Film Industry

Eat
Thursday
wassup!
Your weekend diary
Out Of the Blue presents Express
Lunch on Mondays, Tuesdays and
Thursdays 12.30-4 pm. Indulge in a
sumptuous buffet spread consisting
of a soup, six salads (vegetarian and
non-vegetarian), over five varieties
of main course and an assortment
of desserts. Call 25717344.

To add a bit of flavour, Manchester
United Café Bar introduces special
Ladies Night. Head to MUCB at
Malad tomorrow. The women
patrons will be
offered free
unlimited
cocktails
between 7pm-
9pm. There are also
a wide range of
cocktails to choose from
with the likes of Bond Babes,
Red Lips, Aphrodisiac and Sex on
Pattaya Beach on the menu. Call
61960300.

Friday
CVADO1502, the first ‘Chocolate
Tasting Club’ in India brings the
widest variety of exquisite fresh
European chocolates delivered to
your home. Membership to this
exclusive club will start you off on
the journey to becoming a true
chocolate connoisseur. Each box,
full of fresh chocolate creations, is
specially crafted by master
chocolatiers from across the world.
Visit
www.CVADO1502.com or call
65111502.

Indulge in a New Cocktail Menu at
Elbo Room, Khar, which has
introduced a range of love cocktails.
Get in touch with us at afterhrs@dnaindia.net
Enjoy hot and dry martini, peach
daiquiri, bellinitini, Pretty Princess
martini, Champagne Dream Martini,
Anarita and more. Call 26483316.
Rejuvenate yourself at the Spa
Lunch at Out of the Blue, Khar.
Sampple a buffet with a whole lot of
salads made of exotic ingredients,
choicest dips, assorted breads,
main course and a dessert counter.
What makes this lunch exciting is a
relaxing foot or hand massage that
can be enjoyed over a special spa
concoction such as a Blue Berry
Cucumber cooler and other spa
drinks or just a nice glass of wine
while you sit back, sip and get
pampered. Each guest takes home
special spa gifts like luxury
magazines, spa products and more.
Call 26003000.

Saturday
Enjoy unlimited authentic gourmet
kebabs at Soul at Svenska Design
Hotel, Andheri. The offerings
include
Subz Seekh, Tandoori Aloo/
Gobi, Murgh Tangdi, Seekh, Tikkas,
Barrah
and Nalli Kebabs, all freshly
prepared in the open interactive
kitchen on skewers in traditional
tandoors and sigris, accompanied
by a variety of fresh breads,
delicious chutneys and the all-time
favourite
Dal Makhni. Call
44310000.

Sunday
This summer, Cinnabon is not only
heating things but is also cooling off
with some delectable liquids.
Starting April, Cinnabon is offering
four limited-time flavours of
specialty blended beverages. Enjoy
the refreshing hand blended frozen
beverages called ‘Chillatas’. These
refreshingly indulgent drinks are
available in several flavours
— Mango, Chocolate, Caramel and
Strawberry.

Saptami the multi-cuisine all day
dining restaurant at Holiday Inn
Mumbai International Airport,
Andheri, has introduced a Sunday
brunch which besides offering a
large variety dishes also offers a dip
in the open air rooftop infinity pool.
Some of the main course dishes
include Butter Chicken, Pla Rad pric
(Thai fish in oyster coriander sauce),
Ma Di  Dal, Paneer kofta saagvala,
Sukke Dum aloo
, Lasagne Verdura,
Hare Moong ki khichidi, Chicken
Kapsa (Arabic style Chicken
Pulao),
among others. Call 40851800.

Footsie with flowers!

They say shoes can make or break your look. For those who love to look fashionably right, flower power is where it’s at, right now

If you’re the kind to believe that shoes can make or break a look, and want to be sync with the latest footwear, then petals-on-your-patents are the statement this spring. The soaring and unpredictable heat of this spring-summer is being countered by floral explosion in the shoe market. Yes, shoes are flaunting their flower power. Floral prints like delicate blossoms and vivid, oversize flower patterns on high heeled pumps to flats instantly boost the feet accessory. Says designer Ana Singh, “Floral is in big time this season. Till now floral prints have been used on dresses, jackets, jumpsuits, but now you can make a funky statement by also adding a dash of floral element on your shoes. It can be worn with monotone dresses or casuals, uplifting the monotony of daily wear. But it is necessary that one looks out for the right motifs and prints in floral designs as they should not overpower or underplay the look.” Shoe designer Rohan Arora agrees that floral prints on footwear effortlessly blend with a party dress or casual wear. “Being Spring/Summer, the floral motif is most apt for the season. Especially in bright shades of pink, red, greens teamed with maybe a miumiu printed dress or the white shirt-blue jeans combo. It’s the perfect way to beat the summer heat,” he says. The best part about floral footwear is that it is young, fresh and also chic if carried off rightly. “A great way to add funk to a black mid-length dress is by pairing it with big bold floral print pumps. The burst of colours lend a floral elegance to your party wear. As it has multitude of colours, floral prints match any number of solid colours. Bold prints look fantastic, when worn with white, black etc. So I will say that let the hunt for the floral shoes begin...”adds designer Debarun Mukherjee.

