Salman Khan-Dabangg

After Shah Rukh Khan, it's Salman Khan who is calling the shots in his home production Dabangg. The actor has spent a great amount of time in editing the movie.

A source working on the film tells Mumbai Mirror, "Salman has taken a great deal of interest in editing. He's been patient and learnt all the technical aspects of being a good editor. In fact, he started editing Dabangg right during the making of the film. He knew at the shooting stage what he wanted to keep in the film, and what needed to be chopped."

According to reports, Salman also wanted to edit out a lot of his last release Veer, but director Anil Sharma hadn't let him interfere.

Salman Khan will play a corrupt and fearless cop from Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming film Dabangg, which will mark Shatrughan Sinha's daughter Sonakshi's debut in Bollywood.

The film, which will have Salman mouthing a lot of UP slang, will also mark the debut of his brother, Arbaaz Khan, as a producer. Arbaaz also acts in the film to be helmed by Anurag Kashyap's brother, Abhinav Kashyap.

Dabangg, which means bold, will feature Salman in a never before seen role and makeover, well outside the mould of the rich and stylish Prem.

Arbaaz says, “Salman Khan's role is terrific. Salman's fans have never seen him like this before. Besides, I haven't cast Salman because he is my brother, but he fits the character perfectly. When Abhinav offered me a role in the film, I immediately wanted to produce it. For long, I had been toying with the idea of turning producer. This was just the excuse I needed to take the plunge.”

Talking about casting debutant Sonakshi, Arbaaz says, “There's no point in casting a heroine who has already been seen four times with Salman. I wanted to cast a stunning new girl and Sonakshi fits the bill. She has lost a lot of weight. She still needs to lose a little more.”

Sonakshi, who turned 22 this month, has studied fashion design at SNDT college, Mumbai and was all set to pursue a career in fashion designing. However, Salman discerned a lot of histrionic potential in her when she walked the ramp at a fashion show that he attended. He convinced Sonakshi and her parents – Shatrughan and Poonam – to give acting a shot but told her she would need to shed 10 kg of weight. Sonakshi had already shed 30 kg before her ramp debut.

So far, Sohail Khan has been the producer in the 'Khan'dan, with Salman featuring in most of his film, typically co-starring with a sibling. Upcoming Sohail Khan films include Wanted Dead Or Alive featuring Salman with Arbaaz; and Main Aur Mrs Khanna featuring Salman with Sohail.

Lerner blasts City over continued Milner chase

Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner has hit out at Manchester City over their pursuit of midfielder James Milner and also hinted that caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald could be a serious contender to replace Martin O'Neill on a permanent basis.

Lerner claims City have broken rules by continuing their interest in the England international after being told Villa did not want to sell.

"Big, bad Manchester City came along and asked for Milner and we said, 'No, he is not for sale'. And under the rules you have to respect that," Lerner told The Mail on Sunday.

"Manchester City respected that for two whole days. And then they violated the rules and came in for him again."

Milner played a starring role in Villa's 3-0 win over West Ham in their Premier League opener, scoring his side's superb third goal.

"We are not a selling club. A selling club is when you let it be known that you want to sell a player, through an agent or whatever," Lerner said. "That didn't happen with Gareth Barry and it didn't happen with James Milner either. As for Ashley Young, he was never going."

Lerner then turned his attentions to the vacancy left by O'Neill's departure on Monday.

"There are those managers who like the show and the attention - and then there are those such as Kevin," said the American. "I'm not going to say it is in Kevin's hands now and I would be disappointed if it was reported like that. But much will depend on how Kevin feels, whether he thinks this might be right for him, if he is comfortable with the idea of being Villa's manager.

"He is such a cool guy, he is popular with the players - who really played for him - and with the fans and the press. We will see how he feels when he wakes up from this and then we will look at the situation from there."

Gareth Barry: City players must accept new arrivals

Gareth Barry has urged Manchester City's expensively assembled squad to pull together - and is keen to see further spending before the transfer window closes.

Barry was recruited from Aston Villa last summer and James Milner is set to make the same move after a similarly protracted pursuit this time around.

And Barry is excited about the prospect, telling the Sunday Mirror: "James brings energy and quality to any team.

"You only have to look at the number of goals and chances he has created over the last couple of seasons. He is always in the top two or three in terms of assists. He would be a great addition to any team."

The England midfielder's arrival would add to the already fierce competition for places at Eastlands, and Barry has warned that players must battle for places rather than sulking if they miss out on the matchday squad.

Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given was a notable casualty on the first day of the Barclays Premier League season, sitting on the bench at White Hart Lane as England's Joe Hart almost single-handedly frustrated Tottenham.

"The manager has made it clear he's got some big decisions to make on players leaving because of this new 25-player limit that's come in," Barry said.

"One or two players will be upset because they no longer feature in Roberto Mancini's plans, but that is the way the club is going and it is a feature of how the game as a whole has moved on.

"Even some of the players who are in the 25 will be upset some weeks because they will be left out of the team. Again, that's something you have to come to terms with if you want to play for a club that is aiming as high as we are.

"I have loved seeing new players arrive this summer and if more come in that's even better.

"The competition for places will be tough and the manager has already made it clear to us that he will rotate the squad. I certainly won't spit my dummy out if I find myself being left out of the team. I will just fight even harder."

Bellamy edging closer to Cardiff switch

Cardiff are close to sealing the capture of Manchester City's out-of-favour striker Craig Bellamy, according to reports.

Bellamy has been told he can leave Eastlands by City manager Roberto Mancini, with Cardiff emerging as a strong contender to sign the 31-year-old. And while Cardiff would not confirm a deal had been agreed with Bellamy, it is thought he could complete a loan move on Monday.

