Stardust - February 2022 by magnapublishing

Throwback: The War of The Exes – Lara Dutta, Kelly Dorji & Dino Morea

FEBRUARY 2022 India ₹ 75.00 UK/Europe € 3.99 USA/Canada $ 2.99

A MAGNA PUBLICATION

End Of A Musical Era Lata Mangeshkar Bappi Lahiri

Love,

Sex

& Dhokha

Arjun Kapoor Jacqueline Fernandes Rakhi Sawant

Is Hrithik in Love again? Who is the mystery girl?

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Cover Story: Is Hrithik Roshan in love again? ...................................................................................................... 16 Get Snappy: “From Being An “Extra” to being A Heroine – That’s been my entire journey till date.” – Daisy Shah ............................................................... 24 Get Snappy: “As long as I enjoy playing characters, the scripts or what I’m doing in front of the camera, or in front of the mike, I’ll keep on doing it.” Abhilash Thapliyal ................................ 30 Star Crossed: Love Lapeta ..................................................................................................................................... 36 Star Tribute: End of a golden musical era ........................................................................................................... 40 Stardust Exclusive: “I saw many ups and downs, success, failures but I’m still going strong!” – Arjan Bajwa ............................................................ 44 Music Room: “The struggle is always there for every musician to start work in Bollywood, it takes years, it takes months…” – Shilpa Rao ........................................................................... 50 Starry Look: Disha Patani’s ‘skin’tillating secrets ................................................................................................ 59 In Focus: Is Idris Elba the new James Bond? Or much more? ............................................................................ 61 Blast From The Past: The Lara-Dino Clash Over Kelly! Revenge of the Ex ..................................................... 74

COLUMNS Neeta’s Natter .............................................................................................................................................................. 06 Star List .......................................................................................................................................................................... 66 Starry Sashay ................................................................................................................................................................ 72 Stardust On The Go .................................................................................................................................................... 70 STARDUST is published monthly by the proprietors MAGNA PUBLISHING CO. LTD., Magna House, 100/E Old Prabhadevi Road. Mumbai 400025, India. Tel No: 91-22-67091234. Editorial texts and illustrations are the copyright of the publishers of this magazine. No one may reproduce any material before permission is obtained in writing. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Mumbai (India) only 2020 Copyright Magna Publishing Co Ltd. Volume No 52 (No. 2) Please address all your advertising, subscriptions and trade enquiries for to: Magna Publishing Inc, 125 Central Park North, PH4, New York NY 10026. T: 212-725-7833 F: 212-889-3250 E: stardustmagazine@aol.com

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Have you noticed there’s something different about Deepika Padukone these days? Not only has she ‘oomph’ed her fashion game by flaunting more cleavage and curves, she’s also making bold statements, something the Dippy of old would run a mile from. Maybe it’s for the promotion of her new film ‘Gehraiyaan’ and she’s literally got into the skin of her character but whatever it is, netizens are having a field of a day trolling her style sense. Forget aping Ms Kardashian, they say, Dippy seems to be looking more and more like this starlet called Urfi Javed. Ouch! That must hurt!

Talking about hurting, there’s this story doing the ‘rounds that Ranveer Singh supposedly had got really insecure looking at Dippy and Siddy (Siddhant Chaturvedi) boy’s heavy duty intimate and smooching scenes so much so that he personally made sure some of the ones that looked completely OTT were snipped from the film. But perhaps he forgot many, for the film sure goes to the very depth of ‘human emotions’ – we lost count of the many smooching and heavy duty intimate scenes that were peppered throughout the film. Wonder what the ‘Gully Boy’ has to say about this? 6

Well in a social media post, Ranveer did give his personal review of Deepika’s film ‘Gehraiyaan’ . He said, “What a masterclass of a performance. Such fine, nuanced and heartfelt artistry! At your consummate and peerless best in this one.” Umm… did he actually like the film? Or was he too scared of Dippy to tell the truth.

When the 20 plus Siddy Boy was asked what he was thinking while doing those passionate lovemaking scenes with Ms Padukone, MC Sher of ‘Gully Boy’ played it safe. He said he saw Ranveer Singh in Dippy’s eyes, which boosted his confidence to bring out the best in him. Whaat! This really not only takes the cake but the entire bakery.

Talking about ‘Gully Boy’, the Gully gal Alia Bhatt when asked the million dollar question on when she was getting married, quipped rather cutely back that in her head she’s already married to Ranbir. As for the actual wedding, it will happen when it happens. Smart response Alia… and they said she’s dumb just because she got the President of India’s name wrong.

The late Rajiv Kapoor’s last film ‘Toolsidas Junior’ is all set to release in April 2022. So the director Ashutosh Gowarikar and producer Bhushan Kumar hosted a special screening for the Kapoor family. The entire Kapoor Khandaan was there in full force to watch rather tearfully Rajiv Kapoor’s last film. Neetu Kapoor was extremely emotional at the screening, after all it was she who had first broken the news about the death of her beloved devar on instagram when she put ‘R.I.P’ with his photograph. 7

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Riddhima Kapor Sahni often posts pictures of her Sunday ‘fam-jam’ with her brother Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. It seemed that the lovebirds were in Delhi some time back and they looked super cute twinning in black. Riddhima also added that she missed Alia Bhatt’s mom Soni Razdan and sister Shaheen Bhatt for their mini gettogether. Doesn’t all this sound like the Kapoor version of Sooraj Barjatiya’s Hum ‘Saath Saath Hain’?

Talking about Sooraj Barjatiya, his hero ‘Prem’ - Bollywood’s No 1 bachelor Salman Khan has got himself pretty domesticated. After the rumours of him dating Samantha Lockwood, looks like girlfriend Iulia has turned the screws rather tightly. Salman was seen promoting her music album on Bigg Boss and then later along with her, visiting his sister Arpita. Both Salman and Lulia were spotted playing with Arpita’s babies. Hmm… are things changing in Salman’s life?

It was extremely interesting to spot Malaika Arora and Arbaaz Khan see off their son Arhaan at the airport. Arhaan was flying abroad for further studies and both his parents were there at the airport for him early morning just to wish him good luck. It was nice to see Malaika wish her former husband warmly with a smile and a hug. Arbaaz too spoke to her for a bit and then they both hugged their son and bade him farewell. Nice! 10

Talking about Mala, we have to obviously talk about Arjun Kapoor who has taken to yoga to lose some weight he gained. And he gives the credit to his girlfriend Malaika who he says got him to understand and learn the many wonders of yoga. Of course, there were a few rumours about the duo breaking up but perhaps they were just that… rumours!

This one isn’t a rumour, we think. Supposedly, Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra transferred most of his properties worth several crores to his wife Shilpa. Supposedly, after his arrest in the ‘porn’ film scam case, he had time to introspect and he realized nothing mattered more to him than his family. Hence Raj decided to secure his family, hence made this move. Or is there more to it than what meets the eye?

There’s this cute anecdote we heard about Rajkummar Rao and his wife Patralekha’s wedding rituals. After Rajkummar Rao put sindoor on the maang of his bride Patralekha, he asked his bride to put sindoor on his maang too. Why? …because Rajkummar thought it would be fair to share all the marriage rituals more so as they were sharing their lives together for a lifetime. Cute!

Bobby Deol’s upcoming film Love Hostel’s trailer was launched recently, At the preview, Bobby opened up about how dating was a ‘taboo’ in his family. He shared: “To have girlfriends when I was a kid was a big taboo. But things have changed!” Hmm… maybe not or else why would they still keep Sunny Deol’s son Karan’s engagement a secret? 11

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Farhan Akhtar and Shibani Dandekar are at last getting married and mama Honey Irani is the most excited. She’s bustling around making sure everything is perfect. Guess what, supposedly ex-wife Adhuna and their two kids will also be attending papa Farhan’s wedding. We do love this modern family…everything is so well settled!

Did you know that the late Bappi Lahiri when asked which actor he would want to essay his character in his biopic? He said, “Ranveer Singh!” Why? For Bappi da saw a lot of himself in his younger days in Ranveer Singh. So Ranveer, it’s time to put on some gold for our dear Bappi da.

Neha Dhupia has no regrets about her film journey though she says that ‘the younger generation is so well prepared, which I don’t think I was. I remember when I was offered my first film. I was just told – ‘Yeh film hai, aapko Maldives jaana hai. Ajay Devgn hai iss film mein.’ And Neha promptly said, ‘Yes’! Chalo, a free trip to Maldives always sounds good, right,Neha? 14

It’s so cute to see Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal. They are so in love and marriage does suit them. They keep posting cute candid loved up pictures of themselves on the social media. Vicky too is extremely protective over Kat, in fact recently the couple was spotted at the airport. Vicky was holding Kat’s hands like he never wanted to let go off it. Aww!