Preity’s turned script-writer!

The actor has co-written the script for her debut production and will be seen sharing the credit with director-writer Prem Soni

Actor Preity Zinta’s upcoming film Ishq in Paris not only marks her debut as a producer, but insiders reveal that the film even sees her make a debut as a script-writer. “Yes she has co-written the script of the film and it is for the first time that she has tried her hand at it,” confirms an insider, revealing that she will be seen sharing her name with director and writer Prem Soni in the credit roll as well. “Preity has been extremely involved in the film right from the scripting stage, but her having co-written the script was not something that many were aware of,” adds the source. The film sees the actor return to the big screen after a hiatus close to four years, barring her two cameos that she made in between for Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. Shot in Paris, the film has a mix of Bollywood as well as French actors. In fact, the buzz even led to the film being labeled an Indo-French venture. However, insiders insist that it’s a hardcore Bollywood mainstream romantic film. It’s also being rumoured that the film is a rip-off of films like Sunrise, Sunset and Family Man, but the source denies it.

Dippy’s big brand leap

The actor has apparently renewed an endorsement deal for an astronomical amount, trade experts expect ripple effect in the industry to follow

Buzz is rife in the industry with reports of actor Deepika Padukone apparently being paid an astronomical price of Rs five crore for renewing a contract of the product that she has been endorsing for the past four years now. Market harpers point out that it’s probably one of the highest remunerations being paid to an actress for renewing a brand contract here. An insider reveals, “A recent study showed that Deepika’s advertising campaign had increased sales by 15 per cent giving the company and the brand an edge in the category. This is what prompted us to sign her for the next year at a hiked price.” Trade points out that the hike is bound to have a ripple effect in the industry for sure. “This will not go unnoticed and it won’t be surprising to see several other actors now demand a similar hike for their own brand endorsements. Whether, the brand will bow or not will depend, but right now, the moolah being doled out to Deepika is certainly grabbing attention,” feels an ad insider. While detractors point out that such an exorbitant amount is absurd, trade analysts point out that her stocks are expected to skyrocket in the months to come. “She has a film with South superstar Rajinikanth, Kochadaiyaan, which is her trump card. Even apart from that, her film Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani with Ranbir Kapoor and Cocktail with Saif Ali Khan up her stakes here in Bollywood as well. Also irrespective of the fate of her films she has consistently been bagging big banner films that will work in her favour,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

Acting and me? Why not!

Filmmaker Karan Johar reveals his interest in turning actor; but says, won’t make a film for himself

If filmmaker Karan Johar seems to be smiling more than usual these days, he certainly has enough reasons to do so. The producer’s had two back-to-back hits in the first two months itself, with one of them, Agneepath, kickstarting the 100-crore bankroll at the box office this year, and has a host of releases lined up ahead. And while buzz of the filmmaker teaming up with actor Hrithik Roshan again for his ambitious big-screen adaptation of the book The Immortals of Meluha with the star, apparently, playing Shiva refuses to die down, the filmmaker insists it’s too early to talk about it. “We are still in the initial stages and nothing has been finalised yet, let us first decide on director, screenplay, and all that, then the casting will begin,” says Karan. “The nature of the story is such that it needs extreme attention to detailling. It needs to be mounted on a huge scale and a really large magnitude is required to do it complete justice,” he adds. But just as there’ve been talks of him working with Hrithik again, there’ve also been rumours of Johar not wanting to work with actor Priyanka Chopra. “If there’s a role that suits her, we will work together again,” says KJo dismissing the rumours. But he is quick to add that he however doesn’t see himself creating a role just to cast the star either. “We just don’t do that, that’s all. It’s always the role that decides the actor,” he insists. And is good friend actor Shah Rukh Khan an exception? “I’ve always said that Shah Rukh is the brother I never had. He knows me pretty well to not expect it and I know him well enough to not take advantage of that,” he smiles. The filmmaker, however, admits that he is often inspired for his characters by the streaks that the star shows, and is hoping to soon direct him again. For now though, he is busy and in middle of many things. The producer in him is proud of his bouquet of assorted films right from Dostana sequel to Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, while as a director, his focus is completely on his upcoming film Student of the Year (SOTY), apart from prepping up as the host for the next season of his chat-show on TV. Is there no temptation to direct one of the other films himself. “No,” Karan is quick to reply. “The film is their vision, and I trust them with it,” he adds. As for his own vision, the filmmaker says they are trained at making films that move people. “Whether it’s making them laugh or cry, our point is to make sure that they carry home the characters long after leaving the theatres. We are trying to strike that odd balance between path-breaking and entertaining. The industry is in a really interesting phase for all — audience, filmmakers and actors. And are there plans to turn actor? “I would love to act. If I get an interesting role I will definitely take the plunge. I don’t see myself making a film starring myself though. I want to be directed by other filmmakers. I am waiting for the right role.”

