Abhishek is my Mr. Right: Sushma HTTabloid.com New Delhi, November 3, 2005
His female fan mail is rising every second but there is one actress who finds Abhishek so hot that she is even ready to spend the rest of her life with him!
Model-turned-VJ-turned-actress Sushma Reddy has come a long way in the industry. After receiving rave reviews for her acting skills in Chocolate, where she plays a neurotic girl, she has revealed that she is looking for her "Mr. Right" and nobody less than Bachchan junior would do for her.
"Yes, I want a man in my life but I have no time to look for one! And unless it's Abhishek, I don't think there is anyone in the film industry who I feel is my Mr. Right. To add more, he is also my dream co-star," she quips.
The actress admits that she needs to settle down but due to her busy schedule she is not getting the time to find her soul mate.
"There is no other happiness like spending time with the one you love. At present, I have my sister Sameera who is my bosom buddy. We often talk about our Mr. Rights but we are so tied up with our jobs that there is hardly any time left to look for someone. As far as I am concerned, there is so much of work that most of my time either goes in travelling or shooting and in such a situation it is very difficult for me to look for someone who I can understand as much as he understands me," she says.
Marking her acting debut with Chocolate, Sushma feels that she is not fit for mainstream cinema as she looks forward to different kinds of character roles like the one she has played in Chocolate. "There are many actresses who I look up to as my milestones. Rani Mukerji is one of them. I think she is an actress who doesn't need to make any effort as far as acting is concerned. It seems that acting comes very naturally to her. I make sure that I don't miss any of her films," she says.
By IndiaFM News Bureau, November 3, 2005 - 22:27 IST
SaReGaMa-HMV is ready to launch the music of two upcoming movies in the weeks to come. First it will be Pooja Bhatt's Holiday on the 15th of November starring Dino Morea, Onjolee Nair and Kashmira Shah. The next launch will be of the much awaited Bluffmaster on the 17th of November starring Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Priyanka Chopra and Nana Patekar in pivotal roles.
Not surprisingly, various distributors and brands across the world are keen to host premieres of Rohan Sippy's 'Bluff Master', releasing worldwide on December 16th.
It seems there are proposals from Malaysia, Australia, Mauritius, South Africa, UK and India for premieres and star visits by Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra. Let's see which of the countries gets lucky!
Enter your vote today! A new poll has been created for the
Abhishek-Online group:
What does Abhishek look sexy in?!!
o Suits (Formals)
o Jeans n T's (Casual)
o Kurtas (Indian Formal)
o Anything under the moon ;)
To vote, please visit the following web page:
http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/Abhishek-Online/polls
Note: Please do not reply to this message. Poll votes are
not collected via email. To vote, you must go to the Yahoo! Groups
web site listed above.
Thanks!
Priyanka – crush on many men – love with none Pam Bhandari Nov. 2, 2005
Priyanka loves men - especially Bollywood men. But she is in love with no one.
After strong rumours of a torrid affair with ace actor Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra has landed in another controversy.
According to Bollywood's inside sources, the former Miss World was getting pretty cozy with current heartthrob Abhishek Bachchan during the shooting for their next movie Bluffmaster, being directed by Rohan Sippy.
So, what exactly is the truth of the matter? Priyanka spills the beans herself. "I don''t know who has started off these rumours. I am not seeing Abhishek Bachchan. I know he is a very good guy and wonderful co-actor also. Neither am I in love with him nor do I have any crush on him," she says.
Abhi's email: this is what janice got off an interview of Abhi's: abcl@...
have added it to the link's section as well!
varsha n <egurl_7@...> wrote:
hey janice,
try to make it yaar n hey i dint get n e such emaial id pls send it na......
thanx
love,
varsha janpunk <janpunk@...> wrote:
hey varsha and all u guys
i just read the msg about going to abhi house on his b day .I cant check my yahoo mail i hv a virus in in my comp i can only get abhishekonline thank God i can get this . It sounds like a good idea but my prob is my work i told neetu too that my boss doesnt like taking holidays.If its a saturday or sunday then its ok.
so lets see ok will let u know.hope my yahoo mail works i cant check any of the messages u send.Hey you guys copied the email address of Abhi .I got it from an interveiw he did .
Abhishek is taking a two-day break from the New York schedule of Karan Johar's 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna' and apart from shooting for a Bachchan's special episode of 'Kaun Banega Crorepati -2 ' Abhishek will also shoot for a music video that will mark his debut as a pop artiste. He is doing the number, 'Right Here, Right Now'.
The film, styled by Aki Narula, will feature this season's ultimate style statement, the diamond-studded knuckle duster (as can be seen in the accompanying picture).
AB Jr, Shah Rukh Khan spend `quality time' together
Shah Rukh in spite of his aura and stature seems to be getting along well with all his younger adversaries. All earlier rumours of his rift with his so-called competitor Hrithik Roshan were squashed when the two walked around town like best friends, appeared on television with their wives and were seen going on family holidays. When news of Hrithik going to become a proud father became known and even after his accident, it was SRK who made the first call.
