zee bollywood by Vahiju PC

AED5 November 2007

BARING HIS SOUL... BOLLYWOOD’S REBEL JOHN!

Top designers Diwali jewellery collections!

Amitabh & Jaya Secrets Down the years!

Kareena’s Saif love...

Shahid’s Heartbreak!

Inside 24 Focus The bubbly and energetic Ayesha Takia has just returned to Mumbai after her busy foreign schedules. We find out what has kept her so occupied.

28 Frankly Speaking While John Abraham is thrilled to now be part of a Hollywood set-up, dare anyone say anything

against his home country India either! The hottest star speaks about his career and his lady love.

32 What’s Cooking Vidya Malavade admits she just cannot live without prawns and fish. She can eat this any time of the day. The rest of her diet is very simple, sabzi and roti is all she eats.

38 Home Truths

“It’s this sea view that I look forward to most when

Talk of the Town:

I come home after a tiring day. I always joke that

The latest news

when I shift from this house, I will take the sea with me,” says Tara Sharma.

12 Madame X: The juiciest gossip

42 Style Check Style diva Sushama Reddy tells us what dressing and accessories are all about. She gives us a few

16 Shooting Stars: The hottest pictures 58 In The Picture: Neil Nitin Mukesh

tips about the Diwali dressing too.

50 Controversy

Half the industry seems to be at war with Sanjay Gupta and his company White Feather – Sanjay Dutt, Amitabh Bachchan, Apoorva Lakhia, Sunil Shetty and more.

61 Take 3: Tanushree Dutta, Kunal Khemu and Sneha Ullal 68 Romance Down Memory Lane: Jaya & Amitabh Bachchan

54 Surprises Of 2008 2008 tells who are the hot young stars to debut next year. Mashhoor Amrohi, Mimoh Chakraborthy, Sikandar Kher, Neha Oberoi, Megha Chatterjee, Harman Baweja and Adhyayan Shekhar Suman life to the fullest with her hubby.

42 3

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Talk of the town

VIVEK’S DESPERATE MOVE

Vivek Oberoi’s desperate measures to patch up with Sanjay Dutt have flopped badly. Instead he’s ended up angering Dutt more! Vivek went to meet Dutt’s girlfriend Manayata’s mom on Dutt’s behalf. Strange behaviour considering he did this without telling or asking Dutt! It’s a known fact in the industry that Dutt doesn’t like anybody interfering in his personal affairs so Vivek’s over zealous behaviour made Sanjay furious. When Vivek realised that he’d got himself into a worse mess he waited for Dutt outside the latter’s residence to apologise to him. But the moment he saw Dutt he ran for cover. Now he has two powerful enemies, Salman and Sanjay!

BROTHERS UP IN ARMS

HAS FARAH’S HUSBAND LOST IT?

Looks like Farah Khan’s husband Shirish Kunder can’t control himself after a drink or two. At a promotional fashion event of wife Farah’s latest directorial venture Om Shanti Om, Shirish made quite a spectacle of himself. He was totally sloshed and was hitting on all the models at the event. The evening started off well with Shirish lovingly posing with Farah who is pregnant and expecting triplets. When he had one too many he started hitting on and flirting with random women. Apparently he was even caught kissing a girl. An embarrassed Farah fled from the scene! Looks like Kunder cannot handle his wife’s success and power in the industry.

While on the work front Aamir Khan does everything to perfection, on the personal front he’s having problems with younger brother Fasial Khan, who’s been suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Recently Faizal went missing from home forcing mum Zeenat to lodge a police complaint. He was later found by Police officials in Lonavala. Faizal now claims that he’s never had any mental illness and Aamir, their mum and sister Zeenat were forcibly giving him medicines. Faizal’s mental health deteriorated after both his films Madhoshi and Mela flopped miserably. In 2005 Faizal was admitted to a hospital in Andheri after his condition deteriorated. Aamir tried to re-settle his brother by buying him land in Lonavala for goat farming. Aamir stated that Faizal had stopped his medication and hence again became unwell.

HIMESH’S LOSING IT!!!

Guess who’s working out his sweat in the gym? Himesh Reshammiya. His highness Himesh is getting ready to launch himself as a full blown actor and has already lost five kilos. His ultimate goal is to kick off six more before he starts working on a series of films that he’s signed on with directors like John Mathew Matthan and Pooja Bhatt. Apparently, Himesh will also appear without his trademark cap on-screen for Bhatt’s film. Himesh has confessed that he’s bald and hence sports a cap. Rumours are rife that Himesh has gone in for hair weaving and will now appear onscreen minus his cap! 6

Talk of the town

KANGANA IS MADHUR’S MUSE

Madhur Bhandarkar has a new muse, Kangana Ranaut, whom he has cast in his forthcoming film Fashion. So these days all Madhur does is talk about Kangana’s beauty and body language, “She’s a natural actress and looks good anyway!” Kangana plays the role of former top-model Gitanjali Nagpal who was recently found living on the streets of Delhi. Madhur’s Fashion is reportedly based on the feud between two top gay fashion designers and their rivalry. But Madhur isn’t revealing their names.

SORRY VIDYA, SAYS MANISH

AKSHAY HIKES FEE

His days of doing films for good will are over. Akshay Kumar is now commanding a price of 15 crores to 20 crores per film. Akshay’s new development comes shortly after he signed a three film deal with Adlabs and his latest venture with Yashraj Tashan. Apparently with this sudden hike in price Akshay is the highest paid Bollywood actor. Even Shah Rukh and Aamir don’t demand this kind of fee!

In an industry where egos are easily bruised and people seldom take responsibility for their actions, Manish Malhotra has apologised to Vidya for styling her badly in Heyy Babyy. Both Vidya and Manish received heavy criticism for Vidya’s look and wardrobe. “Manish sent me an SMS saying he’s sorry he messed up and he hopes to work with me in future” says Vidya. Meanwhile Vidya has moved on to her former stylist Sheena, who’s styled her in Bhool Bhulaiya, “Sheena and I get on pretty well. I need a designer who’s continuously coordinating with me and not conveying orders through assistants,” states Vidya.

SHAHID BEFRIENDS AMISHA

Well if Kareena is going all over town with new love Saif Ali Khan, Shahid’s making friends with her sworn enemy Amisha Patel. This weekend he was seen at a suburban five-star coffee shop bonding with Amisha. Kareena has always hated Amisha and openly called her a bad actress with a silly fashion sense. The two became rivals when Amisha replaced her in Kaho Na Pyaar Hai. When Shahid started dating Kareena, Amisha kept away from him and even refused films opposite him. But this weekend the duo was seen chatting over coffee like long last friends. Both actors walked in with their set of friends but upon spotting each other they separated from their respective groups and spent loads of time together! 8

Talk of the town

KONKONA GETS DEMANDING Konkona Sen Sharma’s new found fame seems to be going to her head. The actress recently tortured the makers of a small-budget film by walking out of the film 24 hours before the film’s shooting began! The reason? Because the producers refused to cast her boyfriend opposite her! Sankat City a neo-realistic film based on life in Mumbai is director Pankaj Advani’s debut film. The producer had initially signed Irrfan Khan and when the latter walked out on them they signed Aftab Shivdasani. When Konkona heard of this new development she requested the producers to drop Aftab and cast her boyfriend Ranvir Shorey instead. When the producers refused to sign Ranvir, Konkona simply walked out of the film.

RANI’S COSTUME EXPERIMENTS

AFTAB MOVES ON Konkona may have refused working with Aftab but we know Minissha Lamba would love the offer. Recently Aftab and Minissha were spotted cozying up with each other at a highprofile suburban disco. On-lookers say that both the actors were high and were all over each other much to the chagrin of others present. Later they receded to a secluded corner where they indulged in serious PDA, following which Aftab was seen leaving the venue with Minisha. Expectedly both Minissha and Aftab deny this story and claim they have met each other just once.

Rani Mukherji’s saving producer Kunal Kohli’s money these days. Apparently in Kunal’s forthcoming film Rani will be seen in just one costume. Rani who plays an angel in this fantasy flick starring Saif Ali Khan will be wearing the same outfit all through the film. She will also be seen flying around carrying a magic wand. Her dress will be designed by Manish Malhotra, who’s been asked to make this outfit special and exquisite! This puts to rest rumours that Rani had a fall-out with Manish, her fashion designer since Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Rani had in between moved on to designer Sabyasachi who designed her look in Babul and Laga Chunari Mein Daag.

YESTERYEAR SUPERSTAR MISBEHAVES Rajesh Khanna definitely doesn’t believe in ageing gracefully. At a recent film event Khanna misbehaved with a lady journalist who greeted him. Khanna’s reply to the lady’s greeting was, “46-36-46”. When the lady gave him a disgusted glare Khanna promptly told her, “these are the vital statistics of an average Italian woman!” Later the same evening Khanna refused to share the table with fellow actors Shatrughan Sinha and Raj Babbar. All through the event Khanna was loud and made lewd and vulgar jokes about women. 10

Talk of the town

MANISHA BREAKS UP AGAIN

Manisha Koirala has done it again. She’s broken up with her boyfriend of one year Akshay, a wannabe actor. Akshay, an Indian of Australian origin met Manisha at a party and the two had been together since then. They were even living together in Manisha’s Andheri apartment. Manisha has accepted that she and Akshay have broken up but refuses to cite the reason, “they are too personal,” she reveals. Apparently, the actress who’s always been wary of marriage wanted to tie the knot with Akshay who is in his early 20’s but the latter wants to make a name for himself in Bollywood and wasn’t ready for marriage. Hence they decided to call it quits.

RAKESH ROSHAN A TASKMASTER

CELINA BECOMES FACE OF EGYPT

It’s not the Sphinx or the Pyramids anymore. It’s Celina Jaitley who will sell Egypt to the Indian tourists! The Bollywood beauty was recently made the ambassador of Egypt in India. On her official trip to the land of pharaohs last week, she visited the Media City in Cairo—the Film City of Egypt. So impressed was Celina with the state of art facilities and sets at the studios there that she has been recommending it to everybody back in Mumbai. If that wasn’t enough she has also promised to take care of all the official permissions for the shoots. In fact, she has already convinced director Sunil Darshan to shoot his next movie starring Celina in Egypt.

Rakesh Roshan’s a hard-core businessman and doesn’t like his production house wasting even a penny. Recently he asked Juhi Chawla to report for the shooting of his h o m e - p ro d u c t i o n , Krazy 4 knowing fully well that Juhi was suffering from an eye infection. Juhi who is otherwise known to be a strict professional was in no position to report for shooting and requested Roshan to call off the shoot but he refused to budge and insisted she to report to work. Juhi apparently did the shoot with her sunglasses on.

NEW MAN IN SUSH’S LIFE

Sushmita Sen has a new boyfriend and it isn’t Bunty Sachdeva! Apparently Sush broke up with Bunty last month and is now seeing her Dulha Mil Gaya director, 25-year-old Mudassar Aziz. Aziz who is said to be completely awed by Sushmita became good friends with her on the long outdoor schedule of their film in Trinidad and Tobago. Says a source, “Aziz is said to be completely infatuated by her. She too enjoyed his company and attention as she had just broken off with Manav. Sush was seen everywhere with Bunty until they broke off and she began meeting Aziz!” We hope this time he’s for keeps. 12

Madame X

Hello darlings, it’s been a month since I last gave you the juiciest Bollywood tidbits. And believe me, I’ve been storing up to get you the very latest… So sit back, put your feet up and read on!

to the sets when Priyanka sustained minor injuries while doing an action sequence. Whenever she is not filming, she is busy speaking with Harman on the phone. He often comes to our sets to see her.” But ask Harman about the marriage bit and all he’ll offer is, “I do not wish to comment. It is a very personal question!” And speaking of marriage, curious stories on Himesh Reshammiya are doing the rounds… One is that in his rush to be a young hero, he has apparently altered his year of birth from 1969 to 1973! Even stranger is a rumour that he’s been hiding a pretty wife and a 10-year-old son at home, so that he’ll attract audiences via his single status! He only takes his wife out to close friends’ dos, but almost never in public… Though they may go blue in the face denying it, the rumours of Rani Mukherji and Aditya Chopra actually setting a wedding date is out everywhere – February 10 of next year. Apparently, they’ve even set the venue as Umaid Bhawan – Jodhpur’s famed palace where Liz Hurley and Arun Nayar earlier tied the knot. Sources say that this will be far enough to keep the media away… Meanwhile Rani and Adi’s Laaga Chunari Mein Daag has taken a severe beating at the box-office. Friends insist that he should focus on other heroines now – because if anyone stole the show in this film, it’s Konkona Sen! But what do you do about those love loyalties darlings? While we’re on the subject of Konkona Sen, she apparently has a new condition attached to her signing a film. Two or three producers who approached her with good subjects were reportedly told, “Please take Ranvir Shorey (her boyfriend) as the hero… I only want to work with him now…” When they gently told her they had other heroes in mind, Konkona showed them the door! Perhaps the cutest meeting in Bollywood recently, was one between super Salman Khan and stunning Deepika Padukone… Turning on the full benefit of the Khan charm he told her “In your first film, you star opposite the superstar Shah Rukh Khan. But in

Apparently this film Love Story 2050 has given Priyanka Chopra

your second film, you should star opposite me, the super nova!”

and Harman Baweja a chance to get much, much closer! Friends

Of course he did add grinning, “Yes, Shah Rukh is my friend, but

say that in an unusual twist, she has even popped the question

he’s a bachcha in front of me!” He then proceeded to advise her

to Harman! While he does want to marry her, he first wants to

on what to avoid in big, bad Bollywood – quite a laugh coming

establish himself in Bollywood.

from the biggest wolf in films!

