Katrina Kaif is an aunt on call!
‘PEOPLE WANT SENSATIONAL STORIES’ Minakshi Saini ■
minakshi.saini@hindustantimes.com
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ani Mukerji, who is otherwise infamous for her media bashing tactics, is suddenly all praise for the fourth estate. Reason: The actor is playing a fiery TV reporter, Meera, in her just-released film No One Killed Jessica. “I really respect journalists. In a world where people are normally so diplomatic, reporters speak their mind based on the facts they gather. I think that is fantastic and should be applauded,” asserts Mukerji whose Meera initially refuses to take on an open-and-shut case but later joins the fight following a newspaper headline in a leading national daily. The actor, however, has
No One Killed Jessica
in the past, come out strongly against ‘tabloid journalism’ following reports of her alleged engagement and soon-to-happen wedding with producer-director Aditya Chopra. But, predictably, Mukerji now seems to have changed her mind on the issue. “Yellow journalism is important too. People want to read sensational stories about their favourite actors,” she reasons. Crime reporting, she
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Sting operation gone wrong? In a publicity video with a cause, actors Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan conducted a ‘sting’ operation on a producer who was asking a female actor for sexual favours in return for a role in a film. Now, detractors wonder if they went too far for publicity. Argues director Rajkumar Gupta, “The marketing done by UTV is in sync with what the film is trying to say — the importance of fighting for women’s rights.” —Aaron George
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Iamamazedbythisabilityto producelife,tosustainit.Iwasso afraidI’dloseher,butshereally wantedtobehere
ON THE TOP
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adma Lakshmi clearly states that she has never looked or felt better than what she is today. She believes that what you lose in youth, you gain in sex appeal; what gravity takes away, you gain in wisdom. “My body is a blueprint of my life, of every tragedy — emotional or physical”. Whether it’s the stitches she got from a handsome doctor when she sliced herself while cutting a potato in Corsica, or the impossible-to-miss seveninch-long scar on her arm, the result of a car accident in Malibu when she was 14. She wears it proudly now, a badge of survival; and when editor Anna Wintour asked her in 2001 to write about it for US Vogue, she penned an eloquent piece about selfdoubt and beauty, and the transformative power of one man’s vision. She acted in the movie The Caribbean for which she had to gain 20 pounds, and which was a catalyst in cementing her culinary career. “Oh, how easy it was to put on the pounds! And then, of course, I had to lose them. I was 27, and it was the first time I had to
think about my weight. I wanted to lose it in a healthy way. There was no way I was going to be able to follow a diet.” So she tweaked her favourite recipes, and that’s how her first book, Easy Exotic, came about. When Vogue India asked her about her married life with Salman Rushdie, she said, “I do think that as a beautiful woman, people don’t want you to be smart. The way I looked may have distracted people. So I had to negate the way I looked. But compared to what I gained, it was a microscopic struggle.” Her daughter Krishna Thea Lakshmi changed her life. “I wasn’t trying to get pregnant, I was told I couldn’t,” says Lakshmi, referring to her endometriosis, a cause she now campaigns for fervently. “It’s been such a profound experience. Words seem silly to use. I’m trying to think of something illuminating, but all I can say is that it is by miles the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I am amazed by this ability to produce life, to sustain it. I was so afraid I’d lose her, but she really wanted to be here.” —Text: Vogue India
PHOTO: PRABUDDHA DASGUPTA; STYLED BY: ANAITA SHROFF ADJANIA
Ragini MMS in Hindi, Telugu roshmila.bhattacharya@hindustantimes.com
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kta Kapoor’s paranormal romantic thriller, after the path breaking Love Sex Aur Dhokha (LSD), Ragini MMS, is being filmed simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu. Director Pawan Kriplani is confident of wrapping up both films in 20 days flat. “We had around four months of pre-production workshops that helped the actors get into character and the technicians get their cues right,” he informs. “A Telugu translator has also been working with Raj Kumar, Kainaz (Motivala) and the rest of the cast, helping them with their lines and dialogue
Raj Kumar
delivery. Fortunately, Telugu is an easier language to pick up than Tamil or Malayalam. Our homework’s been thorough and after a 100-odd rehearsals, shooting is a breeze.”
