L Subramaniam on collaborating with Stevie Wonder, and being the only non-american artiste at the United Nations anniversary in New York

‘Everyone is aware of Bollywood’

L Subramaniam on collaborating with Stevie Wonder, and being the only non-american artiste at the United Nations anniversary in New York

Stevie Wonder is an extremely creative person.
—L Subramaniam, violinist and composer

Composer-violinist L Subramaniam is renowned for blending Carnatic and western classical music with tremendous proficiency. The musician who has, in the past, composed for films such as Salaam Bombay (1988) and Mississippi Masala (1991), and performed in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Little Buddha (1993) and Merchant Ivory Productions’s Cotton Mary (1999), has now collaborated with singersongwriter Stevie Wonder on the tracks ‘My cherie amour’ and ‘Higher ground’ at the 67th anniversary of the United Nations in New York. How did the collaboration with Stevie Wonder come about? I performed as part of Stevie’s Message of Peace concert at the UN General Assembly, New York, on UN Day, October 24. The show was produced by Paxton Baker, whom I’ve worked with in the past. It was Paxton who called me to be part of the show.

Stevie Wonder and L Subramaniam in concert

What was it like? Stevie Wonder is a legend. I’ve been familiar with his work for decades, and it was wonderful to be invited to work with him. He is a creative person. On the stage, there was wonderful energy. We had a couple of practice sessions with the entire band before the performance. It was friendly and a lot of fun. Is he familiar with Indian or Bollywood music? I think everyone in the universe is aware of Indian music and Bollywood! He may come to India in the future to perform. Are you likely to collaborate again with Stevie Wonder or other international musicians? I’m always open to interesting collaborations. There are a few projects in the offing, but I don’t want to talk about them until they are ready. Did you meet other international artistes at the UN event? There were a number of great artistes, like Sting and Wyclef Jean. These are names I’ve heard from my children. I was pleasantly surprised to know that they are familiar with my work. You have performed at the UN in the past. This was the third time I was invited to perform at the UN. The first was in 1987, when I was asked to play with Yehudi Menuhin (the late American violinist) to celebrate the 40th year of Indian Independence. The second time was in March, 2011, when my son Ambi and I were invited to perform a Carnatic concert.

Saif Ali Khan

UN- SAIF ACT

Good morning, my apple martinis! Oh no, I’m not sipping one right now, but I’d like to this evening. Also, I’m sure Saif Ali

Khan might want to a bit of it too since the onceupon-a-time lead actor in

Milan Luthria’s untitled next doesn’t seem to be that anymore. Okay, let me explain.
Saif was going to be the only hero in Milan’s next project. But suddenly, Milan has now decided to rope in another actor to play the parallel lead. I don’t know why, and nor do I know who this other man is. Milan will take a call on that only when he wraps up his immediate film, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai 2. Poor Saifu. I wonder why Milan is doing this. But then again, the director knows best. Let’s just wait and see what Saif and Milan have to say about this.

Rhea Kapoor is busy working on her next production, Herogiri.

No family drama

So, as you may know, Rhea Kapoor is busy working on her next production, Herogiri. She’s in a hurry to finish the script. Once she’s done with that, she’s going to start casting actors. We wonder whether she will pick her cousin Arjun Kapoor, sister

Sonam Kapoor or dad Anil Kapoor. But from what I hear Rhea is not looking at taking a call on this right now and eventually, she may not opt for any of them and rope in an entirely different cast. Hmmm… Maybe the girl doesn’t want anyone to say she’s picking favourites.

Minissha Lamba sure has a lot of dresses

500 dresses of Minissha

She may not have any films, but Minissha Lamba sure has a lot of dresses. Apparently, the actor has a fetish for clothes and owns up to some 500 odd dresses. Jee haan! She, it seems, loves all sorts of dresses and keeps buying plenty of them whenever she can. And such is her love for clothes that she makes it a point to look after the maintenance of all her 500 dresses!

Chalo, I’m glad she has something to talk about, if not her films. After all, such is life dearies!

