Stardust - November 2021

Fiery & Furious: Mallika Sherawat’s throwback story

NOVEMBER 2021 India ₹ 75.00 UK/Europe € 3.99 USA/Canada $ 2.99

A MAGNA PUBLICATION

Ajay Devgn goes wild & adventurous

Gay & Engaged: Kal Penn comes out of the closet Bollywood to Hollywood - The Cross Over Pioneers: Asha Puthli & Gulshan Grover

Why was the industry divided in their support for Shah Rukh Khan?

1

INDIA Shop AROUND Click to view products

2

3

Publisher Editor Head of Business Development Graphics Designer

: Nari M. Hira : Sumita Chakraborty : Prashant Rane : Sayad Zaid Inamdar

CANADA For Advertising contact : Ms.Anki Khanna

Tel : 647-964-1802 Email : :stardustmaganki@gmail.com

Please write to stardustindiamagazine@gmail.com and give us your comments, suggestions, opinions, criticism and feedback.

We have several new exciting things – from great articles, interviews, candid pictures and interactive competitions with great prizes in the offing, so watch this space for more…

Cover Story: Why Did Bollywood Big Wigs Not Support SRK? ............................................................................14 Get Snappy: Wild Encounter With Ajay Devgn .............................................................................................. 22 Get Snappy: “The film industry has been the toughest and ‘best’est

form of schooling for me so far…” – Zoa Morani ........................................................................ 26 Stardust Special: Is Shamita Shetty ‘Queening’ it up in Bigg Boss 15? ....................................................... 32 In Focus: “Mahesh Bhatt says, ‘Gulshan Grover, never over!” – Gulshan Grover ....................................... 36 Star Show: “I used to sing by my window and one day, Papaji (Prithviraj Kapoor) heard

me and said, ‘I had a beautiful voice and I should sing in films’.”- Asha Puthli ......................... 42 In The Spotlight: “It was the final stage of coming out for me when

I announced my engagement.” – Kal Penn .......................................................................... 48 Down Memory Lane: “I’ve never troubled any filmmaker or any person for that matter.” - Govinda ....... 54 Starry Look: Kiara Advani .................................................................................................................................... 60 Blast From The Past: Mallika Sherawat ............................................................................................................ 68

COLUMNS Neeta’s Natter ....................................................................................................................................................... 06 Starry Sashay ........................................................................................................................................................ 66 Stardust On The Go ............................................................................................................................................... 64 Web Show ............................................................................................................................................................ 76 Starry Dazzle .......................................................................................................................................................... 63 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 51 (No. 11) 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

STARDUST IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CLAIM MADE BY THE ADVERTISER

4

UK Shop AROUND Black Friday Deals.

Click to view products

5

It’s time for some shava shava, for it is wedding time in Bollywood.

One of Bollywood’s finest actors, Rajkummar Rao married his long time sweetheart Patralekha Paul in a lavish ceremony in Chandigarh. The duo who have been living in for years, finally decided to tie the knot. Their marriage too looked so happy and fun with a lot of frolic, and illustrious guests. Many congratulations to Mr and Mrs Rajkummar Rao.

Director Farah Khan flew all the way to Chandigarh to attend the wedding. She tied the safa (turban) on Rajkummar Rao’s head and participated in all the rituals as a family member. Strange though, we’ve never known that Farah Khan and Rajkummar Rao were so close – he was never a part of her filmi capers nor has he been seen attending any of her dos. Ah well, never mind, it really was very sweet of Farah to be with Rajkummar Rao on his special day.

6

It’s definitely raining weddings.

Supposedly ,Tara Sutaria is all set to get married to beau Aadar Jain, who incidentally is Ranbir Kapoor’s cousin. The duo who have been dating for some time, are very serious about each other.

Supposedly, ‘D’ day is some time in 2022, just before Alia and Ranbir’s wedding, whispered a little bird.

Talking about Ranbir, supposedly their wedding date was slated to be in December and then for some strange reason, it got postponed to April. Is Ranbir getting commitment phobic? Well, we don’t know but hell hath no fury than a Punjaban star mom - and so mama Neetu Kapoor is determined to see her ladla beta get married even if she has to drag him to the altar.

But supposedly, there are wedding plans afoot between Alia and Ranbir and it is going to happen sometime soon in a super romantic region in Italy. The entire Kapoor Khandaan has been informed about the same and supposedly, everybody was asked to block their dates. We are super excited to see Ranbir Kapoor at last ride the ghodi and make the gorgeous Alia, Mrs Kapoor.

As for lady love Alia Bhatt; for Ranbir’s birthday, she whisked him off to Rajasthan for a romantic getaway where they spent quality time together. Ranbir and she are seriously madly in love more so Ranbir who was seen constantly fussing over Alia. Well, marriage is just another challenge poor Ranbir has to face and Alia seems to be giving him able support.

So if miya biwi raazi, kya karega Ranbir?

7

Well, another big fat wedding around the corner is Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal’s which is supposedly, slated to be from December 7 onwards.

It’s going to be at a royal palace in Rajasthan and Vicky is not leaving any stone unturned to make the wedding one of the most talked about events in Bollywood. Supposedly, Kat has already started her bridal preparations and is meeting her designer for her bridal attire. This wedding, we are sure will indeed be the talk of Tinsel Town.

Everybody knows Vicky Kaushal has been head over heels in love with the beauteous Kat for a long time. In fact, if you recall at an awards ceremony, he actually went down on his knees and told a blushing Katrina, ‘Why don’t you find a good Vicky Kaushal and marry him?’… all in front of Salman Khan. That was brave indeed! Perhaps that’s what won Kat’s heart and since then, they have been dating for more than a year. The pandemic strengthened their love and recently, Vicky bought Kat’s favourite chocolate brownie from her fave baker and put a beautiful ring in it. When Kat found the ring, she was so overwhelmed that she immediately said, ‘Yes’. How romantic!

Vicky, by the way, has rented a plush bungalow overlooking the sea in Juhu and that’s where Kat and he will be staying. Supposedly, Vicky will be shelling out a few crores for it but money really isn’t what the man in love is thinking about at the moment, he wants to give the world and everything in it to his Kat. How cute!

8

From weddings galore, let’s go to Shilpa Shetty and hubby Raj Kundra.

Though there were rumours of Shilpa having a melt down and blaming Raj Kundra for all their troubles after he was arrested - in fact, the grapevine even said she was contemplating separating from him. But Shilpa put all the rumours to rest in her social media post. She said Raj was her soulmate and their marriage was perfect. Last seen, the couple was seen heading to the mountains for some quality time.

Saif Ali Khan is absolutely hilarious.

Supposedly, he was asked on Kapil Sharma’s what he really feared most.

With a dead pan expression, he said “staying at home”. A puzzled Kapil asked him, why? And Saif said, ‘If I’m not home, there won’t be any babies made. I already have four kids, I dread to think of wedding expenses!” Ha Ha!

As for Taimur, Saif quipped in his tongue-in-cheek humorous way that Taimur’s ambition is to rob a bank one day. He narrated a tale of how Taimur on the sets of Tanhaji, would run behind one and all with fake swords.

It was then Saif decided Taimur would be banned on the sets of any film that had any fight sequences.

By the way, did you know that the 5,000 crore Pataudi estate of Saif, the current Nawab of Pataudi, will not come to his kids - Sara, Ibrahim, Taimur and Jeh? According to a report, all of the properties and other relevant assets belonging to the House of Pataudi fall under the controversial Enemy Disputes Act of the Indian Government and as such, nobody can claim to be an heir of any of such property or assets that come under the purview of said act. Hmm… no wonder, Saif doesn’t want to have any more kids!

9

USA Shop AROUND Black Friday Deals.

10

Click to view products

11

It was Boney Kapoor’s birthday and his youngest daughter and the apple of his eye, Khushi posted an emotional message on her social media calling him the ‘best dad in the world’. Her sister Janhvi by the way, claims that Boney still treats Khushi like a kid and calls her baby, and for him, she can do no wrong. And if there is some mischief done, poor Janhvi gets all the blame while Khushi escapes scot free.

This is a new one. According to our source, in Chandigarh Ki Ashiqui, director Abhishek Kapoor supposedly has got Vani Kapoor to play a ‘shemale’ who is having an affair with Ayushmann Khurrana, a gym trainer. They are madly in love until Ayushmann discovers the truth about ‘her’.

No wonder, director Abhishek has called it a mind-‘bending’ love story. Bollywood sure is coming off age.

Kangana Ranaut either just doesn’t know how to put a zip to her motor-mouth or she truly loves courting controversies. Well, this time it is not Hrithik or KJo thankfully, this time she’s spoken about India’s freedom in a rather ‘casual’ way. And now everybody is up in arms against her – from demanding that she returns her National award to insisting that she should be arrested, people from all quarters are baying for her blood. Tsk tsk, some people never learn, do they?

12

Gulshan Grover got together with Akshay Kumar for Rohit Shetty’s film Sooryavanshi and the duo who had done all the ‘Khiladi’ series together, supposedly, was working with each other after a long gap. Akshay was so over whelmed meeting Gulshan that he insisted on making his makeup man shoot numerous pictures of them. Supposedly on the sets, ‘Bad man’ Gulshan and ‘Action man’ Akki were like two kids and would at every given moment sit together and guffaw about old times.

Shahid Kapoor and Mira Kapoor are so cute. Supposedly, Shahid keeps teasing Mira all the time and the poor girl gets so angry, she refuses to talk to him until he sits manoing her for hours. Devar Ishaan Khattar of course always sides his ‘Barbie bhabhi’ and the two take revenge by pulling Sasha’s legs instead.

Cat’s Crown

This month goes to...

KJo And Ekta Kapoor.

You may criticise what they make, but they both make their films and serials with a lot of passion. No wonder, both of them have bagged the Padmashree award this year. Congratulations to both of them!

13

Cover Story

Why Did Bollywood Big Wigs Not Support SRK? Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan faced a critical litmus test recently. He was arrested by the NCB on a cruise liner. Aryan’s bail was rejected four times and the boy was put up at Arthur Road jail, a correction centre which houses hard-core criminals. Though many of SRK’s friends came out in the open and supported him, Sumita Chakraborty wonders why so many top players in the industry didn’t come out in the open and support SRK during his time of crisis?

14

W

hen Aryan Khan - after his bail was rejected four times finally was granted bail… his battery of lawyers hurrahed in joy. As for dad Shahrukh Khan, he just gratefully looked above and his eyes welled with tears – he was not India’s most loved superstar at that point, he was just a grateful father thanking God for small mercies. Mom Gauri Khan stationed in their home Mannat broke down and wept when she heard the news – her 23-year-old son was finally coming home. India’s best known superstar Shah Rukh Khan who was the apple of the industry’s eye and who had never faced any huge controversy such as this, was less the filmstar at that point and more a helpless dad hurting – and perhaps paying for his son’s ‘sins’.

