Kareena Kapoor in Julia Roberts' shoes

Bollywood is remaking Oscar winner Julia Roberts starrer 1998 Hollywood comedy-drama Stepmom.

Bollywood fans are curious to see how glamorous Filmfare winner Kareena Kapoor will fit into the shoes of working girl Roberts, who played a successful photographer Isabel Kelly in 1998 movie.

They find it quite unusual for Kapoor to look like an ordinary working girl, who is reportedly taking acting lessons just for this movie, shall flaunt a new hairstyle and shall not use any make-up.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has strongly criticized Bollywood filmmakers for blatantly recreating Hollywood themes while ignoring India's abundance of great tales ready for adaptation for the big screen.

India had a longstanding tradition of scriptural and folk tales and various languages of India were loaded with literary themes to choose from, Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, added.

Directed by Siddharth Malhotra and produced by Filmfare winner Karan Johar, Bollywood Stepmom will replace Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking) and Oscar nominated Ed Harris (Pollock) with Filmfare winners Kajol (Fanaa) and Arjun Rampal (Rock On!!) respectively.

While Hollywood Stepmom was filmed in New York and New Jersey states of USA, the Bollywood Stepmom will be shot in Australia and USA.

The storyline of Hollywood Stepmom was about how the children and ex-wife cope when a new woman (Julia Roberts) entered in their father's life, who was a successful photographer, and did not plan to give up her work.

Julia Roberts turns Cook at an Ashram in India

Julia Roberts is leaving no stone unturned to make her India visit fulfilling as the actress, who has been gorging on local delicacies, is also trying her hands at cooking at the Ashram here. The Oscar-winning actress is shooting a langar scene, which requires her to cook at the Hari Mandir Ashram.
Roberts will be shown cooking 'dal' and 'roti' in one of the scenes in the film, a unit source told PTI. The set has already been prepared for the elaborate scene here.

Roberts landed in New Delhi on September 17 to shoot for her upcoming movie Eat, Pray, Love. She drove straight to Pataudi Palace hotel, about 60 kms from the national capital. The shooting began from this Sunday and will go on till October 2.

The ashram, which has been converted into a fortress to keep away paparazzi and sneaking journalists, is 100 yards away from the hotel, where the actress is staying with her three children and the cast and crew of the movie.

Before beginning the shoot today, the actress went and met Dharmdev, Ashram's swamiji and sought his blessings along with her three children -- twins Hazel and Phinnaeus and two-year-old son Henry.

Dressed in a blue-white summer dress, the actress spent about 15 minutes with the swamiji, who tied a traditional mauli (thread) on her wrist and welcomed her with a marigold garland.

Julia Roberts to Shoot in India

Post the sweeping success of Slumdog Millionaire it seems that India is the most sought after destination for Hollywood with latest reports saying that none other than superstar Julia Roberts will be visiting the country.

Roberts and Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem will be coming to India to shoot for their upcoming film Eat, Pray, Love, reported Contactmusic.

No Country for Old Men actor Bardem and Roberts are set to star in the on-screen adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's bestselling novel of the same name.

Bardem is negotiating with executives at Columbia Pictures to play Felipe, the man Roberts' character falls in love after meeting him at an Indian ashram.

The film is being produced by actor Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner through their production company Plan B, and actor Richard Jenkins will also be a part of the starcast.

The shooting of the film is scheduled to begin in July and will take place in New York, Rome, India and Bali.