Having once quit a show because she didn’t want to play a mother, Rashami Desai is now back, doing exactly that

‘I needed time to prepare’

Having once quit a show because she didn’t want to play a mother, Rashami Desai is now back, doing exactly that

Marking the landmark 1,000th episode of the popular show Uttaran (Colors), Tapasya (played by Rashami Desai) will return to the tube to help unite Veer and Ichcha. This time around, she will play a more positive character, unlike her earlier negative avatar, by saving her daughter Mukta (Sreejita De) from marrying Tej Singh Bundela (Kiran Karmarkar).
Earlier this year, Rashami quit the show because she didn’t want to play a mother to actors her own age. Now, with her returning to play mother to Mukta, who in real life is a good friend, won't it be tough?

“I will look upon it as a character. Earlier, I felt that I needed time to prepare myself to play a mother convincingly,” says Rashami.
Thrilled that Uttaran will cross a thousand episodes (on November 7), Rashami says she has learnt a lot from the show. “Uttaran works because it has real emotions and situations. Of course, some drama is essential in a television show, but people connect to the characters. I learnt a lot about life from my character. Tapasya was very competitive.”

Talking about returning in a more positive role, she says, “I feel lucky to be getting the chance to portray different shades in one character — from a naïve teenager, to a girl in love, to a married woman. Now, Tapasya will be a positive character and help Ichcha and Mukta.”

Want to attend Shiv-anandi’s wedding? The on-screen couple to tie the knot soon, viewers can compete to be guests

Want to attend Shiv-anandi’s wedding?

The on-screen couple to tie the knot soon, viewers can compete to be guests

After overcoming many obstacles and various plot twists, Balika Vadhu’s lead characters, Anandi and Shiv, will finally get married. What’s interesting is that the couple will choose to tie the knot at a samuhik vivah (mass marriage), among other couples who cannot afford a lavish celebration. The wedding episode will be aired mid-November on Colors.
Given the fact that a grand wedding in the storyline could woo viewers, the makers explain why they chose to swim against the tide. “Balika Vadhu has shown socially relevant issues on the show in the past. This time, we want to create awareness about how extravagant Indian weddings are at times, the waste of money. Anandi and Shiv will decide against an overthe-top wedding and tell their respective families who after a little resistance, agree,” says fiction head, Colors, Prashant Bhatt.

The episode will see support coming from every quarter for the couple’s decision. “Besides their respective families, even the Chief Minister will be shown supporting their choice,” says Bhatt.

The build up to the wedding will go on for three weeks, featuring different ceremonies. The channel also plans to include audience’s views in the celebrations by running a contest in which they can send their wishes for the couple. Four messages from all four regions of India will be chosen and the winners will get a chance to be special guests at the wedding.

Ekta Kapoor turns down reality show Declines offer to judge dance show Nach Baliye; doesn’t want to be part of jury panels

Ekta Kapoor turns down reality show

Declines offer to judge dance show Nach Baliye; doesn’t want to be part of jury panels

From page 1 Television reality shows may be giving tough competition to soap operas, Ekta Kapoor's prime domain, but the producer herself is in no mood to indulge in them. In fact, news is that she even turned down an offer to judge the popular celebrity dance reality show, Nach Baliye 5, recently.
“A few days back, the makers contacted Ekta about the dance show but she politely declined. She has been getting offers to judge shows for the past 10 years but Ekta has never been interested enough to feature in any of them,” says an insider close to her.

At the same time, we also heard that the soap queen would rather do a reality show that revolves only around her. “She doesn't want to be part of the usual jury panels which usually feature on these shows. She feels that she still needs to get into shape to be on camera,” says the insider.
It’s believed that Ekta has been impressed by the way her close friend Karan Johar entered the TV world. “Karan was always the centre of attention on his chat show, Koffee With Karan. And she loved the way he handled everything on it. In fact, Ekta called a few of his close friends when she got the Nach Baliye offer, but all of them advised her against taking up it up,” adds the insider.

Despite repeated attempts to call her, Ekta remained unavailable for comment.