Wedding bells for Rani, finally?

Actor Rani Mukerji, of late, has been spotted making public appearances with rumoured beau, filmmaker Aditya Chopra. Is marriage in the offing?

Actor Rani Mukerji, who’s been linked to filmmaker Aditya Chopra for the past couple of years, has know to be rather guarded about her personal life. But of late, she seems to have thrown caution to the wind and has been spotted with him, the first of one such instance being while returning with Aditya and his family after New Year celebrations abroad. More recently, she was apparently in London to celebrate her birthday, and was spotted with the filmmaker there. Does all this mean that the day is not far for the rumoured couple to announce their wedding date? It may be recalled that last year, Rani’s father had announced that she will get married in a year’s time. And now it looks like Rani is playing the dutiful daughter and may have finally agreed to tie the knot. A source from the industry says, “Rani has always been a private person and all these years, she has maintained that. There have been numerous reports suggesting Adi and she were a couple, but she never responded to any. Though she hasn’t spoken now either, it is quite a clear indication that she is ready to come out in the open. It would be impossible to click a picture of Chopra, but now he is pretty okay being photographed, and that too, with Rani around. He did not run for cover when photographers had a field day. This time, however, things are pretty serious. By the looks of it, they may soon announce their marriage.” Rani, who has been shooting with actor Aamir Khan for Talaash, was apparently keen that she bring in her birthday with Aditya, so buzz is, she squeezed out some time from her schedule and flew to London. Chopra, who’s assisting his father, filmmaker Yash Chopra in shooting his next film in London, apparently spent some quality time with Rani. “The one big step for them is that Aditya’s family has also given the nod to the couple. Rani’s family, too, is keen that she gets married at the earliest. In all probability, marriage is around the corner. It is just a matter of time until they talk about their relationship publicly,” adds the source. m_sneha@dnaindia.net

Fashion in their DNA

Three generations — Zarine Khan, Farah Khan Ali and Fizaa — give us a sneak peek into their love for design, and what dinner table conversations of the creative bunch are usually like

Jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali, mother, interior designer Zarine Khan and daughter Fizaa, who at seven is already aiming her toddler sights on a career in designing, are three generations of women, who aptly describe themselves as strongly individualistic and ambitious, yet loving and nurturing. Laughs Farah, “We are a creative bunch, but our tastes are quite different. If we were to head out to shop for a particular item, we’d choose completely different things. Luckily, we manage to find a middle path.” Zarine echoes her daughter’s sentiment, saying, “Yes, we know how to mould to the other’s taste.” Known primarily as an interior designer, Zarine says that her love for design extends to clothes too. “I love dressing up and dolling others too. I pick up the best fabrics from my trips abroad and design outfits for myself. I’m constantly glued to channels dedicated to fashion and I’ve had the opportunity to chat with the likes of Roberto Cavalli in person,” she says, while explaining her love for fashion. Zarine is all set to launch a new fashion store to fuses her two ‘p’ashion — clothes and interiors. Grand-daughter Fizaa can’t contain her excitement at her grand-mom’s venture as it’s been named after her. Farah observes that at seven, her daughter should not really have an opinion on most subjects, but Fizaa is strong willed and she has no choice but to bow down to beti’s choices in clothes. “Fizaa knows exactly what she wants. I don’t know if she’ll give me a hard time when she grows up, but she is always giving me her opinion on what I should wear,” smiles Farah. Zarine feels that her granddaughter already has the makings of a supermodel, “I’m not sure that’s the career her mom wants her to concentrate on though,” she laughs. Dinner table conversations at home, reveals Zarine, will remind people of an Italian family. “We’re constantly updating each other on the latest in our fields of design, running over each other’s conversations and laughing. We’re always there for each other,” says Zarine proudly.