When Rani bowed before Madhuri

Rani Mukerji made for a Kodak moment when she prostrated in a 'sashtang namaskar' before dancing diva Madhuri Dixit on the reality show 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4'. Check out the pic right here.

Rani admitted she is a self-proclaimed Madhuri Dixit fan after she shook a leg with the 'Dhak dhak' girl on 'Dola re dola' on the show's episode to be aired Monday (December 27).

Rani came as a special guest along with Vidya Balan to promote their upcoming film 'No One Killed Jessica', releasing Jan 7.

The two actresses, who have burst the bubble of catfights in Bollywood by being unusually pally with each other, also danced together on 'Ibn-e-batuta'.

Salman Khan paints Mother St. Teresa's portrait to celebrate her 100th birth anniversary

That Salman is a great actor is anybody's guess. That Salman is a great human being, is something that all the recipients of his affection will vouch for, so much so that Salman also has a NGO dedicated to the same cause called as 'Being Human'.

But Salman being a great painter is something that is proven with each passing day. Yes, you heard it right. Even though he maybe the proverbial 'bad boy' of Bollywood, his paintings say something else! Salman's emotional side can quite clearly be visible from his paintings. Amongst the other 'testimonials', we bring you with yet another Masterpiece of a painting by Sallu. This time, Salman has painted the portrait of Mother Teresa, whose 100th birthday is being planned to be celebrated all over the world this year. As a token of his love and respect to the eternal Mother, Salman has painted this portrait, a picture of which he posted on twitter recently. Needles to say, it's a piece de resistance indeed!

Shilpa Shetty ties the knot with Raj Kundra

Clad in a red sari and flaunting diamonds and emeralds, Shilpa Shetty exchanged wedding vows with London-based businessman Raj Kundra in a close-knit family affair in Khandala.

Shilpa Shetty married London-based businessman Raj Kundra in a lavish ceremony at Khandala.

Earlier Raj had arrived in a chariot decorated with flowers and drawn by two horses from Amrit Villa, located about five minutes away from Bawa Villa, where the wedding was held.

Clad in a maroon sherwani with golden embroidery, Kundra was sporting a turban with his face veiled by a sehra (string of pearls). He was also holding a sword in his hand, as per Indian tradition.

Noticed dancing in the baraat (marriage procession) were actors Rohit Roy and Jackky Bhagnani.

Shilpa, decked in a burgundy and red saree designed by Tarun Tahiliani, married Raj in a Mangalorean ceremony.

Shilpa's beau Raj Kundra wore creations by Shantanu and Nikhil.

Before the marriage, it was the wedding card, which created a buzz for it's look and content.

A reception will be held in Mumbai on 24 November.

Aishwarya celebrating 36th birthday today

She’s set out to make millions smile

On her 36th birthday today (Nov 1), Aishwarya Rai has been named the first goodwill ambassador for Smile Train, a charity that works worldwide for children with cleft lip.

The former Miss World has partnered with the NGO, in association with her own charity - Aishwarya Rai Foundation - and will spread awareness and garner resources to help the movement, said a press release.

"God has given me plenty of reasons to smile and I feel it's time to spread it around. There are a lot of children out there who so desperately need help, but can't receive timely care because their families cannot afford this surgery or are ill-educated about this condition.

"Working with Smile Train, if I can make a difference in their lives, it will certainly make me feel honoured and blessed," Aishwarya said.

As the goodwill ambassador, Aishwarya will actively work to help Smile Train provide free cleft surgery to children in 76 developing countries around the world, including India.

According to information provided by the NGO, over one million children await cleft surgery in India alone, and currently only 50 percent children born with cleft in India get the medical assistance required. And Smile Train officials feel Aishwarya will be of immense help in taking forward their movement globally.

"Aishwarya's universal appeal and star power will be a priceless asset to our organisation, and we consider it a great privilege to have her represent our organisation," Smile Train president Brian Mullaney said.

"Her poise, intelligence and dedication to our mission will catapult the work that we do to new and exciting heights. Since she is a global superstar, it makes her the perfect representative for our global organisation. There is no corner of the world where she isn't known, and in each of those corners, there is a Smile Train hospital that is helping kids every day of the year," he added.

The rising concern for kids born with a cleft was raised worldwide through Smile Train's recent Oscar-winning movie "Smile Pinki". The 39-minute documentary made by Megan Mylan shows the story of a poor girl in rural India whose life is transformed when she receives free surgery to correct her cleft lip. It was made in Hindi and Bhojpuri and won the 81st Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject).