Currently though, there are rumours of Priyanka being spotted at

And here’s more news on Bollywood’s current flavour of

coffee shops in Delhi with sexy cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni

controversy – Sanjay Gupta! While the shooting of his Woodstock

but I don’t know…

Villa was in progress, his hero, Sikandar Kher was openly nice to

A source from Priyanka’s Drona sets tells me, “Harman rushed

co-star Neha Oberoi, who he found quite pleasant. Of course

since Sikandar has a girlfriend anyway, he was simply trying to create a good working environment. But when Sanjay walked in on the sets one day to find them horsing around, he apparently lost it altogether… He is said to have told Sikandar, “What do you mean by getting this friendly with Neha?” and then proceeded to push around and rough up the guy! An assistant director, who knew nothing was going on between the two, reported this to Sanjay Dutt… And the Dutt in turn gave the Gupta a stern ticking off! Speaking of the Dutt’s friends, producer Bunty Walia is up for gossip! He’s seeing this pretty young thing from Chicago, who’s in Mumbai to give films a shot. Her name is Binita Barai and they met when she approached Bunty’s GS Entertainment with her portfolio. He found her promising and signed her on for GS’s Talent Management and Celebrity Endorsement division. Binita’s already done some films like Mantra the Amulet, the Hungarian film, Overnight, besides dance shows and some commercials. Bunty and Binita gave themselves away when they recently attended a religious ceremony held by Sanjay Dutt and even did the aarti together! All Bunty will admit though darlings is, “Yes, I know Binita. She’s a good friend of mine but I wouldn’t like to comment on anything else right now as it’s too early.” There’s a little twist to the recent noble charity event that Twinkle Bhatia, Mana Shetty and a socialite hosted for kids… While Twinkle and Mana do get on, it was touch and go for their husbands – Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty – who haven’t really spoken since Phir Hera Pheri. (Don’t ask the reason for that darlings it’s obvious: Akshay virtually edited Suniel out of the film!) But the glib Akshay who spotted the TV cameras well in advance, is supposed to have approached Suniel and said, “We’re meeting after so many years, at least let’s hug for the TV cameras… That way, we show there’s nothing wrong between us…” Sorry Akki, but one of those very TV reporters did overhear you! While still on Akki, now there’s talk of his newfound fascination for pretty Vidya Balan… Having done two films with her – Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa – he’s apparently busy recommending her for two more films. He’s also hoping she’ll notice his magnanimous gesture and warm towards him. But Vidya’s not biting the bait. Word of advice to Akki: the Balan girl, after the John Abraham fiasco, has strictly decided against getting into more of that stuff… I’ll leave you thinking on that one, darlings! Until next month then, remember that no Bollywood star is above the surprise element that they continue to provide us with!

Shooting stars

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Malaika Arora Khan walks the ramp with the kids at a fashion show held in aid of the NGO Children in Pain (CHIP) at JW Marriot Hotel. Stars of the film Speed with director Vikram Bhatt at the press meet at the K-Lounge. Neil Mukesh walks the ramp for Kunal Rawal at the Lakme India Fashion Week in Mumbai. Gazal singer Pankaj Udhas with sitar maestro Amjad Ali Khan at the launch of his new album Yaara. Shreyas Talpade, Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Arjun Rampal in a retro mood on the ramp at the Om Shanti Om fashion show. Sweta Salve, Ejaz Khan, Sangeeta Ghosh and Manav Gohil, stars of Dharmesh Darshanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bhanvraa at the launch of the film. 18

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Anup Jalota with wife Medha at the special screening of Johnny Gaddaar hosted by Piramal. Rani Mukherjee at the Titan Raga launch. Sonam Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor at Saawariya’s tie up with the Future Group. Saira Banu, Dilip Kumar, Sanjay Dutt and Priya Dutt at the launch of the book Mr and Mrs Dutt, Memories of our Parents.. Tulip Joshi and Anurag Kashyap walk the ramp for Samsonite Producer Smita Thackray poses at Vikram Phadnis’s fashion show.

Cover Story

THE S FACTOR IN

KAREENAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LIFE Frank, impulsive and talented, Kareena Kapoor can never be out of the spotlight. Whether it is for taking potshots at female co-stars, delivering smashing performances, losing weight or the men in her life! This time around, the Kapoor lass has been in the public eye for her break-up with long time boyfriend Shahid Kapoor and dating Saif Ali Khan. While people are still wondering what went wrong with Shahid, and what is on with Saif, the actress believes that she is a new Kareena now, married to her work. Well thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kareena for you!

Kareena Kapoorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career was on an upswing when she met Shahid Kapoor. Though most of her films had failed to do magic at the box office, she was a force to reckon with. She had films like Omkara and Don in her kitty. Later, she even made up with Karan Johar and bagged Tashan, and was also on the verge of signing some more important films. Her personal life too had become steadier than ever. Shahid and Kareena were a couple and the whole world including the Kapoor clan wondered how this miracle had occurred. She was temperamental, 22

he was calm. She was hyper, he was stable and serious. She was blunt and forthright while he was shy. Some would have thought they were too different to be together. But as they say opposites attract! When they first met on the sets of Fida, she was already a star while Shahid was still looking for a footing in the film industry. They connected instantly though and fell in love. The two were open about their relationship from day one. There was nothing to hide, the two were madly in love with each other. They were young

and happy together. They were so much into each other that they could not keep their hands off even in public places. When they were caught on camera smooching, the controversy created a huge buzz around the couple, suddenly making them the hottest couple in tinsel town. Though there was no obvious chemistry, the two looked very happy and contented with each other. So much so that Kareena had begun to change in the company of Shahid. The otherwise hyper Bebo became a mellow person. The girl, who did not think twice

before making snide remarks about her female co-stars, and taking potshots at people, had become much calmer. She didn’t party that much anymore and preferred spending time with him at home. The biggest shock for her family (known for their love of meat) though, was when she turned vegetarian for the vegetarian tea-toddler Shahid.

between Saif and Kareena.

Karisma even admitted on Karan Johar’s show that she couldn’t believe Shahid’s presence in Bebo’s life had changed her so much. Shahid and Kareena had often told the media that they were very much in love and were looking for something permanent.

By then they were being spotted all over the place. From JW Marriot’s swimming pool to when Saif went to pick her up on the sets of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa where she had gone to release the music of Jab We Met. They were even spotted in Delhi’s China Kitchen having dinner with sister Karisma and brother-in-law Sanjay Kapur. A newspaper photographer even caught them hugging and kissing at a disco in Delhi with good friend Amrita Arora and Usmaan for company. But Saif promptly took the photographers camera and deleted all the pictures. According to a source they were even living together at the Imperial Hotel in Delhi.

While one would have thought that everything was hunky dory, somewhere along the line Kareena lost the plot. She didn’t realize that she was trying to be someone she wasn’t. She got so involved in the relationship that she began putting her career second. She began spending more and more time with Shahid. She took a break and even went on a long holiday with him. According to a close family source Kareena had begun to get frustrated at the back of her mind in trying to give it all to the relationship. It’s only when she met the suave and chilled out Saif Ali Khan during the making of Tashan that she realized that something was wrong with her relationship with Shahid. She struck an instant friendship with Saif and they began spending more and more time with each other. By mid August people had started talking about them being an item. And by the end of the month, the two were seen hanging out freely at dinners and lunches. All this while, Shahid was busy shooting in Canada for Aziz Mirza’s film Lucky Charm and had no clue about the budding relationship

According to a source it was Saif’s exgirl friend Rozza who informed Shahid of their close friendship. Shahid who had planned to come down from Toronto especially to celebrate Kareena’s birthday and organize a surprise bash for her, cancelled all his plans and stayed away. Kareena celebrated the day with Saif.

The whole world was wondering whether she had broken up with Shahid but she kept mum. A very open and frank Kareena had now gone silent and was heard saying, “I don’t want to talk about my personal life”. When asked about Saif she said, “I’ve known him for a while. Though I got to know him really well only when we were shooting for Tashan in Ladakh. We hung out together…today we hang out at coffee shops and restaurants. Is that a crime?” On the other hand, stories of a depressed Shahid had already started pouring in after his return from Canada. And when most thought that the devastated Shahid would not be able to deal with the breakup, a very happy looking Shahid came on

I’ve known him for a while. Though I got to know him really well only when we were shooting for Tashan in Ladakh. We hung out together…today we hang out at coffee shops and restaurants. Is that a crime?

the sets of a television show to promote Jab We Met and said, ‘All ye girls out there I’m single and ready to mingle!’ But Kareena said different things on Shahid, “We have been together for four and a half years. And things between us are just not the same as they are being reported. I will not say anything to anyone.” But she only smiled when asked about whether she was dating Saif. And suddenly when least expected she showed up with Saif at the Lakme India Fashion week for Manish Malhotra’s show, and Saif admitted to the relationship by saying, “Yes, we are together and we are happy”. What must’ve prompted the couple who had been trying to hide their relationship just three weeks ago, to make a public appearance in full media glare with photographers and journalists in tow? It couldn’t be a coincidence. Obviously it was Kareena’s decision to avoid talking about the break-up with Shahid till the release of Jab We Met. Kareena and Shahid had taken this decision in the interest of the film. But since Shahid was spotted interacting with Kareena’s not-so-good-friend Amisha in 24

a public place and stating publicly that he was single, Kareena felt humiliated. It was in retaliation that she asked Saif to confess. She had been trying to keep the breakup dignified though. She also made public appearances with Shahid to promote Jab We Met and though the chemistry and conversation between them looked forced, they were professional. “Let’s not associate Shahid and Kareena only with love. We are individuals chasing our respective dreams, and its work that I am busier with at this point,” she said.

“Three years ago, when

One would think that, that would end all the speculation but it could be the beginning of another series of professional misadventures for this talented actress. Saif who has gone through a divorce and an unsuccessful relationship before he met Kareena may not be able to provide the stability that an impulsive person like Kareena has been looking for.

want to make the best of

Also, the fact is that Kareena’s personal life has been taking up so much newsprint for the past one year that her

we met, I flaunted my relationship and my focus got diverted. Today, post Omkara, I am in the best phase of my career and I it. Both of us (Shahid and her) need to focus on our respective careers. And that’s what we are doing.”

career seems to be quite out of focus at the moment. Far too much attention has been given to her relationship with Saif by now. She has been too busy sorting out her personal life and one would think that her contemporaries—the likes of Rani Mukherjee, Priyanka Chopra, Ayesha Takia, Lara Dutta, Vidya Balan and Bipasha Basu – have walked several steps ahead of her by now.

isn’t serious about her career. “Three years ago, when we met, I flaunted my relationship and my focus got diverted. Today, post Omkara, I am in the best phase of my career and I want to make the best of it. Both of us (Shahid and her) need to focus on our respective careers. And that’s what we are doing.”

Her image also seems to have taken a beating after her break up with the sweet boy Shahid and her link up with the hot and happening Saif. But Kareena doesn’t agree. “I have never been more serious about my career. I’m really focusing on films in which I have something to do. I’m back at Yash Raj with Tashan and I’m in Golmal 2 which should be fun. There are also two strong subjects under discussion,” she said.

Yes, she is career driven but tends to slow down way too much every time a speed breaker comes in her way. Her strength though has been that she has always been considered one of the top actresses in Bollywood, and still is. She has stood up and performed at every stage of her career. After every flop she has come back with a stunning performance. And with performances like Omkara, Dev, Asoka, Chameli, Yuva and Don behind her, the girl has done enough to prove that she’s someone who is here to say.

Kareena somewhere is aware of all this though, and is desperately trying hard to shift the media attention to her professional life or rather change the image that she

If her sizzling hot off-screen chemistry with Saif translates into some on screen chemistry it could do wonders for her next release Tashan. Also, she has lost oodles

of weight for the film and sources say that her role is powerful. She’s looking her best ever and is positive about the performance of the film. So if the important projects with Yash Raj Films and the other big films she’s in talks for, work in her favour, Kareena could well be amongst the hits again. And contrary to popular belief, this could very well turn out to be a fruitful phase for the spontaneous actress because she has made a conscious decision to focus on her career. “I am not single. This is the new Kareena, married to her work for the next five years. I am a very passionate and ambitious girl. I’ll do what I think is right without hurting anyone. I will strive to get the best,” she said. But all this would hold true only if she manages to strike a balance between her professional and personal life without getting swayed either way. And with someone like Kareena you never know. After Shahid and Saif, the next Sfactor in this girl’s career could very well be success!