SRK is currently shooting with present hot property Abhishek Bachchan for Karan Johar's Silsila remake Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. Apparently, the two get along like a house on fire and share that famous wry sense of humor that both are known for. In fact the leading ladies of the film, Rani and Preity are constant victims to the guys' jokes and pranks. At a time when directors are often worried about the clashing egos of
heroes, Karan Johar must be one happy man!
Perky Preity works hard, parties harder Diganta Guha/HT City Kolkata, October 28, 2005
For nearly two months now, Preity Zinta has been elusive. While everyone’s been talking about Salaam Namaste back home, the leading lady of the film has been away from it all.
From end August, she was shooting for Shirish Kunder’s Jaaneman with Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan in New York. She is now filming Karan Johar’s Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna in that city. The amazing actor took time off from her busy schedule to talk to HT City.
It was 11 pm IST in Kolkata, but Preity - on a lunch break in New York - was in the mood to chat over the phone. How was New York treating her? "Great. The weather was a bit rough for some time but otherwise it’s been terrific," says Preity, who last shot in the city for Nikhil Advani’s Kal Ho Naa Ho. But she is "dying to get back home" having missed Dusshera. She left for the US in the last week of August and will not be back for Diwali either. "The Jaaneman crew is back, only I am left behind," she says a little petulantly. But veer the conversation back to KANK and she’s her bubbly self again. It is Preity’s first film with Karan, who himself is making a comeback in the hot seat after almost four years. Touted to be a family drama, KANK also has Amitabh Bachchan in a pivotal role.
"I think he (Karan) is brilliant, amazing and he has given me the chance to do something really different in the film. But don’t ask me anything else about the film, I’m not allowed to say," says the actor.
Apart from work, she is having loads of fun on the sets with pals Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan and, of course, Karan. "Working with Shah Rukh once again is fun. I started my career with him and then went on to do films like KHNH and Veer-Zaara. The only person I have not worked with before is Abhishek," she says.
Has it been work, work and only work? "The first two months was all work. I’ve done some shopping too," pat comes the reply.
A conversation with Preity is incomplete without talking about Salaam Namaste, one of the biggest hits this year. "It is a big hit. We worked very hard in Australia and it is also the quickest film I have ever done," she says. “It was a very open film dealing with a bold subject - live in relationships. I am really delighted that it has worked,” says Preity, adding that she herself is committed to marriage rather than living in.
She has had two super-hits in a row — Veer-Zaara and Salaam Naamste (ignore the forgettable Khullam Khulla Pyar Karen). "Touchwood," is all she will say. Preity is back in India in the first week of December.
An inside look By: Shradha Sukumaran October 30, 2005
Antar Mahal Director: Rituparno Ghosh Cast: Rupa Ganguly, Abhishek Bachchan, Jackie Shroff, Soha Ali Khan Rating: *** ½
Antar Mahal is in a different language than Ghosh's last film Raincoat, and not just literally.
As Ghosh moves back to Bengali with Antar Mahal, and a canvas less intimate than two lovers on a rainy afternoon, other dialects seep in — superstition, power play, oppression, humour, eroticism. With these, and his nuanced characters, the director fashions a moving, ironic story that resonates long after its climax.
Antar Mahal stars recognisable actors, but as 1878 Bengal unfolds, Shroff becomes the decadent landlord and Bachchan, the mysterious sculptor.
The zamindar is seeking power on various levels. He wants an heir, so he takes a child bride Jasomati (Khan). He
wants a title, so he decides that his Durga Puja this year will send a statement out to his British rulers — the goddess will have the face of Queen Victoria.
The tableau is set when the Bihari sculptor Brijbhushan enters the house eight months into the zamindar Bhubaneswar's second marriage. In his greed, the zamindar sinks deeper into ridiculous superstition and the events spiral out of his control.
Antar Mahal is titled after the inner chambers, in which the women of the house are caged, like their pet birds. The first wife Mahamaya (Ganguly) is an old hand at subtle games, but all she wants is her position restored as the zamindar's wife. Jasomati knows that she is just a womb, but struggles within her gilded confines.
As the Durga Puja builds up, so do their private miseries. Brijbhushan laces the story with overt eroticism, but the desires he awakens also bring the castle of cards down.
Antar Mahal does
move leisurely, but Ghosh's narrative is seductive, enhanced by beautiful cinematography (Abhik Mukhopadhyay).
Bachchan is the quiet, watchful trespasser, but his character is the spark to the powder keg.
Shroff and Khan work hard at their roles and are convincing. Ganguly is that sit-up-in-your-seat character — she captures every shade. She's hard one minute, fragile the next. She moves in tandem with Antar Mahal; dark humour and deep pathos.
Abhishek Bachchan not doing sequel of 'Sholay'? 01st Nov 2005 18.32 IST By Agencies
It was considered one of the biggest stories in recent times when Ram Gopal Varma casted Abhishek Bachchan as Veeru in his sequel of the legendary classic Sholay . But now things seem to be different.