Sonakshi Sinha spills the beans on her reputation for always being on time, just like Big B and Akshay, being a workaholic and her love life

‘You can call me at 3 am’

Sonakshi Sinha spills the beans on her reputation for always being on time, just like Big B and Akshay, being a workaholic and her love life

Bollywood stars have infamous reputations for never being on time. Fame and punctuality just don’t seem to mix somehow. But not if your name is Sonakshi Sinha.
Apparently, the young actor has earned herself quite a reputation for her professionalism. “Someone once told me that after Amit uncle (Amitabh Bachchan) and Akshay (Kumar), I’m the only punctual one. I felt privileged that my name was taken in the same breath as theirs. I’m always on time. You can call me even at 3 am and I’ll be there.” She adds, “I also take minimum time to get ready. Ask any of my directors and producers and they will agree.”
Punctuality aside, Sonakshi has also delivered at the box office. Her debut film, Dabangg (2010), became part of the R100 crore club, as was her next, Rowdy Rathore, earlier this year. Though her third release, Joker, nosedived, Sonakshi is positive about her next, Son Of Sardar (SOS).

About her role, she says, “It’s one of the most fun characters I have played so far. I play a sweet, talkative, happy Punjabi girl.”
With the number of film projects she’s juggling currently (Dabangg 2, Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai 2 with Milan Luthria and Timgmanshu Dhulia’s Bullet Raja among others), does she consider herself a workaholic? “Yes, I am. I wake up and think of work and I’m working most of the day.”

Ask her if that has left her with no time for a real-life romance, and she says, “Love will happen eventually. I can’t force it and neither can I push it away. Right now, I’d rather have people talk about my work.”

The family to make their first silver screen appearance in Besharm; however, they will play unrelated characters in the film

STARRING: MOM, POP AND RANBIR

The family to make their first silver screen appearance in Besharm; however, they will play unrelated characters in the film

When news about Rishi and Neetu Kapoor joining the cast of Ranbir Kapoorstarrer Besharm came out recently, it was assumed that the trio would play a family in the film as well. However, the three actors who will make their first on-screen appearance as a family with this Abhinav Kashyap film will play unrelated characters.

Rishi and Neetu Kapoor with son Ranbir A source close to the film reveals, “Abhinav narrated the script to Rishi and Neetu just a few days ago and the couple really liked the story. They are playing very important roles and not just making special appearances. Also, their characters have no connection to Ranbir’s, who is in the lead.”

Though the makers haven’t revealed any details on the film, it is likely to go on the floors by the end of this year. “Abhinav is very particular about keeping the story from leaking out. The script is completely guarded and not a word is known to anyone. To have three huge talents from one family is a big achievement. And he’s making sure that everything works out fine.”
Besharm, which is produced by Reliance Entertainment, will be Abhinav’s next film after the Salman Khan blockbuster, Dabangg (2010). Pallavi Sharda of Love Breakups Zindagi (2011) fame will be playing the leading lady.

Ajay returns Salman’s favour, donates KBC prize money to Being Human

Ajay Devgn and Salman Khan seem to have become great friends. It was only a while ago that Salman took time out from his busy Dabangg 2 schedule to shoot a song titled ‘Po po’ for Ajay’s upcoming film, Son Of Sardar (SOS). Thrilled with the gesture, Ajay has now reciprocated it in a big way. The actor and his co-star Sonakshi Sinha recently shot for an episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), and very generously donated their prize amount to Salman’s charity, Being Human. KBC host Amitabh Bachchan wrote on his blog along with a picture of the episode: “And as you can see had the lead pair of Son of Sardar their latest film on release — Ajay Devgn and Sonakshi Sinha, who came over to play for Salman Khan’s charity Being Human at KBC and Sonakshi teaching us a few elementary dance moves from the film (sic).” We’ve also heard that Salman was the one who made Ajay hear the song he’d shot for, a long time ago. So when the latter asked Sallu if he could use the song, he readily agreed. Reports also suggest that later, Ajay returned the favour by giving away Sonakshi’s dates for SOS promotions to Salman’s Dabangg 2 shooting.

Akshay’s tournament sports big price tag Actor will spend a whopping R3 crore on his annual martial arts tournament this year

Akshay’s tournament sports big price tag

Actor will spend a whopping R3 crore on his annual martial arts tournament this year

Akshay Kumar has a black belt in Taekwondo. He’s also studied martial arts in Bangkok and followed it up with Muay Thai lessons. It’s no wonder then that the actor started his own martial arts tournament a few years ago.