The Aryan Khan Case The intricacies of the case are still on and the dust still hasn’t settled down so we aren’t going to be dwelling on that very deeply. Agreed, perhaps the barely out of his teens Aryan Khan was in the wrong but his bail being rejected four times was a little out of the ordinary more so as the young man wasn’t found with any drugs on him.

As for dad Shahrukh Khan, he just gratefully looked above and his eyes welled with tears – he was not India’s most loved superstar at that point, he was just a grateful father thanking God for small mercies.

15

Perhaps he was guilty or maybe he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, who knows?

But Aryan is paying for his sins and so is his father.

Even now, after getting bail, as per one of the conditions, Aryan is visiting the NCB office every Friday and sitting there for two to three hours. The case is still on though NCB’s chief whip Sameer Wankhade has been shunted away from the case because of some alleged unsavoury accusations made against him by one of the prime witnesses. Sameer Wankhade if you recall has actually been doing a stellar job but he had to step aside to face an enquiry. A new team from the NCB Delhi office has been appointed to helm the Aryan Khan case.

Silence Of The Industry However, what was strange was that though SRK’s fans supported him all the way, the film industry which claims to be the bonhomie hub of pacca dosts remained mum.

16

Perhaps he was guilty or maybe he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, who knows? But Aryan is paying for his sins and so is his father.

Strange… that in an industry which claims bhai chara and familial ties, not too many people especially the big wigs came out in the open to support Shah Rukh Khan especially in those times of dire need.

Agreed, director and choreographer Farah Khan ‘tweet’ed her support, Salman Khan rushed to the Badshah’s house, Juhi Chawla, a close friend, paid Aryan’s bail bond of Rs one lakh, but where were the others especially the other bigger players? The normally very vocal Aamir Khan, Prakash Jha, the Kapoors, Akshay Kumar, the Bachchans and so many others just clammed up.

Most industrywallahs strangely enough remained completely mum on the subject of Aryan Khan not ready to take any sides or to even speak up - perhaps it was sub-judicial so they preferred to stay out of legal wrangles or perhaps they preferred to wait ‘n’ watch as is the policy of many. There were many who perhaps thought supporting Shah Rukh Khan would bring them in the spotlight and have the NCB sniffing around in their own backyard and so why to invite the NCB’s wrath? Well, whatever it was, nobody agreed to speak for or against the subject.

What was strange was that though SRK’s fans supported him all the way, the film industry which claims to be the bonhomie hub of pacca dosts remained mum.

17

The deafening silence within Tinsel Town was louder than a million words. The high decibel protests, vociferous screaming or even a simple support was completely missing.

“Why Arent They Speaking?” …Perhaps that’s what got director Sanjay Gupta’s goat, who may have never worked with SRK but felt so strongly about the non-support that he tweeted, “Shahrukh Khan has and continues to give jobs and livelihoods to thousands in the film industry. He has always stood up for every cause for the film industry. And the astute silence of the same film industry in his moment of crisis is nothing short of shameful” Singer Mika Singh agreed and averred, “You are absolutely right brother, they all are watching the drama and cannot say even a single word.”

“Why Target SRK?” Ad man Prahlad Kakar known to never mince words, said in an interview, “Aryan is a 23-year-old adult. He’s not some underage boy. If you have a problem with Aryan then you have a problem with him. If you have a problem with his father, then you should have a problem with everybody’s father.

18

“Shahrukh Khan has and continues to give jobs and livelihoods to thousands in the film industry.

And the astute silence of the same film industry in his moment of crisis is nothing short of shameful.”

– Sanjay Gupta

Why are people only talking about Aryan’s father?

There have been dozens of arrests in the case, but why is only Aryan’s father in the news?”

He further reiterated rather strongly, “The film industry never speaks out. Why should they change? They are very selfish people. They only protect themselves; they don’t know if it is a central government agenda to go after Shah Rukh, because of his association with the Congress. Everyone wants to follow the government today, even the press. Even sections of media don’t write anything against the government.”

Adding, “Bollywood will stand up and start speaking when its people get picked off one by one. Those in power know that if they pick people one by one, then nobody is going to come together. They are not taking Bollywood on all at once. They will pick depending on who is for or against them. It’s as simple as that.” He sums up by saying, “They will not pick on Kangana, they will pick on Shah Rukh and Hrithik.”

“They all are watching the drama and cannot say even a single word.”

– Mika Singh

Reluctant Support At Last Strong words indeed! Of course, after SRK’s battery of lawyers showed their muscle power at the hearing and cited examples and picked loopholes of the NCB’s argument and the bail was finally granted, more and more industry people came out in the open to speak up.

19

After all, the Badshah had won, didn’t he? Not really! He had just won the battle, the war was still on…

Perhaps even SRK stung by the apathetic behavior of the industry, preferred to retreat into his own world. He put up a huge billboard stating no media and no visitors allowed. Fair enough, after all SRK needed time with his son Aryan to know where things had gone wrong. Supposedly both Gauri and SRK are spending more time with Aryan. SRK’s ladla beta has now a new chalked up diet and fitness regime which he has to follow to a ‘T’. Aryan of course is grounded and is not allowed to use his phone, meet friends or go out as per SRK and Gauri’s statement to the Court.

Fearing for his son’s safety, SRK has supposedly also appointed a body guard for Aryan. Even daughter Suhana flew back to Mumbai to be with her brother Aryan… so all in all SRK’s entire family are standing by each other.

Even Diwali which always had Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri hosting grand parties, was now a very muted family affair. There were no grand parties this year but just a family dinner.

Perhaps SRK realized that his real family needed more attention than his extended industry family which strangely enough had many top members’ ending up becoming fence sitters.

20

“The film industry never speaks out.

Why should they change? They are very selfish people.”

- Prahlad Kakar

Foot Note The industry has always been vocal about being a big fat filmi family, a pot-pourri of varied cultures melted into one huge family… Bollywood! However, it has been seen over and over again that when it comes to the crux, many big players have stoicly remained silent about major issues. There are many film boards that boast of being the spokesperson of the industry – they too remained quiet.

So it really is a pity that the high octane ‘ek doosre se karte pyaar hum…’ that the industry normally chants was conspicuously missing during SRK’s personal crisis.

Agreed, many of SRK’s friends stayed by his side but there were many key actors, directors and producers known for their fearless and articulate stance remained silent as SRK fought his own lonely battle for his son Aryan. Agreed, the show must go on… but not when it borders to the industry being mere spectators during a crisis. They needed have got into the legal intricacies of the case – the competent Courts are fully capable of doing that – but all they needed to do was to extend a hand of support. Was that too much?

Perhaps even SRK stung by the apathetic behavior of the industry, preferred to retreat into his own world.

21

Get Snappy

22

n u o c n E d l i W A jay D h t i W

He is the action king of Bollywood. Meet the adventurous Ajay Devgn as he talks about his nail-biting experiences in reel and real life.

Ajay Devgn prefers not to talk rather he prefers that his actions talk more than his words. We caught up with Ajay on the Into the wild with Bear Grylls’, a discovery+ show. And indeed it’s a double whammy - what with world renowned adventurist Bear Grylls and India’s evergreen action hero, Ajay Devgn together on an adventure packed journey. So here’s presenting Ajay Devgn on his action hero journey and more…

r e t n n g v e D

On his journey as an action hero: Ajay says, “Yeah, I’ve done a lot of stunts because when we started doing stunts in films, there were no harnesses. So, we had to jump from 30 or 40 feet. You had to land on boxes and most of the time you used to break our ankles or something or the other. No crash mats when you used to fall on the ground. So, we used to do the real stuff.”

Ajay’s Dad Veeru Devgn was an ace ‘stunt and action’ director and losing him must have been terrible… Ajay: “It is tough losing your parents. …Because in the first 20 years of your life, you don’t care for them. You think they are stupid.

They don’t know anything. You know everything. And by the time you have children, you start realizing what a parent actually is or what they must have done. And sometimes it gets too late also. He was suffering from Alzheimer’s and a lot of injuries because of the stunts. He had to go through glass once when he was young, and he had 45 stitches on his head because during that time glass break was real glass break.”

23

Working with adventurist Bear Grylls: Ajay Devgn narrates how Bear Grylls taught him a survival technique. After a tiring journey crossing the ocean to reach the island, Bear and Ajay set out to find some much-needed nutrition for themselves.

They find a scrap plastic container on the island with which Bear as always has an ingenious idea to catch fish with, Ajay narrates, “So the whole point of this is like we make a hole for the fish to go into. Then we’ll stuff it full of palm fronds and branches. So... It’s like a funnel so that the fish can go into it, but then it kinda gets stuck in it. So as long as there’s a whole bunch of the leaves and ferns inside there, if we can get a fish to go in, they then won’t be able to get out. So, you want it easy for them to go in and hard to get out.

It’s almost like a funnel for it to go in the middle there. I think maine kabhi socha bhi nahi tha ki main aisa kuch karunga life mein survival ke bhi kaafi cheezein seekhain ki agar aap kahin fas jaate ho yah na bhi phaste ho toh kisi bhi cheez ko uthakar kaise use kiya ja sakta hai. So, I think I’m very, very happy that I’m here.”

24

So what do his loved ones and close friends think of Ajay Devgn going on real life adventure with Bear: Ajay’s favourite director Rohit Shetty sys, “Yeh theek nahi kiya boss aapne. Mere ko chhod ke aap Bear ke saath chale gaye! Huh? Ab logon ne itna sara stunt karte hue aapko dekha hai itne saalon se aur wo bhi uss jamane se jab special effects nahi tha. (This is not right, boss. You left me to do stunts with Bear. People have seen you doing so many stunts even from the time there weren’t any special effects.”

Actor Anil Kapoor said, “Ajay, mere dost, I know jo tu karta hai usme tu apna 100 percent deta hai. And I know you’ll ace this experience too. Meri ek baat yaad rakhna mere dost jahan Bear tumhe le ja raha hai waha na koi Golmaal chalega na Bol Bachchan, sirf tera survival.”

Wife Kajol, never one to mince her words, quips, “Let me start by saying that there are a few secrets that not everybody may know about Ajay. One of them being that he is a fabulous cook.

And number two is that he is borderline OCD about touching anything with his fingers.

According to him, it’s because he just can’t get the smell out of his fingers. Whatever that means!

Anyway, so... My challenge to him is that he has to be made to touch and eat the smelliest, grossest, slimiest thing and let me see if he lives up to it.”

25

Get snappy

“the toughest and ‘best’est The film industry has been

-Zoa Morani

26

“

form of schooling for me so far...

Her film Tuesday & Friday is garnering a lot of buzz, in an exclusive interview with Sumita Chakraborty, the effervescent Zoa Morani talks about the film industry, her momentous journey as an actor and more.

27

28

Zoa Morani may belong to the illustrious Morani family – her dad is producer Karim Morani - but she’s worked hard to establish and make a niche for herself in the industry as a good actor. Her repertoire of films – from Bhaag Johnny, Always Kabhi Kabhi, Akoori and now Tuesdays & Fridays… has showcased her talent and Zoa has definitely made her mark. In an exclusive interview, Zoa talks about her journey, her film Tuesdays & Fridays and the battle of the ‘insiders versus outsiders’.