Meanwhile, Ash's megastar father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan wished her a "long prosperous life" on her birthday.

"We have... just brought in Aishwarya's birthday and wished her love and happiness and a long prosperous life. It was just the family," Amitabh posted on his blog early Sunday morning.

Vivek Oberoi celebrates birthday with cancer patients

Actor turns 33 today

Instead of marking his 33rd year with parties, Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi chose to spend his birthday on Sept 3 at an ashram in Mumbai and with cancer patients, says a source close to the actor.

"There is no party, no dinner, no celebration that has been planned by Vivek for his birthday. Every year on his birthday, he visits Barbhaya ashram here and later he visits some cancer patients, most of them are kids," the source told IANS.

The actor, who became popular with Ram Gopal Varma's "Company" and Shaad Ali's "Saathiya", was apparently busy buying gifts for the kids on Sept 2 evening.

"He himself goes out and buys small gifts for the kids. He spends about two to three hours with them and it gives him a lot of joy," the source added.

Vivek has been off the Bollywood radar for quite sometime now. But he is ready to jump back into action with Karan Johar's "Qurbaan", which stars Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. He will also be seen in Tips' "Prince", in which he has performed death defying stunts and is being touted as his most ambitious movie ever.

He will also start shooting for Varma's pet project "Rakta Charitra" from Sep 25.

SRK gets Vishal-Shekhar, Hrithik, Shahid, Priyanka, Katrina for MJ tribute

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Some of the biggest names from the film industry would be seen paying tribute to Michael Jackson on his 51st birthday. Come 29th of August and Shah Rukh Khan, Vishal and Shekhar, Shahid Kapoor, Shankar Mahadevan, Prabhu Deva, Priyanka Chopra and Yuvraj Singh amongst others would be featuring in a music video titled 'Make it Large- A tribute to Michael Jackson'.

It was Shah Rukh Khan's idea to get a tribute rolling for the music legend who passed away on 25th June this year.

Says Vishal Dadlani of Vishal-Shekhar duo, "The entire world was upset about his demise and so were Shekhar (Ravjiani) and I. We happened to meet Shah Rukh and he also expressed his thought about doing something that would be befitting the stature of the man who entertained us for decades. This is how the idea around the music video was born."

Vishal and Shekhar soon set a task for themselves and began working on the song. It was decided that the music video would be launched on 29th August to coincide with Michael Jackson's birthday. While Vishal also wrote the lyrics for the song, some of the best singers in the industry - Shankar Mahadevan, Shaan, KK and Shreya Ghoshal - were roped in come behind the mike.

"For the moment, the idea is to launch the music video across all music channels just for one day. It is available on Red Chillies Entertainment website though", informs Vishal who is currently holidaying in London.

Directed by Samar Khan, a close associate of Shah Rukh and director of films like Shaurya and Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye,'Make it Large- A tribute to Michael Jackson' is also special since it features Prabhudeva who is yet again seen at his dancing best.

Also, the video features testimonials on Michael Jackson from Shah Rukh Khan himself along with Shahid Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma and Yuvraj Singh.

To extend the tribute, Vishal and Shekhar would also be allowing free download of the song at their website beginning 29th August.

"The video wasn't created for making money. It's a tribute and I am sure there are millions out there who would want to grab a copy of the song for themselves. We are more than glad to share our sentiments with the rest of the world", concludes Vishal.

Top Bollywood stars in Michael Jackson tribute video

It’s been initiated by Shah Rukh’s production house

Shah Rukh Khan and several other Bollywood stars are set to pay a tribute to King of Pop Michael Jackson through a music video.

The initiative to make a music video has been taken by Shah Rukh Khan, who is a big fan of Jackson. Apparently, SRK had even cried when he had heard the news of MJ’s death.

The creative heads of Red Chillies Entertainment recently approached SRK with the idea of the music video and he loved it and decided to go ahed with it.

Many Bollywood stars other than SRK will feature in the video which will be aired on August 29, which is MJ’s birthday.

Composer Vishal has written the song and the music has been composed by him and his partner Shekhar. They will also perform in the video along with singers Kay Kay, Shaan, Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal.

Top Bollywood stars such as Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapur, Hurman Baweja, Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif and Kangana Ranaut will also convey their messages through this music video, which will also feature Prabhu Deva and Yuvraj Singh, among others.

The video, directed by Samar Khan, is currently being shot.

