and there are some who are not aware of guidelines. A law and a monitoring agency badly need to be in place,” said obstetrician and gynaecologist Duru Shah adding that the lack of regulation hinders the country’s business in surrogacy. “Many foreigners decide against choosing India as they are aware of the lack of rules and regulations here.”

According to Dr Nayna Patel, an IVF specialist from Gujarat, the surrogacy bill will help all parties involved. “However there are problems in the bill that need to be looked at. For example, it stresses on a third-party involvement to deal with the legal part. It will lead to excessive commercialisation of the process,” said Patel, who did her first commercial surrogacy case in 2003. Since then, Anand turned into a hub for surrogacy.

Experts say that presence of a law reinforces a person’s confidence. “Surrogacy is a very well accepted and sound medical process in ART(Assisted Reproductive Technology). The presence of national guidelines set by the ICMR which will be legislated soon, will further strengthen it’s application,” said Firoza Parikh, director of IVF department at Jaslok Hospital who did the surrogacy for Aamir and Kiran.

A city-based businessman, whose son was born through surrogacy, and whose wife was treated by IVF specialist from Lilavati hospital, Dr Hrishikesh Pai, said, “My wife had 8-9 failed IVF cycles before we considered surrogacy.”

What is IVF-Surrogacy is an extension of the IVF process. In IVF surrogacy the oocyte (egg cell) of the mother is fertilised with the sperm of the father by IVF process. The embryo(s) formed are placed in a surrogate woman who has a healthy uterus and who nurtures the baby in her womb for nine months. So the baby belongs genetically and biologically to the parents.

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“The shooting of the first episode was quite an emotional affair. Aamir Khan broke down quite a few times during the shoot and had to take breaks to get back to his normal self. Not just him, a lot of people in the audience cried many times. The whole atmosphere on the sets was charged up and somber. Though Kiran (Rao, his wife) is not creatively involved in the show, she was there by her husband’s side,” a source told Mid Day.

“Aamir had not met the people beforehand because he wanted to retain spontaneity, so his reactions were very natural. The shooting happened very quietly. The team of the show had been working on the idea for over a year,” added the source.

The title Mera Bharat Mahaan is already registered by Ekta Kapoor’s production house. Reportedly Aamir has requested Ekta to give that title to him.

Aamir Khan will be seen in Dhoom 3 and Reema Kagti’s next.

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NEW YORK: Aamir Khan’s ‘Lagaan’ which won an Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category, has made it to the all-time 25 best sports movies list compiled by Time magazine.The 2001 film, set in the times of the British Raj in India, clinched the 14th spot on the list.

Produced by Aamir and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, ‘Lagaan’ tells the story of a group of villagers who strike a deal with the representatives of the Raj – if the locals defeat them in a game of cricket they get a break on their ‘lagaan’, or land tax.

“From the thunderclap in the first torrential rainstorm — a cue for riotous dancing — to the climactic sunlight on the smiling faces of millions of viewers, this Bollywood epic is cause for joy of meteorological proportions,” the magazine says, calling the film “the longest and most enthralling underdog-sports movie ever”.

“Even those who know none of cricket’s complicated rules will bounce in their seats to AR Rahman’s irrepressible tunes; here, one can immediately and fully accept the Bollywood trope of music and dance as an expression of life’s deepest, most soaring emotions. As sports film, social document or communal ecstasy, Lagaan is the all-time all-rounder,” it added.

‘Lagaan’ is the only Indian movie in the list, which is topped by ‘The Big Lebowski’, a film on bowling made in 1998. ‘Body and Soul’ (1947), ‘Breaking Away’ (1979), ‘Bull Durham’ (1988) and ‘Caddyshack’ (1980) rounded off the top five.

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Directed by debutant Anusha Rizvi, the film stars theatre actors and was shot in a small village in Madhya Pradesh.

The film also takes pot shots at the media and the political system in the country.

This is third time lucky for Aamir Khan Production as the actor’s previous films “Lagaan” (2001) and “Taare Zameen Par” (2007) were also selected to represent India at the Academy awards.

“Laagan”, which saw Aamir playing a farmer in British Raj, was shortlisted in a category of five but lost to Bosnian war film “No Man’s Land”.

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Helmed and written by Anusha Rizvi in her first directorial venture, the film is a satire on the farmers’ suicides and subsequent media and political response in India.

“South Africa is very lucky for me and I hope that luck extends to Peepli Live as well,” Aamir Khan said from Mumbai on Tuesday. The 45-year-old actor’s film Lagaan, which went on to get an Oscar nomination also had its world premiere at Sun City in South Africa.