You’ve been around for some time in the Hindi film industry from 2011, how has the journey been?

It’s been the toughest and ‘best’est form of schooling for me so far - I have grown and learnt so much about myself and others, have gotten opportunities time and again to better myself and make up for my mistakes, I feel as if the industry is my redemption. I’ve felt so much pain and rejection but I still love it so very much - and because of that pure love, I feel I still get such good opportunities and despite the rough journey, when you love something so deeply, the pain and pleasure both feel sweet… I have this universal love inside of me for the entire industry - when someone points a finger at it, it feels like someone is pointing a finger at my child or family or something- so I guess I am persevering in the right place.

Tell us about Tuesdays & Fridays (T&F)? Tell us about your character?

I always wanted to be part of a light-hearted rom com and T&F was just that… a sweet role where I help my childhood friend recognise his true love - I love light romcoms that bring a smile to your face when it’s done and I hope many films in that genre come my way.

“I feel as if the industry is my redemption.

I’ve felt so much pain and rejection but I still love it so very much and because of that pure love.”

You’re also very fashion and environmental conscious. How do you blend both of these in your daily wear?

I am so moody to be honest, I can live in a kurta pajama for months … I have ten plain white oversized kurta pajamas which is my everythingso I guess my laziness and moodiness works out for the better for the environment. But old vintage clothing I definitely have a sweet spot foranything that has a touch of old school charm to it attracts me deeply, I love wearing my parents and grandparents old clothes.

29

“I love light romcoms that bring a smile to your face when it’s done and I hope many films in that genre come my way.”

30

Any more projects in the pipeline?

I’ve got a web show directed by Reema Kagti releasing soon. I’m just about to start filming for another web show on Amazon Prime… the future is looking interesting and full of fun stories - let’s see, Inshallah.

Since it’s the raging topic, what is your opinion about this “insiders versus outsiders” debate?

I find it absolutely absurd - there’s a reason God puts some people part of the families they are from and some not …everyone comes with their share of responsibility and hardships no matter who they are.

Freedom of speech and expression is good to a certain extent - but if we use them to lash out the demons constantly then that is only going to affect the ones lashing out and no one else - life goes on- it’s a waste of time.

A doctor’s child who wants to be a doctor, may get that first opportunity but it’s his will, determination and hard work that will push him through.

When you look back at your journey, is there anything you want to change?

It would have been nice if I had been introduced to the world of yoga and spirituality when I got launched as an actor- it would have helped me so much earlier on- all the knowledge only started coming to me a few years after … but it was God’s will and I do know in my heart that the timing for everything is always right and eventually, we will know why too.

“Freedom of speech and expression is good to a certain extent - but if we use them to lash out the demons constantly then that is only going to affect the ones lashing out and no one else.”

31

Stardust Special

Is

Shamita Shetty ‘Queening’ it up in

Bigg Boss 15?

Her third season in Bigg Boss, her people – from rakhi brother Rajiv Adatia to boyfriend Raqesh Bapat to BFF singer Neha Bhasin in the house supporting her, Shamita seems to be lording it up in Bigg Boss 15, Sumita Chakraborty wonders whether Colors TV is breaking all boundaries to support Shamita Shetty?

32

O It must be love ...’cos there’s no logical reason why Colors TV continues to treat Shamita Shetty like she is the incarnate of the great queen Cleopatra herself . Look at the facts itself... Shamita Shetty debuted in 2000 in Yash Raj Films Mohabbatein... before that she was apprenticing under designer Manish Malhotra as a fashion intern.

Supposedly, Manish saw a spark in her and egged her on to be an actor.

Mohabbatein was a great launch pad and Shamita even won the Best debut award and even the Star Of The Year female (Stardust) in 2006.

After that she dabbled in a few films and became a bit of a sensation for her song ‘Sharara Sharara’. Fine... everything worked alright for her until the film offers started drying up. Perhaps it was age catching up

which is cancerous for any actor anyway or Shamita got choosy and just didn’t like the offers she got... so she preferred to sit at home and dabble in interior designing instead.

And then her fairy God Channel Colors TV waved their magical wand on her and Cinderella err... Shamita reinvented herself by trying her hand at reality TV. She entered Bigg Boss in 2009 and was there for six weeks, only to opt out to attend sister Shilpa Shetty’s wedding, Incidentally, she was the only inmate who hadn’t been nominated even once during the six weeks she stayed. Quite a feat indeed! As a player however, she was no great shakes and the reason she stayed out of nominations is because she wasn’t a threat for anyone.

33

O Colors Tv refused to give up on her though her film producers did. Shamita did other reality shows like Jhalak Dikhhla Ja and Khatron Ke Khiladi for Colors.

But in terms of films, from 2007 to 2017, Shamita did a bit of this and that but mostly nothing much at least nothing substantial to write home about. In 2017, she did a webseries Yo Ke Hua Bro for Voot and The Tenant and Black Widows in 2020 but in that again, she didn’t make much of a mark.

Until Colors again decided to dust off the gossamer cobwebs from 42-yearold Shamita’s almost dead career, and got her into their Bigg Boss OTT as one of the contestants. In the show, Shamita except for her love angle with Raqesh Bapat and her BFF bond with singer Neha Bhasin, she again didn’t make much of dent. She seemed to be a 34

borderline OCD personality who wanted everything her way – from her gluten free food to her boyfriend Raqesh not talking to other girls. Unfortunately, the finale didn’t go her way and her rival Divya Agarwal became the winner while Shamita was judged the third runners up that to after Prateik Sehajpal opted out of the race. But Colors again refused to give up on ‘queen’ Shamita.

They got her back as a contestant in Bigg Boss 15. In the history of Bigg Boss, Shamita Shetty is the first contestant to enter Bigg Boss thrice. This time, however Shamita a bit seasoned with the frequent exposures, seemed to be in better fettle. Unlike the OTT version, in Colors Bigg Boss 15, Shamita didn’t look as if she needed any support. She held her ground and aired her opinions strongly.

...So currently Shamita has Rajiv, Raqesh and Neha watching her back. Shamita had already formed a connection with Vishal Kotian, a fellow Tulu and they had formed the Akka and Anna bond.

So the queen’s army had many trusted lieutenants watching over her

But then ‘oh ye of little trust’ Colors TV decided Shamita needed support. To the public it looked as if they wanted to make their ‘queen’ as comfortable as could be. So they brought the London based producer Rajiv Adatia, Shamita Shetty’s rakhi brother, to give her support as she was all alone amongst 13 strangers. In fact, when Rajiv was battling Ieshan Sehgal, Shamita was heard saying, Rajiv, I thought you came for me?’ So Rajiv trotted back some time later to apologise to the queen and Shamita got back her support. But that still didn’t hold much water. ‘Queen’ Shamita started hankering for her king and her loneliness was making her low and depressed. And that just wouldn’t do, would it? In came, boyfriend Raqesh Bapat (cashing in on the hashtag ShaRa craze) and BFF Neha Bhasin in the house as wild card entries. It’s strange that Colors TV has sacrificed the chances of a deserving candidate by sending Raqesh Bapat who looks as if all he is interested in is holding lady love Shamita’s hand and being in the race is actually not his priority. In fact, he even told host Salman Khan he would gladly sacrifice the cup for her. Ah well, that’s love for you!

...Seems a lot lopsided support for queen Shamita, right, and a tad unfair to the other candidates? Well, despite the many criticism from all quarters, Colors TV didn’t seem to care whether they seemed biased towards this one particular candidate. Former contestants from Kamya Punjabi, Romil Chaudhary to Moose Jattana severely criticised Bigg Boss for this privileged treatment meted out to Shamita Shetty and the public too voiced their outrage. But did it bother GodChannel Colors, naah!

To be fair to Shamita, she is doing rather well this time... perhaps because she is now a Bigg Boss veteran, having done three seasons. She is articulate, decisive and is even strategising rather well. ...Perhaps Colors hadn’t calculated that the added ‘support’ they had provided for Shamita could be more like an albatross around her neck as cries of ‘nepotism’ and ‘bias’ are clouding public opinion about Shamita. ...So Colors’ ‘support’ for Shamita may actually be a disadvantage for her. ...Who knows... maybe queen Shamita could play a better game without the added appendages. Just a thought to ponder about, Colors, eh?

35

O

In Focus

“Mahesh Bhatt says, ‘Gulshan Grover, never over!”

– Gulshan Grover

In an exclusive conversation with Sumita Chakraborty, ‘bad man’ Gulshan Grover talks about films, his son and how ‘bad man’ has become a brand now.

36

H

e’s the man who paved the transitional golden path through global cinema and Bollywood. He’s worked in multiple films from different countries and of course in Bollywood, he’s made an indelible niche for himself. Yes, we are talking about the ‘bad man’ himself, actor par excellence Gulshan Grover... the man who never gives up. In a candid conversation, the amazing Gulshan Grover talks about his fab role in Sooryavanshi, his journey as an actor, his pride, his son Sanjay and more.

You’ve done some magical work in the Hindi film industry and abroad – in fact, you were the pioneer who paved the way to Global cinema for other actors who inspired by you also went international, how has the journey been?

I’m very happy that the mud pot that I created between Bollywood and Hollywood is being cemented and followed by some very wonderful super talented colleagues of mine whether it is Priyanka Chopra and many others. I’m not the first actor to act in Hollywood but I’m the first actor to start a transition from Hollywood to Bollywood – that you go there and come back. That wasn’t there earlier. I’m very happy to have created that transition. For me, it has been a fantastic journey and I have worked in multiple films in multiple countries in Hollywood to France, Germany, Malaysia to even Poland. I’m enjoying this. India is now my base and I’m enjoying the wonderful success here.

My experience with working with Rohit Shetty has been fantastic. When I got a call from Rohit asking me if I would be interested in playing the opposition against all the heroes, I was very excited. All the actors and the director treated me with a lot of respect – he has a large battery of young assistants who are extremely efficient and helpful. What I like about Rohit is that he allows his actors to express themselves freely and helms it so well that it fits in with his expression of the picture.

Tell us about Sooryavanshi, I believe you have a great role in it... how was it working with Rohit Shetty, Akshay, Ranveer, Katrina and all?

First of all, I’m extremely excited that the film is being liked by the public and fans.

Sooryavanshi has set the way and opened the doors to watch more films in theatres in a healthy environment. I went to the theatre to see the film and the response was so overwhelming that the security told me ‘Sir please leave – you wont be able to sit and watch the film’ because the response to my character and to the film has been extraordinary.

37

“I’m very happy that the mud pot that I created between Bollywood and Hollywood is being cemented and followed by some very wonderful super talented colleagues of mine whether it is Priyanka Chopra and many others.”

My biggest excitement was working with my dear friend Akshay Kumar after such a long time. Akshay and I have worked in multiple films including the Khiladi series where I have been the bad guy and he was the hero. But after that, there was a gap.

But when he met me, he was so happy to see me as part of the same film. It was touching.