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Shah Rukh Khan returns home; says does not want apology

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, at the centre of a row over his detention and questioning at a U.S. airport, said on Tuesday he wasn't looking for any apology.

Khan, 43, one of India's best known actors, was en route to Chicago for a parade to mark the Indian Independence Day when he was pulled aside and questioned at Newark airport on Friday.

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Katrina Kaif is a liar!

In a recent interview to a Mumbai tabloid, Ayesha Shroff said that Katrina Kaif is a fictitious name that they concocted for the British born actress.

Katrina Kaif has been tom-tomming around town that her mother is British and her father is Kashmiri which is why she has the Indian surname and is sort-of Indian in her appearance (the raven hair especially).

Ayesha Shroff, who gave Katrina Kaif her big Bollywood break in 2003 in the form of Boom, said that Katrina’s real name is Katrina Turquotte and that is what it was on her passport at the time of Boom in 2003. Obviously it looked and read very British and was hard to pronounce for Indian audiences, which is why they changed it to Kaif. Kazi was an option but they didn’t agree on that because of the religious overtone.

A source gave us some more masala on Katrina. “She used to work to support her huge family and she didn’t have a very respectable job in London. Kaizad Gustad picked up the very attractive lass off the streets of London. The makers of Boom concocted the Kashmir father-Brit mother story so that Indian audiences would accept her. When she came to India, she got friendly with Salman Khan and his family, which worked very well in her favour as her recommended her to directors and producers. It is amazing how she has lied all this while that she is an Indian girl because she absolutely isn’t. She may be very coy, classy and prim-and-propah now but her behavior on the sets of Boom was nothing like that or like a well-behaved Indian girl. She was more comfortable being sexy then but now she wants to dress up from head-to-toe.”

He adds, “Now she is an inspirational icon as she opened doorways for firangi wannabe actresses in India by establishing herself. What she has achieved is commendable in spite of the cultural and language barriers. Katrina has learnt Hindi, Bollywood dancing and her acting has also improved. She adds to the glamour of films. With her bangin’ bod and gorgeous face, she makes it work.”

We are wondering how Katrina, who has hoodwinked the country, can be called the Indian likeness of a Barbie because she isn’t Indian at all. We wonder what other skeletons will come out of the closet with time?

Shahrukh Khan's the king of hearts

Chicago: King Khan Shahrukh Khan once again proved why he's been given the so called title of "King of Bollywood" as he forgets the bad experiences at the Newark Air Port on Independence Day eve and won the hearts of hundreds of his fans despite breaking them.

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Exclusive: How American media reported Global Icon SRK’s detention

'This never happened to Schwarzenegger,' wrote New York Daily News

Even as US officials denied accusations that they detained Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan at an airport because he is Muslim, the incident earned him willy-nilly a splash in the American media.

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Salman gifts Rs.25,000 to a beggar

It was a person from his past!

Salman Khan has time and again proven that he has a very generous heart. This time he showed that by gifting a beggar 25 thousand rupees.

While shooting at Bandra Fort for his upcoming movie “Wanted” recently, Salman recognised a beggar. He went up to him and asked if he was the same person who used to sell kites at Bandra Bandstand. The beggar said yes.

Apparently Salman used to buy kites from that person when he was a child. But he hadn’t seen him for years. And now after 20 years he saw him and recognised him!

So he gave him Rs. 25,000 and some food and clothes.

Now that was a double treat for the beggar. A superstar not only recognised him but also gave him money and other necessities.

Gulzar turns 73 on Aug 18

Writer-director likes to celebrate birthday with his family

As Sampooran Singh Kalra - famous as Gulzar the lyricist, director and scriptwriter - turns 73 on Tuesday, his daughter Meghna says he has "unconditional love for everyone" even though he is a "silent individual and an introvert".

"One thing I love and adore in my father is his unconditional love for everyone who is associated with him. Friends, family...his adulation for all of us is so heart-warming," Meghna told IANS over phone from Mumbai about her director-poet father.

"He may be a very deep, silent and introvert individual, but he is very emotional. I really respect that thing in him."

"As a father, he has always gone by the principle that he is as old as me! When I was one-year-old, he considered himself to be a one-year-old father. He has always raised me in a way that I have my own independent thinking and make my own decisions, yet he was always there for me when I stumbled or when I made an error," said Meghna, the maker of films like "Filhaal" (2002) and "Just Married" (2007).

Filmmaker Subhash Ghai, who worked with the veteran lyricist in his film "Yuvvraaj", also describes him as "affection personified".