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YOGA PRICE INDEX
Padma Lakshmi on the beauty in the imperfections in life
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HOP SKIP JUMP
— Rani Mukerji
Rani Mukerji says Bollywood reporting is easier than crime reporting, as stars don’t get nasty, they enjoy the ego boost
‘My body is a blueprint of my life’
Roshmila Bhattacharya
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insists however, is serious stuff as comapared to Bollywood reporting that is easy. “You know that stars will not get nasty with you since they like an ego boost occasionally,” she smiles . “But when you are reporting crime, you risk your life for every story that you do, going into all kinds of dangerous places. These journos have to be fearless and it’s tougher for the girls.” Quiz her on whether she has any cues to offer media persons after playing the hard-nosed TV anchor in the film inspired by Jessica Lall’s public murder and Manu Sharma’s eventual sentencing after nationwide protests, and the 32-year-old actor says, “Not really. While playing Meera I simply tried to portray journalists as noble and brave as they actually are. The journalists are the real heroes of our film.”
— Padma Lakshmi
Irespectjournalists.Inaworld wherepeoplearediplomatic, reportersspeaktheirmindbased onthefactstheygather.
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Was Kriplani influenced by Ram Gopal Varma whose Rakta Charitra I and II recently released in three languages — Hindi, Tamil and Telugu? Says Kriplani, “RGV is a fantastic filmmaker and I’ve seen all his movies, including Shiva, Drohi and Raat that had both Hindi and Telugu versions. But he wasn’t the inspiration behind this move. It was the fact that both the Hindi and Telugu markets are huge and open to new story ideas. And this was one way to give our small budget movie a bigger scale.” Prod him on comparisons with LSD and he protests, “Hey, LSD is in a league of its own. Except for the format and technique used, there are no similarities.”
‘No hard feelings’ Says Sonam Kapoor on the subject of Ranbir Kapoor
Sanjay Dutt refutes rumours that he’s upset over nephew’s debut Nilesh Sahay
Ranbir Kapoor
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onam Kapoor insists that she didn’t say anything offensive about Ranbir Kapoor on Koffee With Karan: “People just reacted because they’re used to me saying random stuff. I actually took up for Ranbir. He’s a well brought up and widely travelled boy. There are absolutely no hard feelings.” Point out to her that Rishi Kapoor has sorted his differences with Karan Johar and ask her if the two Kapoor fathers, Rishi and Anil, will also make peace, and she retorts, “Ask them, they’d be the best ones to answer the query. My dad doesn’t get involved in my so-called fights. I’m 25, an adult and earning my own money. He lets me lead my own life without butting in.”
—Hiren Kotwani
Sonam Kapoor
Kainaz Motiwala
‘I’m proud of Nilesh’
Roshmila Bhattacharya ■
roshmila.bhattacharya@hindustantimes.com
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peculation is rife that Sanjay Dutt is upset with his nephew Nilesh Sahay for opting to flag off his career with choreographer-turned-director Ganesh Acharya’s Angel instead of waiting for a bigger launch. And so, Dutt is not promoting him or the film in the media. The star refutes the rumour saying, “I really liked the promos of the film and am proud of Nilesh. He will go a long way. I wish him luck with this film and the others that will follow.” Nilesh admits that he got a complimentary text message from his star ‘mama’ (mother’s brother) after he watched the promos of his film with sisters Namrata and Priya Dutt, and brotherin-law Kumar Gaurav. And he couldn’t be happier. “I was more nervous about mama’s reaction than the movie itself,” laughs the debutant, who is following four generations of actors into show business. His great grandmother,
Sanjay Dutt
Myuncle(SanjayDutt)wasa majorinfluencebecauseIgrew uponhismoviesandloved allhisdifferentlooks — Nilesh Sahay
Jaddanbai, was India’s first female music director; her daughter, Nargis, is a movie legend; her niece and Nilesh’s mother, Zahida, made movies like Prem Pujari and Gambler. “Then, there is Sanju mama and now there’s me. My uncle was a major influence because I grew up on his movies and loved all his different looks… long hair, short crop, muscles and Munnabhai,” says the actor. Did he discuss Acharya’s offer with his uncle before taking it up? “I discuss things with ‘mama’, but I take my own decisions. I was wooed by Ganesh’s passion and conviction. I’m convinced I’ve made the right choice.”