The irrepressible Kangana Ranaut never fails to take potshots at Karan Johar and Deepika Padukone . When asked to comment about Deepika Padukone’s film ‘Gehraiyaan’ which is produced by Karan Johar, Kangana fierily retorted, “Don’t ask me to promote her film. She’s privileged and she has lots of ways to promote her own film.” And of course, she later dubbed the film as “trash. Bad movies are bad movies. No amount of skin show or pornography can save it.” Trust this firebrand never to play safe.

Cat’s Crown

This month goes to... Yami Gautam After the success of ‘URI’ and ‘Bala’, Yami Gautam is back with a bang on performance in ‘A Thursday’. Yami’s nuanced portrayal of Naina Jaiswal has got rave reviews from the critics and the audience. Looks like hubby Aditya’s sensible take on films is rubbing onto Yami who is now only picking content driven performance based films. 15

CO V E R S TOR Y

Is Hrithik Roshan in love again? Hrithik Roshan has been spotted holding hands with a mystery girl on a number of occasions. For quite some time, he has been fiercely guarding his personal life more so after the Kangana Ranaut ugly debacle. But now, he’s back with the living. Sumita Chakraborty finds out more about Hrithik Roshan’s brewing romance. The Greek God has risen, and how! Indeed, we are talking about one of Bollywood’s hottest actors, Hrithik Roshan who has been lying rather low for a long time, more so after the ugly fracas with the controversy queen, Kangana Ranaut who had accused him of every conceivable woe under the sky. Hrithik’s ex-wife Sussanne has been in the spotlight a lot more especially for the incident where she was detained by the

police at a night club in the wee hours of the night for violating Covid rules and of course, her linkup with alleged boyfriend Arselan Goni. One of the best looking actors of Hindi cinema, Hrithik however, was hardly seen or heard. And though we did hear of the occasional vacay with ex-wife Sussanne and their boys Hridhaan and Hrehaan, there was hardly anything about Hrithik’s personal life that was out in the media.

Was It Sussanne? Was he going back to Sussanne? All the signs looked that way until the surprising news broke out that Hrithik was dating actor, theatre director and singer Saba Azad. At first, a lot of people especially in the industry and the media scoffed at the news believing that this was just a one night date that was sure to fizzle out. After all, Hrithik seemed to be stuck in a time warp for all we saw of him was via his social media posts which were mostly of him gymming or with his kids.

Hrithik was spotted holding Saba Azad’s hand while exiting a restaurant in Mumbai. Who’s that Gal? But perhaps that was just the calm before the storm. Hrithik was recently spotted holding Saba Azad’s hand while exiting a restaurant in Mumbai. In fact, just a day after, he was again seen holding Saba rather protectively as they walked out of a luxe store. And that got the media agog. Was there something going on between the two? Hrithik’s body language seemed to point out to the fact that there was definitely much more going on than everybody else knew. A source close to the Roshan family revealed to us that the 48-year-old Hrithik has been dating the 32-year-old Saba for quite some time now and though they have managed to keep the media at bay and their relationship away from the limelight, they have now decided that their bond was serious enough for them to come out in the open. 18

Saba was born Saba Singh Grewal but professionally, she is known as Saba Azad. So who is Saba Azad? Saba was born Saba Singh Grewal but professionally, she is known as Saba Azad. She is the niece of theatre great Safdar Hashmi and has performed with Safdar Hashmi’s theatre group Jana Natya Manch in their stage productions since a very young age. Her stint with cinema started after schooling when she landed a lead role in a short film ‘Guroor’ for director Ishaan Nair which travelled to festivals in New York and Florence. She made her Bollywood debut in the indie film Dil Kabaddi and then acted in the romantic comedy film Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge. The film was a sleeper hit in India, and Saba gained a cult following among college students all over the country. She was also seen in the Y-Films web series, Ladies Room. Not only that, Saba is also a noted musician and one half of Mumbai-based electro funk duo Madboy/Mink, and perhaps that’s what attracted Hrithik to her, as Hrithik is an avid music lover.

Hrithik and Saba even went on a vacation together to Goa last month. “Their friendship has blossomed into something really special.”

Love Is In The Air According to the same source, Hrithik and Saba even went on a vacation together to Goa last month. “Their friendship has blossomed into something really special. Last month, the two-winged their way to Goa for some quiet moments.” According to a tabloid, Hrithik and Saba have been close friends for a while now but not many people knew of it. Even the ones that were aware of their budding relationship were apparently surprised when the pap video of the two holding hands went viral. It was all a bit surprising as Hrithik had kept such a low profile for so many years. A lot of people though that perhaps Sussanne and he would get back together as they seemed to share a very cordial and comfortable relationship so much so that they were seen going on vacations abroad with their kids together. In fact, when Sussanne’s home was going through renovation, she moved into Hrithik’s house and claimed “it was a soulful decision”. In fact after Kangana’s vitriolic attack on Hrithik, Sussanne was the first one to jump onto the fray and support her ex hubby on social media. Her rather public birthday tweets for Hrithik were always replete with a lot of love and so one could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps the ‘Krish’ actor would someday get back with his ex wife Sussanne. 19

But right now, Hrithik seems to be in a very good space with Saba – in fact, supposedly, they are very serious about each other. Ironically, Sussanne seems to have given her approval and blessings to her ex hubby’s new girlfriend. Sussanne in fact put a video of Saba performing on stage at an event in Mumbai on her Instagram story and she wrote, “What an amazing eve..! You are super cool and supremely talented @sabazad @madboymink.” Saba on the other end, wrote back, “Thanks my Suzie, so so happy you were there last night.” Hmm… we sure love this modern family.

Ironically, Sussanne seems to have given her approval and blessings to her ex hubby’s new girlfriend.

Though Hrithik categorically denied having anything to do with her, the controversial ‘Queen’ Kangana tom-tommed stories about their ‘romance’ to the media, giving intricate dates and details. Link-ups & More Hrithik Roshan who will soon be seen playing a key role in the Hindi remake of ‘Vikram Vedha’, will also be seen sharing screen space with Deepika Padukone in a film titled ‘Fighter’. But thankfully, it’s not all work and no play for Hrithik for it did make him a dull boy for a bit but not anymore. Before the very public war which Kangana started, Hrithik was known to be a bit of a ladies’ man. Supposedly when he was still married to Sussanne, the link-up with Barbara Mori during the filming of ‘Kites’, caused a lot of heartache in their marriage. Supposedly to save the marriage, papa Rakesh Roshan had even invited Sussanne to come to the sets and see for herself. However, the so-called affair died after the film’s release wherein ‘Kites’ was called a big debacle. However, Hrithik and Sussanne’s rocky marriage too ended in a cordial divorce wherein both of them insisted that they would remain friends and always be there for their kids. Hrithik’s life is not new to link-ups. Earlier in his career, he was linked with Kareena Kapoor who supposedly at that point had a huge crush for Hrithik. However, Hrithik’s love for Susssanne was much stronger and this fizzled out. After that, during the filming of ‘Krish’, supposedly there were rumours of something brewing between Hrithik and Priyanka Chopra.

But that too died after the film’s release. In between there were rumours of Hrithik and Shweta Bachachan Nanda kindling a romance after they were spotted close dancing at a friend’s party. Shweta was in Mumbai while her husband remained in Delhi. Supposedly, Hrithik Roshan and Shweta Bachchan were close friends since childhood. In fact, Abhishek Bachchan has also revealed in an interview that he and Shweta would often visit Hrithik’s house. But the rumours were never spoken about and both the families never spoke on this. And this too died an obscure death, perhaps extinguished by their families. After that, there was Kangana Ranaut! Though Hrithik categorically denied having anything to do with her, the controversial ‘Queen’ Kangana tom-tommed stories about their ‘romance’ to the media, giving intricate dates and details. Hrithik however completely denied it and does so till today. Anyway, the alleged affair of the duo ended in an ugly spat where a lot of dirty linen was washed publicly. But that’s all water under the bridge. Hrithik seems to have found love again and since pictures tell more than a thousand words, we can assume he is serious about Saba. Will it lead to marriage? Who knows? Watch out this space for more on this brewing romance. 21

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“FROM BEING AN ‘EXTRA’ TO A HEROINE - THAT’S BEEN MY ENTIRE JOURNEY TILL DATE.”