Home Truths

LIVING BY

THE SEA She is most fond of the sea and watching the waves from her balcony has been her favourite activity for years. Now that Tara Sharma is all set to tie the knot and move into a new house with beau Roopak Saluja, she relives the memories of the home she grew up in.

I have been living here since I was five. I stayed away from home

fact, I always used to joke that when I shift from this house, I will

for a long time though. I went to Italy for two years after 10th

take the sea with me!

grade, and then to London for further studies. I moved back to

When I’m traveling abroad I genuinely miss the sea. I had been

Mumbai only two-and-a-half years ago and have been living here

used to waking up to the sea since I was a kid. But when I was in

with my parents since then.

Italy and London, I didn’t have much choice. I had to share rooms

I stay on the ground floor opposite the sea. It’s this sea view that I

with other students, which was also a very different and fulfilling

look forward to most when I come home after a tiring day. I don’t

experience in itself. Since I missed home a lot, I tried to Indianise

need to go to any spa or beach resort to relax and chill out! In

my room as much as possible by adding pictures of my friends

I love to lie on the sofa and read a book. Since we stay on the ground floor, we can hear the noise of children playing in the garden of the building. I sometimes join them but if I am too tired, I just sit near the window and watch the kids and dogs playing in the evening

Our furniture is a mix of traditional Indian and English, because my dad is Indian while my mom is English. The furniture that came from her side is trademark old English furniture. My parents experiment all the time. Every three months, the furniture is shifted or the positions of the paintings are changed. I could not contribute much to the house because I was living abroad for a long time. So when my parents went abroad, I got the flooring redone, to match the wood. I got the walls painted in different colours and I really enjoyed doing something for my home. Although I feel my present house has too many things in it I would not like to change anything. I like the simple look. My new house will be minimalist. My room and the balcony are my favourite corners. My room is small—very cozy and cute. The balcony is where I start my day. As soon as I wake up I head for the balcony with a cup of coffee and then do my Surya Namaskar. It relaxes me. The balcony faces the sea and the view I get is very rare in Mumbai. I never thought of moving to the suburbs despite the fact that I had to travel a lot for my shoots. I was born and brought up here so it would be difficult for me to adjust in a suburban home. I am very much of a South Mumbai girl! I am too attached to my sea view and I wouldn’t shift until I find something similar. I love to lie on the sofa and read a book. Since we stay on the ground floor, we can hear the noise of children playing in the garden of the building. I sometimes join them but if I am too tired, I just sit near the window and watch the kids and dogs playing in the evening. That’s one of my favourite pastimes. and family, and little artifacts. My parents have done the décor. We didn’t get an interior decorator to design any part of the house. Since both my parents love art, you will see lots of paintings and artifacts we have collected from all our trips. My grandfather was a publisher and my parents are avid readers too, our house is stocked with books. My friends always say my house resembles a library!

When I come home after a tired day, I just love to chill out in the balcony or sit by the French windows that open onto the garden. There’s generally this relaxed kind of air on a Sunday and that transcends into the house too, so I feel a little laidback. I wake up late and start the day with my yoga or go to the gym. Then I sit on the balcony, have a cup of hot coffee and read the paper. I read a book or catch up on my e-mails. I am a big movie buff so I do make it a point to watch a movie too. I eat, relax and chill out with 29

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cooking

Fish fetish This time around, Chak De actress

Vidya Malvade goes gaga not over her movie but prawns and fish and all there is to sea food 33

My diet is very boring and healthy. But I can eat sea food at any time of the day. I can’t do without it!

live on it for the rest of my life. I prefer bland food. Masala is not for me.

My day begins with a glass of warm water and yoga. I eat eggs and toast or idli whatever is available quickly. My lunch and dinner constitute of home-cooked sabzi and roti accompanied by curd. I usually eat fruits in the evening.

I eat out a lot with my friends. Whenever I’m free in the evenings we catch up and make a plan to hang out over some food.

I freak out on Thai and Chinese food. Give me sushi and I can 34

Whenever I’m in Mumbai I make it a point to go to Trishna in Colaba. They make very tasty fish and sea food. I also love going to Indiana Jones.

One ingredient I can’t do without is salt. I eat less salt but the absence of it in the right quantity annoys me. I’m not fond of rice. So unless there is something like rajmah to go with it or it’s some yummy biryani, I avoid eating rice. I’m not all that great in the kitchen but I can say that I’m a decent cook since nobody has ever gone to the hospital after eating my food! I like experimenting with my cooking sometimes. Like I’d add ginger instead of garlic to check out how it tastes. But my food doesn’t have too much masala. It has to be bland. My cooking is on –the- go kind. I prefer cooking something that I can make in no time. Usually it’s sautéed vegetables. But sometimes I do cook biryani for my family and they seem to love it. My mom is the best cook in the whole family. Her prawn curry is the best in the world. Sabudana khichdi is one dish that my nani used to cook amazingly well. She has passed it down to my mom who often cooks it for me because I simply love it. I want to learn how to cook it like them. Fitness has become a way of life for me. You can call me a fitness freak. I’m also a yoga instructor. I also dance because I simply love it and it also keeps me fit. Exercise is not important only because it keeps you in shape; but it helps in balancing your mind and body. It helps keep your body and your mind healthy. But in my profession it’s important to maintain your body and gym-ing is the fastest way to slim down. So I do work out as well. My eyes need to shut around 11 pm. I am used to sleeping early. I doze off whenever I get the time. When I was younger I used to party but now my partying days are over. I don’t drink or smoke anyway. So I’m leading a healthy life-style. My favourite beverages are fresh juices and coconut water. I also enjoy my morning coffee by the window. I hardly ever have aerated drinks. I drink a lot of water through the day.

I have grown up eating Mumbai’s staple diet – the vada pavs and the pav bhaajis. So I’ll always love street food. I also love Delhi street food which is kababs and kati rolls. They are the best you can get. I avoid unit food when I’m shooting. It is too oily for my liking. I usually order-in something from a near-by Subway, and it’s mostly my favourite tuna fish sandwich. Subway food is very healthy and refreshing. Or at the most I call for some Chinese food.

You can often spot me at Royal China and China House. I feel comfortable since I have been going there for years and I really enjoy Chinese food. I love the places for their prawns, sautéed vegetables with garlic, mushrooms and asparagus. Once I like a particular food item at a particular restaurant I keep going back for it. When I’m traveling I experiment with food. I love trying out different stuff. I cannot forget my trip to Macao because of its food. I still remember the exotic prawns at this island in Hong Kong. The prawns were the biggest I’ve ever seen. I love that place for its sea food. I often dream of going back there to binge. 35

Focus

Ayesha has had

a lot of running Film offers began to pour after Dor.

She signed a whole lot of films but on her own terms. After living out of her bags for almost a year, the ever so bubbly Ayesha Takia is back in tinsel town. And with important films lined up for release she is on the brink of an exciting phase.

Ayesha has had a lot of running around to do ever since she delivered a stellar performance in Dor, and proved that she its not all play and no work. She has been shuffling between Bangkok, Delhi, Hyderabad and Canada in the last few months. “Don’t ask. I have been the busiest ever,” she says. She got back to Mumbai just before the buzz around No Smoking began building up. The movie has just released and she is positive. “Everyone loves to think their movie will be a hit. Anurag (director) is an excellent director. He deserves it,” says Ayesha. Though she’s happy to be working on so many interesting projects at this point in her career she hates the fact that she hardly gets to spend any time with boyfriend Farhan Azmi. “I constantly miss 40

him when I’m out of Mumbai. I’m finally back and we are getting to meet each other now. But not as much as we would like to.” Though Farhan hardly watches any films, he does make time to watch Ayesha’s movies. “I make him watch only my good films! He loved Dor though he usually likes all my performances. I’m going to make him see some my forthcoming movies. Especially Sunday,” she says excitedly. Sunday is a very prestigious project for her. Apart from working with Ajay Devgan, Ayesha will be playing the role of a dubbing artist for a cartoon channel in the movie. She has undergone training for the role and will be seen creating various sounds. “The trainer gave me interesting tips on modulating my voice and I have

The trainer gave me interesting tips on modulating my voice and I have actually made all the sounds myself. But don’t ask me more. I can’t tell you what sounds I’ve created

Style check

SUSHMA REDDY My Favourite Outfit Tragically and sadly, it’s this one pair of jeans and one awful top which my sister Sameera gifted me a long time ago. It’s this cute pig T shirt with a pig holding a bunch of flowers and reads ‘Please don’t eat me, I love you’. – My mum is so tired of seeing it that she says she’s going to cut it up one of these days! My Favourite Outfit when I am driving to a Shoot Since it’s very hot at shootings, comfort is of paramount importance to me. I generally wear linen pants or something in cotton whether it’s inner or outer wear. My Favourite Evening Wear Little dresses whether they’re little short rag dresses or cocktail dresses. You should study your physical form to see what suits you best. I look good in short dresses so I keep a whole bunch on standby! Sometimes I even end up buying dresses on shoots from the stylists, since I have very little time to shop. These are also easy to accessorize.

I have a Fetish for Shoes! To an extent, also accessories in general, like belts and earrings. My Favourite accessory is I feel watches make a big statement about the kind of person you are. You should match a good watch to the right outfit. I have all sorts like chunky ones, dress watches, easy going watches and some real heavy duty ones too! My Wardrobe is incomplete without A pair of fitted black pants and well fitting jeans… Other things include a pair of shoes, belts and clutch bags in the basic colours like silver, bronze, gold, black and white.

For Formal Dining I then stick with black which is super safe. I’d either wear a fitted black shirt with black trousers or a cocktail dress, or a black fitted skirt with something good on top.

I look best in I feel I look best in Western formals; the French look which is throw-on chic.

To a Party at a Friend’s Place Then I’m super laid back! I wear jeans with a tank top or a shirt – something very easy and casual.

I would like my man to be dressed in If casual wear then he should dress very colorful. If formal, then very chic; Saville Row chic.

My Favourite Outfit for a Formal Occasion For sure, that would be a sari. I have some heavy formal saris. There’s nothing like a sari to make a statement and look wow!

The Best Dressed Men & Woman in the Industry Among the female stars it’s a toss up between Sushmita Sen and Kangana Ranaut. Sushmita’s always so well groomed and well turned out. And though Kangana Ranaut has an erratic style she sometimes turns on some easy clothes.

I Like to Sleep in A cotton tank top and my innerwear My Favourite Designers are For saris it’s Neeta Lulla. I also like some of Azeem Khan’s formal Indian wear. Then I like the cuts and shapes of Pratap from Delhi and Shahab Durazi. I also like the team of Nainika & Gauri from Delhi. I don’t repeat an outfit since it gets photographed and then you can’t repeat it.

Among the men, it’s a toss up between Abhishek and Saif.

My Favourite Colours are I love bright colours and the basics. I like white, black, red, turquoise and gold.

I pick up my clothes from Abroad. I shop at London High Street, which has some super chic and affordable fashion. Also at H & M and Jane Norman. And in New York it’s 5th Avenue and also sometimes downtown where you get the odd good thing. In India I pick up formals from Benetton (which has a great finish) and for casual party dresses it could be Potion 9, Style Mantra, Si Branche and Oak Tree.

My Favourite Fabrics are Suede, denim, linen and all kinds of silken fabric. I’m also intrigued by clothes which involve more than one fabric in an outfit. My Favourite Brand in Jeans is/are True Religion. Buying jeans is a fine art since you need a good fit. They should be bought with details to shape you correctly. I have a Collection of Shoes; I have about a 100 pairs! I don’t need to find them for an outfit; it’s in reverse for me… I buy them first and then hope they’ll match an outfit I have!

For the first day of my Shoot I wore A salwar-kameez for a catalogue La Mode. At first I cringed looking at the colours of the outfit but the outfit photographed like a dream.

I never leave my house without My handbag, phone, diary and keys. My Wallet always contains My credit cards, money, medical insurance card, loose change, photographs, receipts and house keys. I need to change my wallet every six months – with all the 45

things in it, it doesn’t last longer than that! An inexpensive thing that I bought but I treasure It’s this camouflage belt which I bought in Raleigh in North Carolina four years ago. It cost about 700 rupees and was a real steal! The Brand of watch I wear I generally wear an Omega Constellation. But I now want to upgrade on this model.

The features I like to highlight Nothing in particular… I can’t think of any one feature. My Favourite perfume Pleasures by Estee Lauder

For Shoes I consider Christian Le Boutien to be one of the finest shoemakers in the world.

My handbag at any time consists of A checklist, my planner, house keys, phone

HAIRCARE My Shampoo is I use L’anza shampoo; the brand has a fabulous range in hair care

My Favourite Brands in Bags and Shoes Christian Le Boutien as I said earlier, for shoes. I’m not a bag person so I’m the worst person to ask this question to! I guess I’d say a well finished, ordinary clutch would do best.