“Peepli Live has been very well received at all the major film festivals. It has already been at the Sundance Film Festival and was the first Indian film to be selected for the competition section there. Then we were at the Berlin Film Festival and in the UK; and then at the Durban Film Festival we won the award,” Aamir said.

Filmmakers from around the world took the spotlight at the 31st Durban film fest which was held from 22 July to 1 August.

Well-known for his rejection of the various Indian film industry awards and staying away from them even when his films win multiple awards, Aamir was elated after the film bagged the honour. “I think it’s really wonderful news that I got today. To get an award from such a distinguished jury leaves me very pleased for the team that we have won this honour,” Aamir said.

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While Bollywood Monarch Aamir Khan has been repeating time and again that he is not in a race to become the highest tax payer, he has paid more tax than his Bollywood colleagues for financial year of 2009-10. Fresh from his 48th ton in Colombo, Sachin Tendulkar paid a tax of `6.8 crore.

According to sources, most Bollywood actors paid less than the previous year. For example, Akshay Kumar’s latest tax outgo is `18 crore, which is 41% lower than the tax he paid in the previous assessment. Continuing with Aamir Khan, he has recently told Ms. Anurradha Prasad in her popular TV show ` Aamne-Samne` that he is not at all in the race to become highest tax payer. He has paid staggering Rs 12.90 crore. It is more than any other Bollywood star.

Shah Rukh Khan has paid far less than last year; at `9.5 crore, his tax payment was 70% less than the previous year. Reigning superstar Aamir Khan, who is in the limelight for a series of successful movies, is the only actor who paid more than his previous records. A tax outgo of `12.89 crore shows Aamir paid about 12% more than previous year. Hrithik Roshan and Salman Khan saw a steep fall in their tax payments. While Hrithik paid `6.5 crore, half of last year’s payments, Salman Khan with `5.5-crore tax outgo, was paying 60% less.

They are: Dilipkumar Lekhi at `9.75 crore (up 147%), Vishinda Diamond at `13.3 crore (up 96%) Deepak & Co paid `14.25 crore (up 137%), Shree Ramkrishna Exports’ tax outgo stood at `14.25 crore (up 307%) and Ankit Gems at `5.85 crore (up 135%).

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GOING ALL OUT: Aamir will promote UAE's Etisalat for Rs 30-35 crore over three years.

Aamir Khan has signed the biggest deal in India’s advertising history. 

The film, which also stars Smita Patil’s son Prateik Babbar, will be Aamir first project in 2010. The film will be released in the second half of this year. Dhobighat’s shooting is complete. Post-production is going on. We will release it in the last half of 2010,” Aamir said. “There are four lead roles and I am one of them. I have enjoyed working with Kiran. She is a creative director and Kiran has got what she wanted,” the actor told reporters here last night.

Aamir is playing a painter who lives and works in his tiny studio-apartment in a noisy and congested Mumbai neighbourhood. The megastar said that he would release three films as a producer this year. “Right now, I am going to take a two months off. After that, I will start reading scripts that appeals me as an actor or director. If I like something, I’ll do that. But whether its acting or directing, I don’t know,” he said.

Rejecting reports that his brand value has increased after the success of  3 Idiots, the actor said, “I don’t hold myself as a brand. I am an artiste who works with stories”.

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Kareena Kapoor seems to be getting increasingly generous with her kisses these days! After locking lips with her ex-flame Shahid in ‘Jab We Met’, beau Saif in ‘Tashan’ and Akshay in ‘Kambhakt Ishq’, the Kapoor belle will now be seen playing tongue tonsils with ace actor Aamir Khan in ‘3 Idiots’.Being on a kissing spree ever since she trimmed down to the much-envied size zero, Kareena this time left the fabled actor much impressed.

Buzz has it that director Raju Hirani wanted to reveal the intimacy between Kareena and Aamir, just days before the film was set to release. Nevertheless, our sources reveal that the two hotties share a total of 3 hot kisses.

And as per the insiders, the kissing scenes have been aesthetically shot and were done after a series of retakes. For a scene where Kareena blows Aamir a kiss, the duo had to give 14 retakes and that was kiss No 1.

Taking over the reigns from Kareena, who was visibly nervous, Aamir improvised and got Bebo to kiss him on the cheek next.

But it was the third kiss that left the crew awe-struck. Locking lips in the climax of the film the kiss is said to more intense that Aamir and Karishma’s ‘Raja Hindustani’ act.

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