-Daisy Shah Daisy Shah who is Salman Khan’s discovery has had an exciting journey in the film industry… a journey filled with serpentine twists and turns. Yet, she has boldly followed her path and is now making her presence felt in films and the digital medium. Read on as Daisy candidly talks to Sumita Chakraborty about her journey, latest venture and of course, Salman Khan. From a dancer to heroine, how has the journey been? I’ll just rephrase the question; it’s not just a heroine. It’s from being an ‘extra’ to a heroine! That’s the entire journey of mine till date. I would say it has been an amazing experience! I have learned a lot of things along the way and there are a lot more things to learn too! And I just feel that I’m at the beginning of my rollercoaster right now! I’m looking forward to having a beautiful ride ahead.

Could you tell us about your OTT debut ‘Mystery Of The Tattoo’ and how was it working with Arjun Rampal in it? I’m not sure whether ‘Mystery Of The Tattoo’ is releasing on OTT or in theatres. The makers have not given us the details about that right now. Working with Arjun was super fun, we did a lot of masti and together we pulled everyone’s legs on the sets. It was a lovely experience working with him; he is a very nice guy to work with!

“Working with Arjun (Rampal) was super fun, we did a lot of masti and together we pulled everyone’s legs on the sets.” Could you share any anecdotes while shooting for it? So the entire crew was from down south - they all understood Tamil and we clearly didn’t understand the language. So there was a language barrier but it was also fun; whenever the director would explain to us in Tamil, we’d have a blank face. And it wasn’t planned, it just happened randomly!

You debuted with Salman Khan, could you tell us something about him that nobody knows? Yes, I have worked with Salman Sir and how can I tell you something about him that nobody knows. So, sorry I cannot spill the beans here. You’re a good actor and brilliant dancer. Do you feel you’ve got your due from the industry? First of all, thank you for the compliment! Secondly, if I have to say what I feel personally, then yes, I haven’t received my due yet. You know what they say, “Waqt se pehle kismat se zyada nahi milta”. So, I’m eagerly waiting for my time to come. But while waiting, you can’t just sit on the couch and wait. One needs to be on the move always! So, yes I’m doing my bit so, let’s see what the future has in store for me. My job is to keep working and getting the dues or not is in the hands of God!

“Yes, I haven’t received my due yet. You know what they say, “Waqt se pehle kismat se zyada nahi milta”. So, I’m eagerly waiting for my time to come.” 27

“Who are we to decide who is an insider and who is an outsider? To be very honest, it’s all about luck.” You’ve worked for Films and now digital... Is there any marked difference working on these diverse platforms? See, work is work - whether it’s for films or for digital. I mean the same amount of hard work goes into them. So for me, I don’t think there are any differences in working on these two different platforms because it doesn’t mean if you have given your hundred percent in the film, you have to give just eighty percent for digital. Your consistency should be the same that’s what I feel and at the end of the day, it’s a medium so you need to put in your best. Could you tell us about your other projects? Right now I’m dubbing for ‘Mystery Of The Tattoo’ I have shot for a short film is called ‘Elephant in the Room’ and there are a couple of singles that are yet to release and we are in talks for a web series - it should get concrete very soon so yes, the year ahead looks great. It looks very busy and I’m glad that this is going to happen to me and I’m always grateful to God. 28

There is a lot of debate on insiders versus outsiders. What’s your take on it? Who are we to decide who is an insider and who is an outsider? To be very honest, it’s all about luck.

“I would say Salman sir is my fave costar because he paved an amazing role in my entire journey to date. From being an actor to teaching me so many things, I learned a lot from him and he is been an amazing mentor to me.”

Wherever you have to go, you’ll surely go if your luck is there with you! So for me, you’re meant to do the purpose you have in your life, it’s eventually going to show up for you or maybe you’re going to lead to that place. I feel the universe has its beautiful ways to make us do what we are meant to do. For me, I don’t consider anybody an insider or outsider I consider everybody as equal.

Who are your favorite co-stars and why? I think all of them! I’m not being biased here but I loved working with everybody. But if I have to specifically pick one, then I would say Salman sir because he paved an amazing role in my entire journey to date. From being an actor to teaching me so many things, I learned a lot from him and he is been an amazing mentor to me. So, I think it is Salman sir and will always be. 29

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“As long as I enjoy playing characters, the scripts or what I’m doing in front of the camera, or in front of the mike, I’ll keep on doing it.”

-Abhilash Thapliyal

Abhilash Thapliyal’s journey began with a few viral digital videos called Muffler Man, which were spoof videos on Mr Arvind Kejriwal and since then there has been no looking back. He was seen in Taapsee Pannu and Saqib Saleem starrer “Dil Junglee” directed by Aleya Sen. Comedy Circus and Entertainment Ki Raat had him making people doubling over laughing at his unique humour. As an actor, Abhilash Thapliyal has been roped in with Saiyami Kher and Pavail Gulati in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s upcoming series Faadu. Here, he talks about his character, life as an actor and more. You began your journey in the glamour world with digital videos called Muffler Man that was a spoof on Arvind Kejriwal which went viral and from there, you were in Dil Junglee with Tapsee Pannu and Saqib Saleem and then in so many shows including Comedy Show and TVF’s Aspirants, how did it all start? And how has the journey been? Well, the journey has been interesting. My visual journey started with Muffler Man, which is a political satire. But apart from that, I’ve always been associated with one or the other radio stations of the country. At different junctures

of my career, I’ve been tagged as a different professional, so initially I was a radio jockey, then I was a political satirist. After that, I did a couple of, you know, funny roles, so I was called the comedian. Now I’m a full-fledged actor. I don’t know what I’ll be tomorrow, but yes, I’ve enjoyed it. And, as I always say, as long as I enjoy playing characters, the scripts or what I’m doing in front of the camera, or in front of the mike, I’ll keep on doing it. Now, I’m doing a couple of interesting projects where I’m getting to play different characters. So, the journey has been interesting, very interesting.

Tell us about Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s Faadu, how did you bag that? I was blocked three days before the shoot. I came to know about the project last year in June. So, I got a call from this casting agency and they told me that, we are auditioning for this character called Roxy and Ashwiny ma’am is directing it. I was really excited because Ashwini ma’am we all know for, Bareilly Ki Barfi and Nil Battey Sannata. And as an actor, you really want to collaborate with directors like Ashwiny ma’am. So, I had auditioned then, but I never heard from them. I used to call them, ask them, message them but no one reverted or told me what’s happening. Then, four or five days before the shoot was to begin, I got a call and I was told that Abhilash, they want to go ahead with you. So that’s how it happened. I think there was some other actor who got locked in but later I don’t know what happened, but finally yes, I am Ashwiny ma’am’s Roxy now.

“I got a call from this casting agency and they told me that, we are auditioning for this character called Roxy and Ashwini ma’am is directing it.” It’s a beautiful story, it’s a drama. This is the first time I’m doing something like this. The character is interesting, not only the way he is, the character in terms of his characteristics, the way he talks and also the way he looks. I feel if my character looks very different from me, it excites me. So, that’s Roxy for you.

Tell us about your character in it and did you have to do any special prep for the role? My character is a drunkard and I don’t drink, I’m a teetotaler. So, that was a major struggle for me, because I have not experienced it and this guy is sloshed 24/7. At times, it happens that when you start slurring when you start copying a drunkard, it becomes a bit caricaturist. So, that was my biggest fear and I had shared it with everyone at the very beginning.

“My character is a drunkard and I don’t drink, I’m a teetotaler. So, that was a major struggle for me, because I have not experienced it and this guy is sloshed 24/7.” 33

“My process has been very simple. Casting guys reach out to me, I tape my audition, I share it with them. At times I get selected, most of the time I don’t.” I had told them that I don’t drink, I don’t know how I will play the character, and then we did a couple of workshops, we discussed a lot, we talked about this character, how he behaves, why is he drinking, zubaan mein kitna fark padtahai. So, that was a major struggle for me to crack it. Very innocent character, lovable character, but a drunkard. So, the drunkard part was something which I had to crack. And I think we have cracked it well and I can’t wait for the series to get out for you guys to see Roxy. There is this huge brouhaha about nepotism and insiders versus outsiders, what is your take on this? My process has been very simple. Casting guys reach out to me, I tape my audition, I share it with them. At times I get selected, most of the time I don’t. So, this is how it has been with me. This is what I have faced, this is what I have seen. Personally, I have not faced any insider-outsider brouhaha, neither have I faced you know, discrimination because I’m an outsider, nor have I seen people getting the privilege of being an insider. So, I can’t comment on that. For me, it’s always facing the camera, doing my lines, knowing my character. If a director likes it, he takes me, if he doesn’t then he doesn’t take me. It’s as simple as that. haha 34

What is the one thing you love about the entertainment industry? One thing which I love about the industry is that it doesn’t judge. If you’re good at your job, whoever you are, from wherever you come, if you have that talent in you… as a writer, director, actor or as DOP, you will get your due. So, the industry doesn’t judge. Of course, you’ll have your own journey, your own hurdles. But eventually, if you have it, you’ll get it.

