Movie Review: Love Aaj Kal

Love Aaj Kal: Definitely not to be missed
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Starring: Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, debutantes Giselle Monteiro and Florence Brudenell Bruce, Rishi Kapoor and Rahul Khanna (Sp.App)
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Studying in London, Jai (Saif) and Meera (Deepika) are in a relationship for two years but when career beckons, they mutually break off their relationship. Meera prepares to go to India to pursue her career in old historical places restorations whereas Jai waits in London with a hope of getting his dream job in San Fransico’s Golden Gate Co. The couple though broken off decides to keep in touch via net and phone calls and continue to remain friends. Restaurant owner Veer Singh (Rishi Kapoor) is a silent observer to their break up process since it happens in his restaurant. Unable to bear the far too casual approach related to affairs of heart of the couple, he tries to convince a reluctant Jai that he is making a mistake. Sensing that Jai is not taking him seriously, Veer then starts narrating him his own love story with Harleen Kaur (Giselle Monteiro) which took place far back in 1965 in Delhi. From then on begins the unfolding of these two love stories running parallel together which incidentally end up with a similar culmination after many twists and turns which also are similar despite the different period zones.
After making the much loved Jab We Met, Imtiaz Ali succeeds in giving us an extremely different love story that we have never witnessed before on Indian screen. He scores high on his writing and his treatment of the film. In the initial 10 minutes he successfully establishes Saif and Deepika’s relationship and their character quirks. He surprises you then by putting a melancholic song (Ye Dooriyan) as opening credits role showing montages of various important twists of the plot that lie ahead. In fact his screenplay is indeed full of surprises ahead, especially in the second half. As you begin to anticipate a particular thing happening ahead in the plot, almost 9 times out of 10 he proves you wrong. Making the film extremely relatable to everyone who has ever been in love and broken off with his/her partner, Imtiaz takes it notches higher by his dialogues that sound simple but convey a lot. Plenty of scenes stay with you as you come out. Imtiaz has repeated his technical team trio of JWM – Aarti Bajaj (Editing), Teddy Maurya (Art Direction) and Cinematographer (N. Nataraj Subramaniam) and each of them have excelled in their respective departments. Music of the film by Pritam is already ruling the charts and thankfully none of the songs act as speed breakers. The picturisation of Main Kya Hoon in San Francisco showing various changes in Saif is simply fantastic.
Without any doubt, these are career best performances of both Saif and Deepika and it should not be a surprise if they both end up winning most of awards for this year. Saif has always been at ease playing the cool no strings attached dude but in here he also succeeds in playing the brooding romantic Sardar Veer Singh very well and is extremely impressive in the post interval emotional sequences. Deepika wins hearts not just by looking extremely attractive throughout but also with the effortless ease she portrays her complex character. Rishi Kapoor is extremely loveable as the mature Veer Singh and lends tremendous dignity to his character. Debutante Giselle Monteiro manages to speak volumes just through her expressions. Rahul Khanna in a special appearance is good and suits the character perfectly well. Raj Zutshi playing Harleen’s father reminds of Pawan Malhotra’s character of Kareena’s uncle in Jab We Met. Florence Brudenell Bruce playing Saif’s Swiss girlfriend doesn’t have much to do but manages to do a good job.
Love Aaj Kal is a film definitely not to be missed. It offers us something fresh and and is a unique experiment in story telling and direction that works big time. It is one film that Saif, Deepika and Imtiaz shall always be proud of whenever they look back at their career.

Marriage made in heaven, or on TV? Rakhi decides Sunday

Will she? Won’t she? Rakhi Sawant moved from being an outspoken item girl to a coy bride, and now the question whether she will actually get married through her televised ’swayamvar’ has middle class India in a thrall.

The “wedding” is slated for Sunday on her show “Rakhi ka Swayamvar” — which saw Rakhi choosing the most suitable groom from a list of 16 in 25 episodes — and excitement is peaking.

“It has to be the Canadian guy”, “She will walk out without marrying”, “There will be a wild card entry”, “The contestants would be asked to choose between money and Rakhi”, “Who cares?”… just some of the random thoughts and queries of the many viewers that NDTV Imagine added after the reality show began June 29.

Dressed in Indian finery and suitably demure, Rakhi shortlisted five grooms and even went to their homes to get to know the families. As the feisty bit actress who hit the limelight with her outrageous statements, not to forget the kissing controversy with singer Mika, played the ideal Indian ‘bahu’, viewers happily tuned in every weeknight.

On Sunday, the speculation will come to an end when Rakhi announces whom she will marry. And everybody has a view.

“It’s likely that the show is a farce, because most of the shows that generate huge publicity are planned for that purpose. Maybe she will marry him for the show, with a pre-nuptial agreement and then annul the marriage…unless the chosen one is rich enough to stay with,” said Jaya Kumar Mathur, a housewife.

There are others who did not share Jaya’s cynicism and said Rakhi could actually be looking for true love.

According to Saniya Mehta, for instance, it is quite possible she will settle down with one of the final three contenders - Toronto-based Gujarati boy Elesh Parujanwala, young aspirant Manas Katyal and businessman Chhitiz Jain, both of whom stay in New Delhi.

“But unless the groom shifts to Mumbai, which is Rakhi’s workplace, her life would not be smooth after the show. She should take her decision carefully,” said Mehta who feels Parujanwala is the best suitor for the item girl.

Channel officials are equally clueless.

“It would be a big decision for Rakhi. There is new speculation every day about the climax of the show, but even we can’t tell anything as of now. Ultimately what will happen on Sunday will be entirely Rakhi’s call,” Nikhil Madhok, vice president (marketing and communications) of NDTV Imagine, told.

“If she says she wants to marry the same day, we are all set with the preparations. If not, it’s for her to decide because it’s her life,” he added.

The preparations are grand. Whatever the decision, Rakhi will be dressed in a Neeta Lulla creation and wear jewellery designed by Farah Ali Khan, including a necklace worth Rs.3 million.

Of course, like any other grand Indian wedding, a multi-cuisine buffet dinner will be laid out. The menu, planned by Rakhi herself, will include Gujarati, Punjabi and Maharashtrian delicacies.

The guest list will be equally impressive, including TV celebrities as well as Bollywood stars. Rumours are rife that Bollywood’s ace director Karan Johar, who invited Rakhi on his chat show “Koffee With Karan” that saw A-list actors such as Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan, is expected to be one of the invitees.

The show, the first of its kind in India, has brought unprecedented TRP (television rating points) success for NDTV Imagine. The premiere of the one-hour show saw ratings soar to 3.5 percent. The channel is hoping that Sunday’s episode will be even better.

In the original American show, “The Bachelorette”, the contestant in many cases didn’t get married or didn’t last too long. There was one exception — Trista Rehn who married physiotherapist Ryan Sutter in the maiden season of the show in 2003 and now has two children.

Will it be happily ever after for Rakhi too?