Akshay Kumar displays his judo skills Now, as the Akshay Kumar International Invitational JudoKarate Championship enters its fourth year, we’ve heard that he’s investing even more time and money into this venture — the latter being pegged at a reported R3 crore.

“The championship is very close to Akshay’s heart. Since he started his career with karate and martial arts, he doesn’t mind spending the money if he has the wherewithal to do it. Also, in a country where the entire focus is on cricket, this is his way of popularising karate and giving people from the hinterlands a big opportunity. Last year, he spent around R2 crore, but since the tournament has become bigger now, the expenditure has gone up to R3 crore,” says an insider, adding, “Akshay will personally attend the tournament. He has already taken out time from his schedule.”
The tournament is to be held from November 7-10 at Andheri Sports Complex, with 5,800 participants (there were 4,300 last year), 400 referees and 8-10 rings. “The prize money has also been increased from R18- 20 lakh to R25 lakh,” claims the insider.
Like the previous years, accommodation, food and participation are free for all athletes, including those from countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, UAE and Japan. When contacted, Akshay remained unavailable for a comment.

American heiress, along with Shane Warne, Liz Hurley, Mike Tyson and Padma Lakshmi on shortlist to enter reality show this season

Paris Hilton in the House?

American heiress, along with Shane Warne, Liz Hurley, Mike Tyson and Padma Lakshmi on shortlist to enter reality show this season

After giving the show a family-oriented twist this season, the makers of Bigg Boss are now gearing up to add one international name to the mix.

Liz Hurley, Shane Warne, Mike Tyson and Padma Lakshmi The channel, Colors, has approached seven global celebrities, one of whom will appear on the show for a few days. An insider reveals, “There are seven celebrities who have been approached, including Paris Hilton and actor Julia Roberts. The other names are actor Jackie Chan, boxer Mike Tyson, television host Padma Lakshmi, retired Australian cricketer Shane Warne and his fiancée, actor Liz Hurley.”

Apparently, some Pakistani celebrities were approached too. “But the channel wants to play it safe. Also, two other Indian personalities will also enter the house in early November. One of the international names will be finalised as per their availability and fee. The production house and channel hope to lock the name in two weeks and bring the celebrity to India by the end of November,” says the insider.
In the previous two seasons, Baywatch actor Pamela Anderson, former Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds and sumo wrestler Yamamotoyama have appeared on the show. They stayed in the house for three and seven days and one day respectively.

Earlier, in season two, late Jade Goody — infamous for her racial slurs against Shilpa Shetty on the UK’s Big Brother show — had stayed on

John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra set to reprise veteran actors’ chartbuster; PC’S first item number to be shot in January

AMITABH-REKHA REVISITED

John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra set to reprise veteran actors’ chartbuster; PC’S first item number to be shot in January

Be it with her sexy ‘desi girl’ moves in Dostana (2008) or more recently in Agneepath, Priyanka Chopra has proved that she can dance. But while she has danced in her own films, she’s never really done an item number. Until now.
Priyanka is now confirmed for an item song for Sanjay Gupta’s Shootout At Wadala (SAW), starring John Abraham. Priyanka and John will revisit a classic Amitabh Bachchan-Rekha song: the yesteryear hit ‘Salaam-eishq’ from Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978).
The song will see Priyanka reprising Rekha’s bit from the original song, while John emulates Amitabh. “Don’t be surprised if the item number reminds you of Bachchan and Rekha’s yesteryear hit,” says an insider from the unit. In the song, John will also reprise the ‘Jumma chumma de de’ song from Hum (1991). The insider adds, “The ‘Jumma chumma’ portion will have a different setting — a kotha and not a dockyard.”
The song will be shot in January. “Sanjay and Ekta (Kapoor, producer) are keeping things under wraps. They haven’t decided on the choreographer yet,” says the insider. “The number will merge mujra with tapori dance, like Bachchan’s moves in Hum. We will also see traces of ‘Apni toh jaise taise’ from Laawaris (1981).”