“If I were to change one thing, I think I would want people to be more aware about the failures because, we always celebrate and we always talk about successful directors, actors, individuals, projects but we never talk about the failures.”

What is the one thing you don’t like or hate about the entertainment industry? Hate is I think too stronger word. I don’t hate anything about the industry but, if I were to change one thing, I think I would want people to be more aware about the failures because, we always celebrate and we always talk about successful directors, actors, individuals, projects but we never talk about the failures. So, I want people to be aware about the failure part also. It’s not always all glam and glitter. There are a lot of failures, there are a lot those stories which just completely disappear. So that’s one thing I would want people to be aware about before entering the industry. What’s next? Are there any more of web series or films that we can look forward to seeing you in it in the future? Last year, I shot for two feature films. They should be out in the first half of

“So I am really looking forward to this year. I want to tell good stories, want to play different characters. That’s about it!” this year. In terms of web series, I’m only shooting for one web series which is Faadu. Apart from that, there are two more feature films which I will start shooting for soon. I just want to be part of good stories, that’s the only objective. I want to work with good directors, play interesting characters. The length of the character doesn’t matter. The character has to be interesting, that’s the only filter I have. So I am really looking forward to this year. I want to tell good stories, want to play different characters. That’s about it! 35

o Love Lapeta

STAR CROS SE D

Love may be in the air this romantic month but unfortunately, there have been too many chaotic disruptions in many Bollywood love affairs. Sumita Chakraborty reports. It’s the month of love but Cupid probably in a drunken stupor, has been ill-timing and mis-aiming his love tipped arrows rather randomly, causing major havoc and confusion in the lives of our Bollywood lovers. Agreed, the great Bard had once said that the ‘course of true love ne’er run smooth’ but this many tangles and complications make love seem more like a comedy of errors.

Jackie ‘O’ No! Let’s look at the “ill-fated” alleged love story of Jacqueline Fernandez and her (ex) multi-millionaire “conman” beau Sukesh Chandrashekar . There have been talks of Jackie receiving lavish gifts from Sukesh and more over, several “intimate” photographs of Jacqueline and Sukesh have been circulated on the internet in the last few months. But obviously, the grapevine picked up the billboard large signs and insisted Jackie had at last found love again. Unfortunately, the ED (Enforcement Directorate) played spoilsport to this alleged love story and chalked the OTT lavish “gifts” to Jacqueline as a part of a 200 crore scam probe that Sukesh was involved in. It was reported that Jacqueline received gifts worth a whopping Rs 10 crore from Sukesh. The gifts included a horse worth Rs 52 lakh, four Persian cats with each costing Rs 9 lakh, among others. She also received two pairs of diamond earrings, two Hermes bracelets, three Birkin bags and a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes. Of course, Jacqueline, being a good citizen, cooperated with the ED and told them everything but she denied she was ever dating Sukesh Chandrashekhar. However, Sukesh Chandrasekhar issued a letter to the media through his lawyer, which said, “It’s really sad and disturbing to see private pictures being circulated, which I have got to know through news the whole of last week. It’s a complete violation

of one’s privacy and personal space. As I have mentioned before I and Jacqueline were in a relationship. Seeing each other and the relationship was not based on any kind of monetary benefits like the way it’s projected, commented and trolled in a bad light. The relationship has lots of love and respect for each other without any expectations. Kindly requesting everyone to stop projecting her in a bad way, as it’s not easy on her, who has only loved without expecting anything. I have mentioned before that she has no involvement in the ongoing money-laundering case.” “I have gifted her things and done things for her family, are normal things one would do for his loved one in a relationship. It’s personal, I don’t understand why its being bade such a big deal. At the same time, I would like to again certain that none of this was “proceedings of so called crime”. It’s all from legitimate earnings and the same would be proved in the court of law very soon.” “I kindly request everyone to stop looking at this a wrong way and insist please show her lots of love and support as she is not wrong in any way except loving without any expectations.” Jacqueline in the meantime, has kept a stony silence over this though she again categorically denies dating Sukesh Chadrashekhar. …Another alleged love story that bites the dust! 37

Rakhi’s love story & a rented husband Motor-mouth Rakhi Sawant for the last three years has been vociferously announcing to the world and its neighbor that she’s married Ritesh, an NRI from Belgium. Nobody had ever seen or heard of him and so it was easy to dismiss the publicity hungry Rakhi Sawant of making the whole thing up just to grab her bit of spotlight. But surprise of surprises, Ritesh Singh made an appearance as a contestant along with Rakhi in Bigg Boss 15. But his aggressive nature and rude behaviour towards Rakhi even got host Salman Khan’s goat who lashed out at him on national TV. Outside the house, Ritesh’s first wife Snigdha Priya came out of the closet and lambasted her husband Ritesh for leaving her three-year-old son and her to cavort with Rakhi. She insisted Rakhi’s marriage wasn’t legal and that she could prove it. She also said that Ritesh was a very violent man and he had beaten her up with a belt on several occasions. She also claimed that Ritesh was from Bihar and was not a NRI. In the meantime, throughout her journey in the Bigg Boss House, Rakhi had to continuously field taunts of her husband being “bhade ka pati” (rented husband) which she rather passionately and loudly denounced as untrue. However, once outside the house, though Rakhi was 38

seen with Ritesh at a few events including Shamita Shetty’s birthday party, just a fortnight after the grand finale of Bigg Boss 15, Rakhi put up a message on her social media stating that Ritesh and she had separated. In media interviews, she however revealed that Ritesh ‘suddenly’ left her claiming that the legal issues with his wife got too much for him to handle. She revealed that the decision to end the relationship was his. She said, “I felt he was staying in my house only to be at the Grand Finale. Bigg Boss ke contract mein hain (It is in the Bigg Boss contract) that you have to pay Rs 2 crore if you don’t attend the Grand Finale. Besides, he was not touching me or kissing me in front of the media. Only I was kissing him. He is a shy person, lekin un baton se zaroor jyaada lagne laga tha (but these things gave me an inkling).” Rakhi further revealed, “Ritesh was with me on Friday, throughout. We woke up on Sunday very normally. Suddenly, he started packing his bags and said that he wanted to separate from me as his legal issues (with his wife) had become too much. God knows who he spoke to during those morning hours that led him to take this step.” Hmm… there goes another ‘Bolly’ love for a toss.

Have Arjun Kapoor and Malaika broken up? Recently, hushed whispers insisted that Arjun Kapoor and his love, Malaika were no longer a couple. In fact, the rumours reached a crescendo and the news became viral that supposedly, Arjun had broken up with Malaika and the poor lady was in deep depression. Shocking! …More so, as the couple had just gone to Maldives for a romantic getaway. The grapevine further insisted that Arjun had moved on and he was seeing somebody else. And guess who the said somebody was reported to be? Sara Tendulkar! Supposedly, Sachin Tendulkar’s daughter Sara Tendulkar has been hitting the headlines for quite some time now. The star kid has recently forayed into the glamour world. Sara who is very social media savvy, keeps sharing different pictures of

herself to keep her followers updated. Both Arjun and Sara have been following each other on social media and Arjun has often gushed over her svelte fit pictures. Recently, Sara got captured on the frame by the paparazzi while stepping out of a restaurant in Mumbai. And the masked person with her supposedly was Arjun Kapoor. And the media was quick to connect the dots and rumours were rife that Arjun was dating Sara who supposedly broke up with her cricketer beau. But Arjun supposedly still isn’t as yet ready to cut the chord with his first love Malaika. In fact rcently on Valentine’s day Arjun posted a romantic message for her along with a cosy picture of the two of them. So is he dating Sara or is still with Malaika? Wonder what Arjun is really upto? 39