My Conditioner is I first use a L’Oreal Yellow Hair Mask on wet hair and for post care, a leave in conditioner. Yes, my conditioner is also L’anza for coloured hair. My hair is I have naturally curly hair. The Texture of my hair is Dry and curly The Colour of my Hair is Right now it’s a shade of auburn. I Like my Hair streaked in Actually I don’t like it streaked but if I did have to streak it for work I’d go for tones which are close to each other like copper and brown. I hate blonde streaks! At Home I Like my Hair to be When I’m out I leave it loose but I do tie it up at home in a simple knot with a hair clip. For Formal Occasions I leave it naturally curly or alternately blow dried straight and shape it with a side parting. At Night my Hair is Tied up or I can’t sleep! My Hairstylist is Sapna Bhanvani of Mad O Wat. We take a great interest in my hair and keep reinventing the look, or restyle the cut for shooting. I admire/ envy the Hair of No one. I feel I have good hair and am quite vain about it! My Haircare Routine comprises A lot – as I said I love my hair and from shampooing, conditioning and restyling it I do it all!

MAKE-UP When I am not Shooting I wear no make-up at all. My Favourite Shades of make-up are A simple powder compact from Face Stockholm which have some comfort products that suit my skin… A natural concealer stick and a simple brush of powder since I have oily skin… A good mascara, and a light shade of gloss on my lips. My Favourite Brands in make-up are Lakme has some excellent lip glosses as does Pout and Lancôme. For my cheeks it’s Mac, mascara from Helena Rubenstein and kohl pencils from Revlon. 46

The features I like to conceal when doing make-up My under eyes since I have deep set eyes. If I’m tired, the under eye thing shows up

I Do/don’t pack my Bags I always pack my own bags. I may not be a neat packer but I do manage to get everything in somehow! DIWALI The outfits I wear during Diwali celebrations Actually to us, the pooja is more important than the outfits – so I’d wear a simple cotton salwar-kameez with no drama. Since we’re not a very traditional family, we wear nice, relaxed colours; perhaps I’d wear something in sky blue with a stunning dupatta. If on the odd occasion I do go to friends’ houses, I’d make the effort to wear a designer salwar-kameez. For this Diwali Chances are that I will be out of country and in the U.S. this Diwali. But I guess I would still dress up on the day. Last year I was in London and I wore a nice salwar-kameez and even went to South Hall during Diwali, so I didn’t feel I was away from home at all! The colours I’d go for I’d go with bright and festive colours like red, turquoise, baby pinks or oranges. The trends in fashion this festive season I don’t think our clothes go too far from norm; only the cuts change. Perhaps a sari with a more interesting blouse with a different neckline or back; or work done on the sleeves. I just run to Neeta Lulla for a different sari look since her ethnic wear is exquisite and she keeps reinventing. She’s a kind of guide to the festive season for me! The kind of jewellery and accessories I would go for I don’t wear very real jewellery and would centre more around good costume jewellery. Perhaps I’d go for some heavystudded drop earrings in slightly muted colours to set off an outfit. But you either play up an outfit and tone down the jewellery or dress up an outfit with jewellery. Since our festive outfits tend to be heavy, you can’t do both or you’ll appear overdressed. The gem stones which are in vogue right now I have seen some interesting jewellery in catalogues which seems to be in this season – like a play on semi-precious stones. I think it would be some interesting stuff in rubies and emeralds, cats-

Frankly Speaking

FRANKLY SPEAKING -JOHN ABRAHAM Everybody knows that John Abraham is not a Bollywood pleaser… He doesn’t know how to norm by signing predictable films nor does he make secret of the people who have things against him. While he is thrilled to now be part of a Hollywood set-up, dare anyone say anything against his home country India either! And on the personal front, he’s back with girlfriend Bipasha, with whom he intends to settle. Here’s looking at the best of John! 48

What are your thoughts on your next two films up for release – Goal and No Smoking? Well, I am confident about the scripts of both films. Though I have only seen the first half of Goal (and it works like magic) Bipasha has seen the whole film and she can vouch for it. There are two things I know how to do well – ride a bike and play football. In Dhoom you saw me ride a bike and now in Goal, you will see me play football. Whereas No Smoking is concerned, Anurag Kashyap is a genius. I can safely 50

say that No Smoking is a film I will be very proud of. Whatever I have seen of the film, I can say that it is as commercial as can be. There is a lot of dark humour and you will laugh your guts out in certain scenes. Why aren’t you yet considered to be working with Bollywood’s A List? Well I am doing Karan Johar’s next film which has a good script and am happy to be doing this. But there’s no conscious effort on my part to work with the biggies. When I like a script I agree to do the film irrespective of who’s making it. I can’t help

it if I like makers like Anurag Kashyap, Sriram Raghavan, Imtiaz Ali and Nagesh Kukunoor… In Deepa Mehta’s Luna you play the hero of a mainstream Hollywood film! A lot of people were taken by surprise. At Cannes, UTV’s Ronnie Screwvala was next to me when the announcement was made on stage. He was as surprised as anyone else. Deepa has shown a lot of faith in me. Talks were on for Luna but everything came together formally at Cannes. I’m delighted that my co-star is

Rachel Weisz. What a performance she gave in The Constant Gardner. I have a beautifully etched role in Luna, that of an activist. The heartening thing is that my nationality isn’t even mentioned and my character’s name isn’t Indian. Salman Khan has publicly indicated that you two have a lot of problems… I am so tired of being politically correct that I will say this: while it doesn’t bother me that he has a problem with me, I wish there was no problem either. I appreciate the fact that Salman has the honesty to make his dissent towards me open. I

wish more actors were like that. I think intrinsically there is something good about Salman. If I saw him in public, I would still go up and say hello and it’s his prerogative whether to reciprocate or not. But everybody has their own self respect too, like I have mine. As an actor, I’ve always enjoyed watching Salman on screen. Did you deliberately withdraw from the media while Bipasha spoke about the problems you two had? I would say whether it’s Bipasha or I

speaking, stands for the same thing – one represents the other. Were the rumours of Saif and Bipasha disturbing? Not at all. If that was the case, I wouldn’t be in such good shape and smiling right now. Why do Bipasha and you both have problems with Arshad Warsi? Well Arshad and I never had personal problems during Goal, they were always script related. He would want things in a certain way and I would want them 51

another way. That’s the problem that existed. But Arshad is still in touch and I’d give anything to work with him again. He is a superb actor. Bipasha and Arshad had other issues which don’t relate to me. They had differences because Bipasha was early on the sets one day and Arshad landed up really late… Your take on Kareena Kapoor calling you an expressionless actor… It doesn’t matter to me… each one has the right to their own opinion. When earlier in Toronto for Water, you apparently gave journalists a mouthful… Well, I did object to the reference to Bollywood. Bollywood is a very subservient term. We are not slaves to Hollywood. The Indian film industry has its own independent identity. I have been told I have a different kind of face and name which works for me. In Toronto, there were people who liked me a lot and I was appreciated by the ‘gora log’ as well. When you do crossover films and something out of the box, it always helps to do different things. To quote Aditya Chopra: ‘You are not like desi chaawal; you are definitely champagne. Expensive but the right fit’. I am not competing with anybody. I am secure doing my own thing. And five years from now you’ll be… I would like to do stuff that is appreciated by an overseas audience too. I do not mean only overseas Indians. However, the Hindi film industry is where my home is. I will never alienate that. This is where I get my bread and butter, and respect and love from. I am not anxious to cross over but if it works, great. Would you say you are a metro sexual male? I find the term metro sexual an effeminate term for a man. In the Indian context, I think it means being more brand-conscious and men trying to look better. Being metro sexual, in my opinion, is taking as much time in dressing up as a woman does. I think it is a waste of time. I think you can be a good man or a bad man. After all the problems, what’s the status with Bipasha today? I think everyone knows we’re a couple. We’ve never pretended to be just good friends! So marriage would just be an inevitable conclusion to a relationship that’s common knowledge. More than love, I respect Bipasha. She’s a woman of substance and everything is black and white for her. It would be my greatest joy to marry the woman I love and respect. 52

Take kunal kapoor sneha ullal

tanushree dutta

“I HAVE FOUR LEFT FEET”

This Delhi boy has finally settled in the hectic life of Mumbai. He is estatic to be doing a Yash Raj film directed by Parineeta’s Pradeep Sarkar

Have you now become a Bengali having been surrounded by Bengalis in Laaga Chunari Mein Daag-Journey of a Woman? The best thing about working in a Bengali set up is that you get the tastiest food. And now I am ready for another Bengali set up having got addicted to the food. Being on the set of this film made me feel like a Punjabi guy shooting a film in Calcutta. The actresses were Bengali, so was the director and the set designer and they all spoke Bengali throughout so it was almost like being in alien land! You can now say you have worked with India’s finest, Jaya Bachchan and Rani. I will always be grateful to Rani for helping me with my dancing. It is the first time I have danced and sung in a film and I was petrified. Rani was kind enough to help and guide me through a lot of steps. I not only crush my co stars toes but I crush my own toes too while dancing. I don’t just have two left feet but have four left feet! It was really very nice of Rani to help me. Rani is one of the best dancers after Madhuri Dixit. To share screen space with Jaya Bachchan is very special for me as I have always been a big fan of hers. It was fantastic working with her. She used to bring the most delicious food on the sets and everyone would run to her room when they announced lunch. Her son Abhishek I have known for ages but this is the first time we have worked together. He is such a fabulous guy to work with too. A complete prankster and joker on the sets. Totally mad. The atmosphere

on the sets is always light hearted with him around. My first song was with Abhishek. As I told you before, I was petrified to dance but he made it such a fun experience. And Aamir and Naseeruddin? I learnt the importance of team effort in making a film with Aamir. For him what matters most is the movie. It is all about the character he plays and that is the greatest thing about him. He is always in character. I also learnt to solve Rubik’s cube with him and to listen to Elvis. I am grateful and thankful to have worked with Naseeruddin Shah’s theater group. He is a great actor. I have looked up to Naseersaheb and Aamir and thankfully I have worked with both of them. What’s Konkona Sen like to work with? She is a born actress. Acting is in her genes. I would rehearse my scenes at home, come on the sets and rehearse it again 15/20 times, check with the director what he is looking for etc. and Konkana would just walk onto the set, ask what are we doing today, look at the script, read it a couple of times and then go off to read a book or listen to music. And let me tell you that she gets her scene right the first time. She is great fun to work with and so easy. She doesn’t come with any excess baggage. She’s just there to do her job. I have an absolutely superb equation with her. I would love to do more movies with her. So you finally got to work with Pradeep Sarkar.

Yes. I have always wanted to work with Pradeep Sarkar after I had watched Parineeta. There were a couple of people who I had in mind whom I wanted to work with and Dada was one of them. So when I got a call from him I was really excited. The role was something that I had never done before. I had never played a light hearted role so it was different and interesting. Both my characters, in Meenaxi and Rang De Basanti had a serious tone to them. For Laaga…everything happened so quickly. I got a call, did the screen test and the next day I was on for the film. As someone who hasn’t done many films, to work with Yash Raj Films and to be directed by Dada (Pradeep Sarkar) makes me feel tremendous. What’s your take on love? I don’t believe in love at first sight. I am a romantic person from the core of my heart but I am of the view that love takes its own time to develop. What has being in a relationship taught you? I think women are more demanding in any relationship as compared to men. Men want more space. I don’t like the feeling of insecurity in women. Do you ever miss your hometown Delhi? I can’t help but miss the hazy, cold evenings at India Gate and the steaming momos at Chanakya cinema. Winter is so romantic there. 55

‘If good films don’t come, I won’t sign any’

She made her debut with a bang. She was compared to none other than Aishwarya Rai Bachchan from day one. Her co-star and mentor Salman Khan referred to her as ‘mind blowing’. But she disappeared even sooner than she came, making people wonder whether she had left tinsel town. Sneha Ullal meanwhile has been biding her time. Slowly and steadily making inroads into the film industry Where did you disappear after Aryan? I was looking for good films. And I have managed to sign some. Why has there been such a huge gap between Aryan and your next? I have had a gap between my earlier films too. There was a big gap between Lucky and Aryan. The thing is after my first film I was confused about which direction I should take. I knew I didn’t want to waste my time doing crappy films. Any big banner would be happy to sign someone who has done good movies even if a few. I’m not in any hurry. Age is on my side. So if good films don’t come, I won’t sign any film. Which of your films are you banking on to change the course of your career? I think Sangeeth Sivan’s film Click with Shreyas Talpade. I have just shot for a week with him and he’s a very good director. Apna Sapna Money Money and Kya Kool Hai Hum were really funny films. What is the status with Gandhi Park? It was announced a long time ago? There were immigration problems since we had to shoot most of it in New York. But Tom George Kolath, the director of the film, has sorted things out. We will begin the New York schedule early next year. We have already finished the Goa schedule. I will be working with Anupam Kher, Vikas Kalantri and Branden Sommers in this movie. Any other projects? I’m keen on working down South. I’m already doing one with A Karunakaran. He has given six hit films in the past. I’m also in talks with some big banners over there. Apart from that I have Tarun Kumar’s Kash Aap Mere Hote. Another film which is in its post production phase is Shravan’s (of Nadeem Shravan fame) small budget film that will see Rajesh Khanna make a come back to the big screen.