Bipasha Basu was earlier supposed to do the item number, but Priyanka is now confirmed to replace her (John was apparently not comfortable dancing with his ex-girlfriend). PC and John, however, share a good relationship, having worked together in Karam (2005), Dostana and 7 Khoon Maaf (2011).
“Before agreeing to do the song, Priyanka watched the film and was impressed by it,” adds the insider.
Although PC says that “till now” she’s not doing any (item) song, sources insist she has agreed in principle but will hear the final version of the song next week.

Gupta remained unavailable for a comment.

A week after Yash Chopra’s death, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has confirmed that the filmmaker died because of dengue fever

Dengue was the cause of filmmaker’s death: BMC

Confirmation takes this year’s dengue toll to 4

A week after Yash Chopra’s death, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has confirmed that the filmmaker died because of dengue fever and its complications. Chopra’s death brings the toll of dengue deaths to four this year.

MAHENDRA PARIKH/HT (Above) BMC health officials had found mosquitoes breeding in the fountain at Yash Raj studios on October 23. Chopra, 80, died last Sunday after developing complications of bacterial pneumonia and dengue that led to multi-organ failure. Civic officials went through Chopra’s medical records before confirming the dengue death.
“Chopra developed secondary infections after dengue, which soon developed into sepsis. He had fever, headache, and breathlessness for three days before being admitted to the hospital. He was taking treatment, but he didn’t respond well to it. He died during a very short span of illness, which can be only attributed to his old age,” said a state health official, on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
Chopra had no history of diabetes or hypertension.

October has seen the maximum number of dengue cases this year. Till Monday, the number of dengue cases recorded this month was 250, compared to 189 last month.
“This year, the condition of a lot of patients has been deteriorating within one or two days. Any patient with fever cannot be ignored even for a day. We are getting even younger patients with serious complications such as drop in platelet count,” said Dr Nivedita Moulick, head of medicine, Sion Hospital.
In many cases, patients are found to be suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome or hepatitis
“Two of my patients are on ventilator currently. This year, we are seeing complications develop within three to five days of fever, even in young patients. The only treatment for dengue is to hydrate them and monitor their platelet level,” said Dr Shahid Barmare, consultant physician, Kohinoor Hospital, Kurla.
Dr Barmare said that senior citizens or people who have a compromised immune system such as diabetics, people suffering from renal failure, or any other disease should visit the doctor soon in case of fever, as their condition can deteriorate faster.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

Use mosquito nets and mosquito repellents
Cover water storage tanks to prevent breeding of mosquitoes
Clear odd articles, junk and scrap lying in your compound or on the terrace

Ensure that there are proper outlets in your compound to avoid water stagnation
Observe ‘dry day’ once a week by draining water from decorative fountains, both indoor and outdoor drums and wiping them once a week to break the breeding cycle of mosquitoes
Empty water in the dishes kept under flowerpots at least once a week.

Kajal Aggarwal

If you had an option, which film would you have picked as your debut? I couldn’t have asked for a better debut than Singham, one of the biggest all-time grossers.
Sexiest actors in Bollywood? Salman [Khan] and Hrithik
[Roshan]. What is the best thing about
Bollywood/Tollywood? The fact that the Hindi and south industries share their pool of
talent. That makes it one One director big Indian you want film industry. to work with?
Mani Ratnam. One classic that you would have loved to be a part of?
Mughal-e-Azam. The last line of your autobiography would read…
“And this is my story.”
A dessert that describes you. Warm chocolate mudcake and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. What do you prefer – a little black dress or a black saree? Both actually. Depends on the occasion and the company.
What is your fondest memory? Eating ice cream in the rain at Marine Drive.
Your last meal would be?
Dessert.
An item number you would do? I find item numbers very catchy and would love to do something soon.
One song that describes your current state Moves of mind. Like Jagger.

One I am gadget not a you gadget love to person. flaunt?
Your favourite mobile applications?
Zomato and Between.
Your dream destination?
The Caribbean islands.
Who is your 3am friend? My sister Lajja Sanghavi and my best friend Nisha Aggarwal.
What’s on your bedside table? A bottle of water, the book I’m reading, foot moisturiser, TV and AC remote controls.
The last time you had a bad hair day?
Yesterday.
What makes your day? Sweet morning SMSes from the people I love.
What spoils it?
Delays.
You destress with?
Music, conversations, massage.