Rumors are that the junior Bachchan has opted out of Varma’s remake on 'Sholay'. Reason behind this is cited to be Abhishek’s commitment to Mani Ratnam for their first English film, due to which he is not able to adjust his date diary for Ramu.
There was widespread excitement about watching the father-son pair of Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek pitted opposite each other as Gabbar and Veeru, but it appears that this may not become a reality after all.
One just hopes that the date hassles are sorted out and the original starcast is retained for all the action.
Official comments from Varma, Abhishek and Ratnam are still awaited!
Rituparno once again casts his magic with ‘Antarmahal’
Kolkata: Acclaimed Bengali director Rituparno Ghosh cast his magic again with the release of his new movie ‘Antarmahal’ this week.
Produced by AB Corp, ‘Antarmahal’, starring Abhishek Bachchan, Soha Ali Khan and Jackie Shroff, takes you back to 19th century Bengal. It is a story about the corruption of power and sexual jealousy; a story about the lengths to which superstition and despair drives a man.
The film is based on Tarashankar Bandopadhyay’s novel ‘Protima’ about a zamindar’s obsession with a male child and his two marriages towards that end. It has the younger wife ‘Chotobou’ as the main protagonist, played by Soha Ali Khan, who goes through the whole gamut of oppression from child marriage to marital rape and then searches for sexual identity outside her marriage.
“For the first time I have done something which is not just relationships or not just interpersonal psychological transaction, but also has a firm social base to it
and it captures history of colonial India in several layers,” said Ghosh at the premiere show here.
Veteran actress Jaya Bachchan makes a comeback with her new-found role as producer, and is thrilled to produce the film with Vasu Bhagnani.
“I am happy that I produced the movie along with Vasu Bhagnani. It’s good and I believe that more Hindi speaking film producers should come in and contribute in good films,” said Jaya.
The
binding story, scintillating sets, intense acting, and cinematography kept the audience glued to their seats.
“Soha Ali Khan was looking beautiful throughout the movie. She had a lot of resemblance to her mother Sharmila Tagore, like in those of Devi days. Sets were really nice and the end was really unexpected,” said Avik Bhattacharya, a movie buff.
The film received rave reviews at the Locarno Film Festival and Jackie Shroff as the zamindar received wide accolade.
Rituparno Ghosh, who stepped into the world of films from the advertising world, is referred to as an heir to Satyajit Ray.
Rituparno once again casts his magic with ‘Antarmahal’
Kolkata: Acclaimed Bengali director Rituparno Ghosh cast his magic again with the release of his new movie ‘Antarmahal’ this week.
Produced by AB Corp, ‘Antarmahal’, starring Abhishek Bachchan, Soha Ali Khan and Jackie Shroff, takes you back to 19th century Bengal. It is a story about the corruption of power and sexual jealousy; a story about the lengths to which superstition and despair drives a man.
The film is based on Tarashankar Bandopadhyay’s novel ‘Protima’ about a zamindar’s obsession with a male child and his two marriages towards that end. It has the younger wife ‘Chotobou’ as the main protagonist, played by Soha Ali Khan, who goes through the whole gamut of oppression from child marriage to marital rape and then searches for sexual identity outside her marriage.
“For the first time I have done something which is not just relationships or not just interpersonal psychological transaction, but also has a firm social base to it
and it captures history of colonial India in several layers,” said Ghosh at the premiere show here.
Veteran actress Jaya Bachchan makes a comeback with her new-found role as producer, and is thrilled to produce the film with Vasu Bhagnani.
“I am happy that I produced the movie along with Vasu Bhagnani. It’s good and I believe that more Hindi speaking film producers should come in and contribute in good films,” said Jaya.
The
binding story, scintillating sets, intense acting, and cinematography kept the audience glued to their seats.
“Soha Ali Khan was looking beautiful throughout the movie. She had a lot of resemblance to her mother Sharmila Tagore, like in those of Devi days. Sets were really nice and the end was really unexpected,” said Avik Bhattacharya, a movie buff.
The film received rave reviews at the Locarno Film Festival and Jackie Shroff as the zamindar received wide accolade.
Rituparno Ghosh, who stepped into the world of films from the advertising world, is referred to as an heir to Satyajit Ray.
Rituparno once again casts his magic with ‘Antarmahal’
Kolkata: Acclaimed Bengali director Rituparno Ghosh cast his magic again with the release of his new movie ‘Antarmahal’ this week.
Produced by AB Corp, ‘Antarmahal’, starring Abhishek Bachchan, Soha Ali Khan and Jackie Shroff, takes you back to 19th century Bengal. It is a story about the corruption of power and sexual jealousy; a story about the lengths to which superstition and despair drives a man.
The film is based on Tarashankar Bandopadhyay’s novel ‘Protima’ about a zamindar’s obsession with a male child and his two marriages towards that end. It has the younger wife ‘Chotobou’ as the main protagonist, played by Soha Ali Khan, who goes through the whole gamut of oppression from child marriage to marital rape and then searches for sexual identity outside her marriage.