We shot so many pictures with each other. I remember he told his makeup man to click pictures of us and after that, he kissed me on the forehead. It was really wonderful. I’ve also worked with Katrina after a long time.

It was very enjoyable. But the icing on the cake was being back with a brother.

“My biggest excitement was working with my dear friend Akshay Kumar after such a long time.”

You are one actor who has worked with the senior actors as well as the new gen, do you find any difference in your association with both?

The younger gen is far more ready, talented, more there and delivers very fast. The senior gen learnt a lot on the job. They learnt while 38

“What I like about Rohit Shetty is that he allows his actors to express themselves freely and helms it so well that it fits in with his expression of the picture.” they were acting while the younger gen comes ready. The younger gen has been exposed to a lot and so make less mistakes.

We learnt on the job as our seniors did. But at that time, there was a lot of patience.

Directors these days don’t have the time to teach so there’s less patience and that’s why they need everybody ready. I learnt from my seniors by asking them questions, I learnt from the younger gen by observing them.

The pandemic has been bad for a lot of actors, how did you cope with the pandemic?

The pandemic has been terrible for everybody. It’s been the worst time for human beings – all mighty countries, large medical systems fell apart. It scared everybody. But it brought back the faith in home remedies, Ayurveda, age old remedies. It made us realise how meaningless material things were – that fancy watch you never wore, the branded clothes you hadn’t touched. It amplified love for each other and it brought out the niceness out of people. Everybody became more caring. It also brought this feeling that if you’re healthy, you are wealthy. But it was scary. Here we were discovering things in space yet we haven’t sorted out this world. So people now found more meaning within their house. For me, what was really wonderful that my son Sanjay Grover, who lives in the LA, came

home during the pandemic. So it became a fantastic time for father and son to bond.

It was a fantastic time for father and son to iron out differences of opinion. For me, it was a learning experience as my son’s thought of cinema is very younger, very fresh and recent. My being Mr Cinema is because of being years in the world of cinema.

But he would watch a film or a webseries and discuss with me. He would give me assignments (haha) – ‘father watch this film and we will discuss it in the evening.’ For me the pandemic was a learning experience – for me to understand him more and for him, to understand me more.

“ Mahesh Bhatt says, ‘You always have something new you always do’.

Those words are coming true and at the moment you can say, Gulshan Grover is on a roll.”

39

“I see everything in my son. The pandemic has taught me that the young man knows cinema better than me and I will be his support.”

Since we are talking about Sanjay, he is one of the top most guys in a big studio in USA, have you ever thought of settling down in America and trying Hollywood full-time?

No no, I’m trying the other way around.

I’m mostly emotionally blackmailing him to come back to India ( Ha ha). Sanjay and I are family and I want to be with him. As I get older, it will be difficult to travel every month to meet him. I’m emotionally blackmailing him and showing him my ‘helpless father’ side to him so that he returns home.

You are doing some very interesting roles in a couple of web series too... have you stepped into the digital world with a bang?

Mahesh Bhatt used to tell me, ‘Gulshan Grover, never over!’ every time, he met me.

He’d say, ‘You always have something new you always do’. Those words are coming true and at the moment you can say, Gulshan Grover is on a roll – Sooryavanshi has released and is doing stupendously well... I’m getting congratulatory calls from film makers, friends and fans. I’m also doing an interesting web-series called Your Honor 2 – this web-series was appreciated a lot in the first season. I’m there in the second season. The makers Applause entertainment and Sony showed immense faith in me by putting me on the first poster. So the bad man is coming to make the life of your honor more difficult.

40

There is another interesting film called Cash which is by Vishesh Bhatt, Mukesh Bhatt’s son and Mahesh Bhatt’s nephew – this film had everyone young, the only senior person on set was me. Vishesh had requested his father and uncle not to come to the set. I was delighted working with these young minds. That film is also releasing on Hotstar – it’s about ‘notebandi’ - demonetisation. It’s a very quirky film. I’m the bad man in the picture.

“The pandemic has taught me that you can work around things - your decisions pave the way to other better things so one should leave things as they are.”

Do you see yourself turning producer or even director as you’ve lived such an interesting life and have gleaned so many experiences, who better than you to showcase them in directing or producing your own film or web series?

My son works in MGM studio. He’s a Hollywood producer. I’m convincing him like they do in old Hindi films – how the budi ma kehte hain bachche mujhe akela mat rehne do. I’m creating that kind of scenes. (Ha Ha) He will be here and he will be producing some films and webseries and I will be Sanjay’s proud father and proud associate, assistant or guide. I see everything in my son. The pandemic has taught me that the young man knows cinema better than me and I will be his support.

Talking about ‘bad man’, for multiple years people have played some characters – like angry young man - Mr Bachchan, Bhidu -Jackie Shroff, and me as Bad man – ‘Bad Man’ now has been launched as a brand by an Ayurveda company. It’s a great achievement that a popular character ‘bad man’ has been converted into a brand. It’s a men’s grooming products. I’m hoping soon there will multiple products using ‘bad man’ as a brand and they call it ‘bad will be the new good’. I also have my autobiography - the ‘Bad Man’ is in English published by Penguin. During the pandemic, Penguin and Prabhat Publication produced my biography in Hindi and it was released recently. So it is an exciting time for me.

Since it’s the raging topic about this “insiders versus outsiders”, you are the actor who was from outside the film industry yet you made a niche for yourself... what is your opinion about this?

I will say only one sentence – ‘everybody at one point was an outsider but is an insider now’. We always welcome outsiders to become insiders. Outsiders will be insiders some time and they will take the legacy of cinema forward.

Lastly when you look back at your journey, is there anything you want to change?

I don’t think one can change things.

Earlier, I used to say that there are many films I shouldn’t have done or I shouldn’t have rejected some films. But the pandemic has taught me that you can work around things - your decisions pave the way to other better things so one should leave things as they are. So many friends, colleagues, family survived, so many didn’t... so things should be left in the hands of God always.

41

Star Show

“I used to sing by my window and one day, Papaji (Prithviraj Kapoor) heard me and said, ‘I had a beautiful voice and I should sing in films’.” - Asha Puthli Meet the refreshingly candid Asha Puthli, India’s first crossover star to the West – who speaks to Nandita Chatterjee about her musical journey to the West, going topless in a film, her music and more.

42

When we talk about cross-over actors, we immediately think of Priyanka Chopra or Irrfan Khan but much before the world heard of these names, a young woman from Matunga, Mumbai had made herself a global phenomenon - Asha Puthli.

Asha’s career in films spans over three continents - India, France, Germany & Italy, and the US. In addition to that she is a successful and legendary jazz singer in the US sharing top billing with the likes of Julio Iglesias, working with labels like CBS, Sony, Emi and RCA. …An icon for Indian American artistes of today and an inspiration for generations to come… presenting Asha Puthli and her legendary journey.

Tell us a little about your childhood in Dadar - once the breeding ground for classical music - how did it influence your foundation?

I grew up in Matunga known as Hollywood galli (there was no Bollywood then) because the celebrities that lived there. It was on RK Masani Road, Prithviraj Kapoor lived there - in fact his whole family lived there - Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, you name it. It was at a Kapoor wedding that I sang my first Punjabi song (lathey di chhadar). Other eminent celebrities in “the galli” were Seghal, Amrish Puri etc .

My father was an affluent businessman and I come from a Saraswat Brahmin family that was rather conservative. We were surrounded by the ‘who’s who’ of the Indian film industry.

I used to sing by my window and one day, Papaji (Prithviraj Kapoor) heard me and said, ‘I had a beautiful voice and I should sing in films’. Papaji tried to convince my parents to let me join the industry. But they wouldn’t have it at the time - that being said they were supportive of my love for the arts and allowed me to get trained in everything from kathak & Odissi to opera with Mrs. Hyacinth of the Royal School of music and classical Indian music where I trained with Pandit Laxman Prasad Jaipurwala.

“Raj Kapoor ji offered me the female lead in Satyam Shivam Sundaram and candidly mentioning that the lead role included a shower scene with a little body exposure. I would have loved to work with the legend and a genius I greatly admired but since I had just appeared topless in my first feature film to much controversy, rejected the idea.”

43

“I had gone to drop a girlfriend who worked for British Air as a stewardess, and a recruiter spotted me and called me for an interview. I grabbed this opportunity and that’s how I got my passport.”

My parents didn’t want me to do filmy music but classical they allowed. My father would’ve liked me to be either an IAS officer or lawyer that was his dream. He knew I wouldn’t want to be a doctor because I didn’t like blood, but yeah, I ended up doing my bit back then the plan was always ‘you graduate, then you get married, then you have children’, right? Don’t really kill yourself for a career as such. I mean,

44

my generation, like my sister, when she was 18, she got married and by the time, she was 36, she was a grandmother. So, same thing for me, they wanted me to get married - an arranged marriage, but I said, no, I’m not going to get married. I want to sing. And I knew I couldn’t do it in India at that time anyway, I mean, my parents wouldn’t like that, but in the film industry, the Mangeshkar sisters were in their prime at the time – and when I was young, they had like a hegemony over the whole industry.

That’s why there were no other singles really that broke through big time in Bollywood films.

Anyway, I liked Western music and I wanted to bridge the cultures - not just stay in India and do Indian music, but bridge the cultures and bring a little bit Indian touch into western music.

I believe your journey started after a break on a talk show in Europe how did that come to be?

It was on the popular Russell Harty Plus show on London Weekend ITV. Around the same time, I had won the Down Beat Critics Poll, so after the interview I was scheduled to sing. That’s what opened all the doors with offers from EMI, CBS, Polygram, the major labels. It was the interview and singing that brought a lot of media attention and interest.

At Russel Harty Plus TV show. U.K

Glimpses from Italian film Squadra Antigangster - English title The Gang that sold America - on Netflix in Europe. Co-star Tomas Milian, Enzo Canavale & director Bruno Corbucci

What brought you out of Mumbai?

I applied to every college in the US. Berkeley was the first school that had jazz as part of its curriculum. I was called for an interview but, at the time there was no way to get a passport.

For the US, I had applied to every university for music, like Northwestern, Julliard and Berkley.

Berkley was my dream school so I called them and said, ‘Can I have a scholarship for music?

I’ve studied Indian classical and jazz, and I’d like to combine the two’. Berkeley was the first one to start the jazz department, but that was like the ‘60s. Martha Graham’s troop had come to India and I said, ‘Well, I’d like to apply for scholarship because I’ve studied Indian dance. Like I told you as long as it was educational or anything cultural, my parents would say it was fine.

A still from a German film ‘Reden ist mien drouge’

So when I met Martha, she said, ‘You have to come to America and audition for me. It’s something I have to see in order for you to get the scholarship’. But it took me a year and a half to come to America to audition because in the late sixties, we didn’t have passports. It was the era of brain drain, where doctors and engineers were given passports to travel, but not musicians.