Model was in heavy debt Bidushi borrowed cash after hubby didn’t pay medical bills

Model was in heavy debt

Bidushi borrowed cash after hubby didn’t pay medical bills

The mystery surrounding the death of 23-year-old model Bidushi Dash Barde has deepened, as it was revealed that the starlet was allegedly under heavy debt, having borrowed money from several friends in the film industry for her medical treatment. Five days after her murder, the police are still clueless as to whether Barde was murdered, or died accidentally after falling on a glass showcase.
The police have said that that Barde and her husband, Kedar, were having regular arguments for the past few months over her medical treatments. Kedar initially gave money to his wife for her treatment, as she was suffering from high blood sugar levels and other ailments. However, he soon stopped giving her the required money.
“Barde then started borrowing money from her friends in the film industry for her treatment,” the police said. “She even had debts wherein she owed Rs60,000 to a hotel in Seven Bungalows, Andheri, for food. The hotel owner had visited her two days ago, asking for his money to be paid. Barde also owed a model coordinator Rs25,000, who was also continually messaging and calling her to repay her debts. He had even messaged her on the day of her death, as well as the day after that, regarding the same payments.” The police added that Barde was also stressed about her lack of progress in the film industry.
Barde’s dead body was found at her residence at Manish Garden building in Four Bungalows, Andheri (west) on Monday around 9pm when her husband returned from his job. She was lying in a pool of blood in the passageway between the bathroom and bedroom, and several wounds were found on her cheek, neck and chin.
Police are questioning Barde’s husband Kedar, but are yet to arrive at any definitive clues. CCTV footage revealed that on the day of her death, Kedar had left home at 7.40am, and messaged his wife at 8.11am. He swiped his ID card at his office in Nariman Point at 8.52am. Barde had called a neighbouring medicine shop in Four Bungalows as well, asking what time they would open. When they said they wouldn’t open till 9.30am, Barde disconnected the call.
The police has not yet given Kedar a clean chit, and are also questioning several other model coordinators and people who were in touch with the couple. On Friday, the police recorded Kedar’s mother’s statement.
The final postmortem report on Friday suggested that Barde had multiple injuries on her neck and one deep injury in the same area. “The injury marks could be due to sharp object, but it is not clear that any weapon was used,” said a police official.

Ali gears up to kick butt Romance and comedy apart, the actor is beefing up for his next outing in an action film

Ali gears up to kick butt

Romance and comedy apart, the actor is beefing up for his next outing in an action film

He has done a spate of romantic comedies so far, but actor Ali Zafar is now gearing up to kick some serious butt. He is training hard to get into the action mode. “I have been a big action buff. As a child, Superman and Batman were my favourite heroes and I loved watching Avengers,” confesses Ali who is said to be doing the Hindi remake of Vettai. But Ali refuses to divulge any details saying, “I have an action film in the pipeline is all I can say and it’s exciting to move away from comedy and romance.” Tell him that it is difficult to imagine him beating up goons and he retorts, “I have already done action in my music video Aag and also a commercial with Nargis Fakhri. Now, I am beefing up for my role.”
He may be readying to flex his muscles, but comedy remains his forte. He has recently signed another romcom Aman Ki Asha with Yami Gautam. It is being directed by Neeraj Pandey and will go on the floors next year. “Before that I have Chasmeh Buddoor. I am thrilled with the way it has shaped up,” says Ali who reprises the role played by Farooque Shaikh in the original. “I had seen the original film, still when David (director David Dhawan) narrated his take on it I cracked up,” says Ali who has brought a little naughtiness to his character. “We have changed a lot of things and made it contemporary but have kept the essence intact,” reveals Ali.
The singer-turned-actor is also concentrating on his new album which will be a fusion of traditional and modern music. “I make music for personal satisfaction and love experimenting. It will be an amalgamation of Sufi kalam and alternative music,” says Ali who recently was part of a world record in Lahore where a massive crowd of 70,000 people sang the National Anthem.