STAR TRIBU T E

End Of A Golden Musical Era

The legendary Lata Mangeshkar and now Bollywood’s most loved composer-singer Bappi Lahiri are no more. Stardust pays tribute to these iconic musical gems. The Pride Of India Lata Mangeshkar Dubbed as the nightingale of India, her fabulously melodious voice graced thousands of films and became her true identity. In fact, that’s what she would always say: “I’m Lata Mangeshkar or meri pehchaan meri awaaz hai.” Lata Mangeshkar, born as Hema Mangeshkar is widely considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her contribution to the Indian music industry in a career spanning seven decades gained her honorific titles such as the “Queen of Melody”, “Nightingale of India”, and “Voice of the Millennium”. True, legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar who has sung for many decades enthralling the nation with her fabulous songs, was not only the pride of India, she was also recognized internationally too as one of the best singers in the Hindi film industry. She recorded songs in over thirty-six Indian languages and even a few international languages including English, Russian, Dutch, and even Swahili. She received several accolades and honors throughout her career. In 1989, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was bestowed on her by the Government of India. In 2001, in recognition of her contributions to the nation, she was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour; she is only the second female singer, after M. S. Subbulakshmi, to receive this honour. She even appeared in the Guinness World Records which listed her as the most recorded artist in history between 1948 and 1987. Not only that, France conferred on her its highest civilian award the ‘Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour’ in 2007. In 1974, she was one of the first Indian playback singers to ever perform at Royal 40

Albert Hall in London, UK. Her last recorded song was “Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti ki” released on 30 March 2019 as a tribute to the Indian army and Nation. The veteran singer was admitted to a city hospital in early January this year after she tested positive for Covid-19 and was also diagnosed with pneumonia. Around January 28, she was taken off the ventilator, after she showed slight signs of improvement. However, on February 5, Lata Mangeshkar’s condition deteriorated and she was back on ventilator support. Unfortunately, she passed away at the age of 92. And it is truly the end of an amazing era. Top dignitaries, film stars, country heads and the grieving public paid rich tribute to the legendary singer. PM Modi flew to Mumbai to attend her funeral and he paid floral tribute to her and performed a parikrama of her mortal remains. The PM also expressed his condolences to Lata Mangeshkar’s sister, singer Asha Bhosle, and the rest of her family. He met Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, who were also present at the venue. The mortal remains of Lata Mangeshkar were taken from her Pedder Road residence Prabhu Kunj to Shivaji Park, where her last rites will take place. Her body will be kept for the public to pay tribute. Throughout her rich career she has won many prestigious awards including the National awards. She has also won many Stardust awards. The demise of the legendary Lata Mangeshkar is a huge loss for the nation. But her voice lives on in our hearts. Indeed, Lata didi, you will always be remembered!

Musical Gem – Bappi Lahiri It’s indeed a bad month for music. We lost Lataji just recently and now even before we could recover from the massive loss, legendary music composer and singer Bappi Lahiri, the man who was known for his peppy composition, super hit songs and his love for gold, passed away late night yesterday at the age of 69. Alokesh Lahiri, also popularly known as Bappi Lahiri, was a singer, composer, politician and record producer. He popularised the use of synthesised disco music in Hindi films and sang some of his own compositions. He delivered major box office successes in Bengali films like Amar Sangee, Asha O Bhalobasha, Aamar Tumi, Amar Prem, Mandira, Badnam, Raktelekha, Priya and so on. He was popular in the ‘80s and ‘90s with filmi soundtracks such as Wardat, Disco Dancer, Namak Halaal, Sharaabi, Naukar Biwi Ka, Naya Kadam, Masterji, Bewafai, Maqsad, Suraag, Insaaf Main Karoongaa, Dance Dance, Commando, Saaheb, Adhikar, Aaj Ka M.L.A. Ram Avtar. He joined BJP in 2014.

Unfortunately, the pandemic proved fatal for him. Supposedly, Bappi Lahiri’s condition worsened after he contracted Covid-19 last year. He was in the hospital for the last three months and Dr Deepak Namjoshi who treated him claimed that the iconic musician passed away due to obstructive sleep apnea. He told PTI, “Lahiri had been admitted to the hospital for a month and was discharged on Monday. But his health deteriorated and his family called for a doctor to visit their home. He was brought to the hospital. He had multiple health issues. He died due to OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) shortly before midnight.” The devastated family released an official statement that read: “It’s a deeply sad moment for us. Our beloved Bappi Da has left for heavenly abode last midnight. The cremation will take on arrival of Bappa from LA. We are seeking love and blessings for his soul. Indeed it’s the end of a golden era with the demise of the great Bappi da.

STARDUS T EX CL U SI V E

“I saw many ups and downs, success, failures but I’m still going strong!” – Arjan Bajwa 44

In a candid conversation with Sumita Chakraborty, Arjan Bajwa talks about his acting journey filled with ‘twists ‘n’ turns’, his web series ‘Bestseller’, his opinion on the fracas between insiders versus outsiders and more. He’s exceptionally talented but for some reason, hasn’t got the due he deserves in the industry. Meet the gorgeous Arjan Bajwa who is currently promoting his upcoming web series ‘Bestseller’. In a refreshingly honest interview, Arjan talks about how he has survived in the big ocean of filmdom and still survived, and much more… Read on… Your journey in the film industry has had a lot of twists ‘n’ turns, when you look back how would you like to describe your journey? My journey in the film industry has been of a lot of twists ‘n’ turns and yet, I would call it exciting, if it was just linear, it would be boring. I saw many ups and downs, success, failures but I’m still going strong so what I think matters the most is whether you can survive in this big ocean or not. Once, a big superstar in the business had told me that this is a big ocean and to swim here is the most difficult thing but I feel that I’ve been swimming and surviving, and doing the best of work with some of the most celebrated names. Although I’ve not reached the pinnacle of my career yet, there is still a long way to go, my journey is continuing and that’s what matters. Could you tell us about your OTT series ‘Bestseller’? ‘Bestseller’, is a psychological thriller. It’s an adaptation of a book by ‘Ravi Subramaniam’. I play the central character of Tahir Wazir who’s a novelist and he is this flamboyant and assertive person who is very successful and then a stranger comes into his life and changes it forever. 45

“My journey in the film industry has been of a lot of twists ‘n’ turns and yet, I would call it exciting, if it was just linear, it would be boring.” There’s a clash of two worlds where the past, present and future of this layered and complex character of Tahir Wazir changes. The title ‘Bestseller’ has defined itself in every aspect of the series, that’s an overall scenario.

It has a stellar star cast including Mithun Chakraborty, Shruti Hassan, Gauahar Khan, Sonali Kulkarni, Satyajit Dubey and produced and directed by Alchemy Film’s Siddharth Malhotra and Mukul Abhyankar respectively. 46

You’re a good actor. Do you feel you’ve got your due from the industry? Thank you, for the kind words! Yes, I always thought I could hold my own. To answer your question about getting my due in the industry, I would say both yes and no because one doesn’t get the kind of stardom by just being a good actor. There are a whole lot of aspects apart from that and especially when you are not from a filmy background or not born here. It takes time to build up all the things around you that’ll make you a star. At the same time, I would say that I’ve been fortunate enough that my skills, talent, sincerity and hard work have been noticed and I have got the opportunity to work with some of the most celebrated names in the industry in a whole lot of blockbuster films. The journey still continues, I am looking forward to projects after ‘Bestseller’ which are onwards and upwards and more successful.

“‘Bestseller’, is a psychological thriller. I play the central character of Tahir Wazir who’s a novelist and he is this flamboyant and assertive person who is very successful and then a stranger comes into his life and changes it forever.”

“I don’t think that there is any kind of a divide for filmmakers or film business as such for OTT and films.”

You’ve worked for films and now digital… Is there any marked difference working on these diverse platforms? Yes, I worked in films like ‘Kabir Singh’ and also debuted in a Tamil film –I’ve worked in a total of 23 films - did 2 web shows which were ‘State of Siege’ on Zee5 and now ‘Bestseller’ on Amazon Prime. I would say there’s no difference for an actor.

I think the only difference between films and OTT is that you are showcasing your skills on two different platforms. Basically, even a series is a film shot over a long duration and for an actor, film making process is completely the same. So, I don’t think that there is any kind of a divide for filmmakers or film business as such for OTT and films. However, the exhibition medium is different. But, yes, one thing that has been a big boom to OTT is that the audience has become far and wide. The projects that take up on OTT can reach the audience in 100+ countries and are sometimes dubbed into different languages and that makes a huge difference. You can showcase your talent all over the world.