Kareena Kapoor returns Rs. 1 million to producer

Just few days back there were reports about Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association aka IMPPA receiving a complaint from M/s PJ Sughand Production Pvt Ltd against Kareena Kapoor. Sughand Production had claimed Kareena had taken Rs. 10 lakhs as a signing amount for their film and had refused to return back the sum after she refused to commit dates for their project. But now it is learnt that Kareena Kapoor has refunded the amount.
The production company was reportedly facing some serious financial trouble after the death of Jhamu Sughandh who had financed films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Aks among others and was in desperate need of the refund from Kareena. The Kambakkht Ishq actress has settled the amount back in quick time. In fact so happy are IMPPA with her prompt steps that they even sent her a thanking letter for settling the claim in short span of time.

They say “Behind a successful man there is a woman’. Somehow our tinsel town cries out a different equation- in Bollywood “Behind a fashion-queen ther

Salman Khan is extremely popular in Bollywood for his whole hearted generosity to even strangers who approach him for help. There have been plenty of instances when Salman has gone out of his way to do things for his industry friends and even his films’ unit members and staff just to bring a smile on their face. Now it seems his good habit has rubbed off on younger brother Sohail as well.
Reveals a source, “Sohail is presently in a great mood since his Main Aur Mrs Khanna starring Salman and Kareena, is finally ready to release. The promos of the film that have been delayed long will go on air soon. But Sohail has his post-production team and editing staff to thank for it as they have finished the editing and other post production chores in double the time. And Sohail, who was mighty impressed, immediately ordered a set of hi-end Swiss watches from the manufacturer and asked them to be delivered pronto. Sohail also organised a private party for the team of technicians, who worked on the project and personally gave them the watches much to their surprise and excitement.”.

Bollywood Divas and their Rich Sugar Daddy!

They say “Behind a successful man there is a woman’. Somehow our tinsel town cries out a different equation- in Bollywood “Behind a fashion-queen there is a Rich Sugar Daddy.’ Who effectively takes care of all her bills, and efficiently pays them all on time!
Preity Zinta: This dimple-cheeked diva lassoed the businessman Ness Wadia with her irresistible charm. Mr. Wadia might not have contributed much in her flourishing career; still, considering Preity’s restrained financial background, he definitely brought a sea of change in her life-style by elevating her status-quotient. With her Rich Sugar Daddy paying up for the Gucci’s and Versace’s Preity dropped her favorite tom-boyish look and fluttered around in society events all dressed up in high-fashion! The T-shirts and Jeans went to the bottom of the trashcan, and out came the designer-torn jeans for the IPL matches. Out-of-the-blue she became one of the most vibrant personalities with tremendous glamour quotient basking in the luxury of Chloé, Jimmy Choo, Fendi, Marchesa, Bottega, Michael Kors, Christian Louboutin, Missoni, Badgley Mischka, Dior…the list goes on!
Preity traveled first class all the way- from mass to class, with a GO from her Rich Sugar Daddy Ness of-course!
Katrina Kaif: This Anglo-Indian does not boast of a wealthy family background despite foreign upbringing. But Katrina Kaif’s stars changed overnight with the entry of much, much older to her macho man of B-town Salman Khan who brought her in the limelight. Katrina might be mum about her marriage with Salman but deep down inside she can’t deny the fact that the awesome status, which she enjoys today is all credits to her Bollywood Godfather Salman.
Shilpa Shetty: This Indian beauty with perfect curves slogged throughout her career just to be counted among the A-listers of Bollywood. Although, she proved her power-prowess by winning the reality show Big Brother, still her acting and financial graph remained unchanged. But then a short visit from cupid changed everything for her, from Fashion Street to Louis Vuitton, her tastes underwent a major revamp all thanks to an infatuated millionaire sugar daddy ready to pay up for a wink and a smile. Her life too is blessed with a rich man who also recently turned producer- Raj Kundra. A flat in central London and co-ownership in one of the IPL teams- Rajasthan Royals says it all.
Mallika Sherawat: Mallika Sherawat has broken all bounds. Although she is officially not dating Jackie Chan, but the sexy-siren is taking a good advantage of the famous man’s fondness for her. Her society datebook (read Twitter) is full of Hollywood events and she is schmoozing with some big names in Hollywood. It all started with action-thriller Myth and now as they say- they lived happy ever after!
Rani Mukherjee: Rani Mukherjee is an exception among the list of female-actors mentioned above. This bong-beauty has filmy origins that made her stepping in Bollywood a cakewalk. However, her association with Yash Raj especially Aditya Chopra has worked wonders for her, both professionally and personally. Rani Mukherjee today is an integral part of the Yash Raj camp, and that in itself should sum it all. Interestingly, Aditya has not directed his ladylove in any of his films till date and there seems no such chance in the near future too. However, his presence in her personal life and Rani being a part of Yash Raj camp has definitely brought a sea of change to her status quotient, and this definitely wields her immense power to be counted as one of the top actress of B-Town.

Meera is just like me!- Deepika

Deepika says her character in Love Aaj Kal is exactly like her. “It was so much “me’ that sometimes I felt maybe I wasn’t doing anything on camera. I had to look to my director Imtiaz Ali for reassurance. I was reacting on camera the way I do in real life. So far I was always doing things that didn’t come naturally to me. This is my most honest performance. I can feel the growth in me in the four films and six roles that I’ve done so far. I’ve become freer with my emotions and lines.”
In London Deepika is for the first time improvising on her lines. “I feel confident enough now to give my inputs. Yes I can move around the emotions of my character. I know my space a lot better.”
Deepika hopes to create magic with Akshay in Housefull. It was rumoured that Akshay had lost faith in his pairing with Deepika after Chandni Chowk to China.
Deepika scoffs at the rumour. “If that was true you think he would be doing another film with me at this moment? I don’t think there’s any formula for success. The failure of China Chowk to China didn’t affect me. Of course, considering the effort we all put in I was upset. I guess hard work isn’t enough. But I learnt a few skills during Chandni Chowk, which I’ll use in other experiences of my life.”

Where’s secularism, asks Emraan after being denied house

“Am I a criminal or a terrorist?” asked an upset Emraan Hashmi Friday. The Bollywood actor alleged he had been denied a house he wanted to buy in the upmarket Pali Hill area of Mumbai because he was Muslim.
The actor, who was not given a no objection certificate (NOC), believes the housing society in Pali Hill was hiding the real reason for its refusal.

“This has political connotations, so they don’t want to talk about it openly. Yesterday (Thursday), they told me that I can’t get the NOC. I asked them why aren’t you giving me the certificate — am I a criminal, or a terrorist or have I done anything illegal?” Emraan told reporters here with his uncle and well-known filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt by his side.

“It is strange that they don’t tell you on your face that you can’t get a house because you are a Muslim. It would have been easier if they would have told me openly. What they told me is that they can’t allow me to live there because I am a serial kisser and my presence will have a bad influence on the children staying there.

“Being a celebrity if I’m facing problems in buying a house here, I wonder what kind of problems others would have been facing. All the time we are talking about secularism but with such incidents what secularism are people talking about?” asked the actor.