A Cardiff spokesman said: "With the number and the names of the clubs being mentioned in connection to Craig it is flattering that we are an option, but at this stage it is pure speculation. Being connected to a player of this calibre shows how far we have come, to be even considered in a deal like this. We would love it to happen of course, but we are by no means alone in this.''

Bellamy suggested earlier in the week that he would be open to a move to club he supported as a boy. At a press conference in Cardiff prior to Wales' friendly against Luxembourg, he said: "I have always wanted to play for Cardiff. I've never been shy in saying that.

"My wife and kids live here, I've missed them now for the last five or six years, so that would have more of a pull to me than most. I will have to wait and see and see what options are possible but I certainly wouldn't rule it out. Would I love to get Cardiff City to the Premier League? Of course I would. I feel I'd have more of an impact doing that than playing 100 games for Wales. For us to move forward as a nation football-wise, we need a Premier League team.''

Cardiff manager Dave Jones has also spoken of his desire to lure Bellamy to south Wales, but admitted the club were likely to face stiff competition for the player's signature.

Speaking after his side's 2-1 victory at Derby on Saturday, Jones said: "If it happens, it would be fantastic and we would all love him to be here but there are bigger fish for him.''

Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 0 Manchester City

City indebted to Hart

Manchester City's top-four credentials were no clearer after a Jekyll-and-Hyde performance in a goalless draw in their Barclays Premier League opener at Tottenham.

City somehow survived a first-half Spurs onslaught as Joe Hart fully justified his new status as City and England number one with a succession of world-class saves to deny Jermain Defoe, Tom Huddlestone and Benoit Assou-Ekotto, while Gareth Bale also hit the post.

City's multi-million-pound summer signings went AWOL in the opening 45 minutes but finally turned up after the break, with Shaun Wright-Phillips having their best chance, although Bale missed a golden chance to snatch victory for Spurs.

Hart got the nod of Shay Given in the City goal, while the visitors also handed competitive debuts to Yaya Toure, David Silva and Aleksandar Kolarov.

Mario Balotelli, who only completed his move from Inter Milan on Friday, was not in the squad, with Carlos Tevez captaining the side and starting up front on his own.

In stark contrast to City's summer spending spree, Spurs' only new recruit - Sandro - had yet to arrive from Internacional.

But Harry Redknapp's men had been good enough to deny their opponents a top-four spot in May, winning at the City of Manchester Stadium to qualify for the Champions League for the first time.

Anything less than that for City this term would not be tolerated by their mega-rich owners.

A fast and frenetic opening saw a half-chance on the volley for Wright-Phillips and a Peter Crouch header kept out by Hart.

Crouch was proving a handful, setting up the first clear-cut opportunity in the 11th minute with a header back across goal from Aaron Lennon's cross.

Defoe swivelled to fire goalward at point-blank range but Hart somehow kept the ball out and Ledley King was thwarted on the rebound.

Hart sprang sideways to repel Huddlestone's hooked 25-yard volley moments before producing an even better save to keep out Assou-Ekotto's viciously-deflected piledriver.

Vincent Kompany earned the first yellow card for bringing down Defoe 25 yards from goal and a Michael Dawson slip in the box almost let in Tevez but King snuffed out the danger.

Hart rescued City again seconds later when Kompany was beaten to the ball by Defoe.

The City keeper was finally beaten on the half-hour but the post came to his rescue to keep out Bale's 12-yard drive and Kompany managed to block Lennon's follow-up.

City broke and Yaya Toure drilled wide from 20 yards before a wonderful crossfield ball from Assou-Ekotto sent Defoe clean through.

Hart's legs did enough to keep the ball out and Kolarov just beat Defoe to the rebound.

A peach of a cross from Bale evaded everyone before Yaya Toure's deflected drive forced the first real save from Heurelho Gomes.

Kompany escaped a second yellow card moments before the break despite a cynical foul on Defoe.

Spurs paraded the majority of their 1961 double-winning side at half-time, during which City withdrew the injured Kolarov for Pablo Zabaleta.

The visitors should have taken the lead inside a minute, Yaya Toure brilliantly picking out the diagonal run of Wright-Phillips.

But the winger's first touch let him down and Assou-Ekotto recovered to nick the ball to safety.

Yaya Toure was making inroads and Silva and Tevez both saw shots blocked from another fine ball as light rain began to fall in north London.

Zabaleta was booked for felling Lennon on the right touchline but otherwise City were defending with much greater comfort.

They were also more of a threat, Yaya Toure picking out Micah Richards, whose weak header was caught by Gomes.

City almost came unstuck just past the hour mark but an unmarked Crouch horribly mistimed his header from Lennon's cross.

Both sides made 68th minute changes, Adam Johnson coming on for Wright-Phillips for City, while Spurs replaced their strikeforce as Robbie Keane and Roman Pavlyuchenko both entered the fray.

Johnson made an instant impact, feeding Tevez, whose shot was deflected narrowly wide by the charging King.

Spurs broke from the resulting corner and Pavlyuchenko twice sent shots too close to Hart.

Lennon then cut inside and fired straight at Hart moments before being replaced for the final 13 minutes by Giovani Dos Santos.

The forward just failed to get on the end of Luka Modric's clipped ball.

Tevez saw another shot blocked - this time by the head of King - the striker's last act before being replaced by Emmanuel Adebayor for the final seven minutes.

Bale missed a glorious chance to snatch all three points for Spurs when he sliced horribly wide on his weaker right foot after Pavlyuchenko's cross had broken to him off Nigel de Jong.

The winger made amends with a glorious ball for the Russian, who was thwarted by a brilliant Kompany tackle.

Pavlyuchenko was well wide from distance in the closing moments as the game ended goalless.