“One doesn’t get the kind of stardom by just being a good actor. There are a whole lot of aspects apart from that and especially when you are not from a filmy background or not born here. It takes time to build up all the things around you that’ll make you a star.” 47

“Yes, I worked in films like ‘Kabir Singh’ and also debuted in a Tamil film –I’ve worked in a total of 23 films - did 2 web shows which were ‘State of Siege’ on Zee5 and now ‘Bestseller’ on Amazon Prime.” Could you tell us about your other projects? My other projects are lined up to be shot this year which include regional language films and two projects which are a Hindi film and a web series that I’m going start shooting for in the middle of this year so that’s all I can disclose as of now until the official announcements are made by the producers. There is a lot of debate on insiders vs outsiders. What’s your take on it? Yes, there’s a lot of debate on insider vs outsider which is true. There’s no shying away from the fact that there is a huge divide because for an outsider it becomes very difficult to get to that stage to be called an “insider”, for an outsider, stepping into the door is a very difficult thing and even when you have stepped into the door, you have to keep proving yourself for quite a lot of time 48

“There’s no shying away from the fact that there is a huge divide because for an outsider it becomes very difficult to get to that stage to be called an “insider”, for an outsider, stepping into the door is a very difficult thing and even when you have stepped into the door, you have to keep proving yourself for quite a lot of time till you have that one blockbuster which changes everything for you.”

till you have that one blockbuster which changes everything for you. You aren’t given too many chances to prove yourself so you have to diligently keep showing your talent, re-inventing for people in the business to notice your success. Whereas, insiders do have that access they have all the facilities to catapult them into that space because when you are an insider the PR machinery works in your favor. They have access to every possible film production house and getting in touch with some of the big banners is easier. They’re given many chances to prove themselves but ultimately, it all boils down to how the audience perceives you and whether they want to see you as an outsider or an insider or if they don’t see you at all, you are outright rejected and that’s what matters. At the end of the day, it is upon the audience to decide whether they want you to stay or leave. 49

MUS IC ROOM

“The struggle is always there for every musician to start work in Bollywood, it takes years, it takes months…”

– Shilpa Rao Her voice is her identity. Indeed, Shilpa Rao is a singer par excellence who has shown her versatility and power through her various hit songs in so many blockbusters. But she hasn’t limited herself only to Bollywood, in a candid conversation with Sumita Chakraborty, Shilpa Rao talks about her journey in the music industry and more. Known for her stupendous mastery over Indian classical ragas, the Grammy nominated singer Shilpa Rao embarked on her musical journey through Bollywood and Hindustani classical music. With more than 25 songs under her belt in various genres and styles, singer Shilpa Rao is the voice behind some of famous iconic gems as Javeda Zindagi (Anwar, 2007), Ek Lau (Aamir, 2008), Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno, 2008), Subhanallah (Yeh Jawaani hai Deewani 2013), Manmarziyan (Lootera, 2013), Bulleya (AeDil Ae Mushkil 2016), Kalank title track (Kalank 2019) and the mega chartbuster Ghungroo (War movie 2019), Haan Tum Ho (Love Aaj Kal 2020) and many more. Shilpa’s work as a playback singer is not limited to film soundtracks. She has collaborated with talented musicians across genres from Karsh Kale, Agni, Noori and Anoushka Shankar, the Yellow Diaries, Amit Trivedi, etc along with being the only Indian to perform at Pakistan coke studio and at Glastonbury Festival in 2015. Indeed, she’s a singer par excellence. Read on to know more about Shilpa Rao. 50

Shilpa, from Hindi classical music to Bollywood, you have been exposed to a potpourri of wonderful music… How much has your musical journey been impacted by this? I didn’t think I would become a singer. I didn’t want to do much because that was never in my plan. Though I have been learning music since a young age but I never had any aspirations or ambitions. I think now when I look back, it was better just to focus on music than anything else. I learnt music without any expectations. I think in a way it was really a good childhood where I was learning music for it’s pure love and nothing else.

“I didn’t think I would become a singer.” You worked with some of the biggest musicians, could you tell us about that? There are many musicians I would love to work with in India, but I’ve been fortunate to work with talented musicians and learn from them too. They have become like friends over the years and it still feels like I’m singing my first song every time I record a song. Some of the artists I have already worked with and would love to work with again and again are Pritam, Vishal Shekhar, Mithoon and in the new lot there is Shashwat, Parampara and many new people, I would like to work with. I am always in the lookout for composers who are starting off - I would love to work with fresh minds. How did you enter Bollywood and kickstart your career here? The struggle is always there for every musician to start work in Bollywood, it takes years, it takes months, and probably a lot longer for many other people. So the trick is to keep your natural style of singing and your originality because that is how you will get your first song. That’s the novelty factor that you bring to the table and that is the

one thing that I have learnt over the years. To sustain in Bollywood or in any form of music or art, you have to constantly keep learning, you have to evolve, you have to learn and better your art and skills, your craftsmanship year after year. There is no other way to sustain yourself - that’s the only one way to do it.

Khuda Jane and so many of your songs got you a lot of accolades, could you tell us which is your most fave song sung by you? ‘Tose Naina’ would always be close to my heart. It’s so beautifully made and written and the way people show so much love for it even after so many years means a lot to me. It is one of my most favourite songs.

“AR Rehman Sir and I had met for a shoot and the next day itself, I got a call that we have to record one song. I went to his studio, recorded and it was mesmerizing.” 53

You collaborated with talented musicians across genres from Karsh Kale, Agni, Noori and Anoushka Shankar, the Yellow Diaries, Amit Trivedi, etc along with being the only Indian to perform at Pakistan coke studio and at Glastonbury Festival in 2015, could you tell us about this? The music attached to India is very much loved across the globe. It is only because we

“One actor I would love to sing for is Tabu, I totally adore her.” have taken our own rich Indian music to the global stage and gained appreciation for it. I think we need to do the same even now. I would love to see more Indian Artists like Shubha Mudgal jii, she is a huge example and ideal for us specially when you see her performing on a global stage. The same thing we did at Glastonbury festival or Coke Studio Pakistan or even for Anoushka Shankar’s song ‘Those Words’. I sang what I have learnt from my country and its music. Indian music is so much more progressive than people think - it is with indepth fundamentals yet ever evolving. I think it’s the endless list of people who have made us proud of our country and I think that needs to be continued. I am really saying this with a lot of hope that our youth can actually see the brilliance and genius in our Indian music and take it global. I really hope that happens more. …Any memorable anecdote in your musical journey that you would like to share with us? AR Rehman Sir and I had met for a shoot and we were talking about ghazals and specially the one I had posted on socials. I performed in front of him on the reality show IPML and he totally loved it. He said that it transported him to Egypt and he couldn’t believe it was me or Amar Mahal singing. That was a huge compliment for

me and the next day itself, I got a call that we have to record one song. I went to his studio, recorded and it was mesmerizing. What about the digital platform – are you also straddling the OTT along with films? Well, there is a lot of music that we have done through 2020 and 2021 that has gone to the OTT Platforms but the point is that the music is very valuable and you can put it into different forms. I still feel that making music or creating a new song is the most difficult part. With new platforms, artists can showcase their music in different forms and we keep getting feedback from them.

“There are spaces where actors’ voices fit and that’s okay, like there are actors in Hollywood that are excellent singers and they do a lot of musicals and that’s amazing.” You have been the voice for many leading ladies, do you have any bucket list to sing for any particular actors in Bollywood? I think I want to work with all the composers and every actor that I have worked with and also there is so much fresh talent that is coming up that I would like to collaborate with. One actor I would love to sing for is Tabu, I totally adore her. 55

Do you think you have got your due in the industry? That is not the question that I should be answering, the only thing I can answer is that with every project that I do, I make an effort to work harder and better than the previous one. I try to do something new each time and that is something in my hands. The due that you get or don’t get is not in your hands.

“I try to do something new each time and that is something in my hands. The due that you get or don’t get is not in your hands.” Actors have started singing too, what do you think of this? There are spaces where actors’ voices fit and that’s okay, like there are actors in Hollywood that are excellent singers and they do a lot of musicals and that’s amazing.

“The pandemic gave me a lot of time and space to kind of organize my thoughts, feel what I want to do, practice more and it gave me more time with my family because we are constantly on the run most of the time.” The pandemic caused havoc in everybody’s life, how did you cope with the lockdown and everything else? I think it gave me a lot of time and space to kind of organize my thoughts, feel what I want to do, practice more and it gave me more time with my family because we are constantly on the run most of the time. But yeah, these are things that really helped me. What are your upcoming projects? It is a mix of everything. I am working on a few collaborations this year and working on different film music too. 57

STARRY LOOK

Disha Patani’s Skin’tillating Secrets!