Emraan said someone suggested to him that he purchase the house in the name of his wife Parveen, who is a Hindu. “I can do that, but why should I do that?” he asked.

Bhatt said such discrimination was a serious problem plaguing the country.

“Even 62 years after independence, the virus of communalism is alive in an area like Pali Hill, which is known as India’s Beverly Hills where stars like Sunil Dutt lived and Dilip Kumar is still living there. It’s a serious problem and is the country ready to accept that communalism is still surviving?” he said.

“There are also certain societies in the area that do not give NOCs to non-Hindus,” he said.

Emraan, who featured in films like “Murder”, “Gangster - A Love Story”, wanted to buy a house in Pali Hill so that he could stay close to his parents, but the actor was refused the NOC by Pali Hill’s Nibbana Cooperative Society.

He has filed a complaint with the State Minorities’ Commission, demanding action against the society members. The society reportedly has mostly Hindus and a couple of Catholic families.

This is not the first time Hashmi has faced such a problem.

“I faced a similar situation in August 2007, when I was looking for a house in the same area; residents and brokers told me I would not be able to get a house because I was a Muslim. But I later managed to get one,” Emraan told a newspaper Thursday.

Earlier Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar had faced problems in getting a house in Juhu and TV actor Aamir Khan filed a litigation after being refused a house in Lokhandwala.

‘Love Aaj Kal’ is just another love story

Film: “Love Aaj Kal”

Cast : Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rishi Kapoor, Rahul Khanna

Director: Imtiaz Ali

Midway into the second half of “Love Aaj Kal”, Rahul Khanna screams at Deepika Padukone and asks her to make it clear what she actually wants in life. That’s one of the very few moments in the film audiences can really empathise with.

After all, this is what you as a viewer also feel throughout the love story of Saif Ali Khan and Deepika - what do they really want?

They break off, but haven’t quite drifted apart. “After all it’s an era of communication,” says Saif. So much so that even when the ‘once in love and perhaps still in love’ couple decide to take care of their lives separately rather than getting into an ugly long distance relationship, they continue to meet and greet and paint the city of Dilli red.

It’s just that continuous talks around ‘how we are happier today when compared to yesterday’ become monotonous after a while. It seems good though in the initial reels of the film. In fact, the first 20 minutes of the film are excellent when the director wraps up the beginning and the end of the Saif-Deepika love story.

While watching this portion of the film, you do feel that “Love Aaj Kal” is indeed treading a very original path. In fact, the entire ‘break up party’ introduction is an ace in the hands of Imtiaz Ali and he plays his cards brilliantly.

So far, so excellent but this is the point from which the film starts taking a dip. Rishi Kapoor’s emergence in the story gets a good kickstart. But the entire flashback angle with Rishi narrating his own story, something which sounds quite exciting on paper, doesn’t really carry the same punch as the Saif-Deepika story.

In fact, whenever the film goes into past mode, it dips and only Deepika’s re-emergence on the scene lights up things. Watch out for the scene where she finally decides to move on and brings on a fake smile in front of the mirror.

The interim love story of Saif and his Swiss girlfriend brings the pace down again, hence making for an uneven ride till interval.

Post interval portions don’t quite help things much as the ‘Dilli bhraman’ of Saif and Deepika looks fake.

Just when it seemed that the film had come to an abrupt end, there is this twist in the story that makes one wonder if “Love Aaj Kal” is the same movie that started so impressively and ended in such an ordinary manner!

If not for the performances and the music, the film would have dipped even further.

Deepika is excellent as she brings in a certain casual feel to the entire ‘getting in love and then breaking up’ part. Watch out for Saif in those excellent monologues once every 30 minutes or in the brilliantly narrated sequence that goes along with ‘main kya hoon’.

Rishi hardly gets scope but is nice in his earlier scenes; one wonders though what made Rahul sign a film that doesn’t fetch him a single decent scene!

Yes, one understands where Ali was coming from when he decided to convey that the emotion of love was just the same across different generations. In the end, however, “Love Aaj Kal” turns out to be just another love story.

Two Bollywood films to be premiered at Toronto film fest

Yash Raj Films’ “Dil Bole Hadippa” and Ashutosh Gowariker’s “What’s Your Rashee?” will have their world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) here in September, organisers have announced.
The world’s biggest audience-based film festival runs Sep 10-19.

Set for release Sep 18 in India, “Dil Bole Hadippa” is directed by Anurag Singh. It is a hilarious drama-comedy with Shahid Kapoor (Rohan) and Rani Mukherjee (Veera Kaur) in lead roles.

It also features Anupam Kher, Dalip Tahil, Rakhee Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra.

The highlights of the film include Veera Kaur putting on a turban and beard and becoming Veer Pratap Singh to play cricket in a village where girls are forbidden from playing the sport.

Her performance earns her a place in Rohan’s team, kicking off their roller-coaster journey filled with music, romance and comedy through Punjab and beyond, said a statement by the organisers here.

“What’s Your Rashee?”, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, is another Indian film making its international premiere at the festival.

Based on the Gujarati novel “Kimball Ravenswood” by Madhu Arya, this romantic comedy stars Priyanka Chopra and her former beau Harman Baweja.

Its storyline revolves around a young man who has always wanted to marry for love. When he is suddenly told that he must find his dream girl within 10 days to save his family from ruin, he discovers that finding her in a hurry is tough.

Deepa Mehta’s “Heaven on Earth” had its world premiere at the festival last year. Anees Bazmee’s hit “Singh is Kinng” and Nandita Das’s directorial debut “Firaaq” also had their gala premiere last year.

Called a people’s festival as opposed to industry-based Cannes, the Toronto festival generates revenue by selling over 300,000 tickets each year.

Last year, more than 300 films from 64 countries were screened at the festival which has become a major global film festival since its beginning in 1976.

Nandita Das new head of Children’s Film Society

ctress-director Nandita Das has been appointed the new chairperson of the Children’s Films Society of India (CFSI).
“The tenure of her appointment … shall be for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” read an official statement.

Earlier, the post was held by actress-social activist Nafisa Ali. It fell vacant when she resigned to contest the Lok Sabha election from Lucknow on Samajwadi Party ticket this year.

Nandita, who is best known for her performances in Deepa Mehta’s “Fire and “Earth”, is the daughter of celebrated Indian painter Jatin Das.