"He is a very affectionate and humble person. I was really touched when after watching the songs of 'Yuvvraaj' on screen before release, he sent a message saying 'magnificently picturised by Subhash'. That was a big award for me," he said.

"I wish him a long and healthy life with the smile that he always carries with himself," Ghai added.

Gulzar, who recently won an Oscar for his song "Jai ho" in the film "Slumdog Millionaire", penned his first song for filmmaker Bimal Roy’s 1963 film "Bandini". Titled "Mora gora ang lai le", it was a chartbuster and music lovers hum it till date.

Some of his most popular songs have been associated with legendary composer R.D. Burman in movies such as "Parichay" ("Musafir hoon yaron"), "Aandhi" ("Tera bina zindagi se koi"), "Ijaazat" ("Mera kuch saaman") and "Masoom" ("Tujhse naraz nahi zindagi") to name a few.

He has also had award-winning associations with composers like Salil Chowdhury for "Anand" and Madan Mohan for "Mausam". In recent times he teamed up with young composers like Vishal Bharadwaj for "Maachis", A.R. Rahman for "Dil Se" and "Guru" and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy for "Bunty aur Babli".

"There is a childlike quality in him (Gulzar). He sees every move of mine and I too simply love working with a genius like him. I am so glad that I am working again with him on Mani Ratnam's new film," said Rahman.

The multifaceted Gulzar donned the hat of a director with "Mere Apne" in 1971. He then went on to make films like "Parichay", "Koshish" (1972), "Aandhi" (1975), "Mausam" (1975), "Ijaazat" (1987) and "Maachis" (1996) among others.

For his contributions to Indian cinema, Gulzar was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2004. His movies have won numerous National Awards too - he bagged the best director honour for "Mausam" and best lyricist honour for the songs "Mera kuch saamaan" and "Yaara sili sili".

Gulzar likes to celebrate his birthday with his family, away from the city, and this year will be no different, says daughter Meghna.

"My father likes to run away from the city on his birthday. We normally go to a place that has some historic significance. Like once we went to Hampi and some other time to Ajanta. We spent around four-five days together. That's how he likes it," said Meghna.

Meghna, however, refused to reveal this year's vacation spot.

Exclusive: Global Superstar Shahrukh Khan arrested in US over Muslim name

Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan was on Saturday (August 15) questioned for two hours at New Jersey’s Newark airport over his surname and was freed only after Indian diplomats intervened.

The Indian government and entertainment industry reacted furiously after the 43-year-old actor, named by Newsweek last year as one of the world's 50 most powerful men, revealed how he was detained and stopped from even using his mobile telephone.

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Kamal Haasan completes 50 years in showbiz

Fans organising big event on Aug 12

In his five-decade-long career he has acted in more than 150 films in different Indian languages, directed movies and won several awards. Kamal Haasan, one of the finest actors of Indian cinema, completes 50 years in showbiz this year and fans are busy preparing to celebrate his remarkable journey.

"Kamal Haasan completes 50 years of his meritorious journey in the film industry. He has acted in the films of all the four South Indian languages and even in Hindi and Bengali films. No other actor in the country has achieved such distinctions in his career and created milestones for himself. Kamal fans all around are planning to celebrate this event in a grand manner," said Prakash, secretary of the Kamal Fans Association in Karnataka.
He says that they are co-ordinating with Kamal's fans in Chennai to organise an event on Aug 12 - the day his first film was released way back in 1960.

Kamal gave his first short in 1959 for the film "Kalaththoor Kannamma" when he was only five years old. Produced by AVM Productions and directed by Bhim Singh, the film was released Aug 12, 1960. While Gemini Ganesan and Savitri played lead roles, Kamal featured as a child artist and had even sung a popular song "Ammavum Neeye Appavum Neeye" in it.

Kamal had won the best child actor National Award for his performance in his debut film.

He also won the best actor national awards for "Moondram Pirai" (1982), "Nayagan" (1987) and "Indian" (1996). In 1988, he won the Best Actor Filmfare Award for "Pushpak", a black comedy that didn't have any dialogue. Apart from that, he has won several honours like Nandi awards and Tamil Nadu state film awards.

He also has the distinction of being the actor with the most number of films submitted by India for the Academy Award in Best Foreign Language Film category.

According to sources, the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC) is organising a big event to felicitate Kamal. Though the preparations have started, the SIFCC is contemplating have the felicitation first in Chennai and then in other south Indian metros.