She’s super sexy. Svelte, fit and sensuous, Disha Patani is indeed the poster girl for good skin. So what does she do for her skin to look so good? 58

Face Ace For her face, she follows the CTM way which is essentially cleansing, toning and moisturizing. Disha uses a good cleanser, toner and moisturizer that suit her face. Her toner is actually rosewater. She firmly stands by it and sprinkles it on her face before she calls it a night. Face masks help her relax and pampers her skin while nourishing it. Your Skin reflects What You Eat: Disha Patani eats healthy. So her diet includes fresh fruits and vegetables – a lot of greens, fibres and a balanced diet. Water Way Disha is super fit and she religiously works out for she believes that this helps the body sweat out all the toxins and thereby cleansing it. Disha drinks a lot of water for she claims the skin needs to remain hydrated and healthy.

Face It Quench’s Bravocado Ultra Light Nourishing Face and Body Cream - 2-in-1 hydrating cream can be used both on the face and body and is packed with natural oils of avocado, sea buckthorn, apricot kernel and lavender. Our verdict: This Quench product is free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates and alcohol, and are 100% vegetarian and cruelty-free. It keeps the skin glowing and healthy.

I N FOC US

Is Idris Elba the new James Bond? Or much more? He’s a DJ, radio host, podcaster, fashion brand head and of course an actor. Indeed, Idris Elba, the first black man to play James Bond, is a man who believes he is only engaging “his creative ego”. Sumita Chakraborty finds out more about the iconic Idris Elba.

rom being a DJ, doorman, extra and even drug dealer, to being an actor par excellence who as Stringer Bell in the ‘Wire’ and Luther in the British TV series ‘Luther’ became iconic. Of course, his character as Nelson Mandela in the biographical film ‘Nelson Mandela, Long Walk To Freedom’ brought him further into the spotlight. And how! Meet Idris Elba, the first black man supposedly slated to essay the role of the dapper James Bond in 007 series. He has been nominated for the Golden Globe award twice. He portrayed the dark Heimdall in Thor and its sequels Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok as well as Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers: Infinity War.

in 2018 with an adaptation of the 1992 novel Yardie. In 2021, he portrayed Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad, set in the DC Extended Universe. And now put your hands together… he’s going to be the first black man to be the iconic James Bond. It all started when he was working as a bouncer at a club where he was offered a teeny weeny role in ‘Wire’. Cut to: Twenty years later, Idris Elba became a prime character in the same show. Indeed, it’s been a magical journey for this magical man for not only did he fight to get a big break, he had to cope with losing his dad and getting into a deep dark slippery zone which threatened to engulf him.

He also starred in a whole host of big banners for which he received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for Best Supporting Actor, and Molly’s Game. His deep baritone voice became the voice of Chief Bogo in Zootopia, Sher Khan in the live action/CGI adaptation of The Jungle Book and Fluke in Finding Dory. He made his directorial debut

Fingers in Many Pies He’s man who wears many hats. He’s currently slated to be James Bond, was in the blockbuster The Suicide Squad. He’s a rapper, hosts a podcast, has just released his fashion line of Tees. Earlier in 2021, he signed a deal with HarperCollins to write children’s books. He along with his third wife is also a social activist. 61

So what makes the man do so many things? In an interview to Esquire, Elba states, “I definitely enjoy fulfilling my creative ego. I like figuring out how to apply my personality best. I can enjoy sitting still. I just have a drive that,

though I can’t explain exactly where it comes from, is always there.” Adding, “People have criticized me for doing a lot of things. But creativity’s a real balancer for me. I definitely used work to exorcise demons, there’s no doubt about that,”

From Sierra Leone to England And work he did to achieve name, fame and immense wealth. Indeed, it is truly the proverbial ‘rags to riches’ story. His parents migrated from Sierra Leone to England as they wanted to make their mark in a new country. As a child growing up in England, Idris hated his full Sierra Leonean name, Idrissa. But soon he realized that his identity made him unique. After school, Idris worked with his dad at a car factory. But soon his love for music made him DJ under the stage name Big Driis. Idris says, “Stringer Bell came along at a junction in my life when I was, like, ‘This guy is trying to do better, too.’ In 1997, he signed played Tim in Family Affairs, a daily soap opera that broadcast on the newly launched Channel 5. In his late 20s, Idris moved to Manhattan with his then wife Hanne Norgaad. It was a bleak time - there was just a guest appearance on Law & Order and Troilus And Cressida. Life was tough and he worked as a bouncer for some time. There he was noticed by a casting director and he got a small part in the ‘Wire’. US Calling Idris says, “I’d moved to America. I’d been through all sorts of life stuff there. I was trying to do things better, do things right. Stringer came along at a junction in my life when I was, like, ‘This guy is trying to do better, too, this guy’s trying to be smarter, too.’ I could relate. Re-late.” After that, he got a coveted part, as Nelson Mandela in Justin Chadwick’s 2013 biopic Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, playing Mandela and winding up with a Golden Globe nomination. There was another nomination for Netflix’s Beasts Of No Nation, a war drama that he co-produced. Afterwards, Elba lent his voice to a succession of animated Disney films. He worked with Aaron Sorkin on Molly’s Game.

He was the villain, Macavity, in Tom Hooper’s widely maligned Cats. That year he made a fifth, final, season of Luther, restoring enough industry clout along the way to fund his directorial debut, a gangster film called Yardie. Very Private In his personal life, Idris is a very private person. he has been married thrice. He had a daughter with his first wife; they divorced in 2003. In 2006, Elba was briefly married to an American lawyer, Sonya Hamlin. And now he’s married to a Canadian lawyer Sabrina Dhowre. Today, Idris is counted as one of the richest actors in the world. But even at the age of 48, he refuses to sit still. His fingers are still in different pies. Of course, acting is his first love. And now that there was the news that Idris had been picked out to play 007 after Daniel Craig, supposedly, this gorgeous actor is ‘prep’ing to be the dapper James Bond. His friends, he says, keep calling him ‘James Bond’. Indeed, shaken but not stirred. 65

STAR LIS T

Filmi Sarkars From Amitabh Bachchan to Mahie Gill, here is the list of five actors who nailed the role of a politician on-screen

In recent years, we have seen the growth of political dramas in Indian movies and the entertainment industry boldly showcasing lesser-known facets of Indian politics through their storylines. To play the role with perfection, the actors sometimes must undergo massive transformation - both physically and mentally to do justice to the role and portray the character effortlessly on the screen. So here is the list of five actors who have done a fantastic job of crowning their characters on screen:

1)Amitabh Bachchan In Sarkar - In Ram Gopal Verma’s Sarkar, Amitabh Bachhan pulled of the role in style. The story is loosely based on the journey of Balasaheb Thackeray. The veteran breathed life into the character with his acting, style, and dialogue delivery. In the movie, he played the character of a man who is a powerful patriarch and turns his back on his son, Vishnu who committed a heinous crime. 66

2) Manoj Bajpayee in Rajneeti - Manoj Bajpayee is famous for making unpopular roles popular with his powerful acting. In the movie Rajneeti, the actor played the role of Veerendra Pratap, who is an ambitious and power-driven politician and can go to any extent to achieve his goal. Manoj Bajpayee through his character brought forward a relevant facet of politics that left audiences in awe.

3) Huma Qureshi in Maharani - Inspired by Rabri Devi, the ex-Chief Minister of Bihar, Huma Qureshi plays the role of Rani Bharti in the series Maharani. She is seen in a simple look of a housewife and to stay true to the character, the actress has adopted the gestures, language, and accent of the politician.

4)Kangana Ranaut in Thalaivi - In the movie Thalaivi, Kangana Ranaut is seen as playing the role of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. To fit in the role, the actress gained 20kgs for the film. Her efforts are seen throughout the movie where we can see the resemblance of Jayalalithaa’s gestures and facial expressions with the actress. 68

5) Mahie Gill in Raktanchal 2 - In MX Player’s upcoming original series Raktanchal 2, Mahie Gill plays the role of Saraswati Devi which is seems to bear a striking resemblance to a former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. In the show, her dress sense is very similar to one of India’s leading female politicians – Mayawati and is seen donning brown/ pastel colour salwar-suits. Inspired by true events of the early 90s when the entire dynamics of UP politics was about to change, the new season is set in the backdrop of revenge, deceit, and power games at the behest of its four main protagonists - Ramanand Rai (Ashish Vidyarthi), Vijay Singh (Kranti Prakash Jha), Waseem Khan (Nikitin Dheer) and Saraswati Devi (Mahie Gill). In the promo, Mahie Gill is seen saying “Kuch aarop safai nahi, tyaag patra maangte hai” that sends shivers down your spine, and we can’t wait to see how her role unfolds in this season of the political drama. 69

Stardust on the go Just like a siren – Sushmita Sen

Sara Ali Khan takes in the sun

Are actors outside their shooting world as glamorous as they look on the silver screen? Can female actors in Tinsel Town be good friends? Who are the new love-birds in B-town? Team Stardust brings you a bird eye’s view into the private lives of Tinsel Town eye candies.