The 39-year-old recently donned the directors’s hat for “Firaaq”

CELINA JAITLEY SHOWERS PUNE POLICE WITH FLOWERS

Celina Jaitley, the socially conscious beauty queen and Bollywood star, sent bouquets and a card recently to the Commissioner of Police Shri Satyapal Singh and DCP (Special Branch) Shri R.P. Sengaonkar who have been instrumental in banning the use of horses, elephants and camels into the city of Pune.
“Thank you for standing up for those who cannot speak for themselves,” Celina wrote in the card. “All of us from PETA appreciate your efforts and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Anuradha Sawhney of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says, “Humane people around the world are watching India’s treatment of animals. We applaud the Pune officers for taking action and urge other officers to do so, too.”
Why are Celina and PETA happy about the ban? Horses are forced to pull carts in the sweltering heat on the crowded streets of Pune and other cities, they live a miserable life. They are forced to pull oversized loads and must try to dodge cars, taxis and bicycles. It is not unusual for horses to suffer from untreated injuries, and most horses never see a veterinarian in their lifetime.
Elephants are a common sight on roads and outside temples in the city of Pune typically with a mahout astride the animal, poking a painful ankush behind his sensitive ears to keep him moving in the confusing and alien traffic of cars, his ears assaulted by the cacophony of horns and urban noises, his tender feet made to walk on the scorching-hot, pothole-ridden roads. The methods used to control elephants are very cruel and cause a threat to the mahouts as well. Hands-on training requires absolute domination of elephants by their keepers, which can only be achieved by inflicting pain on the animals with an ankush or iron and wooden sticks and then reinforcing the threat of more pain.
Across Pune, camels have been taken out of their desert homes and forced to pull carts and carry people for “entertainment’. Joyride operators often ignore the animals’ most basic needs. Camels are housed with no shelter from the elements and are not provided adequate food. The animals are forced to carry riders all day long in the blazing sun with few rest or water breaks. Many become emaciated, exhausted and ill. Camels are forced to carry heavy and ill-fitting saddles that chafe and leave them with sores, which are typically concealed from tourists with decorations. The joyride operators ignore the animals’ distress and provide them with no veterinary care. Left untreated, the galls grow progressively more painful and often develop into acute infections. According to a news report, the “demand for the camels who are transported from Rajasthan to Pune for giving joyrides, goes up during festivals, not being able to survive the drastic change in living conditions, however, they soon weather away making way for next lot.”

Big B pays homage to Rajmata Gayatri Devi

Amitabh Bachchan is presently in Singapore at the moment with wife Jaya Bachchan busy attending to an ill Amar Singh, who is undergoing treatment there. But he managed to take some time out to visit a nearby temple to offer prayers for Rajmata Gayatri Devi’s peaceful soul in heaven after he heard of her demise.
Big B in his homage to the late Rajmata writes in his blog, “As a young student in the Delhi University I used to sneak into the Jaipur Polo ground, next to the Air Force colony opposite the Gymkhana Club in Delhi, to watch some of the finest polo players of the country, riding majestically on thoroughbreds competing with some of the finest teams from overseas. The Maharaja of Jaipur, a great proponent of the game, would play there and accompanying him used to be his wife, the Rajmata Gayatri Devi, in her soft and pastel flowered chiffon’s, a picture of grace and beauty. It was expensive to get into those grounds and to find a place on the stands to watch the fast paced “chukkers’, but we managed to get in and kept ourselves at a distance from all the main activities. Never in my born days had I ever imagined that one day I would get to meet this lady. But time and circumstances changed that. While working in Calcutta we moved around socially in a group of common friends who were related to the Cooch Behars- as royalty from that region was addressed. The Maharaja of Cooch Behar himself a great polo player and the brother to Gayatri Devi a most distinguished and handsome man, would often play at the polo ground in and around the Victoria Memorial and the race course and we would gather around to ogle at them on Sunday evenings. He had, had a fall from his horse during one of the games and a severe concussion to the head had kept him in-firmed for long.”
He continues, “After joining the movies there were many visits to the pink city of Jaipur for shootings and that is when a formal introduction with the Rajmata took place. Of the many private palaces that belong to the Jaipurs, some have been converted into grand hotels and I have had the pleasure of staying in them and enjoyed their exquisite regal ambience. I was later asked by Gayatri Devi ji to inaugurate one of the functions at the girls school that she started, now a flourishing institution. Some years ago she had invited me to be the chief guest at a charity she promoted for the under privileged and cannot forget what a gracious host she was that evening. On another occasion she called me over for a private lunch at her Lily Pond residence, serving me personally with delicious vegetarian delicacies which she had so considerately asked her kitchen to prepare. She wrote a personal note to me a few years back to seek my involvement for another event that she was inaugurating, but time constraints kept me away. That was the last communication I had had with her. The many palaces of these princely states have some of the most unique artifacts that I have ever seen. Crystal-ware and silver, paintings, art work, the “pichvai’ murals rare and beyond value. At one of the smaller private palaces, now converted into a boutique hotel, where Queen Elizabeth had stayed during her visit to India, there is a painting of Gayatri Devi’s mother. And I shall have to say this, that her beauty was unmatched. Gayatri Devi documented her enchanted and eventful life in her autobiography; a fairy tale of this lovely Princess from Cooch Behar. May she rest in peace!”

Sharmila Tagore remembers ‘fun times’ with Gayatri Devi

Yesteryears actress Sharmila Tagore remembers Gayatri Devi, the ‘rajmata’ of Jaipur, as the one who made her comfortable at her wedding to Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, a woman who lived cricket and movies, and the woman who added the “glamour” quotient to parliament.

“Aunty Ayesha (Gyatri Devi) was a personal friend of my mother-in-law. The two families have been very, very close. It was a very long association. She was very much part of my wedding and she was very fond of cricket. Once she asked me a question about cricket and I didn’t know the answer and she said, ‘Why don’t you know? Aren’t you married to Tiger (Pataudi)?

“In fact, we were in London when she fell ill. She was admitted to a hospital. She was remarkably versatile. She was very keenly interested in sports and has written a cookbook… I’ve a signed copy,” Sharmila told .

She says that Gayatri Devi was a good host too.

“When she was in a roomful of people, she made every single person feel special. When I got engaged to Tiger, she came across the entire length of the room and talked to me in Bengali. That one-to-one made me feel so special. That time I was so young and so frightened. Her attention made me feel so confident. I’ve never forgotten that,” she said.

Sharmila says that even in her last days, she was very particular about her appearance as well as movies.

“Even very recently she would dress up and come out. In London, when we were there recently, she wanted to see the new Keira Knightley film ‘The Duchess’. I remembered, how I had arranged a show of my film ‘Anupama’ in the 1960s for aunty Ayesha’s mother who was in a wheelchair. I told aunty Ayesha if ‘The Duchess’ was in India, I’d have definitely arranged a special screening for her….

“She joined parliament and was such a glamorous presence there. And she coped with the jail sentence with such dignity. Until the end there were so many dignitaries in her house. My husband was very close to aunty Ayesha. She was exceptionally fond of him. I remember we were at a very well-known designer’s exhibition and she said, ‘Is it a table cloth or something to wear?’ We burst out laughing.

“She really enjoyed life. Her husband taught her all the etiquettes. He groomed her and made her what she was. She was the patron of the arts. And she did a lot for polo. I’ll most certainly miss her.

“If a film on her life was made today, I can’t think of anyone who could fit in. She had a quality that’s hard to find these days. The way she held herself, the way she moved… that’s hard to replicate. She was a fun person to be with. Not one of those boring people. She was great fun to be.”