“For the first time I have done something which is not just relationships or not just interpersonal psychological transaction, but also has a firm social base to it
and it captures history of colonial India in several layers,” said Ghosh at the premiere show here.
Veteran actress Jaya Bachchan makes a comeback with her new-found role as producer, and is thrilled to produce the film with Vasu Bhagnani.
“I am happy that I produced the movie along with Vasu Bhagnani. It’s good and I believe that more Hindi speaking film producers should come in and contribute in good films,” said Jaya.
The
binding story, scintillating sets, intense acting, and cinematography kept the audience glued to their seats.
“Soha Ali Khan was looking beautiful throughout the movie. She had a lot of resemblance to her mother Sharmila Tagore, like in those of Devi days. Sets were really nice and the end was really unexpected,” said Avik Bhattacharya, a movie buff.
The film received rave reviews at the Locarno Film Festival and Jackie Shroff as the zamindar received wide accolade.
Rituparno Ghosh, who stepped into the world of films from the advertising world, is referred to as an heir to Satyajit Ray.
Karan Johar just can’t do without her. In New York, shooting for his new film, a stressed-out, anxious Karan laughs at the very mention of Jaya aunty. “She’s a darling… almost a second mother,” he says.
“And I know how upset she is with me, because she isn’t part of my film’s cast, while Amit uncle and Abhishek are. I can’t help it; there was no role she could fit into. I know she had small roles in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Kal Ho Na Ho, but they were characters substantiated by Jaya aunty’s presence. This time, I just couldn’t find a place for her.”
When told about Karan’s regret, Jaya laughs. “I’ve been grumbling about not being part of Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna. I feel left out; Karan is like Abhishek to my husband and me. I can’t imagine not being part of anything he does.”
While Amitabh Bachchan proceeds to New York to join Abhishek and
Karan, Jaya leaves a day earlier to be part of the UN assembly; she’ll be staying in the same hotel as Karan’s unit. “I am sorry,” apologises Karan. “It will never happen again. I don’t think I’ll ever make a film without Jaya aunty.”
Incidentally, before Karan’s father Yash Johar passed away, he had asked Bachchan to take his place in Karan’s life. “We’re one family,” Karan says about the Johars and Bachchans.
Aseem Chhabra in New York | October 31, 2005 22:31 IST
Bombay Jen and her friend Paul Meidinger were insistent. I had to go with them to the lobby bar of a hotel in midtown Manhattan to watch the stars of Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna.
They had heard from an Indian photographer that the stars hung out at the bar after the day's shoot. The photographer had told them it would be easy to see the stars late in the evening.
Jen and Meidinger are two white Americans, Bollywood fanatics who have driven two times in the past two weeks all the way from the western edge of Pennsylvania to New York City -- roughly a 1,300 km round-trip journey -- to act as extras in Johar's film and to be in the presence of their beloved stars.
I tried to talk them out of going to the bar. I am a respectable journalist, I said. I interview movie stars, directors and other film personalities. I do not stalk them late in the evening, I pleaded.
But Jen and Meidinger would have none of that. To make matters worse, they also convinced an American friend of mine -- photographer Preston Merchant -- to come along with us. Merchant has spent a substantial time in India and other parts of the world photographing the Indian Diaspora. And he too is a huge Bollywood fan.
Jen made me promise I would not mention the name of the hotel where the stars of KANK were staying. "Nobody knows the hotel," she said to me. "Really," I asked, because I thought everybody knew the hotel. All Indian film personalities stay there. I have interviewed everyone from Subhash Ghai to Deepa Mehta there. And just two weeks ago I saw Arjun Rampal standing outside the hotel in the middle of the afternoon as heavy rain fell on the streets of Manhattan.
But maybe Jen was right. So, to respect the privacy of the stars, I will not mention the name of the hotel.
It was a cold rainy night. We got to the lobby of the hotel around 10 pm. On the television, the Houston Astros were loosing to the Chicago White Sox in the third game of the baseball World Series. The bar was crowded with guests of the hotel. But there were no Bollywood stars.
We ordered drinks and settled in a relatively quieter section of the bar. Jen started sharing her experiences of being an extra on KANK.
She has a strong connection of the soul with Abhishek Bachchan, she said. A day earlier, during a lull moment in the shoot, she had walked up to Bachchan Junior and given him material about her guru Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda. The young actor was gracious and he took the material from her.
She gave her business card to Johar as he walked past her with food in his mouth. And she bowed with her hands folded, as she suddenly faced Shah Rukh Khan. The superstar had returned the greeting with a bow, Jen said.
She also chatted with Rani Mukerji's and Khan's bodyguards. Because of their appearances, she referred to them as Ben Affleck and Iceman (after the Val Kilmer character in Tony Scott's Top Gun).
Our East European waitress told us that the Rampal was sitting in the bar a few days earlier. "But he is a married man," she said. "I am not interested in him. I want to meet the old man from Black [Amitabh Bachchan]." She could always tell when Khan entered the hotel lobby. "I can tell when I hear young girls screaming," she said.