Kamal's fans wanted him to release "Unnai Pol Oruvan", a remake of the critically acclaimed Hindi movie "A Wednesday", on Aug 12. But the release has been delayed by post-production work.

Actor-director Ramesh Arvind, who has worked with Kamal in films like "Sathi Leelavathi", "Panchathanthram"and "Mumbai Express" in Tamil and "Rama Shaama Bhaama" in Kannada, says "If there is one multilingual talent in the Indian film industry who truly deserves a big felicitation for completing a golden jubilee in filmdom, it is only Kamal".

"He is an inspiration to generations of artists and directors. He has created his own benchmarks in several segments of filmmaking including acting, writing scripts and direction. He started his career as a child artist in films to become one of the most versatile artists in the world.

"He is a universal hero in every sense of the term. I will be waiting for the big day of this event to personally congratulate him," said Arvind who took up direction on Kamal's advice.

Fox STAR Studios to distribute Shah Rukh's 'My Name Is Khan'

Actor-producer Shah Rukh Khan and filmmaker Karan Johar have inked one of Bollywood's biggest deals with a Hollywood studio. Fox STAR Studios will finance and distribute their forthcoming film "My Name Is Khan", reportedly spending Rs.100 crore (Rs.1 billion / $20 million) in the process.

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Shah Rukh-Kajol voted most romantic on-screen couple

Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol have been voted the most favourite romantic on-screen couple in a poll conducted by MDRA and Outlook magazine to find the popular favourites in the romance genre.

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Paris's Emotional Tribute To Daddy

Michael Jackson's daughter breaks down describing 'the best daddy'

Michael Jackson's daughter Paris had the last word at her late father's memorial service in Los Angeles on Tuesday - as she had the world sobbing for her loss.

The 11 year old took to the stage at the end of the tribute to join her aunts and uncles in remembering the King of Pop, who died on 25 June.

And few were able to hold back tears as she cried, "Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine and I just wanted to say I love him so much."

Her father's golden coffin sat yards away from her at the front of the Staples Center stage, where stars like Brooke Shields, Usher, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder and Motown boss Berry Gordy paid tribute to Jackson.

Prior to her lasting remarks, Jackson's siblings thanked fans for attending the memorial and added their own heartfelt messages to their deceased brother.

Marlon Jackson recalled identifying his brother in a record store - even though he was in disguise, because he always wore the same shoes. He called his late brother "the voice of our angelic trumpets".

He broke down as he asked the King of Pop to hug "my twin brother, Brandon," who was stillborn in 1957.

The deceased superstar's coffin was then wheeled out of the Staples Center by his brothers as an instrumental version of Jackson's Man In The Mirror was performed and a spotlight shone on a darkened, empty stage.

Jackson family friend Pastor Lucius Smith ended the tribute show, asking fans and friends around the world to join hands "in solidarity and remembrance of truly what Michael Jackson's music has done to us, and what the man means in this place".

Michael Jackson lauded in emotional memorial

Jennifer Hudson, Mariah Carey, John Mayer and Lionel Richie come together to pay tribute to MJ

In one of the biggest celebrity send-offs in history, Michael Jackson's family, friends and fans held a memorial service for the late King of Pop Tuesday, as millions of people from around the world tuned in to watch on television and the internet.

The memorial service opened with soul great Smokey Robinson reading letters of condolence from Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela. Then Jackson's flower-laden casket was wheeled in, accompanied by pallbearers each wearing a single, sequined glove, as a gospel choir sang.

"In his beautiful and very human heart MJ wanted nothing more than to give to the world and perhaps be loved back in return," said Jackson family pastor Lucious Smith. "Through his words, his music and his countless good deeds Michael did so much to try to heal our world." Mariah Carey then sang one of Jackson's earliest hits, "I'll Be There."

Other performers included Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Jennifer Hudson and John Mayer. But the highlight of the service came when dozens of performers took to the stage for a rendition of Jackson's 1984 charity hit, "We Are The World", and his follow up song, "Heal The World".

Jackson's daughter Paris, 11, in her first known public statement, paid tribute to her father, breaking down in tears as her aunt Janet Jackson tried to comfort her. "I just want to say that ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could imagine and I wanted to say that I love him very much."

Tributes were also paid by Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, African American activist Reverend Al Sharpton, basketball stars Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson, the children of civil rights leader Martin Luther King and actress Brooke Shields.