After Lucky you are out there on your own? Scary? Yes. I have to make all decisions on my own. I don’t really have anybody to turn to for advice within the industry. I do turn to my parents sometimes. They tell me something only when I go to them for advice. They have a lot of confidence in me.

Salman was your mentor when you made your debut in films. What kind of relationship do you share with the Khans? Though I worked with Sohail in Aryan, he used to always be caught in production work. So we never really became close. I am very very close to Salman. We did a long schedule in Russia where we bonded. Even after the movie got over he used to advice me on my career. But now he doesn’t give me much advice because he knows that I have become comfortable now. Did you ever contemplate getting back to your studies? I was in my 12th grade when I did Lucky. So after completing the film I completed my 12th grade. After that there was no point doing any further course since I wanted to pursue films. I’m looking forward to doing some course that will help me in my acting career though. Did the constant comparison to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan affect you? I’m tired of the comparison, that’s all. You had said that acting was an accident? Have you begun taking it more seriously now? After Lucky I had decided I don’t want to do any films. I rejected some good offers because I wasn’t interested. But I realized that I had no choice. I have to continue doing films. I’m happy with my decision. What is the difference between the Sneha during Lucky and the Sneha now? I was a baby back then. I didn’t know a thing. Now I care about time and money. So are you more prepared to wear revealing clothes now? You had made a statement earlier that you wouldn’t expose? I still won’t. I stand my ground. So no item numbers for Sneha Ullal? An item number? I don’t think anybody will ever offer me one. How does Sneha spend time away from tinsel town? I used to visit my Dad when he was in Muscat. I spend time at our bungalow in Lonavla and I also hang out a lot with my friends.

‘I haven’t given up being glamorous’ With Dhol she finally got a hit to her credit after a string of flop like Raqeeb and Risk this year. Known as the sexy siren of Bollywood since her early movies Chocolate and Ashiq Banaya Aapne, the actress is trying to make her mark in the industry with fresher and varied roles. Tanushree Dutta talks about being young and glamorous, making mistakes and showing off her acting skills You must be relieved now that Dhol has done well. You had a string of flops this year before Dhol. Yes, it was a kind of a relief. There were expectations from this film like all Priyadarshan films. I’m glad the movie lived up to it. It was a really funny movie. I laughed my guts out when I saw it on the big screen. Was your voice dubbed by someone else? No it’s not. I have modulated my voice for this film. Even I was confused when I heard it since I had dubbed for the entire film. They had told me that they will work on the quality of my voice wherever required. My voice is usually husky. You developed this sexy image in your earlier movies. Are you consciously trying to change it? In fact, I loved that image. If anyone thinks I’m glamorous and sexy I take that as a compliment. I haven’t consciously gone for a de-glam look in Dhol. When Priayan Sir approached me for the role he had a certain image about my character in his mind. He presented me in the way he deemed perfect. In my next film Rama The Saviour I play a glamorous action girl who can beat up five guys in a row. So it’s entirely the director’s vision. When a film does well, images and tags come as after effects. You had been dying to do an action film, right? Yes. I had mentioned in my earlier interviews that I wanted to do an action film. I loved every bit of it. The film Rama The Saviour though is a children’s film with mainstream actors. Children’s films are either showed at festivals or are critically acclaimed. But this is the first commercial children’s film made in India. Director Hadi Abrar has spent a lot of money on high-tech equipments and Peter who has done stunts for Sivaji and Tashan has worked on the action. Are you deliberately trying to prove a point to people who find it difficult to take you seriously as an actor? What I’m trying to do deliberately is do a variety of roles and show 58

my acting skills. Bring in a variety. I don’t consciously decide to be glamorous or be a girl next door. It’s the director’s call and depends on the movie. So are intimate scenes and kisses a strict no-no? Soon after my first few movies I said that I won’t do intimate scenes because personally I felt uncomfortable but I had done them as a professional. It is a strange thing in this industry that one starts following the other. Filmmakers would come and say, ‘The role is good and the script is good but we also have a kissing scene’ or ‘if you did in their film then why not in ours?’ Kissing scenes are no big deal these days. Even Yash Raj Films have kissing scenes very regularly. But it should be the actor’s discretion. If someone convinces me that a kissing scene is very important to the script and will be shot well, I might go for it. But I haven’t given up being glamorous. I’m young and want to look good. Ten years down the line I might anyway get roles that are not very glamorous. You had received a lot of flak for your looks some time ago? It was just a phase. I have always been fitness conscious even before my Miss India days. Once I started shooting for a number of films my whole lifestyle changed, and I suddenly put on weight. I neglected it for a while. But criticism is good. It put me back on track. Why did you reject Sanjay Gupta’s Dus Kahaniya? My short story was based on sex and I wasn’t comfortable doing it. So I chickened out. You don’t have any Godfather in the industry? Who do you turn to for advice? No one actually. Everyone in my family is into academics. They are Phds and doctors. I wouldn’t have done some films that I have done if I had the guidance. But I have to make my own decisions. I make my own mistakes and learn from them.

in the picture

NEIL NITIN MUKESH No hype, no expectations and not an ideal launch vehicle. Yet after the release of Johnny Gaddar this young man is being touted as the hottest newcomer. Neil Nitin Mukesh is most happy that his move to make an entry into the film industry with a negative role in a small budget film has worked in his favour. “It was a very conscious decision. I was offered around 35-40 films before Johnny Gaddar. All of them were love stories and comedies. Nobody’s mind was set on me as an actor so I needed a powerful role to prove myself. I wanted to prove that I’m not here for the limelight,” says the confident actor. Obviously he hadn’t expected such a huge response. “I knew the film would do well since Sriram is a very good director. But I hadn’t expected such rave reviews for myself,” he says. Just the other day, the young actor went to the theatre to catch his own film on the big screen and was flanked by fans. That is when he realized he is indeed big now. “The show was house full and I got front row seats! Then everyone started coming up to me congratulating me on my performance. I was overwhelmed by the adulation.”

Offers are now pouring in by the dozen but Neil is taking his own time. Currently working on Sudhir Mishra’s Tera Kya Hoga Johnny, the actor says he is now dying to do a feel-good love story. “I’m also dying to dance,” he says. If his little jig in a scene in Johnny Gaddaar is anything to go by, this guy is a dancer to watch out for. And considering his lineage he might take to singing as well!

in the picture

Diwali

Star Gift Diwali is the time to celebrate with your

family. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a festival of lights, crackers and buying gifts for your near and dear ones. When it comes to Diwali gifts how can are stars be left behind. Our Bollywood bandwagon talks about some of best Diwali gifts they have given or received.

Shah Rukh Khan “I give Gauri a special jewel every year. I buy the latest gizmos on festivals like play stations, other electronic gadgets as Aryan and I are crazy about them.”

Sonam Kapoor “I always wear jewels specially designed by my mum. This Diwali I’m getting some very special jewellry from Mum and Dad since Saawariya is releasing.”

Urmila Matondkar “Every Diwali I buy gold for my family, along with new clothes for my parents and brother.”

Celina Jaitley “My parents once gifted me eleven saris at one go. That was one of my favourite gifts.”

Kunal Kapoor “I buy loads of mithai and chocolates for my family during Diwali.”

Mana Shetty “I gift Suneil with the best antique Ganesha idols of different shapes and sizes.”

Hrithik Roshan “I usually gift Sussanne jewelry designed by Farah Khan. While I always get showered with music and DVD equipment since I love listening to music and watching films.”

Koena Mitra “I gift my mom beautiful earrings and a sari for Diwali. It’ll be the same this year.”

Upen Patel “I buy myself the latest electronic stuff on Diwali. Last year I gifted myself a Sony Viao laptop. This year I have just redone my whole house on the occasion of Diwali.”

Raveena Tandon “I love buying new clothes for my daughter. I bought a ghagra choli for her on the occasion of Diwali.”

Aftab Shivdasani “I love to get candles as gifts, especially on Diwali. And I buy loads of fire crackers for my little cousins.”

Amitabh Bachchan “One of the best gifts I’ve got recently is the antique silver bed that Jaya gifted me.”

Rakesh Roshan “I always buy jewellery for my wife on Diwali.”

Esha Deol “I’m mad about shoes so my friends always gift me designer shoes, especially keds!”

DIWALI SPARKLERS

Diwali Special

I have a word of advice for a woman choosing her wedding jewellery though. Most people first choose their outfits and match the jewellery to it. But I wish theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d do it the other way around by choosing the jewellery first because thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what is going to last as an heirloom and can subsequently be worn with a lot more things

MAHEEP KAPOOR 64

Have you designed any special jewellery for this Diwali? Well there’s a new collection every Diwali, since that is the time women are spending a lot more on jewellery, followed by the wedding season. But I don’t necessarily follow tradition – I don’t do ethnic jewellery at all; I only do modern, contemporary jewellery. That’s how I’ve done my collection for this season too.

not even thinking of Diwali so much as what I will wear to her premiere on November 7 and thereafter to a party at Sunita’s on November 9. I am very excited about this! For the premiere I would wear more prominent and sparkling jewellery obviously with diamonds. And for Diwali I’d probably wear something more colourful – done in rubies and diamonds.

What are the colours in stones that are in this Diwali? Well, a woman’s wardrobe contains everything from her saris to dresses to her jeans and I think she needs a little bit of everything really. So I don’t cut down to specifics because women want heavy sets, light sets… Since I do mostly high end jewellery I never put in semi-precious stones as women are spending a lot. So I’ve used diamonds (which goes without saying); and rubies are a must, as are emeralds. Also pearls; specifically South Sea pearls.

Do you ever buy jewellery for yourself from other people? I generally prefer to wear my own but the last wearable piece I bought was a Bulgari pendant from the Bulgari showroom at the Oberoi Hilton. I have a word of advice for a woman choosing her wedding jewellery though. Most people first choose their outfits and match the jewellery to it. But I wish they’d do it the other way around by choosing the jewellery first because that’s what is going to last as an heirloom and can subsequently be worn with a lot more things. Also, brides should come and choose jewellery alone or at the most with a best friend. Too many people along mean too many opinions!

What kind of sets do you see people wearing this year? I think when women are spending so much they are looking for heirloom pieces. But again this is a very specific question – women in Mumbai dress differently to the way women in Delhi would. For the women of Mumbai I’d make statement pieces – whether’s it’s a necklace, earrings or a ring. That’s what the Mumbai woman looks for. But in Delhi – women dress up far more, even for lunch. So my jewellery would be designed differently – more ostentatious for Delhi, with more colour. Your new collection includes…? For the combination of Diwali and bridal stuff I have a lot of high collar necklaces down to the cleavage, earrings, rings, bracelets. There are pearls and diamonds in almost every piece. Personally, what would you like to wear – on the main day of Diwali and otherwise to Diwali parties? This year, my niece Sonam is being launched in Saawariya. I’m

Who do you enjoy designing for among your star clientele? Thankfully my clientele remains the same as always, be they celebrities or business people. But if you ask who I enjoy designing for I’d say all my friends like Malaika Khan, Seema Khan, Gauri Khan and Bhavana Pandey. Have you ever had a showing in Dubai and would you like to make it a base too? As it so happens there was a showing of my collection in Dubai just a week ago, via Notandas Jewellers, at the Al Bustan. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it since my son was unwell. But yes, a 100 per cent I’d like to establish my label via being attached to various names. With two kids who are my priority, it’s easier that way. Also, now that my son is two and more settled, I’m open to talking with various people whether here or in Dubai. 65

NEELAM KOTHARI Have you designed any special jewellery for this Diwali? Yes I have done a line for the festive season as well as the wedding season that follows, with a lot of coloured stones. I’ve done dainty earrings with matching pendants. I think these are preferable to the long chandelier earrings that are definitely on their way out! It’s stuff that you can wear in the day and at night. My line also has a lot of rose cut diamonds. What are the in-colours in stones for Diwali this year according to you? I feel people are going in for a lot of emeralds and rubies, which I’ve used. And among the semi-precious stones I’ve used a lot of pastel shades, pale blues, pale pinks…which include stones like peridots, kunzite, light blue topaz, pale yellow citrines. Not many people use those shades but they’re nice as opposed to the stark bright shades you normally see. What kind of sets do you see people wearing this year? I think people want more classic, evergreen pieces that last. Some of the more contemporary designs don’t last and people get tired of them. I mix simple designs with Mughal motifs which gives a nice feel; so it’s a mix of contemporary and traditional. You can wear these sets with western and Indian clothes. I try to make my work versatile. Personally, what would you like to wear to perhaps a Diwali party you might attend? I’d probably just wear a nice kada, and a beautiful pair of earrings, 66

if to a party, something more opulent with emeralds, rubies and diamonds. Do you ever buy jewellery for yourself from other brands/ people? Maybe I’d pick up a pendant or earrings only in plain gold from a Bulgari, a Chopard or a Van Cleef. Knowing the pricing of things, it seems senseless to buy precious jewellery from any of these brands, since you pay the earth for it! And there’s just one jeweller I like in India – if I had all the money in the world to buy with – Bhagats. They make super cool things and some stunning pieces. Who does your film industry clientele include? Well let’s just say my clientele on the whole includes people from Bollywood, star wives and industrialists. I don’t like talking about them though, since I respect their privacy. How many showings have you had in Dubai and would you like to make Dubai an alternative base? I’ve had two exhibitions in Dubai about three or four years ago – one at the Dubai trade show and another private exhibition for the royal family of Dubai. While I would love to make Dubai a base, at this point, I’ve taken on more than I can chew. Besides my own store in Bombay, I supply to stores in Delhi and Hyderabad too. But yes, I do have my private clients among the royalty and NRIs of Dubai, Kuwait, Bahrain, so I fly down when I’m needed to do something for them.

wear my brand exclusively for fine jewellery. Who does your film industry clientele include? I have a vast clientele that ranges from film stars to socialites to industrialists and I believe that buying jewellery is of a confident nature of business. Hence, I would not like to name my clients; my jewellery sells without me trying to name them. Who do you enjoy designing for among your Bollywood star clientele? It’s always a pleasure designing for the stars as they have the personality and carriage to wear both jewellery and clothes effortlessly, but in saying that, again, I would not like to name them. I do design however for my family and believe that my mother Zarine Khan and sisters Simone and Sussanne are my best brand ambassadors. They are drop dead gorgeous and carry off my jewellery very well.