Love Aaj Kal: Love In Every Era

This had to be coming its way for quite sometime, after some blundering steps here and there. Finally,“Love aj Kal” aka LAK, arrives full square and looks like it is meant to score high with the audience. The storyline is fresh and settling and leads the audience along on a journey that is of comfortable pace.

Imtiaz Ali’s latest is not meant to disappoint any one. A lot of expectations had been trained on him in relation with LAK, after his second venture “Jab We Met” took the box-office by storm and sealed the fates of both the leads, Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor, in the higher rungs of the industry.
In his this venture, Ali takes to look at love as an unchanging phenomenon in any era, and if changed, how is it perceived now.

We therefore have a very experienced and elderly Veer Singh (essayed by Rishi Kapoor) and Jai (Saif) sit and tell their tales of love to each other, to prove in the end that love is never changing. Veer tries showing Jai how love acts as a driving force, which Jai plays down saying it is a notion of an era that is by gone. What Ali tries to put across is that love used to make people a whole lot serious in earlier times. Now, people getting serious about their life and profession, bid adieu to love. However, love finds its own course in due time.

Saif as Jai is successful in his portrayal of the emotions that he under goes as he goes blundering through life, sometimes discovering love, at others disowning it because of his ego, and well, because he is human. Deepika Padukone plays Jai’s love interest Meera and fits the role to perfection so that it looks tailor made for her.

Aamir gives Kunal Kapoor bodybuilding tips for Doga

Kunal Kapoor has been preparing hard for his role in Anurag Kashyap’s next Doga, which is based on comic book action hero. Anurag has told Kunal to build his physique 50 times much than what he currently is, and he has to do it in a limited time. Kunal had already been training himself, but since it was not possible within a limited time Kunal it seems approached his Rang De Basanti co-star Aamir Khan to help him out.
Sources inform that, “Ever since Aamir Khan developed his physique for Ghajini in a quick time, it has impressed Kunal so much that he has been taking special tips from Aamir Khan for the role. He is also seen working out at Aamir’s personal gym too. Kunal’s character is supposed to look very strong physically since he is playing a desi superhero kind of character. The film also requires him to learn certain skills; one such is “Paco’ also known as free running. Paco helps in building stamina and agility.”
Doga is the alter-ego of an orphan, Suraj whom Daku Halkan Singh finds in a garbage dump as an infant. He is brought up by Daku Halkan Singh, but treated like a dog. While in Halkan’s care, Suraj witnesses endless horrors that ultimately led to his becoming Doga. To seek revenge, Suraj becomes Doga, and wears a dog mask to hide his identity. He is also considered to be the second most popular character created by Raj comics due to his huge fan following after Nagraj.
Kapoor loves to experiment onscreen and this role he says, is one of the most exciting and exhilarating experiences he has encountered.

Shiney lost a golden chance to play villain opposite SRK

While he is right now in the news for being a real life villain accused of raping his maid servant and languishing in Mumbai’s infamous Arthur Road jail, Shiney Ahuja, it is learnt had missed a golden opportunity to play the villain onscreen opposite none other than B-Town Badshah Shah Rukh Khan.
Reveals a source from SRK’s production house, “The first actor approached to play the role of the villainous producer Mukesh Mehra in Om Shanti Om was Vivek Oberoi but Vivek declined the role, since he didn’t want to be seen in a negative role, in the mega film starring King Khan. Then the next actor to be approached was Shiney Ahuja. His Gangster back then had just released, and he had been winning accolades for his acting skills in Hazaaron Khawaishen Aisi and Gangster. In fact, Shah Rukh even had a few meetings with Shiney over the role. But Shiney finally opted out of playing the part, since perhaps he thought this villain’s part may slot him as a negative role specialist actor and it would become a dead end for his solo hero aspirations.”
Well Shiney’s loss went on to become Arjun Rampal’s gain as his non-happening acting career suddenly flourished after SRK took him under his wing. But for Shiney as they say rest is history

Neha Dhupia to enter restaurant business

After actresses like Sushmita Sen and Ayesha Takia have taken to restaurant business, it is now former Miss India turned actress Neha Dhupia’s turn to start an eating joint. Neha Dhupia believes that she can be very good at hospitality.
A friend of Neha says, “The very thought of people eating makes her very happy. Neha has always been a good host, and many of her other friends can vouch for that. She likes people coming over to her home for lunch and dinner. What’s more, she loves feeding them. So starting a restaurant will be an ideal deal for her.”
Incidentally, Neha has bought a new house at Goa recently, and has been busy decorating it. “I love Goa and I bought this place so that I can go over the weekends and chill out there,” she says. It won’t be surprising if Neha plans to open a restaurant in Goa next.
For the moment though, Neha is very busy with her tight shooting schedule as she has back-to-back releases lined up for this year. There is Pappu Can’t Dance Saala and Raat Gayi Baat Gayi by actor-director Saurabh Shukla, Raftaar co-starring Emraan Hashmi and Priyadarshan’s De Dhana Dhan.

Rahul Bose combats Global Warming with blog

Rahul Bose in association with Bigadda.com, a networking site from Reliance, has volunteered to pen down his activities to bring environmental awareness.
“There are many things that India should know about the dangers in climate change and the initiatives that should be taken to combat it,” Rahul Bose said.
It may be known that Rahul Bose has always been actively involved in issues concerning global warming and volunteering to blog about the activities to combat the issue is yet another initiative taken up by the actor.

Tired Saif Backs Away From Premiere Plans

The recent hectic round of production-related activities and marketing culminating in the painful process of pacifying the Sikh federations on the length of his beard, has taken a toll on Saif Ali Khan.
The actor is exhausted and completely not in the mood for any more events related to the film.
The premiere last night was held in Delhi instead of Mumbai. This would be construed as odd behavior considering all of Saif and Kareena’s friends together at a Mumbai premiere would have constituted almost the entire industry. And they were just a phone call away.
Says Saif, “That’s precisely why we decided not to have a premiere in Mumbai. I’d have had to call up everyone personally and ask them to come. It would’ve seemed like asking for a favor. And I don’t want anyone to watch my film out of a sense of generosity.”
The last-minute decision to shift the venue of the premiere to Delhi kept most of Saif’s colleagues out. But it didn’t stop Akshay Kumar from rooting for Love Aaj Kal from London. Akshay prophesied it would be a big hit.
Saif is delighted. “I’m so happy Akshay said that. I wish the industry would show more kindness towards films. When Kareena’s Kambakkht Ishq came there was so much negativity about it. It’s scary.”
It’s this fear of an anticipatory wail that provoked Saif to transfer the premiere venue.
“It wasn’t really a premiere in Delhi. Just a screening for people close to us,” clarifies Saif. “Only the cast and crew and people connected with the film were there. That’s the way we wanted to keep it.”
But Saif and Kareena’s friends in Mumbai are none too pleased. One of his leading ladies with whom he recently did a racy film says, “What’s the point of a premiere in Delhi when the whole industry is in Mumbai? I’d have definitely gone, for Saif and Imtiaz Ali’s sake. I want to see what they’ve done together.”
But Saif isn’t really bothered. It has been a hectic time for him. “Earlier producers like Ramesh Taurani made me do a lot of publicity for their films. Now I totally followed that model for my own production. And I’m exhausted. When I was younger I found publicity boring. Now I know better.”
The experience of producing a film has helped Saif understand the value of economizing. “I used to waste a lot of money and I’m not proud of it. It’s not about cutting corners. It’s an art to respect money. I’ve seen my wealthy friends buying the right air tickets, booking the right room at the best possible prices. We did go a tiny bit over-budget in my first production. Next time it won’t happen.”