Actor Hema Malini shares her filmmaking plans; also talks about being sexy at sixty

‘Have no intentions of producing another film soon’

Actor Hema Malini shares her filmmaking plans; also talks about being sexy at sixty

“After the crazy madness that I had to go through with Tell Me O Kkhuda, I have no intention of producing any film soon,” says actor-filmmaker Hema Malini, when asked about her next production venture. The actor who was attending a wellness book event by author Namita Jain was in high spirits as she interacted with the audience and cracked jokes.
When asked about who she finds sexy at sixty in the industry, she quips, “Close to my age group I would say is Rekha. Then there is Zeenat (Aman) as well. But in terms of men I feel there is no one left in their sixties, everyone has reached there 70s!” So what does being ‘sexy’ mean to her? “To be born as a woman is a gift of God. A woman has the right to look beautiful everyday for the rest of her life. To me, sexy is another way of saying beautiful, but in a more enhanced way. Dharamji still calls me sexy everyday!”
Hema also revealed her mantra to stay fit and healthy. “Always think positive. This approach will affect your life in a much better way. There is sometimes happiness, sometimes sadness, in life, but you have to live with it. Positive thinking will keep your mind at peace and in turn it will help your health and your fitness level on a high note. Another thing that I swore by is yoga and spirituality. Look at my role model Vyjanthimala. She is around 75, but till today she is so fit. And she also dances so beautifully and gracefully. Performing continuously for one-and-a-half hour at that age is something totally commendable. Dancing requires so many movements, and its very difficult to go through that. But she does it with so much of grace,” says Hema.
Though Hema denies going ahead with any new production venture, she is really excited about the sequel to Yamla Pagla Deewana. “The film is shaping up beautifully. They are shooting in London right now. He (Dharmendra) called me to say that everything is going smoothly and the film is looking good,” adds Hema. “But I don’t feature in the film,” she clarifies. Ask her about her Diwali plans and she responds, “Nothing special, it’s the usual. But Esha (Deol) is being taken on a trip by Bharat (Takhtani), so she is really looking forward to it.”

Industry kids do have it easier’ ...says actor Prachi Desai, who confesses that being an outsider, she has to be extremely careful with choosing roles

Industry kids do have it easier’

...says actor Prachi Desai, who confesses that being an outsider, she has to be extremely careful with choosing roles

Actor Prachi Desai has come to be associated with quite a few successful films in Bollywood — from Rock On!! to Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai to the more recent Rs100-crore comedy Bol Bachchan, among others. But while riding high on her hits, Prachi reveals that it’s never been easy. “There’s a lot of pressure on choosing the right roles, especially if you are a non-industry kid,” she admits. Talking about her non-film background, the actor says that though she doesn’t feel like an outsider completely, it is hard for her to forget that she’s here without any filmi connections or a Godfather! “I think industry kids do have it easier in comparison. They come in as known names. Plus, there are always people ready to pick them up even if they fall along the way. Unfortunately, outsiders do not get those many chances. They have to keep proving themselves over and over again, until they get that one earth shattering role that’ll break away all divides. I always have to be careful in my choice of films. Luckily they’ve all worked so far, but I still can’t take it easy,” she smiles.
Point out that they have all been rather different each time, and she quips, “That’s the whole idea. I’d rather let four films go by, than sign up for something that I’m not convinced about. And thankfully, I’m in a position where I can pick and choose and wait if I want to for that right role,” shares Prachi. Having come from a TV background with a certain ‘beti-bahu image’, the struggle to break away from it hasn’t been easy either. “My popularity on TV did make me a recognised name, but it wasn’t easy getting rid of that baggage when it came to being cast in films. It’s not just audiences, but even filmmakers get swayed by the on-screen image. That’s why, I decided to do films that are diametrically opposite to what I did on the small screen,” she adds.
Currently shooting for the Sanjay Dutt starrer action thriller, which is a remake of South hit Samy, Prachi says that she sports a very earthy look. “The film has rural tones, while my other film I, Me, Aur Main (with John Abraham) sees me in a complete urban and hip avatar. These differences are exciting. I’d hate to bore myself or the audience doing the same thing over and over again,” she quips. But what role is she closer to? “I’m definitely the pataka I play in Samy remake, but I am just as urbane as my character in I, Me Aur Main. I’m more of an urbane pataka, I’d say. Definitely not the docile girl I played on TV,” laughs Prachi.