The public ceremony followed a private memorial service at a Hollywood Hills cemetery after which Jackson's casket was loaded into a hearse for the procession to the Staples Centre, where celebrities and fans entered the arena on a wide black carpet.

There were three notable absences at the services: Jackson's old friend Dame Elizabeth Taylor said, "I love him too much to share my grief with millions of others." Diana Ross said she preferred to mark his death with silence, while his former wife Debbie Rowe, who may launch a legal battle for custody of the two children she had with Jackson, said her attendance "would be an unnecessary distraction to an event that should focus exclusively on Michael's legacy."

Thousands of police were deployed in downtown Los Angeles prior to the service as the world's entertainment capital braced for the memorial of one of the greatest entertainers in history.

Police said the operation exceeded all past events in the city's history, including the 1984 Olympics, the Los Angeles Times reported. Officials had feared that as many as 700,000 fans would gather around the arena and appealed to them to stay home.

Thousands of fans ignored that appeal and crowded behind the barricades that were erected around much of the downtown area surrounding the Staples Centre. But there were no reports of trouble as only an estimated 50,000 fans turned up.

Over 1.6 million people applied for the 17,500 tickets available through the online lottery.

Jackson, 50, died June 25 from a cardiac arrest. A police investigation into his death is focused on the possible abuse by Jackson of prescription drugs and hospital sedatives.

King of Pop Michael Jackson gets royal send off

But fans’ opinions divided on whether the Jackson memorial was reverential or vulgar

From the fleet of Bentley limousines that transported his family, to the endlessly fawning comments of television anchors throughout the blanket coverage, Michael Jackson, the late King of Pop, got a send-off Tuesday that was fit for royalty.

As the 30-vehicle convoy left the Forest Lawns Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills, it drove past dozens of broadcast trucks, with several news helicopters buzzing overhead. Police closed the 101 Freeway to allow the procession easy passage to the public memorial in downtown Los Angeles. Traffic in the opposite direction also slowed to a virtual standstill as commuters halted their journey to catch a glimpse of the hearse.

As the procession drew up to the Staples Centre a high-flying plane drew a huge heart in the blue Los Angeles sky, while fans screamed, "We love Michael!" TV crews were set up on dozens of large podiums close to the entrance, as the country's most distinguished news anchors, from Katie Couric to Brian Williams, led the coverage.

"We made so many sacrifices to see him one last time. We sold everything we had in our house," said one fan, who journeyed for three days on buses from South Carolina to southern California to attend the memorial, even though she had no ticket.

Inside the arena, a large royal blue stage was erected at a basketball court that usually plays host to the Los Angeles Lakers. The backdrop featured a photo of a smiling Jackson looking up towards the sky and the words: "In loving memory of Michael Jackson King of Pop. 1958-2009."

A lavish gold-coloured programme featured pictures of Jackson with presidents, political leaders and showbiz stars, and tributes from his family and friends.

The elaborate service began with Smokey Robinson reading tribute letters from the likes of Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela. The backdrop then changed to an image of stained glass windows as Jackson's casket, laden high with flowers, was wheeled in. His pallbearers were each wearing a single, sequined glove in a tribute to one of Jackson's signature styles, as a gospel choir sang.

The elite of pop music performed tributes for Jackson, from Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder to John Mayer and Usher.

"The title King of Pop is not big enough for him," said Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown who discovered Jackson and guided his early career. "I think he is simply the greatest entertainer that ever lived."

But for some in the entertainment world, the endless fawning and hagiography was a little much. Media columnist Brian Lowry could barely wait for the event to end as he blogged it live for entertainment trade paper Variety. He juxtaposed the reverential tones with the bizarre behaviour that Jackson often displayed and which "makes the worshipful tone characterizing much of this coverage even more questionable."

African American activist Al Sharpton, in his eulogy for Jackson, tried to explain the pop star's mass appeal. "You would have to understand the journey of Michael to understand what he means to us," said Sharpton.

"When Michael started it was a different world but because he kept going, because he refused to let other people decide his boundaries, he opened up the whole world. It was Michael Jackson who brought blacks and whites and Asians and Latinos together. It was MJ who made us say 'We Are The World' and 'Feed the Hungry'."

Only one reader of Variety, commonly regarded as the Bible of the US entertainment industry, bothered to post a comment - and he obviously did not agree with Sharpton. "A grotesque and vulgar display," noted reader Jack Henry of the ceremony. "The US is not only financially bankrupt, but morally and culturally bankrupt as well. God help us."