“CBS had decided to invest in a hit maker artist from its International Roster and their choice fell on either Julio Iglesias or Asha Puthli, so they brought in focus groups and found that I was less marketable in the USA.” And so unless you get a scholarship and have a sponsor and then it’s catch 22. Just as I was wondering how I could go for an audition when I don’t even have a passport, divine intervention struck. I had gone to drop a girlfriend of mine who used to work for British Air as a stewardess and a recruiter walked up to me and asked me to come for the interview.

I was astonished, but he went on to mention that they’d send you for training two months in London and we’ll get you a passport within a week and you can leave within two weeks. I was like ‘Wow’. I had no idea but I grabbed this opportunity and that’s how I got my passport.

You starred in Savages which was a Merchant Ivory production. How did you feel when it was banned in India? Any backlash you personally faced due to the conservative mindset of the country at the time?

Shortly after the release of Savages, I got recognition as a jazz singer internationally with the Downbeat Critics Poll , also listed in the Encyclopedia of Jazz in the 1970s and Doordarshan wanted Jazz Music critic Niranjan Jhaveritointerviewme.Duringthisliveinterview however, some of the questions asked were around Savages, semi nudity and censorship.

45

From the Documentary (Canada / Netherlands) - The Peripheral History of Asha Puthli

“Recently I had the title role in a South film called Maiya and I enjoyed the acting bit as well.”

I simply pointed out that it’s unfortunate that the government is spending more time on censorship and the brouhaha over an Indian girl’s bosom instead of providing citizens a place to urinate or relieve themselves privately. I raved and ranted on that live show broadcast in Bombay so much that the show’s broadcast from New Delhi was cancelled as I was addressing non performance of the government on the government owned Doordarshan Channel - the only TV Channel in India at the time. It’s so wonderful that India now has a plethora of TV channels and clean facilities for the public. Back then Raj Kapoor ji offered me the female lead in Satyam Shivam Sundaram and candidly mentioning that the lead role included a shower scene with a little body exposure. I would have loved to work with the legend and a genius I greatly admired but since I had just appeared topless in my first feature film to much controversy, rejected the idea.

However it was clear that I didn’t want to be type cast just because I was topless in one film.

Importantly due to the conservative mindset of those days I did not want to embarrass or cause any chagrin to my family and relatives any further.

A free spirit, I had ‘had my say’ in what I believe.

46

You were dressed by top designers such as Manolo Blahnik and photographed by the pop-art legend Andy Warhol, what aesthetic aura do you personally gravitate towards and what was it like being their muse?

Andy actually wanted to do the film Tarzan and shoot it in India. He wanted to cast Joe Dellasandro for the lead as Tarzan and me as Jane. But, we never got the financing for it. So, we became friends and hung around together. Pre COVID, the Whitney Museum had a retrospective of Andy’s work - and his Time Capsule box included my first solo album signed to him. It was the centre of the display. It meant a lot to be in his Time Capsule with works from his other favorite artists like Marcel Duchamp, William Burroughs, Beatles, Lou Reed, creativity within his creativity.

A still from Savages directed by James Ivory – (l-r) Martin Kove, Asha Puthli &Ultraviolet

How would you describe your compositions in terms of what brought you to their creation?

Passion and perseverance What stemmed your love for jazz?

Jazz gives you a certain freedom that other genres don’t. Working with a cult figure like Ornette - I learned that jazz is democracy in music. It gives freedom to all artists to keep their individuality and cohesively bring the song together.

Your most memorable moment that you felt changed the path of your career?

CBS decided to invest in a hit maker artist from its International Roster and their choice fell on either Julio Iglesias or Asha Puthli, so they brought in focus groups and found that I was less marketable in the USA.

According to them there was a bigger Latino population, while their conclusion was that Indians in the US did not buy American music.

I remember the head of CBS took me to lunch at a beautiful restaurant and broke the news to me that our three record deal was over.

What are you currently working on?

During the pandemic, a French duet with Gabriel Grillotti “Je crois c’est ca L’amour” was released and when it received almost 2 million hits the record label wants to record another duet this summer. Also a jazz recording of standards, “All My Life” is being released end November. Will be available on Digital release, How would you describe the evolution of the global music scene?

I think altogether it’s amazing how into music the youth is today. Imaad Shah - Naseeruddin Shah’s son - has an incredible band. The new generation is indeed woke and liberated and music is accessible by all. I had an opportunity to experience that on my last trip to Mumbai.

Since it’s a city where I spent my youth, I feel I can make a valid assessment of how far we have come. Music is freedom with no impositions, this current generation is the first one to understand and appreciate that.

Who are the film directors you enjoyed working with the most?

I fortunately got the opportunity to work with some of the best directors in the world with

“I fortunately got the opportunity to work with some of the best directors in the world with whom I enjoyed working, - Mani Kaul (India), James Ivory (USA), Navina Sundaram NDR (Germany), Bruno Corbucci (Italy) and finally Louis Malle (France).” whom I enjoyed working, - Mani Kaul (India), James Ivory (USA), Navina Sundaram NDR (Germany), Bruno Corbucci (Italy) and finally Louis Malle (France).

Way before Reality TV came into our lives, Louis Malle was doing Cinema Verite. In 1972, it was cutting edge working with him on a French film based on Andre Breton’s novel ‘Nadja’. I played Nadja improvising on the question “Ou est Paradies”and the ensuing conversations.

If someone were to ask me where paradise is today, I would say “here and now”. It is because of my working in films across three continents, SAFF (South Asian Film Festival) presented me with the Lifetime Achievement Award. I feel so honored and thrilled for this recognition and specially to have you share this experience with me. Thank you Stardust. www.theashaputhli.com

Asha with SAFF Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Jitin Hingorani, founder of South Asian Film Festival

47

In the spotlight

“

48

It was the final stage of coming out for me when I announced my engagement.” - Kal Penn

He’s recently admitted that he was gay and engaged to his lover Josh. Sumita Chakraborty finds out more…

D

o you remember that wonder actor Kumar Patel in the TV comedy Harold & Kumar? He was so endearing that everybody loved him more so for his comic timing. At that point he became the poster boy for Indians and the pride of South Asian people... for he was the Indian boy who made his name as an actor in the global arena.

He was Kal Penn, born Kalpen Suresh Modi and his claim to fame was of course the TV show Harold & Kumar. Of course, he’s further proved his mettle as an actor on TV (House, Designated Survivor and How I Met Your Mother) and in films (the Harold and Kumar film franchise). …And the good Indian boy in the US did something even better after that – he spent two years working in the White House for the Obama adminstration… an enviable repertoire indeed.

Well recently, comedy actor and former White House Associate Director of Public Engagement, Kal Penn come out of the claustrophobic closet that he was living in for years and admitted that he was gay and in a relationship with the love of his life - Josh.

In this day and age, this was not really a bombastic confession – many had done this before. But the fact remained that Kal belonged to the South Asian community which still frowned a tad on such revelations... not mind you about being gay but more about making it public and ‘being’ an embarrassment in front of relatives.

49

Lovin’ Josh But what people didn’t know that the 44-year-old Kal has been in a relationship with his partner Josh for 11 years and recently they took their relationship to a new level and got engaged. In his book You Cant Be Serious, Kal talks about how Josh and he feel in love when Kal was living in Washington DC. In an interview with People magazine, Kal said, “I’ve always been very public with everybody I’ve personally interacted with. …Whether it’s somebody that I meet at a bar, if Josh and I are out or we’re talking to friends.” Adding, “I’m really excited to share our relationship with readers. But Josh, my partner, my parents, and my brother, four people who I’m closest to in the family, are fairly quiet. They don’t love attention and shy away from the limelight.”

So why was he so late coming out of the closet? Kal admitted he had discovered his sexuality late in life. He averred, “It was the final stage of coming out for me when I announced my engagement, and all the extended relatives and family friends either got their suspicions confirmed or learned the truth.”

“I’ve always been very public with everybody I’ve personally interacted with.”

50

BTS At The White House The funny man has always been the talk of the town. In fact even on his stint working in the White House under Barack Obama’s presidency as Associate Director of Public Engagement, the 44-year-old had a lot to say about his incredible career. During a recent appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” the House star got candid about the behind-the-scenes accounts of his time in the White House as well as his personal life. One of these bizarre moments occurred when the Kal аlmost took Obаmа to а strip joint. This hilarious error occurred when he went to get а hаircut – and was invited by the bаrber to а tаpаs bаr. …And since the actor was hungry at the time, he agreed. Thrilled that Kal had agreed, the bаrber requested that he should bring his entire Office as well as the President. When the Designаted Survivor аctor returned home, he checked the business cаrd аnd then reаlized that the card read Rodolfo’s Lаdies Topless Bаr instead of tapas bar. Hilarious!

But on his love, Kal has been a little quiet, hasn’t he?

Well, Kal reveals in his tell-all that the lovebirds have been together for 11 years but they did have their challenges and had to overcome а few obstacles before their budding love blossomed into а romantic engagement. In fact, Kal admitted in the beginning, that since their interests were so diverse, he thought they weren’t really compatible. But then they learned to appreciate each other’s interests especially Josh’s passion for NASCAR races.

“I’m really excited to share our relationship with readers.”

51

52

Marriage On His Mind As for now, everything is great in their little paradise, Supposedly Cardi B will be officiating Penn’s wedding to Josh that too after an entertaining twitter exchange Penn had with Cardi B. Kal tweeted about a strange dream he had after he spotted the rapper on his flight to LA. Kal’s fantasy involved the “Bodаk Yellow” crooner officiating his wedding on the plane, and surprisingly, Cardi confirmed that she had the necessary license to help Penn plan his dream wedding. An overjoyed Penn accepted the singer’s services.

“Josh, my partner, my parents, and my brother, four people who I’m closest to in the family, are fairly quiet. They don’t love attention and shy away from the limelight.”

53

Down Memory Lane

“I’ve never troubled any filmmaker or any person for that matter.” - Govinda 54

I

An interview with Govinda is always a delight to read. We unearthed a throwback ‘Court Martial’ with him done way back in 2009 but since it was so interesting, we’ve decided to reprint it again. So go ahead, enjoy the unique Chi Chi humour.

t’s surprising really how Govinda hasn’t been grilled for a long time. Chi Chi gets into enough trouble in a day to be able to put him into the dock every month. Brawling and acting obnoxiously seem to feature more in the Hero No. 1’s agenda than his daily shootings.

People just can’t seem to be able to make up their minds about him. They’re not sure whether to label him a liar or a jinx. In fact, his detractors are quick to tag him both. The filmmakers (he’s recently worked with) almost have a mutual dislike society going for him. He’s also accused of being a hypocrite and trouble-maker. On one hand, he’s got a rejuvenated film career to contend with.

And on the other, anxious party workers are provoking him up for an election he doesn’t want to contest. Caught between his film career and politics, Govinda doesn’t know what to do next.

His turbulent state of mind is understandable. He’s finally getting worthwhile roles once again and he doesn’t want to give up the opportunity to work with reputed filmmakers like David Dhawan, Mani Ratnam, Ravi Chopra and Nikhil Advani among others. With so much going for him, the Entertainer No. 1 was quite the obvious choice for this month’s COURT MARTIAL. Read on as he speaks on bidding politics goodbye and saying hello to films once again.