Kartik Aryaan and his new love

Siddhant Chaturvedi believes in Gehraaiyaan

Hunk alert! Tiger Shroff

Loved up couple Katrina and Vicky Kaushal

Rock jaw, is it? Arjun Kapoor

Nope, he’s not insecure: Ranveer Singh

Love in the air for Shahid and Mira Kapoor

No, not again, we aren’t pregnant: Karan Singh Grover & Bipasha Basu

Dancing like there’s no tomorrow – Jackqueline Fernandez, Avneet Kaur & Tony Kakkar

She’s a diva – Madhuri Dixit Nene

StarrySashay Sensuous. Sassy. Stunning… That’s right, red is colour of the season and these adjectives describe this sexy hue to the hilt. Indeed hues of scarlet are super ‘lit’. Of course, it is also the month of love and so what better colour than red to ignite the passions. We pick some gorgeous Bollywood divas who raise the temp in their red hot ensembles. So what are you waiting for…? Get your rating grades and mark the actresses according to who flaunted the red hot look best.

Deepika Padukone

Sara Ali Khan

Daisy Shah

Jacqueline Fernandez

Janhvi Kapoor

Kangana

Kriti Sanon

Shraddha Kapoor

Urvashi Rautela

Katrina Kaif

Sara Ali Khan

Alia Bhatt

m o r f t s a l B t s a p e th The Lara-Dino Clash Over Kelly! Revenge of the Ex NEWTON’S THIRD LAW STATES THAT FOR EVERY ACTION, THERE IS AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTION. ERGO, HARD-HITTING CONFESSIONS RESULT IN REPERCUSSIONS. AND THE HARSHER THE CONFESSION, THE MORE SEVERE THE RAMIFICATIONS! 74

ast month (and for the fi rst time ever), Kelly Dorji opened up to ‘Stardust’ about his broken relationship with Lara Dutta and being back-stabbed by ex-best friend Dino Morea (read box on the next page). Now, there were two immediate outcomes of his outburst. One, he inadvertently confirmed Dino and Lara’s twosome status, a thing which both the stars had kept studiously mum about. And two, it brought to fore the hostilities between Kelly and Dino, which the latter had been carefully hiding. This situation came as a complete shocker to Lara and Dino, both of whom have known Kelly for the longest time.

As a close friend of the couple puts it, “Lara and Kelly are still on good terms with each other. And after all the things he’s said about Dino, obviously Dino isn’t too happy with their continued camaraderie. This has caused the current strain in their relationship.” Once the interview was out, Dino was understandably upset. In fact, Lara and Dino even had a major showdown at the latter’s home where Dino reportedly told Lara that he wanted her to sever all ties with Kelly. Their friend continues, “Lara told Dino that she found nothing wrong in Kelly’s confessions. For Dino especially, whose immediate reaction was of absolute bewilderment as he’d never expected the reticent Kelly to lash out the way he did. The actor, who had been attending practically every do about town, completely vanished from the social circuit to seek refuge from the media and the ensuing backlash. But more importantly, Kelly’s confessions created gaping cracks in the Dino-Lara relationship; to the point that there were rumours about their split. Also, Kelly had no axe to grind with Lara as according to him, she had come clean to him about her and Dino – that made things worse. And owing to this, the two still continue to be good friends even today – a fact that doesn’t go down well with Dino at all. 76

She felt that Dino was being unfair as she had told him to speak to Kelly about their relationship a long while ago. But maybe because he felt guilty, Dino didn’t. Lara thought

it was unfair of him to expect her to hold a grudge against Kelly.” Lara was of the opinion that Kelly giving vent to his anger was justifi ed and his reaction to Dino’s behaviour was very natural. Needless to say, Dino has still not gotten over Lara’s pro-Kelly stance. And that is supposed to be the primary reason he’s renewed contact with his ex-girlfriend, Nandita Mahtani. The only reason Dino wasn’t in touch with Nandita was because Lara wasn’t too comfortable with her presence in his life.

and that saves her the trouble of doling out explanations. Dino, on the other hand, is in quite a soup. Hitting out at Kelly and justifying his stance in the media simply won’t do as it’ll make him look foolish considering he’s never publicly admitted to being Lara’s boyfriend. It seems all he can do now is face the trauma and the repercussions of Kelly’s verbal whiplash alone. As Dino’s friend discloses, “Thanks to Lara, who has asked him to maintain silence on their relationship, he’s in no position

“Lara told Dino that she found nothing wrong in Kelly’s confessions. She felt that Dino was being unfair as she had told him to speak to Kelly about their relationship a long while ago” But now he feels that if Lara’s going to stand up for Kelly and continue to be friends with him, then he can do the same. Dino’s good pal tells us, “If Lara wants to continue to be on good terms with Kelly even after all the things he’s said about Dino then there is nothing wrong with Dino being in touch with Nandi.” Thanks to this development, there is major trouble in paradise for Dino and Lara. The couple has consciously stopped making public appearances, reinforcing stories of their relationship having gone kaput. In the case of Lara, the damage done is not substantial, considering she’s always been silent about her relationship with Dino. Also, she’s never really been open about her personal life like Dino

to clear his name. As a result, the world now believes he’s the one who’s in the wrong.” However, sources tell us that Dino shouldn’t shoulder the blame alone as Lara knew all along that Dino hadn’t told Kelly about them. So why Kelly’s rancour should cause problems between the couple remains a mystery. Is she merely using this as an excuse to ease out of the relationship? When we called Kelly to ask him about this, he said, “I’ve said all that I wanted to and have nothing more to say.” All calls and attempts to talk to Dino were futile as the actor didn’t answer his phone. Every story has two sides. We’ve already heard Kelly’s. It’s time now for Dino to stand up and defend not just his actions, but also his honour. Until then, this saga remains incomplete. 77

THE INTERVIEW THAT CREATED A FURORE FOR THOSE WHO MISSED OUT ON KELLY DORJI’S EXPLOSIVE INTERVIEW IN THE LAST ISSUE OF ‘STARDUST’, HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM IT: “Dino lied to me. Even after he started dating Lara, he never told me and he hasn’t told me till date. Lara had to come and tell me because he didn’t” “One has to be a man and stand up for what you do. It gives me no pleasure to even look at Dino’s face because that just brings back 15 years of belief gone wrong. I don’t want ever want to be in touch with him” “I have taken enough shit and enough laughing from people saying that, ‘Oh! someone stole your girlfriend.’ I mean, f*&@ you! I have no expectations but to be stabbed in the back from within your own walls is a bit harsh” “When Dino is old and lying down ready to leave this world, I truly hope he doesn’t look back in regret because everybody deserves to live well. There is nothing he can do to correct it as it’s done. One just has to move on” “What hurt me was that Dino didn’t have the guts to tell me himself. We would be in London together and after being with me for a while, he would run away saying he’s got some work and would be shopping with Lara. All this I found out later on”

FAST FORWARD The old Stardust issues were such fun, weren’t they? We found this gem in the old dusty pages of the past. This was in 2006 and of course, this is all water under the bridge. Lara Dutta, Kelly Dorji and Dino Morea have all gone their separate ways. Lara is married to tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi and has a cute little daughter. Dino Morea is still not married and is still on the lookout for that magical break in his career. He was seen courting fashion designer and socialite Nandita Mahtani for the longest time, however, Nadita has moved on and got herself engaged to Vidyut Jamvwal. …So poor Dino is still single and ready to mingle. As for Kelly, not much is known about him except that he’s returned to his home town Thimpu, Bhutan and he runs a travel agency there called Terton Travel Bhutan. Looks like except for Lara who has moved on, and how; Dino and Kelly seems to be stuck in time. Perhaps the two ‘once-upon-a-time besties’ turned bitter rivals, should sit down together over a Single Malt and iron out their differences. What say? - Sumita Chakraborty