"Oh my god, there is Karan Johar," Jen yelled out. The bar was loud and Johar did not hear her. But I jumped up to check out the director. Dressed in blue jeans and a light jacket, he stood by the door. He appeared to be talking to someone on the cell phone. And then he walked through the revolving doors and headed to the East Side of Manhattan.
Back in the bar, Meidinger and Jen offered to give us free readings. Meidinger is a psychic and an aura reader and Jen reads tarot cards. Soon I was engrossed in my psychic reading and Jen had the cards laid out as she was talking to Merchant.
"Shah Rukh Khan, Shah Rukh Khan," she suddenly yelled out excitedly, pulling Merchant and me out of the realm of spirits and auras and throwing us back into the reality of Bollywood.
Indeed, Khan was walking past the lobby, followed by his two kids, an entourage of nannies, and a man. There were no screaming young girls to welcome them. The star and his group stood looking out of the glass doors of the hotel. The rain had stopped.
Merchant and I leapt up. By this time Khan was standing on the sidewalk outside the hotel. Merchant and I stood by, pretending to be talking on our cell phones. It was a strange feeling. Khan was standing right beside me, and I acted cool -- as if I had no idea who he was.
Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw Khan put his cigarette between his lips as he bent down to zip up his daughter's pink jacket. It was a touching moment. The human face of Bollywood's most popular movie star -- Khan the real life father.
Soon Khan and his entourage walked past us, heading in the same direction as Johar. I looked up at Merchant, barely able to speak. My heart was beating fast and he told me that his knees were shaking. Although he had hoped to see his heartthrob Preity Zinta, Merchant had made eye contact with Khan and the actor had given him a weak smile.
We walked back into the hotel and right behind us an SUV pulled up. The tall lanky Abhishek Bachchan stepped out of the vehicle. Dressed in jeans and a long leather jacket, with fur coming out of the collar and his sleeves, Bachchan walked through the lobby and headed to the elevators.
Jen could not contain her excitement, but she did not walk up to Abhishek. She did not want to come across like a hysterical stalker. Instead, she grabbed my arm and kept repeating Bachchan's name until the actor was out of our sight.
Ten minutes later, Abhishek was back in the lobby -- this time with just a t-shirt and jeans and a couple of young women and men walking behind him. Jen recognized them as the film's crew members. They considered stepping out, but the street looked real cold. So they headed to the hotel's restaurant.
Half an later, I was ready to go home. I decided to stop by the restroom before we left the hotel. But my trip to the restroom was cut short as I nearly walked into Mukerji as she was coming out of the restaurant with Abhishek and their friends. All I remember of that moment was how short Mukerji looked in front of Abhishek and that she had glasses on. Maybe I also saw a smile on her face.
I walked back to my friends. I had enough of this exciting evening. Stalking Bollywood stars can be exhilarating. But I would much rather stick to interviewing them.
Aseem Chhabra in New York | October 31, 2005 22:31 IST
Bombay Jen and her friend Paul Meidinger were insistent. I had to go with them to the lobby bar of a hotel in midtown Manhattan to watch the stars of Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna.
They had heard from an Indian photographer that the stars hung out at the bar after the day's shoot. The photographer had told them it would be easy to see the stars late in the evening.
Jen and Meidinger are two white Americans, Bollywood fanatics who have driven two times in the past two weeks all the way from the western edge of Pennsylvania to New York City -- roughly a 1,300 km round-trip journey -- to act as extras in Johar's film and to be in the presence of their beloved stars.
I tried to talk them out of going to the bar. I am a respectable journalist, I said. I interview movie stars, directors and other film personalities. I do not stalk them late in the evening, I pleaded.
But Jen and Meidinger would have none of that. To make matters worse, they also convinced an American friend of mine -- photographer Preston Merchant -- to come along with us. Merchant has spent a substantial time in India and other parts of the world photographing the Indian Diaspora. And he too is a huge Bollywood fan.
Jen made me promise I would not mention the name of the hotel where the stars of KANK were staying. "Nobody knows the hotel," she said to me. "Really," I asked, because I thought everybody knew the hotel. All Indian film personalities stay there. I have interviewed everyone from Subhash Ghai to Deepa Mehta there. And just two weeks ago I saw Arjun Rampal standing outside the hotel in the middle of the afternoon as heavy rain fell on the streets of Manhattan.
But maybe Jen was right. So, to respect the privacy of the stars, I will not mention the name of the hotel.
It was a cold rainy night. We got to the lobby of the hotel around 10 pm. On the television, the Houston Astros were loosing to the Chicago White Sox in the third game of the baseball World Series. The bar was crowded with guests of the hotel. But there were no Bollywood stars.
We ordered drinks and settled in a relatively quieter section of the bar. Jen started sharing her experiences of being an extra on KANK.