My director thinks from between his legs- Kavita Kaushik

Kavita Kaushik famously known as Chandramukhi Chautala gets candid in an interview and talks about FIR and her character.
On the new season…
In the earlier seasons I use to chase Shiv and now, Ali will be after me. So in this season a man’s fantasies will entertain the audience. There are so many dream sequences in this season which are romantic and at the same time funny. There are sequences, where he would imagine me romancing with him in gharelu attire. There are also a lot of dance sequences between us for which I will be dressing up in vibrant colours.
On FIR’s success…
It’s the character that clicked with the audience, a sexy girl who carries manly idiosyncrasies. Her accent has clicked with the masses; honestly it draws lot of male attention. Our director has got the best of comic timing. He always has sex on his mind! So it kind of comes out in all the romantic and naughty scenes. In this season we have lot of Ali’s imagination and dreams that are portrayed beautifully, and do not look vulgar at all.
On her Haryanvi accent…
I have copied the entire personality and eccentricity from my dad to portray Chandramukhi Chautala. He’s an ex-cop, though not Haryanvi, but still he had lot of subordinates who were from north. He use to converse with them in that accent. In fact he addresses us as balko at home.
On Bollywood copying her…
Generally tele-actors tend to copy Bollywood, but I am definitely flattered that my character is copied by Neetu Chandra for a film. But I will never repeat the Haryanvi character again, it is only for FIR. There was a time when I use to do negative role, I was only offered negative roles. In fact in my last film I was asked to play a Haryanvi character, but I convinced them for Bengali.
On the sets of FIR…
We shoot for six days a week. So while we are not shooting, we actually miss the shoots. I make pani-puri for everyone.I wear a big shirt and make pani-puri for everyone.
On Shiv Pandit…
I do miss shooting with Shiv Pandit. Now when I watch the reruns I feel good about our Jodi, we look so good together. I miss watching us together.
On Ali…
There is an age gap between us that is shown on-screen. He is a sweet charming chocolate boy and I am the masculine strong woman. Chocolate boy with hunterwaali is a very interesting combination.

Bipasha Wins The Home Round Over John

Both Bipasha Basu and John Abraham have been busy this year getting their respective homes renovated.
Bipasha, it seems, has won the race to renovation. Her home in Khar (Mumbai) under renovation for the past one year is finally ready.
And Bipasha is moving back to her home.
Heaving a sigh of relief she says, “The housewarming puja is tomorrow (Wednesday) since there is no other auspicious day close by. But it will take another ten days for all of us to move back into our home. It’s been one helluva wait. The architects and designers took much longer than we thought they would. But finally I’m going home. I can’t wait. I’m tired of living out of suitcases.”
Bipasha’s boyfriend John, currently shooting in London will have to wait more for his home to be ready.
His family home on Bandra Bandstand has been under renovation for some months now, with no sign of completion yet.
Now with John in London until September the work may take longer.
“But I’m not worried. My brother is an architect and he’s taking good care of the renovation work,” says John from London with a false bravado.
However now that his better half’s home is done John intends to fly back from London periodically to check out the progress with his home.
“I’m thinking of coming down for one day every weekend, if that’s possible. But I’m glad Bipasha’s home is finally ready. That’s as good as my own home, no?”

Shilpa Shetty back as host for Bigg Boss 3!

Not many are aware the channel Colors has already began their planning for the second season of their popular reality show Bigg Boss in full swing. The show is being planned to go on air from coming October. Fans of Shilpa Shetty will be rejoiced to know that she has been more or less confirmed for hosting the show yet again.
Reveals a source, “The channel has been in talks with Shilpa Shetty for hosting the second season and she seems to have given her nod, however she is still to be signed on the dotted line. The talks about the money factor are yet to be finalized. One can recall she was paid a bomb for hosting the show. But this year with the ongoing recession, she may have to adjust her price. Even Salman Khan has agreed for a lesser price for hosting 10 Ka Dum’s second season so it is most likely that Shilpa too, will settle for something lesser than what she was paid last year.”
The source further adds, “The makers of the show are also planning to bring a lot of variations in the show by adding more surprise elements and more interesting guests. Faces that have been constantly shown on TV for the last one year may be avoided because they are already over exposed. The hunt for the 12 house inmates is on.

Big B remembers Gayatri Devi as picture of grace, beauty

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan remembers Gayatri Devi, the grand queen mother or the ‘rajmata’ of Jaipur, as a “picture of grace and beauty” and a gracious host.
Amitabh recalls that while he was studying in Delhi University, he used to sneak into the Jaipur Polo Ground to watch polo matches where Gayatri Devi used to come as well.

“The maharaja of Jaipur (Sawai Man Singh), a great proponent of the game, would play there and accompanying him used to be his wife, the Rajmata Gayatri Devi. In her soft and pastel flowered chiffons, she used to be a picture of grace and beauty. I never imagined that one day I would get to meet this lady. But time and circumstances changed that,” the actor posted on his blog www.bigb.bigadda.com.

Gayatri Devi died Wednesday at the Jaipur-based Santokba Durlabhji Memorial Hospital (SDMH) where she was admitted Tuesday for breathing problems. She was 90.

When Amitabh learnt of Gayatri Devi’s ill health a few days ago, he sent her a bouquet of flowers and a get well card.

“Her son had acknowledged my letter and informed us that she was very pleased to have received my concern and wishes…May she rest in peace.”

Amitabh had met her on many occasions.

“After joining the movies, there were many visits to Jaipur for shootings and that is when a formal introduction with the Rajmata took place. I was later asked by Gayatri Deviji to inaugurate one of the functions at the girls school (Maharani Gayatri Devi) that she started, now a flourishing institution.

“Some years ago she had invited me to be the chief guest at a charity she promoted for the underprivileged and cannot forget what a gracious host she was that evening. On another occasion she called me over for a private lunch at her Lily Pond residence, serving me personally with delicious vegetarian delicacies which she had so considerately asked her kitchen to prepare,” he said.

However, the last time that the erstwhile maharani of Jaipur sought Amitabh’s involvement, he couldn’t make it. And that was the last communication he had with her.

Vidya Balan signed up for Yash Chopra’s next?