FARAH KHAN

How many showings have you had in Dubai and would you like to make Dubai an alternative base too? I have had two shows in Dubai and would love to open my own store there someday. I love Dubai as a city and visit regularly.

Have you designed any special jewellery for this Diwali? Yes this Diwali I have designed a new collection keeping the festivities of lights in mind. Therefore the collection is very colourful and I have used various gemstones such as emeralds, rubies, rubilites, sapphires, South Sea pearls, rose-cut diamonds and of course diamonds. The collection is very feminine, classic and timeless. There are various combinations of gemstone colours accented by diamonds to form necklace sets, earrings, rings, bracelets, pendant sets, etc. What are the in-colours in stones for Diwali this year according to you? Reds and greens… so we have rubies, emeralds, rubelites which are more in demand. What kind of sets do you see people wearing this year? I see people wearing one-of-a-kind pieces that are unique in design whatever it may be. Also preferences have shifted to lighter jewellery but bigger stones instead of clusters. With the exposure to the world around us, people are more design savvy. Customers normally come in and end up buying things that are not common in design to the market. Also the style is more classic, but not ‘classic boring’. It’s ‘classic adventurous’ with a twist; something that catches the eye. Personally, what would you like to wear to perhaps a Diwali party you might attend? My personal style is subtle not loud. I believe jewellery should enhance your personality, not over power it. So at a party I may end up wearing a necklace only and no earrings and vice versa. However my everyday style is to sport big chunky rings and big watches. Do you ever buy jewellery for yourself from other brands/ people? I end up buying big watches and ‘jadau’ from other brands and 67

Diwali Special

SURPRISES OF

2008

Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Neil Nitin Mukesh—four promising kids who made their debut this year. The buzz surrounding them is unimaginable. Probably even more than what other star kids like Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan created when they took their first step in Bollywood. If you think that star kid launches were the flavour of the season only for 2007, you are mistaken. Here are some promising star kids who are already in the limelight for being connected to fillum families and will be making their big appearances on the big screen in 2008 Harman Baweja Claim to fame: Producer Harry Baweja’s son. Debut film: Love Story 2050 directed by father Harry Baweja and produced by mom Pammi Baweja. Background: Harman has been creating the maximum buzz amongst all the other newcomers. He has been in the news equally for his personal life. By dating actress Priyanka Chopra and being constantly compared to Hrithik Roshan. He has assisted his father since Deewane and has also been involved in various stages of the making of the futuristic sci-fi film Love Story 2050. Harman believes: “Ranbir is being launched by the magician Sanjay Leela Bhansali whereas I’m being launched by my father.

Of course, Harry Baweja is a big name. But people don’t take doting fathers seriously. However, I’m lucky to have my dad launch me in a film as huge as Love Story 2050. My parents have always pampered me with the most lavish gifts. Dad always spoilt me silly. But this one beats them all.”

Mashhoor Amrohi Claim to fame: He’s the grandson of the legendary film-maker Kamaal Amrohi. Debut film: Hum Laakh Chhupayein Pyaar Magar, under the banner of Kamaal Amrohi Pictures. The film is produced by Mashhoor’s father Tajdar Amrohi. Mashhor has written, directed and acted in this film. Background: He has assisted David Dhawan in the Salman 69

Khan starrer Mujhse Shaadi Karogi before taking a plunge

Nawman Malik.

into acting.

Background: Mimoh wanted to go to NASA and study astrophysics and thought Bollywood was not the place for him. But after watching Hrithik Roshan in Kaho Na Pyar Hai, he decided he wanted to be an actor. In the next six years an overweight Mimoh enrolled at a gymnasium, worked on his looks and did a six month acting course at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles.

Mashoor believes: “Filmi connection is not that much of a help, and if at all, it’s at a very superficial level. It’s ultimately you and the credibility of your work which will determine whether you sink or survive in this industry.”

Mimoh Claim to fame: Eldest son of Mithun Chakravorty and Yogita Bali. Debut film: Jimmy directed by Raj N Sippy and produced by 70

Mimoh believes:” ‘Being Mithun’s son would help you gain an entry in the industry but after that you will have to prove yourself. I want people to know you as Mimoh and not as Mithun’s son!’

that’s the advice Mithun has given me.”

Sikander Kher Claim to fame: Son of Kirron and Anupam Kher. Debut film: Woodstock Villa produced by Sanjay Gupta and Sanjay Dutt’s White Feather Films. Background: He did his first acting workshop at 16 with his father along with Uday Chopra, Abhishek Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan. Then two years ago he did an intensive six-month acting workshop with NSD. He has also assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Black.

Sikander believes: “When you grow up in a film family, it does influence you to become an actor. You’re surrounded by actors and film people. I’m aware that there are great expectations, which definitely puts a certain amount of pressure on me to perform and deliver. But I thank God that at least I have them for advice.”

Neha Oberoi Claim to fame: Film maker Sanjay Gupta’s niece. Debut Film: Dus Kahaniyan, Woodstock Villa produced by Sanjay Gupta and Sanjay Dutt’s White Feather Films. 71

Background: Neha did not always want to be an actress. She took up science as she was good at academics and wanted to be a medico. But after her schooling, she was offered a music video. Soon after she got an offer for Telugu film Balu opposite the famous south actor Pawan Kalyan and she grabbed it with both hands. So her career began with a video for a remix song Sajna Hai Mujhe and an advertisement for LG. Before starting work on Woodstock Villa, she went to Anupam Kher’s acting school to brush up on her basics. Neha believes: “Woodstock Villa is a dream-come-true for any 72

new comer. This is a kind of film that people get to do after their fourth or fifth hit film. I am so lucky to get this opportunity at this point in my career and I am trying very hard to make the most of this opportunity.”

Meghaa Chatterjee Claim to fame: Moushmi Chatterji’s daughter. Debut film: Bengali film Bhalobasar Anek Naam (different names of love). Background: She has graduated in psychology and English

FAVOURITE RECIPE:

Mushroom ala Vidya Ingredients Finely chopped garlic 2 sliced onions 2 sliced tomatoes Packet of mushrooms Mint Olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Slice of bread Grated cheese Method Take 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Add garlic and fry till it turns golden brown. Add onions and fry. Add mushrooms. Put salt and pepper. Once they begin looking dry, put half of the sliced tomato. Once the tomatoes are cooked properly, switch off the flame. Add chopped mint and stir well. Then cover the pan with a lid. Open after five minutes to take in the scent of mint and garlic. Take a slice of bread. Spread the mushrooms and some sliced tomatoes on top. Add some cheese. Put the bread in a toaster. Bring it out after the cheese melts.

literature from Mithibai College in Mumbai She has trained under Shiamak Davar and has also attended dance classes under Saroj Khan’s assistant, Shaku. She has been grooming herself to become a model and is scouting for a role in Bollywood. Meghaa believes: “Right from the day I thought of taking up acting I knew I would be compared to mum. It is something that is beyond my control and that’s one of the reasons why I want to be a model as well. So that people won’t compare the two of us. Being Moushmi Chatterji’s daughter may help me get noticed but to survive in the long run, only my talent will prove helpful.”

Adhyanan Shekhar Suman Claim to fame: Film and television actor Shekhar Suman’s son. Debut Film: Anil Devgan’s Haaley Dil. Background: He took theatre as his main subject at Millfield School in the UK. After that he went to the New York Film Academy to do a diploma in film direction. It is said that Ajay Devgan saw Adhyayan at a salon and loved his looks. He found out who Adhyayan was and then offered him a role in Anil Devagn’s film. Adhyayan believes: “Ever since I was a kid I have seen my father being involved with films. I was so impressed with his acting that I would even try and enact what he did onscreen, in front of the mirror. So acting is in my genes and it was natural that someday I would follow in his footsteps.”

Here’s a list of more star kids who are all set don the celluloid Rimoh Chakraborthy – Mithun Chakraborthy’s younger son Anjori Alagh – Actress Maya Alagh’s daughter Zoa Morani – Producer Ali Morani’s daughter Sana Pancholi – Aditya Pancholi’s daughter Luv Sinha & Kush Sinha – Shatrugan

Down Memory Lane

Headline in 2 decks please They are Bollywood’s most loved couple and have been together for 34 years. One could easily say that Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan’s love has seen it all. Superstardom, link-ups, bankruptcy and illnesses. Together this couple has battled it all. They tell us what’s kept them together all these years…. Not many believe in love at sight but Amitabh Bachchan did, one look at Jaya Badhuri on the sets of Hrishikesh Mukherji’s Guddi and he couldn’t take his eyes off her, “I just kept staring at her, I’d never seen someone like her ever! She had very beautiful eyes, lovely tresses and was an excellent artiste.” And what did Jaya think of this six feet tall-lanky guy who kept on staring at her? “I was appalled at the way he was looking at me! But I must confess I was terribly attracted to him. It was plain chemistry!” With Guddi becoming a major hit, Jaya became India’s new sweetheart, whilst Amitabh was still struggling for that one hit film. The first meeting had set the sparks and a few more meetings later the couple fell in love. Soon they were cast together in Abhimaan and Zanjeer. After both the films 76

becoming super-hits the couple tied the knot. “Though we were madly in love we never went out on a formal date all alone. We always went out with a group of friends,” Jaya reveals. He was the Hindi film industry’s angry young man and she the girl-next door who seemed to be the perfect foil for his intensity. Unlike their son Abhishek’s high-profile wedding, Jaya and Amitabh tied the knot on June 3, 1973 according to Arya Samaj rites at Amitabh’s residence. In fact the wedding was kept a secret and was attended only by their respective families, Sanjay Gandhi and a handful of close friends. After marriage Jaya slowly let Amitabh hog the limelight and quit films to become a home-maker. When they starred together as lovers in Sholay in 1974, Jaya was pregnant with their first child,

DOWN MEMORY LANE

Tale Talk

“Redefining

Reality Shows”

After a hard-fought war of voices between the talented contestants of “Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007”, Zee TV has once again successfully given the music fraternity singers of high caliber who have won over millions of hearts across the globe right at the start of their careers. After a hard-fought war of voices between the talented contestants of “Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007”, Zee TV has once again successfully given the music fraternity singers of high caliber who have won over millions of hearts across the globe right at the start of their careers. In an intense, nail-biting finale, that involved four continents, six countries and millions of votes, Aneek Dhar, with 36,589,134 public votes emerged the winner of the mega-reality show. He won a music contract worth Rs 50 lakhs with Zee TV and Universal Music, along with a brand new Chevrolet Spark car. But the win wasn’t an easy one for the talented Bengali boy as the margin of votes revealed. Raja Hassan, who came second, bagged 3,52,40,963 votes, while Amanat Ali from Pakistan was second runner-up with 3,43,14,237 votes. The close finish was quite expected as the three budding singers were giving moving performances in the run-up to the finale. “It was surely a tough competition. I am thankful to God and my fans for my win. I have truly learnt a lot during my journey in the show,” Aneek said after claiming the title. Commenting on the culmination of what was being promoted as “Sangeet ka pratham vishwayudh”, Punit Goenka, business head, Zee TV, said: “Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007 has redefined reality programming. The most popular show across the Hindi GEC has catapulted this genre to a new altitude. Today, when reality shows are becoming the norm across channels, “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” has stood out for its sheer musical talent. What is more encouraging is the fact that the 14-year-old brand of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is scaling new heights.” Enthused with the success of the show, Goenka added: “With Aneek Dhar’s victory, “Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007” has lived up to its reputation of offering only the most talented singers to the music fraternity. This is definitely not the end of the journey but a new beginning in search of new voices. We are starting the new series of “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs” from October 19. The show will be aired Fridays and Saturdays, 10 pm in India.” The mega-finale of Challenge 2007 took place at Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai, on October 80