55

After receiving severe flak and hatred from the political arena for quite some time, you eventually decided to quit politics. People still cannot fathom why you chose to join politics when you knew nothing of it.

Politics is an inseparable part of life. It does enter in your life in various forms. Nobody can escape it. I’m still a part of the profession, and an active member of Parliament. Though I will not contest, I will definitely try to campaign for my party candidates. I think one shouldn’t forget that I defeated the respected Ram Naik by a huge margin. I’ve given my best what was in my capacity under the given circumstances. I have completed my tenure. I know people didn’t expect me to enter politics or do something like this ever. But with God’s grace, I could achieve all this. It hurts when you consistently keep doing good work and people don’t acknowledge or praise your style of working. So I ... with Priya Dutt felt it would be correct to leave politics and hand over my responsibility and power. Let the seniors decide.

Sometimes I feel it’s very important to save your power, thoughts and judgment of so many things to your own self and use them in a correct way in future. It’s not a good idea to reveal everything.

Was it a proactive decision?

I think a lot before deciding on anything, be it politics or films. Sometimes you visualise things, understand the situation and then decide. I think I’m going the right way now.

It’s heard that your family wanted you to permanently bid adieu to politics for a really long time. Is that true?

We never discuss politics at home just because they don’t understand it. If they don’t understand it then how could they advise me to quit politics?

What do you think of Sanjay Dutt as a neta?

Do you respect his decision to join politics?

Do you think his Gandhigiri and Munnabhai image could win or you still believe that he should continue only in Bollywood?

Sanjay has grown up with politics. His father, the late Sunil Duttsahab, was one of the most respected politicians of our country, and his mother, Nargis Duttji was a great social worker.

So politics runs in his blood. He understands politics. A positiveimage always helps. Things are going well for him since quite some time, like he got married and now he’s contesting elections and they’re (the Samajwadi Party) helping Sanju bhaiya. Sanju’s also a very dear friend. He has done lot of good work in the past, which I think nobody knows. David (Dhawan) ko director

56

bananewala Sanju hain. One day he called me and said, “Ek Punjabi aadmi ko director banana hain.” It was very sweet of him. My best wishes are always with him.

Being an MP, you would be well aware of the pressure you face from the opposition parties.

Did you ever discuss that with Sanjay?

Khana pressure mein hi paktahaibhaiya. Jokes apart, the pressure would be there irrespective of the good work Sanju would do. I think that’s a part of every profession. You have people badmouthing or bitching about you and trying to put you down. It depends on how Sanju deals with such circumstances. We have never discussed politics though

Coming back to films, over the years, you’ve been appreciated for your comic timing. Don’t you think playing a grey character in Mani Ratnam’s ‘Ravana’ might work negative for you? Why are you getting so desperate?

But that’s not true. I’m not playing a grey character in ‘Ravana’.

You’ve also started smoking. Is it because things are not going quite well in your life?

(Laughs again) Not more than onceor twice in a week. But then there’s no reason to it.

You still haven’t been able to attain major success in your second innings in the film industry. After ‘Partner’, you ended up choosing the wrong films. Are you losing perspective?

Being a part of the industry for more than two decades, I’ve worked really hard to carve a niche for myself and reached a certain level. I strongly feel that the future is nothing but collective efforts we put in today. In my second innings, I am working really hard to make sure the audiences love me once again. And I’m really thankful to my audiences and fans who have always supported me. I could have worked more but couldn’t concentrate because of politics.

Priyadarshan has vowed not to work with you again after the trouble you gave him during ‘ChalChalaChal’. As a result, the film was delayed and what came out looked like a B-grade product.

Nahin aisi koi baat nahi. I’ve just told you what went wrong with that film So that means you won’t Priyadarshan in the future?

It depends (smiles).

You proved that you’re an amateur in politics when you distributed money to people on Holi.

You were even pulled up by your own party for that. Don’t you know that’s against the rules?

In our family, it’s an age-old custom to distribute money to dancers and singers during festivals.

They come to your place with a lot of expectations.

And if I help them in whatever capacity I can then what’s the harm in doing so? Their blessings are very auspicious. I respect them. You tell me, is it wrong to help someone who is in trouble? There are some good souls who donate money to poor people everyday. I feel people have made it a big issue for no valid reason.

So you’re saying you were attacked only because you’re a Member of Parliament? But weren’t you aware of the norms?

When people don’t think before doing bad then why should I think before doing something good?

If you think too much, you won’t be able to do what you want to do. Yes, one must do within the boundaries of law. People who are trying to make it an issue are not from my constituency. They must be some roadside beggars. Oneshouldn’t even discuss such things. It’s very sad.

work

with

Post the incident, big filmmakers like Mani Ratnam or others can easily take you for granted since they know you aren’t in a position to retaliate. Why have you made yourself so vulnerable?

You cannot think negative and work. One should always think positive. Nobody can harm you, unless your time is bad. If you get good work that means tumhara time achcha chal raha hain.

If your films flop, it doesn’t mean you are not a good actor or people would blame you to be a part of the film. It’s a pleasure working with Mani Ratnam. Sometimes you have disagreements over certainthings but then you have to rely on good filmmakers. You shouldn’t fight with them and put yourself in danger.

You and Salman don’t see eye-to-eye anymore.

You’re upset with him as he didn’t take any interest in launching your daughter Narmada after Sanjay Leela Bhansali promised to do so. How could you forget that Salman got you ‘Partner’?

Rubbish. Where do you get to hear all these things? After Narmada’s accident last year, I wanted her to first come out of the trauma, which she bravely did.

Your last release ‘Chal Chala Chal’ has resulted in losses to the extent that you are once again indebted to some people. Why did you even attempt a film like this?

‘Chal Chala Chal’ is not my film. I wasn’t convinced even while doing the film. I spoke to Priyadarshan about it but then I was in need of work and not in a position to choose films. After ‘Bhagam Bhag’, Priyan spoke to my wife Sunita and assured her that he’d do a solo lead with me. He also assured Sunita that he’d be around during the making of the ‘CCC’. But then I realised it wasn’t her mistake because she took Priyan at face value. There was a world of difference between what was narrated to me and what was shot.

57

I was really worried then. She considers Salman as a father-figure and fondly calls him chachu.

She’s in London to pursue her make-up course and she’ll also complete her acting course by July this year. Talks are on regarding her foray into films. She’s extremely hard-working and sincere.

But let’s see what destiny has planned for her.

We’ll have to wait and watch.

Just a few years ago, you were approaching everyone for work. Once you got it, you started throwing tantrums. Will you never change?

I’ve never troubled any filmmaker or any person for that matter before or after joining politics. I believe the moment I give a hit film, people start talking and writing negative about me. And I know there are some groups in Bollywood who don’t like my films doing well. I don’t believe in working in groups, which seems to be a new trend in Bollywood these days.

you hassled them for dates; now the film has no buyers. Will it be shelved?

I don’t know. People are talking like that. As far as I know, sometime back, the film had no financer.

I would say that the producer wasted Jagmohan’s and my dates. We all had decided on a month-long schedule. And I was there. You should ask this question to the producer or Jagmohan Mundhra.

Jag had major problems getting a girl opposite you. First Ayesha Takia refused and even Amrita Rao said no. None of the new generation girls want to work opposite you.

I think Ayesha didn’t agree because she wasplanning to get married and was focusing on that. I think Amrita had some dates issues, which is why she didn’t take up the offer. That’s the story I know. You have two sets of rules for filmmakers.

You make life hell for smaller directors but when you work with the likes of Mani Ratnam, you’re discipline personified. (Laughs) I don’t know why you always come up with such weird questions.

See, it’s like when you work with newcomers, you have to work harder and be extra cautious to make them happy as compared to the established filmmakers. They tend to expect a lot from you because they are relatively new. After joining politics, I’ve become more lenient.

You also have the knack of being in the news for all wrong reasons.

Kuch logon kesaathaisahotahain. I’m one of the fortunate ones (laughs sarcastically). Earlier I used to think a lot as to why such things happen only to me. Gradually, I learnt not to give too much attention. But now I know how to tackle all these things. One should learn from one’s mistakes and try not to repeat them.

All the actors of your era are playing character roles now. But you still want to play hero. With the younger lot coming in, don’t you feel your days are numbered?

I’m playing an interesting character in ‘Ravana’.

I agree I played the second lead in ‘Partner’.

However, in ‘Run Bhola Run’, ‘Naughty At 40’ and David’s next film, I play the male lead. I do a particular film only if I get convinced by the script.

They all require Govinda; it’s altered in that way.

You started Jag Mundhra’s ‘Naughty At 40’ with much fanfare. But it’s stuck now. First

58

You still have a weakness for your heroines.

You went to Celina Jaitley’s party and there were reports that you ended up staying the night at her house. It became huge news the next day.

Yeh tohkitna purana kissahainyaar… kyatubhi (laughs). Some say that I left the party in between and then returned later. Whereas others accused that I was the last person to leave Celina’s place.

Does it mean your party people didn’t support you?

You see, everybody got busy. I think every party consists of a political chain. It’s a simple funda that either you are accepted by the chain or you aren’t. Now I’m more relaxed. The pressure is gone. When you work with a fresh mind, you deliver better.

If I was the last one to leave the party, then how could I return? Celina is a dear friend. I think once your on-screen chemistry works with a particular actress, you tend to do more films together. And the hit pair becomes a brand, which also helps for the film’s success. Of late, I vibe really well with all my heroines – be it Celina, Ameesha (Patel), Rimi (Sen) or Lara (Dutta).

What about your one-time favourite Rani Mukherjee? Why haven’t you two signed a film together?

(With a weary look) I haven’t met Rani for the last five years.

Apparently, Sonia Gandhi is so upset by your performance in politics that she has even refused to meet you. She’s trying to place Nagma on your seat. Shah Rukh Khan is also been considered…

Har cheezkeliye koi kasoorhonachahiye. When I have proved myself then how would she (Soniaji) be upset with me? During my five years’ tenure, I was asked only one thing – why wasn’t I seen often in Delhi? I conveyed the answer and they are convinced now. I was supposed to do a good job and I did it. If my party doesn’t benefit from me, then why should I ask for a seat? That’s my question. Jitnabadaaapka naam ho jaatahain, utna hi bada objection ho jaatahain. There’s a vast difference being a good politician and a good social worker. I don’t want power again. I don’t know whether Nagma or Shah Rukh would contest. Somebody would definitely come to power, if not me. Politics ka bazaar aise hi garam rehtahain.

Would you want to work with her again?

We are a part of the same profession. So I don’t mind working with her again. I haven’t worked with PreityZinta for a long time too.

Your stint in politics is a joke. You joined politics when your film career was over. When you got films again, you deserted politics. No wonder Congress doesn’t want you to contest this time.