Celina Jaitly shifts from Dubai to Singapore Her seven-month old twins Viraaj and Winston will reportedly stay in India with her mother for a short while

Celina Jaitly shifts from Dubai to Singapore

Her seven-month old twins Viraaj and Winston will reportedly stay in India with her mother for a short while

Celina Jaitly and her Austrian hotelier husband Peter Haag will be shifting from Dubai to Singapore. Our source says, “Celina is currently in Mumbai. Her sevenmonth-old twins Winston and Viraaj are with her.
She will leave the twins behind with her mother in Indore because she and Peter are in the process of setting up their new home in Singapore.” One hears Celina will commute between Mumbai and Singapore because of her Bollywood film assignments and her endorsement work.

Celina Jaitly with her husband Peter Haag

LIV is located above Khyber restaurant in Kala Ghoda, south Mumbai.

Raid at SoBo pub, 21 booked

The MRA Marg police raided a pub, LIV pub, for violating the Bombay Police Act by functioning beyond the stipulated time. LIV is located above Khyber restaurant in Kala Ghoda, south Mumbai. Over 150 persons, including foreigners, were taken to the police station for inquiries. The police managed to book 21 among them before an argument started by advocate Archit Jaikar and his friend Hritik Bhasin gave the remaining an opportunity to escape. Police are seeking legal advice to ascertain whether the license of the pub should be cancelled. The raid was conducted around 2.30am on Saturday after police received a tip-off. “We booked the management and the people who were present at the pub. Vehicles were called in to transfer 150 people to the MRA Marg police station,” said deputy commissioner of police (zone 1), Ravindra Shisve. Shisve further said that these persons were booked under bailable sections of the Bombay Police under which the person can be released after paying a fine of Rs1,200. The police had completed action against 21 persons, including seven women, when Jaikar and Bhasin came to the police station. “The duo got into an argument with the policemen. Using this as an opportunity everyone except the 21 booked fled from the police station,” an officer from MRA Marg police station said. This action has landed Bhasin and Jaikar in trouble as the MRA police have booked them for assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty (section 353), voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty (section 332) and criminal intimidation (section 506 ii) of the Indian Penal Code.

Times Celebex, India’s first, most definitive and scientific ranking system for Bollywood actors launches today, with Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor taking the number one positions

LAUNCHING INDIA’S FIRST CELEBRITY RATING INDEX

Times Celebex, India’s first, most definitive and scientific ranking system for Bollywood actors launches today, with Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor taking the number one positions

    With the destinies of Bollywood’s movers and shakers changing every Friday, to assess star ratings is no easy feat. And that’s where the Times Celebex powered by zoOm! is going to make a difference. The rating index is based on several measurable parameters, including the stars’ Box Office performance, their ability to stay in the news across print, TV and online; their brand endorsement, and their popularity among fans on the internet and social media. And all these will be cumulatively taken together to assign them a final rank called the ‘T Score’. Times Celebex is a scientific and robust ranking system based on data collected from 200+ publications and 250+ TV channels, making it the first ever ranking system for Bollywood. The September ‘T score’ is based on the star’s performance at the box office over the last two years along with their media visibility during the month of September 2012. While the first rating is based on September 2012 numbers, the next rating will be announced in the first week of January 2013 and will thereafter be a monthly rating.
    Bollywood ka reigning king finished first with the highest T Score, due to his superhits Dabangg, Ready, Bodyguard and his latest 190+ crore grosser Ek Tha Tiger. Further, Bigg Boss added to Tiger Khan. He is the highest searched actor on the Internet with 1.1 cr searches, and a superstar of the social media. Bas ek hi hai Salman!
    From her stunning looks to her I-care-a-damn attitude, Kareena Kapoor makes it to the number one position. Ra.One and Bodyguard were massive box office grossers. Heroine saw a good opening at the BO. She endorses 32 brands, and her highlypublicised wedding to Nawab Saif Ali Khan made it to the headlines of all media, taking her visibility to an absolute high.

Salman Khan