13, where the three finalists, Raja Hasan, Amanat Ali and Aneek Dhar performed ‘live’ in the presence of their mentors Vishal and Shekhar, Ismail Darbar and Himesh Reshamiya, respectively. Witnessing the event was an overwhelming crowd of over 12,000. The surprise element of the evening was Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan’s dazzling performance on their recent release “Bhool Bhoolaiya”, which set off a frenzy amongst the spectators. The atmosphere was electrifying with sections of the audience rooting for their favorite contestants, shouting slogans and craving for more every time the finalists came on stage. The judges kept encouraging the youngsters to push their potential and sing from their hearts. It is a proud feat for Zee TV that the discoveries of “Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007” have become brands by

themselves and have gone beyond the competition. Most of contestants in the top 10 had received offers and started working for renowned music composers and film directors, like Anand Raj Anand, Sanjay Gupta, Sajid Khan, Mahesh Bhatt, Pritam, Vishal and Shekhar and Bappi Lahiri, even before reaching the last leg of the contest. “Many Bollywood music directors want me to sing for them. And I’m really grateful to all who have supported me for these opportunities,” smiled Aneek. After Sanchita Bose, who won Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’s previous talent hunt for children, Zee TV is now all set to gift the Indian music industry another little champ. Going by the super success of the previous series of “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs” and the reputation of Zee TV’s quality programmes, we are sure that

Tale Talk

Amanat Ali Interview

“Very soon, I will be recording a song with Shah Rukh Khan” : Amanat Ali “Zindagi me kuch na mila hamko to kya gham hai, Hindustan ki dosti mili yeh kya kam hai. Hindustan me jo choti si jagah pa li hamne kam dino me, vo kya kisi Taj Mahal se kam hai.” These couple of lines in Hindi penned by the second runnerup of “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007” proves that Amanat Ali has totally fallen in love with India. And after the kind of response and affection that the budding singer has received from across the nation and the world, he is much serious about his career in music. You couldn’t win the contest. What were your expectations? A: Oh, I had a lot of hope. Right from the beginning and till now, I have received love from not only India but the audiences worldwide. You must have noted that I became the topper in international voting. That’s a win for me. As for my career, I have decided to pursue it in the music industry only. I am going to Pakistan now to finish the album that I had left halfdone to take part in the contest. I am getting quite a few good offers here in India. So once I finish my album, I will return to India to become a playback singer. I don’t want to sever the relationship I have with the Indian people. Do you think Aneek deserved to win? A: If we talk about singing, then all the three of us --- Aneek, 84

Raja and I --- deserved to win. I have no bitterness about Aneek winning. For that matter, I wouldn’t have had problems even if Raja had won. And I hope that had I won, they wouldn’t have had any objection either. Everybody said that choosing any one of us as winner was very difficult. Which one of the contest’s judges is your favourite music composer? A: I like all of them. Even people say that all the judges took good care of us. None of them held envy or grudge against the disciples of the other judges. All of them helped us improve so it’s difficult for me to choose my favourite amongst them. Of course, my guru Ismail Darbar was a little extra special for me. He has given me great tips to help me in playback singing. There was a rumour that votes from the people of Pakistan were not being accepted in the contest. Is it true? A: This is false. I only heard that Internet voting was closed very early resulting in fewer votes than expected. Pakistan was part of the International voting, in which I ranked first. In fact, I received more internet votes from Pakistan than SMS votes. What are you doing now? A: I will leave for Pakistan very soon to finish the album I told you about. In February next year, I will embark on a world tour with Anu Mallik’s brother Dabbu Mallik. I don’t know the other

details of the trip as yet. The second reason that I am going to Pakistan now is because I need to get a visa. Once I return to Pakistan after the world tour, I will think about my next career move. Have you received any offer for playback singing for any Pakistani film as yet? A: I have been getting many offers but I want to think twice before taking any step in my career. I am going to be felicitated by the Pakistani government soon. After singing in Bollywood children’s film “Bal Ganesh”, have you signed any other film? A: Insha Allah, I have sung in quite a few films and hope to sing in more. Recently I rendered the solo title song of K.C. Bokadia’s “Junoon”, with the music directed by Bappi Lahiri. Besides, I have done a number of films but I can’t talk about them now. Which Bollywood music director do you wish to work with in the future? A: So far, I have already worked with all the composer-judges of the show except Himesh ji. So that’s one wish. Very soon I would be recording a song for Shah Rukh Khan. Himesh Reshammiya had been planning to take many of the show’s contestants on a world tour. What happened to that? A: I heard that they would go in February. I don’t know any more. Now that you have forayed into Bollywood, what is your strategy to continue your stay in India? A: First of all, I have decided not to reject any offer for playback singing. That’s because I think that playback is a medium through which I will succeed in reaching out to my fans and audiences. Along with playback, I would continue cutting

albums. This way I would always be in my listeners’ hearts. Many such musical talent hunts have been held across the nation and around the world before . Though many participate in such talent hunts, only a few make it to the top and come under the limelight. What’s your take on this? A: Yes, I fully agree with you. But at the same time, I also feel that success doesn’t last forever. The only way to maintain goodwill is by good and hard work. God-willing I would keep giving the listeners and audiences something or the other new. Duplicates have no market these days. When there are so many established singers in the industry, why would anyone want to imitate others? I will try to form my own distinct style so that the audience can keep me in mind, too. How much is Zee TV helping you shape your career? A: It is only because of Zee TV and “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” that people recognize me today. I was chosen from among crores of people in Pakistan. Hopefully, I would be a more familiar face soon. Even now, when I walk down the streets people greet me as if I am a big star. I am grateful to Zee TV for this. The world tour that I would be doing in February next year is being facilitated by Zee. In the future, I would do many more such tours sponsored by Zee. I hope the channel supports me in the future too. This is the first time that you were away from your family, friends and country during the EID celebrations. How did it feel? A: Yeah, it’s the first time that I was away from my family for so long. But the good thing is that my family members had come down to Mumbai for the finals. So I got the opportunity to celebrate Id with my family, even though not in my country. All my family members were there with me except my father, who was in America at that time. He watched me on television and gave me well-wishes later on over the phone. 85

Tale Talk

Few months ago, a critic from India had commented on Ekta Kapoor saying all she is doing is – “Turning the masala movies of 80s into television serials”. What he didn’t realize while criticizing her; is the fact that he gave away a success formula to the television makers. Most of the TV subjects today which are based on the movies of 1980s, are extremely successful in the terms of popularity and ratings. And the latest to join the long list is Zee’s new offering – “Naaginn” Waadon Ki Agniparikshaa”. The saga revolves around the old Indian myth about snakes that can assume the human form when desired. Produced by veteran Aroona Irani under the banner of A.K. Films, “Naaginn” tells the tale of an ‘ichchhadhari naagin’ who transforms herself into a woman to avenge the Rathod family that had killed her parents and made away with the invaluable jewel ‘Naagmani’. Unknowingly, she falls in love and marries a man in the same family. Thereon, her dilemma starts, as her duty as a wife and love for her husband interferes with the vendetta. Aroona Irani has, in the past has given Zee TV hits like “Rabba Ishq Na Hove” and “Mehndi Tere Naam Ki”. And with this serial too, she wishes to continue the success track. “I always believed in good drama and so, even though our viewers have seen Naagin story before, I am very sure that the entertainment quotient of this story of revenge is going to give them value for their money,” says a confident Irani talking about her latest venture. And its not just the producer who is confident about the show’s success. Even the channel is kicked alike. “The past one-and-a-half years has seen Zee TV recover its sheen and glory through an excellent mix of programming and marketing. After meticulously conquering weekdays, Zee TV takes one more step towards strengthening the weekend slot. And with a show like ‘Naaginn’, we are sure of garnering good numbers,” exclaims Punit Goenka, Business Head, Zee TV. He further 86

Naaginn: Another milestone for Zee adds, “We have always believed in creating subjects which interests viewers. The myth of “Naaginn” has always been an intriguing subject among the masses and the audiences are curious about it. I am confident that this show would largely appeal to them.” Even the serial’s first week’s report has been good, too. It has already become one of the top-ranking programmes on the channel. The show premiered on October 5 in India and now “Naaginn” is being aired from Friday to Sunday at 8.30 pm. The show is set in a Rajasthani background with Shayantani Ghosh playing the protagonist. Co-stars include Aroona Irani, Ali Hasan, Siddhart Dhawan and Shabaaz Khan. Lead actress Shayantani, who had acted in Bengali films before shifting to a career in television in Mumbai, said: “We have incorporated reality with fantasy to make the show more acceptable. I’m also a bahu in the serial, so anyone can relate to my character. For the time being, we can only keep our fingers crossed and hope the show goes down well with the viewers.” Given the channel’s conviction behind each of its products and the packaging of “Naaginn”, the snakes in the serial might soon be as popular as the saas-bahus of the soaps. - (SAMPURN)

Tele-tales Sparking off bad news Sachin Shroff aka Gyan of “Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai” recently met with an incident that seems straight out of a serial or film. Sachin was waiting for the traffic signal to glow green at the crossing in Bandra when two men came running to his car and informed him that sparks were coming out of the car’s engine. The actor turned a deaf ear to them and focused on the traffic signal. A little later, two more guys said the same thing to Sachin, who continued to ignore them. Soon, the signal turned green and Sachin drove across to the other side of the road. But when the same thing happened a third time, he got worried that his car had developed some serious problem. He stepped out to check. Everything seemed all right. Then one of the strangers told him to watch the engine while he starts the car. Sachin was alone so he took the risk in good faith. And that turned out to be a big mistake. The men robbed him off his music system installed in the car. An upset Sachin said about the incident: “It’s a really sad story, I lost the entire panel of the music system. As I was driving alone, I had no other choice but to believe what the men said. But from now, I’ll be alert and keep my eyes open so that I don’t fall for such thieves.” Sachin’s experience would surely be an eye opener for many others who drive alone most of the time.

the cats continue their fight Rakhi Sawant and Kashmeera Shah claim to have kissed and made up since Kashmeera’s caustic comments on Rakhi’s silicon removal, but nothing can be further from the truth, if sources are to be believed. The motor-mouth Rakhi apparently took permission from the production to watch the rehearsals of Kash-Krush in the monitor room. She then apparently stated that they were not that good, and that Abhishek and she were going to do better in the next round of ‘Nach Baliye 3’. Not a very remark to make for someone who announces that she has no problems with Kashmeera. In the meantime, Abhishek Awasthi and Rakhi performed well, but judge Vaibhavi Merchant gave the choreographer and Abhishek a piece of her mind. Abhishek performed without a warm up, because he had torn a tissue, and this angered Vaibhavi. Abhishek then promised that he would not repeat this mistake. ‘Nach Baliye 3’ is turning out to be quite catty. And the two item girls leave no stone unturned to make it cattier. - (SAMPURN)

Yuvika downplayed in OSO promos “Om Shanti Om” is being pushed in such a big way that “Saawariya” seems to be losing out in the promotion blitz. Trailers, fashion events, celeb interactions, posters and promotional events… Farah Khan is leaving no stone unturned to arouse the interest of cine-goers. However, while the film and all of its stars are hogging the spotlight, not many know of the existence of a newcomer who has done an important cameo in the film. Yuvika Choudhary has done television commercials with Aamir Khan for Innova, with Sanjay Dutt for Rupa Frontline and the most popular of them all, with Kunal Kapoor for Thumbs Up. Yet, the good-looking debutant has been totally sidelined in the run-up to the release. The reason being the film-makers are betting all their cards on the glamorous Deepika Padukone. “Yuvika is in none of the promos or posters anywhere even though she has a salsa dance sequence with the King Khan. The production house is totally focusing on Deepika as they have a lot of expectations from her,” a source elaborated. Yuvika was not spotted at the music launch of “Om Shanti Om”. Nor was she present at a fashion show promoting the clothing line of the film, whereas the rest of the cast was there. A source from the production house justifies their move: “Yuvika hasn’t got a very big role to play in OSO and the makers don’t want to send out the wrong signals. She has an important role in the film but it is more like a cameo.” Now that doesn’t seem a very genuine excuse for not giving Yuvika even a mention in the promotional events. After all, the girl must have some talent. Or else, why would the “Zee Cinestars Ki Khoj” finalist, who has also featured in the Zee TV serial “Astitva… Ek Prem Kahani”, be starring opposite Anupam Kher’s son Sikander in a film titled “Summer of 2007”?

controversy

GUPTA IN

THE EYE OF THE STORM! Ever since the formation of White Feather Productions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; between Sanjay Gupta and buddy Sanjay Dutt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; trouble has hit Sanjay Gupta squarely in the face. Shootout at Lokhandwala brought even more problems. The point is how many of these problems is he responsible for? Is he simply being targeted or is he, along with his cronies, upsetting a whole lot of industry bigwigs? We attempt to tackle some of the continuous controversies that have hit the media over the last six months 90