She has a strong connection of the soul with Abhishek Bachchan, she said. A day earlier, during a lull moment in the shoot, she had walked up to Bachchan Junior and given him material about her guru Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda. The young actor was gracious and he took the material from her.
She gave her business card to Johar as he walked past her with food in his mouth. And she bowed with her hands folded, as she suddenly faced Shah Rukh Khan. The superstar had returned the greeting with a bow, Jen said.
She also chatted with Rani Mukerji's and Khan's bodyguards. Because of their appearances, she referred to them as Ben Affleck and Iceman (after the Val Kilmer character in Tony Scott's Top Gun).
Our East European waitress told us that the Rampal was sitting in the bar a few days earlier. "But he is a married man," she said. "I am not interested in him. I want to meet the old man from Black [Amitabh Bachchan]." She could always tell when Khan entered the hotel lobby. "I can tell when I hear young girls screaming," she said.
"Oh my god, there is Karan Johar," Jen yelled out. The bar was loud and Johar did not hear her. But I jumped up to check out the director. Dressed in blue jeans and a light jacket, he stood by the door. He appeared to be talking to someone on the cell phone. And then he walked through the revolving doors and headed to the East Side of Manhattan.
Back in the bar, Meidinger and Jen offered to give us free readings. Meidinger is a psychic and an aura reader and Jen reads tarot cards. Soon I was engrossed in my psychic reading and Jen had the cards laid out as she was talking to Merchant.
"Shah Rukh Khan, Shah Rukh Khan," she suddenly yelled out excitedly, pulling Merchant and me out of the realm of spirits and auras and throwing us back into the reality of Bollywood.
Indeed, Khan was walking past the lobby, followed by his two kids, an entourage of nannies, and a man. There were no screaming young girls to welcome them. The star and his group stood looking out of the glass doors of the hotel. The rain had stopped.
Merchant and I leapt up. By this time Khan was standing on the sidewalk outside the hotel. Merchant and I stood by, pretending to be talking on our cell phones. It was a strange feeling. Khan was standing right beside me, and I acted cool -- as if I had no idea who he was.
Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw Khan put his cigarette between his lips as he bent down to zip up his daughter's pink jacket. It was a touching moment. The human face of Bollywood's most popular movie star -- Khan the real life father.
Soon Khan and his entourage walked past us, heading in the same direction as Johar. I looked up at Merchant, barely able to speak. My heart was beating fast and he told me that his knees were shaking. Although he had hoped to see his heartthrob Preity Zinta, Merchant had made eye contact with Khan and the actor had given him a weak smile.
We walked back into the hotel and right behind us an SUV pulled up. The tall lanky Abhishek Bachchan stepped out of the vehicle. Dressed in jeans and a long leather jacket, with fur coming out of the collar and his sleeves, Bachchan walked through the lobby and headed to the elevators.
Jen could not contain her excitement, but she did not walk up to Abhishek. She did not want to come across like a hysterical stalker. Instead, she grabbed my arm and kept repeating Bachchan's name until the actor was out of our sight.
Ten minutes later, Abhishek was back in the lobby -- this time with just a t-shirt and jeans and a couple of young women and men walking behind him. Jen recognized them as the film's crew members. They considered stepping out, but the street looked real cold. So they headed to the hotel's restaurant.
Half an later, I was ready to go home. I decided to stop by the restroom before we left the hotel. But my trip to the restroom was cut short as I nearly walked into Mukerji as she was coming out of the restaurant with Abhishek and their friends. All I remember of that moment was how short Mukerji looked in front of Abhishek and that she had glasses on. Maybe I also saw a smile on her face.
I walked back to my friends. I had enough of this exciting evening. Stalking Bollywood stars can be exhilarating. But I would much rather stick to interviewing them.
Bollywood stars in the US on Diwali day! 01st Nov 2005 18.45 IST By ApunKaChoice Bureau
Bollywood’s most famous stars won’t be home to celebrate the festival of lights this year.
Every year, the Bachchans open their doors to friends and well-wishers on the Diwali day. But this year, there is going to be no celebration at the Bachchan residence because the entire family – Amitabh Bachchan , Jaya Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan – are
in New York.
While Amitabh and Abhishek are shooting for Karan Johar ’s movie Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna , Mrs. Bachchan is there to attend the UN assembly.
In fact, Mrs. Bachchan said she was glad at not celebrating Diwali at home this year because she considers it “cruel to celebrate” when so much devastation has happened in South Asia following the quake and the recent Delhi blasts.
Apart from the Bachchans, actress Priyanka Chopra , too, will be in the US on Diwali. She also won’t be celebrating because her dad is ill.
Anil Kapoor , too, will be in New York with his
daughter Rhea on Diwali.
Actress Urmila Matondkar is also likely to be working in the US on the day. After all, work is also worship.
It's all about partying, spending time with family even if means travelling across continents, but for some the festival of lights will also be spent working. Here's what our stars will be doing on Diwali:
Amitabh Bachchan: "Diwali is a big occasion for us... Every year we''ve an open house. We throw our doors open for all our friends and family. This year both Abhishek and I will miss Diwali at home. We''ll both be shooting for Karan Johar in New York."