I don’t agree to this. When I won the elections, people said it was destined. I think if somebody decides not to give you credit for anything then you can’t go out of your way to ask it. I supported the Congress when they required somebody to defeat Ram Naik. Breaking the wall and getting into Ram Naik’s territory was not a joke. Politics is a team effort. It’s not a one-man show. I don’t worry because I’ve been accepted by Sonia Gandhiji. So I’m happy. Politics is not my business.

It’s a duty I am performing because I have been asked to. That was more than enough.

Would you ever regret being a part of the profession?

Never, because I have learnt a lot and got the opportunity to serve people of my constituency.

So in a way, this is your third innings in films. Don’t you feel you should be in better shape now?

Yeah, you can say this is my third innings. I’m looking forward to do good films and get a good physique. I want to lose eight kilos in two months. Let’s see how it goes

59

Starry Look

! s u o e g r o Hey G Kiara Advani’s beauty secrets deconstructed…

60

She came, she saw, she conquered. That’s right we are talking about the gorgeous Kiara Advani. She’s always showed a lot of potential right from her first film but with Kabir Singh and Shershaah, she’s carved a niche for herself in the film industry. Her popularity has soared and producers have been queuing up outside her home, no wonder, Kiara Advani is being considered as heiress apparent for the Number one position.

Of course, she’s not only a great actor but a complete package too for her beauty is incomparable. This elfin beauty has a perfect Madonna like sweet face and a hot body. We dug up her beauty secrets only to find out that Kiara lives a very disciplined life and has a very systematic beauty regimen. Read on…

Beauty Regimen: Kiara starts her day by drinking a glass of water for she has been quoted as saying “good skin is not simply a matter of DNA, but your daily food and skincare habits.” She follows it up by a good skincare that includes CTM – cleansing, toning, moisturizing.

‘Skin’tillating Kiara uses a gel-based face wash and then follows it up with the right moisturiser or serum. After which, she applies a good sunscreen. At night, she makes sure she removes her makeup.

Kiara who is the brand ambassador of Pond’s India claims, “I use the new night cream and the serum from the, Pond’s Flawless Radiance Derma+ range, since I strongly feel the need of products that are backed by science and have the right kind of ingredients that helps my skin.”

61

Beauty is: Kiara believes beauty is healthy and glowing skin. Even off camera, Kiara keeps her look neutral.

As An Actress: Kiara believes in following a good skincare regime, eating the right things, drinking lots of fluid and having a balanced lifestyle.

Biggest Beauty Blot: Thick make-up, shooting under bright lights, sun, pollution and even radiation from screen take a toll on the skin.

Natural Remedies: Kiara loves natural face and hair packs that she rustles up from her kitchen.

Beauty Ideal MY Glamm Pop XO Collection comprising pop colored nail paints, lip colors, face blushes and eyeshadows are sheer fun.

The colors are vibrant and bright, and the packaging is every girl’s delight. No wonder they’ve called it a girls’ BFF. Our recommendation: Go ahead get party ready with My Glamm.

SkinKraft’s Syndet Face Cleanser for slightly dry slightly oil skin, Barrier Repair Moisturing Gel and Acne Limit facial cream was crafted to suit my skin type. It’s light, non oily and really leaves me with glowing skin. Our recommendation: Must Have!

From clay masks to cleansing balm, Quench has a range of Path-breaking Korean Skincare products powered by effective natural ingredients like Korean Ginseng, Cica, Lotus Root, Grapefruit, Cherry Blossom Extracts creating perfect recipes for happy, healthy and radiant skin. We tried it out and it is really effective, nourishing and refreshing. Our recommendation: Try it, it’s really good.

62

Starry Dazzle Salute After creating waves in the Queen of Suburbs Bandra and upscale Vile Parle East, Shiva’s SALUTE from the house of Shiva’s Signature Salons comes to the affluent and upmarket Kandivali West. This is the 3rd branch of Shiva’s SALUTE. The opening ceremony was attended by Padma Shri Awardee Madhur Bhandarkar and Former Miss India International Ayeesha S. Aiman.

Heart-Break & More An ode to heart-break, loss of loved ones and longdistance relationships gone awry in this pandemic, ‘Adhoori Kahani’ is a three-minute music video launched by Zee Music. Written by music artists Harish Moyal, Indian Idol Season One finalist and directed by Sunil J. Jain of Mumbai-based leading production house Rajlakshmi Creation, the video has debut actress Krisheka Patel enacting and encompassing the gloominess experienced by lovers. Jointly produced by Anirudh Dhoot and Sunil J.Jain, the music video narrates a love story that is left incomplete and the heavy air of sorrow that follows. An art patron and music lover by nature, Dhoot says, “The power of music to narrate emotions is unique. While several issues came to the notice of the mainstream media during the pandemic, love stories lay forgotten. People drifted away, some lost and some broken. The video album aims to capture the essence of their feelings.”

Iconic Three legendary Bollywood super-stars Zeenat Aman, Padmini Kolhapure & Rati Agnihotri come together for the first time to present the event ‘Laxmikant-Pyarelal Musical Concert Tour’ across the US & Canada. The living legend Pyarelal ji (Laxmikant- Pyarelal) is performing in the US after 25 long years, along with twenty Bollywood top musicians and legendary singers like Amit Kumar, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Sudesh Bhosle, Sadhana Sargam, Priyanka Mitra and Mohammed Salamat. So watch out for it!

63

Stardust on the go Hunk Ahead: Kartik Aryan looking rather grovvily at his cup

64

In Introspection: Sidhant Chaturvedi ponders away

Adventure Overload: The illustrious Bear Gryllis and Vickey Kaushal go on an expedition

So Pretty: Janhvi Kapoor amidst pristine nature

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 lovebirds in B-town? Team Stardust brings you a bird eye’s view into the private lives of Tinsel Town eye candies.

Striking A Pose: Sonakshi Sinha and friend flash victory signs

Smirking Away: Abhay Deol looks on gleefully

Super Successful: Katrina Kaif poses with Falguni Nayyar of Nykaa

Chandigarh Brouhaha: Ayushmann Khurrana and Vani Kapoor in myriad moods

Illustrious Company: Sanjay Dutt with the President of Tanzania

Eternal Beauty: Madhuri Dixit Nene poses

Twinnin’: Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone color coordinate

Pretty In Blue: Raveena Tandon looks gorgeous in a blue kaftan

65

STARRY SASHAY Chic and cool! That’s right, white tops sure look wonderfully elegant.

Whether it’s a cute white tee or a white shirt or even a formal white blouse, it never fails to make a super impact on the fashion scale. And guess what, they are perennials and can be worn anytime, anywhere, and looks great whether it’s in casual or formal wear.

In the fashion trend ladder, white tops have always scaled high. And, how! We pick some gorgeous Bollywood divas who have raised the temp in super hot yet cool whites.

So what are you waiting for…? Get your rating grades and mark the actresses according to who flaunted the hottest white look best.

Katrina Kaif

66

Sonakshi Sinha

Alia Bhatt

Kareena Kapoor

Fatima Sana Shaikh

Kajol

Mira Rajput

Rakul Preet Singh

Sara Ali Khan

Deepika Padukone

Ananya Panday

Anushka Sharma

67

Blast from the past

M alika’s

M arital Past Finally Exposed Her In-Laws Were Against Films

THEY SAY the past always comes back to haunt you. And somehow, it happens more often with the denizens of the glamour world. In this industry, once you’re in the spotlight, you want to start on a clean slate. You want to wipe clean your unpleasant history, if you have any. But the harder you try, the sooner the tumultuous times come back to catch up with you.

Preeti Puja 68

69

T

he most controversial heroine in Bollywood, Mallika Sherawat, has until now managed to remain an enigma to all her fans. She may be the industry’s most desirable pin-up girl and yet no one really knows what lies beneath her alluring persona.

Sure, everyone knows that her name used to be Reema Lamba once upon a time.

There have been fleeting references to her marriage too – and that she is divorced. But that’s about it. Neither has Mallika spoken much about that phase of her life nor has her ex-husband tried to grab his share of fame in her glory. Perhaps that’s why this chapter of her life has gone completely unnoticed. But there are questions that still seek their legitimate answers. Why is Mallika so guarded about her past? Why does she refuse to acknowledge her exhusband Karan Singh Gill in public? What is the truth behind her whirlwind marriage and subsequent divorce? What was Mallika like as a daughter-in-law? And does she have a hidden child somewhere, as some reports have hinted at? To unravel the mystery, I decided to travel to the remote village Mallika hails from – Moth in Hissar, Haryana.

It’s a five-and-a-half hours drive from New

70

Delhi and reaching there itself seemed like an arduous task. Though Mallika spent most of her growing-up years in Rohtak, Moth is where a part of her family still resides. Her grandparents (paternal) were landlords and they still have huge properties in the village. The palatial ‘Lamba House’ in the suburb of Hissar is still famous amongst the villagers for its sheer opulence. But after Reema Lamba became Mallika Sherawat, nobody has ever seen her in the house. I spoke to a local who happened to be one of Mallika’s closest neighbours at one time and he said, “Why would she come to the village? These days, we only see her in newspapers. She’s become a big star now.”

Another villager reveals, “Six months ago, we saw her parents during the funeral of her grandmother. We didn’t see Mallika at that time also. But we got to know that after being a star, she came to Hissar twice to resolve her property matter pending in the court. A conflict is going on between the Lambas and P.K. Choudhary (BJP leader and brother-in-law of Vasundhara Raje Scindia) regarding a property in Shekhpura village.

We saw her along with her brother, Vikram Lamba, during the court case. And before that, in 2007, her parents came to Hissar

for the Jat Mahasabha elections.” The ‘Lamba House’ is a multi-storey haveli where Mallika’s grandparents used to reside along with their four children: Mukesh Lamba (eldest son), Dinesh Lamba, Ramesh Lamba, and Suresh Lamba. Mukesh Lamba is Mallika’s father.

This small town jatni always dreamt of making it big. I met one of her uncles, Sushil Lamba, who spoke about her at length. “Since her childhood, Reema was very exuberant, extroverted and ambitious,” he said. “She had a willingness to do something different from the usual small-town girls. Always ready to explore the new world, she had a wish to work for the glamour industry. Initially, it was very difficult for us to allow her to initiate a career in the glamour industry. But later on, with the support of her parents, she did modelling and then worked for many advertising agencies. She was very active and knew what exactly she wanted to do. For instance, when Reema was 15 years old, she wanted to meet the then Deputy Prime Minister of India, Choudhary Devi Lal. I introduced her to him and she took his full interview in the midst of a crowd and everybody was astonished by her daring attitude.” Her uncle was able to reveal a bit more about her childhood than the villagers. Lamba added, “Reema was about seven when her father was transferred to Delhi in 1983.

She studied at the Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, from class third to the twelfth.”

Mallika must have left some impression on the teachers, for they still remember her as a flamboyant, bold, sharp and outspoken girl. She is probably also far more intelligent than most people make her out to be, as she went on to graduate from one of India’s top universities.