There is a strong buzz in the industry circles that Vidya Balan has been signed by Yash Chopra for his directorial next. It is the same project which was supposed to star Aamir Khan along with Preity Zinta. But while, Aamir is still being non-committal about being approached for the project, other news making the rounds is that Preity has been replaced by Vidya Balan.
Sources are claiming that it is a love story spanning ages, but is completely different to what Chopra’s last directorial effort Veer Zara was. Incidentally, Veer Zara also had its lead pair Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta playing characters both young and old. Sources further claim that Yash Chopra intends to begin this film by early 2010 and make it a grand Diwali 2010 release. He will be finally directing a film after 6 years since he directed Veer Zara (2004).
While there has been no confirmation from both Vidya Balan or Yash Raj Films yet, we can only imagine right now what crackling chemistry it would be of Aamir and Vidya, and to top it all with romance king Yash Chopra directing it.

Film shoot disrupted by wild elephant to resume Friday

The shooting of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai starrer “Raavan”, disrupted when an elephant ran amok in the jungle where it is being shot, will resume Friday, cinematographer Santosh Sivan said here Thursday. “We will resume shooting tomorrow (Friday),” Sivan told IANS.

The tusker, whose name is Kunju, killed 51-year-old mahout Andavan. After the incident, the road at nearby Athirapally forest was blocked and the cast and crew of Mani Ratnam’s film could not return to their hotel.

“We didn’t see much since we were shooting on the other side of the bridge… so we couldn’t cross over… we had to stop shooting, but I didn’t see anything except the confusion. We had to spend a few hours in a guest house in the forest,” said Sivan.

Neither the actors nor any crew member of the film was injured.

Later the elephant was chained and tranquilised by veterinary doctors.

Besides Abhishek and Aishwarya, “Raavan” also stars Vikram, Govinda and Manisha Koirala. It is being made in Hindi and Tamil simultaneously.

Deepika-Farhan bond on Karthik Calling Karthik sets

Farhan Akhtar and Deepika Padukone are the latest BFF (best friends forever) of B-Town. It is learnt that they have been bonding big time on the sets of their upcoming film together, Karthik Calling Kathik.
A source reveals, “Ever since Deepika Padukone has begun shooting with the Rock On star, she and Farhan have clicked big time on the sets. She has always been in awe of his films be it Dil Chahata Hai, Lakshya or Don, and she just can’t stop gushing about him. Whether it’s his acting abilities or his directorial instincts, Deepika is simply impressed. On the other hand Farhan likes Deepika’s professional attitude.
By the way Deepika is excited about her role in their thriller together Karthik Calling Karthik. Unlike her roles in Om Shanti Om and Bachna Ae Haseeno Deepika for the first time will be essaying a de-glam role in the movie. She says it’s a role, which she has performed for the first time. Describing her role as a challenging one Deepika says, “The character is far different from what I am. The film is not at all glamorous. It’s not about clothes, make up or songs and dances. It’s purely about performance.”

I worked very hard to look Sikh- Saif

The been refrain from Nagin in Love Aaj Kal has caught on like wildfire.
“I’m glad. Because my producer Dinesh Vijeyan chased it up obsessively and we paid a small fortune to get the rights for that music from Sa Re Ga Ma,” informs Saif.
Kareena predicted that music will play at every discotheque in the country.
Saif and his director Imtiaz Ali held a press conference at a Gurdwara in Mumbai on Wednesday, before Sikh heads and prominent members of federations.
Says Saif, “That’s the way they wanted it and we didn’t mind at all. As long as the Sikh community understands that our intentions are completely honourable, we didn’t mind doing anything to appease the sentiments of the Sikhs.
” Saif says he worked really hard to get the nuances of the Sikh character right. “Imtiaz and I didn’t want the character to be even slightly caricatural. We worked very, very, hard on the body language, and the speech. Then if the beard appeared not long enough, we couldn’t help it. Once people see the film they’ll know, there’s nothing to protest about. Everyone will be proud of me.”
But was the media interaction allowed in a Gurdwara?
Says Saif, “It wasn’t really inside the Gurdwara; but in an office, within the premise. We all met and sorted it out.”

Salman upset with the producers

Salman Khan does not seem to be very pleased with the producers of tinsel town. Recently, at the music launch of a film titled Shadow he displayed his annoyance towards the money-makers of Bollywood.
Salman Khan, who is well-known for not leaving a single opportunity to take a jibe on anyone, was surprisingly all praise for the newly turned producer actor Naseer Khan. Naseer despite being blind in real-life has played the role of a sharp shooter and car mechanic. Salman somehow was more impressed with producer Naseer Khan than actor.
Comparing him with the other top-notch producers in the industry today, he applauded the honesty in Naseer as a producer. “I respect Naseer, for he did not use his disability to make a fool of people associated with his film, which he could easily do. Unlike others producers who are always ready with some or the other excuse to escape from paying the money, Naseer has be a real gentleman,” says the star.
Well, after listening to all this, is Salman really upset with the producers or was he trying to be nice to debutant producer? Anyway, it is the fate of the film which is going to make difference in Naseer’s career and not some peppy comments. Ain’t we right on that Salman?

Bollywood hottie Tanushree Dutta pairs with Vishal

Bollywood’s alluring missy Tanushree Dutta pairs up with Vishal for his forthcoming film “Theeradha Vilaiyaattu Pillai’. The film is produced by Vishal’s elder brother Vikram Krishna under the banner of GK Film Corporation. He had earlier produced Vishal’s ‘Chellamae’, ‘Sandaikozhi’, ‘Thimiru’ and ‘Thoranai’.
The film “Theeradha Vilaiyaattu Pillai’ features Vishal as protagonist, while three heroines will be starring opposite him in female leads. Earlier, Bollywood’s Neetu Chandra had signed the deal and now Tanushree Dutta has given her call sheets. Director Thiru says, “We are holding talks with a newcomer for the role of another heroine, and it will all be confirmed within couple of days.
‘ Prakash Raj and Santhanam, who earlier acted in Vishal’s “Thoranai’, have been roped for performing prominent roles. Yuvan Shankar Raja scores music while Aravind Krishna cranks the camera.
Shooting for “Theeradha Vilaiyaatu Pillai’ will hit the floors in Chennai by first week of August.

Tragedy strikes on the sets of ‘Raavana’

Looks like Mani Ratnam has been perpetually prone to misfortunate, ever since he ventured into the filming of his bilingual flick “Raavan’. Right from Day 1, the ace filmmaker has been exposed to obstructions. Earlier, he was supposed to sign a deal of Rs.150 Crores with a top-notch production house but they later backed off. Also, Forest Department of Kerala imposed many restrictions that dissuaded Mani Ratnam, and he opted for other location.
Amidst these issues, his health was affected, and he suffered cardiac arrest, which in turn stalled the filming for nearly a month. However, as he withstood against all these odd factors, an appalling tragedy hit their shooting floors, last evening in the forests of Athirapally, Kerala. Kunju– A male elephant out of madness turned to be more ferocious killing its own trainer on the spots.
The entire film crew inclusive of Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan, Vikram and others were blown out of waters witnessing this incident. They were immediately commuted to furthermore deeper regions of forest, until other trainers calmed it down.
Witnessing the nightmarish scenario, Mani Rathnam has shifted the shooting to forest regions of Ooty and Coonoo

Celina sends flowers to police officers

Beauty queen-turned-actress Celina Jaitley was so overwhelmed with a ban on use of horses, elephants and camels by police here that she sent flowers to the officers.
Celina, who is an active member of animal rights organisation People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), sent bouquets and a card to commissioner of police Satyapal Singh and DCP Special Branch R.P. Sengaonkar who were instrumental in banning the use of the animals in the city, said a statement released here Thursday.