Hema Malini: "This Diwali, I won''t be home. I''m planning to go to Bangkok to join my daughter Esha who's shooting there. Nov 2 is her birthday. And naturally I''d want to be with her. So I suppose we''ll have a double celebration for Diwali and her birthday."
Priyanka Chopra: "My dad is ill. So I''ll be spending Diwali with him in the US. Not a very happy Diwali for me."
Jaya Bachchan: "I''ll be in New York attending the UN assembly. My husband and son will be shooting in New York for Karan Johar's film. So there will be no Diwali at our home in Mumbai. To be honest, I''m glad. With all the devastation that has happened it seems cruel to celebrate Diwali. Children have suffered so much. I''d rather do something to diminish their distress than celebrate Diwali."
Adnan Sami: "The best way to spend Diwali is with family and friends. And that's exactly what I plan to do."
Bindiya Dutta: "This is the first Diwali that we''re celebrating in Mumbai in the last three years. The last two Diwalis, JP (Dutta) and I were in London with our two daughters. So we feel a little out of the loop. JP isn''t a very Diwali kind of person. He has his group of close friends whom he likes over every Diwali. They don''t get all noisy and boisterous. They just chill basically, have dinner, relax and talk till the wee hours. But our kids have many noisy plans. They''re doing up an entire room, decorating the house with Diwali idols and figurines. The whole atmosphere in our office and at home is very charged because JP has started his new film ''Umrao Jaan''. So yes, I feel very excited and happy this Diwali."
Vipul Shah: "Though we''ll have our normal celebrations, Shefali and I are going to be out of Mumbai. We''ll be going out with a college friend to a small beach resort near Mumbai. Since I''m well into my next film this is the only time I''ll have to take a holiday with my wife and kids."
Sammir Dattani: "I was supposed to go on a cruise with my entire family this Diwali. But now I''ll have to stay back because my film ''Corporate'' will start. Anyway Diwali will be a whole lot of fun. Since I don''t have any close friends in the film industry, my close group of college and school friends and I will get together for a whole lot of masti."
Sonu Nigam: "The best way to celebrate Diwali every year is to be at home with my parents. That's exactly what I intend to do this year too."
Urmila Matondkar: "No Diwali at home for me this year. I''ll be working. I''ll probably be on stage dancing in the US when everyone back home will be lighting diyas and bursting crackers. But I''m not complaining. There can be no bigger joy than to be entertaining thousands of people as they applaud you for your efforts."
Anil Kapoor: "This Diwali I''ll be in New York with my daughter Rhea."
Nikhil Advani: "Since the shooting of my film ''Salaam-e-Ishq'' is around the corner I''ll be working on the dialogues with Sourabh Shukla on Diwali. Work is worship, I guess."
Madhur Bhandarkar: "Diwali? With my wife Renu, my mother and close friends, counting my blessings. My new film ''Corporate'' has just started to roll. I''ve a lot to be thankful for."
Dino Morea: "For Diwali I''ll be shooting in Goa for ''Tom Dick & Harry''. All three of us and director Deepak Tijori will do both Pooja and Aarti, and light diyas at the same time."
Lara Dutta: "I''m heading for Bhutan For Diwali."
Suneel Shetty: "Diwali means family, period... My parents, wife and kids. If I''m out of town, I call them to wherever I am and we celebrate together. This year I''m home for Diwali. Lots of pooja, masti and fun. Both my son and daughter love crackers. And as long as their Papa is with them they aren''t frightened."
Smriti Malhotra-Irani: "I suppose we''ll have the usual Laxmi pooja and then the fireworks. What makes Diwali really special every year is the family get-together. This is the one time when we get to be together in such a happy atmosphere. This Diwali is more special than usual because both our children are old enough to understand the importance of the festival. They''ll be painting diyas and pots with their Nani and helping her make chocolates. So yeah, I guess this Diwali is more special than the rest."
Bipasha Basu: "I celebrate Diwali with family and friends. I just like to spend quality time with them. I''ll have Laxmi pooja at home. No crackers and certainly no gambling for me, thank you! But I indulge in a loads of yummy delicacies, including sweets. I''m sure my new figure-conscious mind can take it for one day."
Raima Sen: "If the entire family is together we have dinner at home and then we light diyas and have our family dinner... It's one of the highlights of the year for us. However, if one or the other member of the family is travelling then the festivity seems unfinished. This year I think all of will be together except my sis who's travelling. I guess that leaves my parents all for me. Not such a sad thought, ha!"
Raveena Tandon: "This is our first Diwali with our little Laxmi Rasha. Our daughter has brought my husband Anil and I the kind of happiness which cannot be described. Since this is Rasha's first Diwali, we''ll make sure it's the most memorable Diwali we''ve ever celebrated."
Sameera Reddy: "I''ll be shooting. But I''ll be taking the evening off for pooja with the family."