Mrs. Dolas sends legal notice… Maya Dolas (aide and dreaded henchman of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim), portrayed by Vivek Oberoi in Shootout at Lokhandwala, was given an emotional angle to his character via a track of interaction with his mother played by Amrita Singh. And even before the film was released, Maya’s real mother sent a legal notice to Sanjay Gupta and White Feather Productions for inappropriate depiction of her character. She took offence to being portrayed as someone who encouraged and abetted her son Maya to become a gangster. Gupta shifted the blame to Amrita saying, “In an interview, Amrita Singh got carried away and spoke about what sets her character apart. But Shootout… is neither Maya’s story, nor his mother’s. I’d like to apologise to Maya’s mom from every platform. The film is based on a true incident but the characters are fictional which is well within my rights as a producer, director and writer. A notice came, we replied to it. It said to apologise which we did.” Sanjay-Sanjay fallout! Just prior to his jail term, Sanjay Dutt handed a letter of resignation to Sanjay Gupta and White Feather Films. Gupta’s take on this is “I rang Sanju immediately to ask him what it was all about. He explained that he had to taken this drastic 92

step in the light of his court cases. For legal reasons, he cannot be shown to be part of a corporate company like White Feather. I totally understand that.” However, the reason for Dutt’s dissociation was apparently due to his being made aware of certain financial anomalies by White Feather… Certain members of the crew of Shootout at Lokhandwala are said to have complained to Sanjay D that they had still not received their dues from White Feather. Dutt, who is extremely professional was upset and delved into the matter, and found that his company had indeed not paid the employees their dues. He is then said to have had an altercation with Gupta over this. When quizzed Sanjay Gupta observed, “People can keep putting two and two together, and coming up with any number. Sanju’s decision to quit White Feather has no bearing on our personal relationship. He is and will be my friend. Even our professional rapport remains the same. We’re currently shooting Alibaug together.” Manayata faces the music… Talk has it that Sanjay Dutt decided to allow girlfriend Manayata to look into his financial affairs at White Feather, a move not appreciated by Gupta. And strangely, soon, a lot of stories bad-

mouthing Manayata began to circulate. Apparently, she was too possessive… She curtailed Sanjay Dutt’s drinking with buddies (read Sanjay Gupta and company)…She behaved like a ‘typical’ wife, bringing his food to the sets… She would be the undoing of Sanjay… Was this all due to the fact that she had apparently pointed out certain financial discrepancies in the company to Sanjay? Was Trishala informed? Further speculation goes on to say that all of this affected Sanjay Dutt’s daughter Trishala too… When the child was last in Mumbai, she was happily going about with dad Sanjay and Manayata. But once she returned to the States, she wrote an open letter to her dad in a leading newspaper. Therein she hinted that no woman fit the bill for her father and that she, his daughter Trishala, was the one he should be bothered about. This move on a young girl’s part was somewhat of a surprise. But a friend of Sanjay’s insists, “It was that Sanjay Gupta lot that influenced Trishala. One of his cronies got through to her and put her against Manayata….” One hears that Trishala eventually confessed this to her dad as well. Discreet distance… There is now talk of Sanjay Dutt forming his own production company, which will be looked after by his sisters and members of his own family. Yet professionally, he continues to maintain a rapport with Sanjay Gupta and is shooting for Gupta’s Alibaug.

This is said to be an autobiographical take on the producer’s life, though he denies it. “I have no illusions of grandeur. I haven’t led a phenomenal life that can be made into a movie. I’m Sanjay Gupta, not Mahesh Bhatt.” Perhaps with this last remark, Gupta adds one more name to his enemy list – that of Mahesh Bhatt!!! Apoorva Lakhia unpaid… This recently hit the media when it became known that the Shootout… director Apporva Lakhia has to date not received 30 per cent of his dues. Having asked for these dues from Sanjay Gupta several times Apoorva finally took the matter to Balaji Films – co-producers of Shootout…-- and involved Shobha and Ekta Kapoor. A Balaji source confirms, “Apu came to us saying that he hadn’t been paid 30 per cent of his fees for Shootout at Lokhandwala. Shobha and Ekta were stunned, because Balaji had paid Rs.15 crore to White Feather Films towards fees for the film’s cast and crew.” Balaji Stunned… Shobha Kapoor immediately called for a meeting with all the financial heads of White Feather Films and took up cudgels on Apoorva’s behalf. A Balaji spokesperson reveals, “It became known that Apoorva had been promised a certain amount as fees for Shootout… and an additional Rs.25lakhs if the film became a hit. However, he was yet to receive his remuneration. Even if WFF didn’t give him the additional money, he requested that they at

least pay him the fees promised by Sanjay Gupta.” In the process of this investigation it was also discovered that the White Feather account books also showed a payment of Rs.2 crores made to Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan towards their appearances in Shootout…The Balaji source adds, “The Bachchans and Kapoors have been friends for 35 years, so Ekta and Shobha couldn’t stand anyone maligning them.” Ramesh Sippy (Shobha’s brother) of Balaji says, “Our contract with White Feather Films was to produce the film within a certain budget and we paid them for it. As for the contracts of the cast and crew, they were made directly between WFF and them.” In fact Shobha Kapoor confirms, “I have no dues towards anybody.” With all the financial embarrassment that ensued, apparently Balaji Films wants nothing more to do with Sanjay Gupta or his production house… Amitabh Angered… Mr. Bachchan too was upset and called Shobha to confirm that they hadn’t taken any money. Apoorva reconfirms this saying, “The Bachchans did this film for me and never asked for a single rupee in return. When Gupta sent me to ask Mr. Bachchan about his remuneration, he made it clear he wouldn’t accept any money from White Feather Films. Gupta should think twice before dragging the Bachchans into his idiotic politics now.” Amitabh, who normally keeps away from film politics confirms, “Abhishek and I have worked in Shootout at Lokhandwala because of Apoorva Lakhia. We have not taken any money or consideration for the film, so the question of being paid does not arise. It was a gesture extended to Apu because he is family.” When told that White Feather Films’ account shows that the Bachchans were paid Rs.2 crore an upset Bachchan says, “I have no access to White Feather Films’ account sheets. I cannot comment on what they contain. I can only say that if they are showing payments made to us, it is erroneous because we have not been paid. Let them bring evidence or any proof.” Suniel, Apoorva, Bunty, Arbaaz furious! Thanks to his continued spats with Apoorva Lakhia, Gupta manages to hit out at others in the bargain too! He recently criticized Lakhia for his lack of professionalism during the making of Shootout at Lokhandwala and called Lakhia’s next movie, Mission Istanbul, “trash”. This drags in actor-producer Suniel Shetty, whose company, Popcorn Entertainment, co-produces Mission Istanbul. Suniel objects, “I am upset and annoyed that Gupta called my film trash when he has no idea what the film is about. If it was as bad as Gupta calls it, why would stars like Abhishek, Vivek and Zayed choose to be part of it? I have always considered Gupta a friend, but I am hurt by his comments about my film.” Even producer Bunty Walia of G.S. Entertainment (and a close friend of Sanjay Dutt) is upset with Gupta who called his movie Ek Ajnabee (again, directed by Lakhia) a “disaster”. Bunty insists that this is uncalled for behaviour on Gupta’s part. Why should Gupta drag Bunty’s movie into his spat with Lakhia? The normally quiet and cool headed Arbaaz Khan is the latest to join this list. Having more than ably played the part of the cop Javed in Shootout at Lokhandwala, he is still awaiting his 94

remuneration for the same… He has maintained a silence on his non-payment for some months now, but now chooses to protest! True, there are two sides to every story… Sanjay Gupta certainly has the right to feel that he is being made the butt of a lot of anger and resentment… But surely on the other hand, so many big industry names – including the legendary Amitabh Bachchan – will not wake up to protest against just one man?

True, there are two sides to every story… Sanjay Gupta certainly has the right to feel that he is being made the butt of a lot of anger and resentment… But surely on the other hand, so many big industry names – including the legendary Amitabh Bachchan – will not wake up to protest against just one man? 95

Star gazing

Shahrukh Khan 2.11.1965

The King Khan of Bollywood is heading for some major changes in life. His Jupiter period of 16 long years is going to end and 19 years of Saturn will start from March next year. The planet Jupiter clearly his best planet gave him recognition & prosperity of maximum level. Now Saturn will clearly pull him in different direction. It can be foreign assignments, joining politics or even big production house. He has clearly achieved the heights where no man has gone before & will continue doing so. His quick analytical mind, secrecy and instincts are the main reasons behind his success. I wish him good luck.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) This month is very good for your profession. You may be able to execute your work plans smoothly. Good business/work opportunities may come your way. Latter half of this month may give you worries related to progeny. Money matters will be good. You would find yourself in comfortable financial position.

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) You will be ingenious during this month. New links or contacts in society will expand further. However, you should remain careful in financial transactions. You would enjoy romantic life, but there may also be some ups and downs in personal life. You should avoid new investment. You must be very alert while communicating your ideas with the boss at workplace.

Stars: Amisha Patel, Shilpa Shetty, Dimple Kapadia

Stars: Govinda, Arbaaz Khan, Dharmendra, John Abraham, Arjun Rampal

Cancer (June 21 - July 22) Elderly Cancerians may feel proud on account of the achievements accomplished by their children. You will be able to address the family matters very well. Family concerns will also keep you occupied. However, you may experience tensions in case you are living in a joint family system. If you have old age mother at home, please take proper care of her health this month.

Capricorn (December 22 - January 19) You should try to derive maximum benefits from this favourable month. You will play a dominating role in your work field. The persons in business would lead in their professional field. Good results in the matters related to finances would make you happy. Some Capricornians might get involved in a secret or intimate relationship. At workplace, some rumours may develop against you.

Stars: Karisma Kapoor, Kumar Gaurav, Naseeruddin Shah

Stars: Salman Khan, AR Rahman, Hrithik Roshan, Anil Kapoor, Twinkle Khanna

Leo (July 23 - August 22) Leos will experience both bad and good results. First half of this month will give you very good results in financial matters. Success will be yours. On the contrary, you might face tough competition in professional aspect in the latter half. Persons in authority may oppose you. In case you are into business field, you may face problem related to Government or State Authorities.

Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) You can seek a new change during this month. Take better advantage of this favourable month and you can even start a new venture. There would be improvement in your social or personal relationships. The persons associated with spiritual field might face hard criticism. On the other hand, politicians would get good recognition in public life. Romantic life would be happy.

Stars: Sonu Nigam, Sanjay Dutt, Rajeshwari, Kajol, Suneil Shetty, Manisha Koirala

Stars: Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan, Bobby Deol, Jackie Shroff, Urmila

Virgo (August 23 - September 22) Time till 12th of this month is very favourable for the matters related to career. You will excel in the path of career. New work responsibilities or opportunities may come your way. The position of Mars in tenth house will be helpful for achieving targets. However, communication will be a challenging task for you. There is a word of caution.

Pisces (February 19 - March 20) You may face mixed results this month. You would do very well financially. However, the personal and health related front would be somehow challenging for you. Take balanced diet and exercise daily in order to keep yourself fit. Some Pisces ladies might experience abusive behaviour from their partner, which may hurt them and that can also lead to long time separation.

Stars: Viveik Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Rakesh Roshan, Mahesh Bhatt

Stars: Shahid Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Pooja Bhatt, Fardeen Khan

Libra (September 23 - October 22)

This month will be challenging for you. All Librans out there related to any field should move ahead very cautiously in all the aspects of life this month. Your efforts may not yield results, when Sun will enter in its sign of debilitation in the later half of this month. Persons related to Entertainment Industry or field of creativity may experience hard criticism in their ventures.

Aries (March 21 - April 19) This month your focus will be mainly on work front. You will be in position to take bold decisions. During the first half of this month, you will get help from your boss or Government authorities. On the contrary, you should remain careful during the later half of this month. Cautious approach is recommended while communicating with your romantic or business partner after the 12th of this month.

Stars: Yash Chopra, Rekha, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Om Puri, Sunny Deol

Stars: Rani Mukherjee, Ajay Devgan, Jaya Bachchan, Arshad Warsi

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) All the aspects of your life except health will be progressive. Some of your financial efforts may get materialized this month. You may come across a new partnership or new business venture at professional front. However, unnecessary expenses may bother you during the latter half of this month. It may even create imbalance in your financial position.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) You will get good co-operation from your life partner. You may have some good business ideas. You would also be able to implement them successfully. There would be enhancement in comforts and luxuries. If you are planning to buy a new vehicle, you can purchase it during this month. On career or business front, you may face tough competition.

Stars: Raveena Tandon, Aishwarya Rai, Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Tabu, Esha Deol

Stars: Bipasha Basu, Madhuri Dixit, Pooja Bedi, Kamal Hassan

Star Gazing is brought to you by Sundeep Koachar, an internationally acclaimed celebrity astrologer based in Delhi. Sundeep treats astrology as a sacred science and not purely as a matter of commercial pursuit. Having studied at AIFAS and Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit Vidhyapeeth, he is currently pursuing M.Phil in the field of astrology. He has had an interest in palmistry right from his childhood days and is quite adept at face reading too. Thanks to his honest answers, using a combination of astrology, palmistry along with the study of the face, Sundeep has a loyal following of celebrity clients including film stars, cricketers, politicians and industrialists. He has made his mark in both the print and the electronic media, having successfully hosted live TV programmes both in India and abroad. For more details about Sundeep log on to www.astro4you.com