“Thank you for standing up for those who cannot speak for themselves”, Celina wrote in the card.

Anuradha Sawhney, PETA India chief functionary, said: “Humane people around the world are watching India’s treatment of animals. We applaud the Pune officers for taking action and urge other officers to do so, too”.

The animals were forced to pull oversized loads or give joyrides on crowded streets.

Shyam Benegal remembers the ‘delicate’ Leela Naidu

Veteran film maker Shyam Benegal, who directed the elegant Leela Naidu in Trikaal in 1985, recalls that the actress was “delicate-looking and beautiful” and “particularly good with children”.

Leela Naidu died here Tuesday after prolonged illness. She was 69.

“Long before I directed Leela Naidu in Trikaal in 1985 I had done an ad with her in the mid-60s for a fabric. At that time she was at her loveliest. Soon after Time magazine had declared her to be one of the most beautiful in the world,” Benegal said.

“I must say she was very delicate-looking and beautiful. She looked so lovely in Merchant-Ivory’s ‘The Householder’,” Benegal added.

It didn’t take much persuasion from Benegal to convince Leela Naidu to do “Trikaal”.

“I had no difficulty at all in convincing her to do ‘Trikaal’. She was very keen to do the film. She hadn’t really retired from movies. But she wasn’t getting the roles that did justice to her personality. She had qualities of the kind that didn’t suit the Indian film industry.

“Our industry has too many parameters and restrictions. The leading lady was expected to have a certain kind of looks and abilities. They were expected to sing and dance. All that is changing now. But during her times the parameters were rigid. And she just didn’t fit in.”

Benegal had a wonderful time shooting for “Trikaal” with the lovely Leela.

“At that time she was married to writer Dom Moraes. Both of them were in Goa for the shooting. Leela was wonderful. One of her many qualities was that she took charge of the younger actors. She was very caring. She was particularly good with children. I noticed that quality the very first time when I met her. She calmed down a child who was feeling very insecure because her parents weren’t around. That child stuck to Leela as though she was the child’s mother. Leela was a wonderful person,” he added.

Vivek Oberoi connection in Aishwarya’s Ravana!

South superstar Vikram is supposed to make his Bollywood debut with Mani Ratnam’s Ravana. He plays Aishwarya Rai’s hubby in the film. But now much before Ravana’s release, two of the famous Tamil star’s films have come in Hindi as dubbed versions of his Tamil super hits. While his Anniyan dubbed as Aparichit came in 2006, last Friday his Dhill released as Meri Aan-Man in Work. Interestingly, this Meri Aan-Man in Work is the original version of Vivek Oberoi starrer Dum!
Vikram is a National award winner for the Best Actor for his Tamil film Pithamagan (2003). He had also featured in Tere Naam’s Tamil original titled Sethu, where he had played the role that was later played by Salman Khan. Many Bollywood filmmakers had been trying to rope him in for big projects, but he only gave his nod to Mani Ratnam. But ironically two of his old Tamil films have now already released in Hindi dub versions. It is also known that two more of his Tamil films will be dubbed and released in Hindi, as Ravana release nears. Vikram must be terming it a necessary evil for sure!
One can recollect Firoz Nadiadwala’s film Aan– Men At Work released in 2004. Nadiadwala had to add Men At Work to his title Aan since he could not get his desired title, now it seems the dub rights owners of Dhill want to cash in on Aan– Men At Work by titling their film such, to give an impression of that film.

Chak De Girl ka Tihar Mein Tehalka!

We have all heard of fan frenzy moments with actors but this incident takes the cake and the bakery too! Recently life came to a full circle for Chak de girl Shilpa Shukla. She was visiting her folks in Delhi and got this sudden urge to visit the Tihar jail. She wasn’t seeking some real life inspirations for her future characters, her portrayal as Rajuben in a tele-film where she had convincingly portrayed and essayed the role which was inspired on the life of Mumbai’s first real-life gangster woman Neeta Naik had already got her accolades for her performance.
A source close to Shilpa who had worked closely with her during the making of the tele-film confessed, “Shilpa is a kick-ass actress. Anurag Kashyap was adamant that only she could do the role effectively, although Charudutt Acharya who wrote the screenplay for Rajuben had only her in mind while he was writing it. The manner in which she has balanced the different layers of performances is truly amazing’.
Elaborating extensively on Shukla’s trip to Tihar jail, our source added, “it seems that initially Shilpa wasn’t recognized at all since she was dressed in western attire and glares. This was much before the elaborate check which takes place for any visitor who visits Tihar jail. Shilpa was her humble self, she willingly complied and didn’t make any noise. It was only when the lady constable persisted that she should remove her glares that the cat was let out of the bag’.
What followed was a big time tehalka in Tihar jail. The jail superintendent was summoned, careless whispers about the Chak de star making an entry spread like wild fire. Although the superintendent was slightly perturbed about the true reason for Shilpa’s visit, he hushed the actor into his personal chamber to avoid aggravating the situation. Continued our source, “apparently, the senior jail staff brought to Shilpa’s notice that the gangster Ashwini Naik (husband of Neeta Naik on whom the tele-film is based) had served part of his sentence in Tihar jail. All the superintendents, police officers and the jailors had been personally following the tele-film while it was being telecast. Also since Shilpa’s film Chak de was being shown on national network, they loved the fact that a Delhi ki beti had made it big in Bollywood’.
When Shilpa Shukla was contacted for confirmation, she was amazed that the news had caught on to us. Initially trying to shrug it off, she finally confirmed that “the visit did open my eyes. I was treated like a star. All the police walas wanted to sip chai with me and click my pictures on their cell phones. I was even given an open-door, super-charged treatment by getting an insight into the workings and living conditions of the prisoners. It is amazing how human beings create life around them, whatever the situation is. There was a moment when I got tears in my eyes. It was one of the prisoners across the bars who said to the lady visiting him “unko console kar de’.
What also touched her the most was that all the prisoners had a common query, “Shahrukh sahib kaise hain’. Having worked closely with SRK, Shilpa feels that “Shahrukh has this abundant positive energy that infuses vociferously through every role he plays. I have three releases lined up this year (a guest appearance in Chal Chalein, a lead role in Mumbai Mastkallandar and Vicky Chopra’s Seasons Greetings) but it is the sheer charisma of being SRK (She has worked with him closely during Chak De) that even the Tihar inmates adore him’. Must say, a true-to-life empathic experience for Shilpa Shukla. Meeting hardened criminals requires sheer grit and guts. Just like the epitomic and glorious manner in which she is carefully balancing her choice of film roles.