“After schooling she moved on to Miranda House in Delhi University and earned a degree in philosophy. It is the same college from where renowned directors like Nandita Das and Mira Nair completed their masters. It was during this time that she worked briefly as an air hostess for Kazakistan Airlines and used to fly between India and Kazakistan.

71

And it was during this period shemet Karan Singh Gill who was working as a pilot captain in Jet Airways in Delhi,” reveals her uncle. He further reminisces, “As their friendship started brewing, the lovebirds decided to marry soon. It was a love-cumarranged marriage and everybody from both sides of the family were present there at the wedding. It was a grand reception in Delhi.” Reema was certainly setting high standards for herself. But there was one obstacle in her life – her husband Karan and his conservative family. “Reema wasn’t the kind of girl who wanted to compromise with her priorities and change her life simply for marriage. She always had a 72

thought of becoming rich and famous. She married Gill because she was in love with him but married life wasn’t made for her.

So, she decided to quit wedlock and lead an independent lifestyle. From her own parents to her in-laws, everybody was against her decision and as a result, she had a major argument with all of them. When she went to Mumbai, she knew nobody was there to help her. But she made up her mind to get out of the rut and at least try once. It was tough and heart-breaking,” states Lamba.

Taking charge of her life, the wannabe diva decided to begin a new life. Even though a bit presumptuous, she named herself Mallika (meaning Queen). But why did she feel the need to change her second name? As Lamba clarifies, “It was purely her wish. Sherawat was her mother’s maiden name so she kept it to thank her mother who supported her to become a star. Her mother, Santosh and brother Vikram predominantly admired her vision.” But other locals have another tale to tell. “Reema had changed her name only to hide her origins in Bollywood,” says one of them. “She doesn’t want to give anyone a chance to laugh at her. On the contrary, Reema’s father and her relatives were very disappointed with her decision to work in the glamour industry and then marrying Karan Singh Gill. Her father did not like her decision, so he left her to do whatever she wanted to do.” Parull Gossain (Mallika’s spokesperson), however, refutes all these allegations saying, “It’s all rubbish. Why would she strain her relationship with her father? She never had an argument with him. Why would she use her father’s name to get such publicity? She does not have any grudges against anyone in her family.

In a country like India, we have always been asked to respect our elders, not to fight with them.” Either way, Mallika choosing a glamorous career over love entered Bollywood, albeit with tons of emotional baggage that she had to keep secret to make it in the industry. But it wasn’t long before the news of her marriage made headlines. In fact, rumour mills reported that she’d been married more than once.

By now, Mallika has learnt that nothing ever remains a secret in B-town – here, even the walls have ears – but back then, probably not. The problems between Mallika and her in-laws began soon after the marriage.

Lamba gives us an insight, “You know, destiny had other plans for Reema. Like her own parents, Gill’s parents were also orthodox. As we have heard, her in-laws were not interested in sending their girl into films and they were completely against her late nights and parties. As a result, tension started brewing between Reema and Karan.

This might be the reason for their break-up.

Maybe her in-laws were not in favour of her working in films. The marriage worked

for almost a year and finally their romance ended in gloom. The couple soon realised that it was better to get separated. It was after the divorce that she decided to try her luck in movies,” says Lamba. What about certain reports that she also has a hidden child? Her uncle refutes the allegation, “She doesn’t have any kid. She was so sure about her vision that she didn’t take any chances.

In spite of many oppositions and hurdles, she went to Mumbai in 2002 to pursue her dream in Bollywood,” he says. Once in the city of dreams, Mallika always introduced herself as a single woman. And that has been the way ever since. Her father, Mukesh Lamba, was a simple man. The only thing he ever wanted was to have a happily married life for his daughter. But she is always been heard saying that she belonged to a poor family and has never been married. Her distraught uncle no longer knows what to say in response: “I can’t comment on this.

In Mumbai, whatever she was asked to do, she did it. I have also read about such things in the newspapers but we are not comfortable with it. It is completely her choice that she always introduces herself as a single woman and prefers to keep silent on her marital life.” But what is her in-laws’ reaction to all the fame and fortune that Mallika has amassed? When we ask Lamba, he gets flustered again and concludes the conversation midway saying, “I can’t talk about this. But I must say her in-laws were very sweet to her. But unknowingly, everything got shattered. Almost a year back I saw her estranged in-laws at the Gurgaon Golf Club.” To get the real picture, I finally tracked down Mallika’s estranged motherin-law, Mrs. G. S. Gill. When asked about the actress, she commented vociferously, “We don’t know anybody named Mallika.

A few years back, we had a girl in our family called Reema Lamba. She was my daughter-in-law and we all loved her very much. But, afterwards, her behaviour and independent nature started creating problems for us. We wanted a girl who was independent in her thoughts but at the same time, someone who understood the needs of the family also. But her dream was something different from what we expected.

73

The latest buzz is that she is maintaining her proximity with a new man in her life who is supposedly a firang. Their relationship apparently developed over a course of time. It has also been heard that she is in Los Angeles these days roaming around with the same guy and simultaneously trying to remain tight-lipped about the rumours in India. She apparently wants to keep the fling a secret. Her uncle tries to justify Mallika’s lifestyle choices. “You should better understand today’s world.

She wanted to have a career in the glamour industry.” Before I could ask about Karan, she abruptly ended the conversation.

Reportedly, Karan is now remarried and doesn’t like to talk about Mallika at all.

Nonetheless, one thing’s for sure – Mallika did not receive stardom on a silver platter.

More often than not, she found herself being rejected, even by small-timers. Says Ramesh Juglan (director of Haryanvi films), who still remembers Sherawat as Reema Gill, “I don’t remember the exact year when Reema came with her photographs at my office asking for a role in some Haryanvi film. But I must say she was quite eager to work in films. She left a cd of her photographs requesting me to have a look at it once. I didn’t pay any attention to her because she looked so ugly then. At that time, I didn’t have a clue that one day she would become such a big star.”

And with fame came Mallika’s sex-kitten status. According to her own admission, she needs a tough guy to handle her.

74

Things are moving faster day by day.

Whatever she’s been asked to do in Mumbai, she did it. Today’s lifestyle is completely different than our time. If you want to achieve success, you have to explore yourself by all means. That is what Reema is doing and we have no grievances.”

It is truly interesting how each person who knows or knew Mallika intimately, views her in a completely different way. For instance, for her ex-husband, Mallika may be a thing of the past meant to be stored in the deepest recesses of his mind. Her parents and relatives still see her as their little daughter fighting out on her own.

A local photographer who often clicked her in her struggling days told me, “She used to be a very simple and innocent girl but very camera-friendly. Every time she would give proper shoots and make us happy. She was very professional and passionate about her work and that is the most impressive part of her personality. But on the issue of marriage, she generally preferred to keep silent.” For most people who read this, Mallika’s past may come as a revelation. She may have her own reasons for not acknowledging her marital status. Maybe if she’d done that earlier, none of this would’ve sounded so shocking. But from her point of view, here was a married woman from a small town, without any godfather, trying her luck in movies. Would the industry have

given her a chance if they knew about her marital status? We don’t think so. Today, she’s carved a position for herself so no one’s complaining or raising eyebrows. It’s Mallika’s turn to take charge now – she’s seen a lot already.

FAST FORWARD Circa: 20 years later, Mallika Sherawat is still very much around though she’s seems to be livin’ it up abroad much more.

Some years back, she was in the news as her French boyfriend Cyrille Auxenfans and she were thrown out of their plush apartments by a Parisian Court. Before that, it was a ‘breaking news’ situation when her boyfriend and she were assaulted and robbed in their own apartment. Of course, after that, Mallika was seen in amchi Mumbai looking absolutely svelte and sexy like the ‘jalebi baby’ she is called. Currently, she confesses she has a great love life though her boyfriend who she met while partying in Saint Tropez calls her “a nun” for going to bed early. Of course though she’s not acting in too many Hindi films and was last seen in a web series, she divulges many an interesting nugget during her stint as an actor - from how a producer wanted to “heat chapattis” on her waist for a hot song to how male actors wanted her to fawn over them. Whatever one says, the bold ‘n’ the beautiful Mallika Sherwat has always lived life in her terms.

- Sumita Chakraborty 75

Web show

OffbeatYet Outstanding!

Here are six amazingly ‘out of the box’ series and films to watch out for.

Binge-watchers are always looking to explore new genres for more unique and offbeat content.

The increasing demand for new storylines and plots is keeping the content creators on their toes in turn giving their viewers some of the best web series and movies that get them hooked.

So here’s some out-of-the-box binge-worthy content from the OTT world. From drama, to real-life stories, here’s some outstanding and amazing content you have to watch.

Squid Game Korean Netflix series Squid Game has been its biggest hit, watched by 142 million households in its first four weeks. The series, centered on a brutal survival game has gained popularity worldwide through its striking visuals, relatable characters playing childhood games to survive. This should be on your must-watch list of shows if you like survival drama shows.

Clutch Clutch is the first-ever esports-based web series created by Dice Media. An underdog team of 4 friends and one coach come together to participate in a major esports tournament. The show will keep you on the edge of your seats as your mind boggles around the life of players and the action that goes around competing for a tough esports tournament. Starring Vishal Vashishtha as the lead, the series showcases the real world of esports in India and encourages youngsters to see the potential in this industry as a viable career. Clutch has enthralled its viewers with the unique concept and if you want to get in on the action and drama that gaming entails, this is the perfect show for you.

If you are an esports fan, you cannot miss this show, the series is currently streaming on Dice Media’s YouTube channel.

76

Mumbai Diaries Mumbai Diaries streaming on Amazon Prime Video is a medical drama set against the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai stars Mohit Raina and Konkana Sen Sharma amongst others. The fictional series takes viewers on an emotional journey set against the backdrop of the terror attacks that swept Mumbai on 26th November 2008. It is centered around the plight of the medical workers in the emergency room of a government hospital during the terror attacks.

If you haven’t watched it already it definitely must be on your watch-list this month.

Cartel Cartel is a story of five gangsters who rule Mumbai with their underworld business. The story is led by Raani Maai played by the versatile Supriya Pathak. It highlights how 5 crime lords, based in different areas of the city, carry out their illegal activities. The gangs are power-hungry and the only ones to use their intelligence will rule the underworld of Mumbai.

You can find this underworld drama streaming on ALT Balaji.

Rashmi Rocket Featuring Tapsee Pannu, Rashmi Rocket is a story about an athlete who finally chases her dream to compete professionally, only to realize that the race is full of hurdles. The movie tries to expose the plight of athletes who have to undergo gender testing based on their performance. The contest turns into a fight for respect, honour, and identity. This gripping movie is streaming on Zee 5 and is sure to get you hooked.`

Sardar Udham Based on the true story of the legendary revolutionary of our country, Sardar Udham streaming on Amazon Prime Video has gained rave reviews from critics and audiences. The life journey of the freedom fighter has been portrayed by Vicky Kaushal and shows his struggle to reach his desired goal only to avenge India’s most gruesome tragedy. Many scenes from the movie will send you chills down the spine and are heart-wrenching too.

77

78

79