Yashraj swaps heroines SUBHASH K JHA MUMBAI MIRROR
Preity to work with Bunty Aur Babli’s Shaad Ali, Rani with Salaam Namaste's Siddharth Anand
While these actors continue to work amicably under the same banner, being Yashraj, they choose to switch places in these constraints. We are referring to Preity Zinta and Rani Mukherji who have swapped directors and co-stars in the forthcoming Yashraj films. While Preity goes from Siddharth Anand's Salaam Namaste to Shaad Ali's next (with Abhishek Bachchan) Rani hops over from Shaad Ali's Bunty Aur Babli to Siddharth Anand's next which will star Saif Ali Khan.
Commenting on this, Siddharth says, “Saif and I have become close friends. I had co-written Hum Tum and served as the associate director on that project. At that time Saif had told me that he'd be in my film whenever I directed one. So after Salaam Namaste it was Saif and no one else. And although I'd
have loved to work with Preity again, I'm thrilled about Rani doing the film. We got along famously during Hum Tum.”
Siddharth intends to start shooting the film in May and wrap up by August. But he hasn't started writing the script as yet. “But I know what I want to do with Saif and Rani. Even for Salaam Namaste, I got the principal cast and characters in place before I wrote out the script,” he says. His Saif-Rani starrer will be shot abroad at one go that too. "This time it will be a city in the US. And the film will be very different in theme, look and mood from Salaam Namaste,” he promises.
The 27-year old director candidly admits to Salaam Namaste not doing as well as he had expected in India. “Though it was a fabulous money-spinner abroad -the biggest ever in Australia - at home it disappointed in single theatres. It did well in the multiplex theatres. Before the release I was constantly asked if it was similar to Hum Tum. I told everyone to wait and see. Now I'm sure people would want to know if my
next film resembles Salaam Namaste.”
Siddharth is aware that Salaam Namaste wasn't as big as Yashraj Films' other product Bunty Aur Babli at the local box office. “But you've to understand my film had none of the Bachchans and no item song by Aishwarya Rai. But it's the massy kind of cinema I grew up watching. Mr Bachchan is my idol. But I'll direct him only when I've something worthy of him.”
Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji in ‘Ganga Ki Saugandh’ Remake?!
Shabana Ansari Tuesday, November 01, 2005 19:33 IST
The remake season in Bollywood is in full swing with Amitabh Bachchan starrers being the favourite on the list. So, after ‘Don’, ‘Sholay’ and ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, the next Bachchan blockbuster to get a new lease of life is ‘Ganga Ki Saugandh’.
Farrah Dibaa, the wife of late filmmaker Sultan Ahmed who directed and produced the dacoit drama in 1978, has ambitious plans for the remake version. “I am hoping to rope in Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji in the lead roles played by Amitabh and Rekha respectively while Rajkumar Santoshi is my first choice as director,’’ she says. Farrah, who took over the reins of Sultan Productions after her husband’s demise in 2002, has a budget of Rs 10 crores in mind for the remake.
She adds that she is will approach the actors and the director after her small budget flick ‘Husn - Love and Betrayal’ hits the marquees in November. The diminished appeal of dacoit dramas in the time of slick, glossy films is no deterrent to Farrah who intends fine-tuning the 1978 production to cater to modern tastes. “I will discuss the details with the director after the cast and crew is finalised,’’ says Farrah who wants to be involved in the film right from the scripting stage to its completion.
Abhishek, Akshay and Anil in a soccer film By: Sandipan Dalal November 1, 2005
Agnihotri has employed a big combination of actors for a second time in an attempt to exploit “the star factor”.
The cast boasts of having Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar playing the leads while Anil Kapoor and Sunil Shetty don strong supporting roles. As far as the leading lady is concerned, talks are on with Preity Zinta and Priyanka Chopra. The buzz is that the director is not stressing on music this time, unlike his first baby.
A source informs, “Vivek wanted to do something very different this time. It’s more of an emotional film that tries to present a slice of life. Soccer has never been dealt well in Hindi cinema although cricket has been drawing lot of attention from the Bollywood directors.”
When quizzed about the soccer-film Vivek Agnihotri refused to divulge any information citing the clauses in his contract. Says Agnihotri, “You have to wait for UTV to make a formal announcement, which they plan to do after Diwali. I’m bound
by contract and cannot comment.”
Suniel Shetty to play dacoit in 'Umrao Jaan' Mumbai | November 02, 2005 9:15:06 AM IST
Things haven't really been going too smoothly for Suniel Shetty. While his career seems to be in a state of flux, Suniel's domestic life has also been pretty turbulent.
His father suffered a paralytic stroke and his wife Mana too suddenly became paralysed from waist downwards.
"It was a ruptured back. Don't ask me how she got it. We're still wondering. Fortunately Mana had emergency surgery in the nick of time. Now she's back on her feet," Shetty said.
"My dad too is recovering fast. For a while I seemed to be going through the worst phase of my life. Fortunately the clouds have started lifting and my life too seems to be back on an even keel," Shetty told IANS.
To signal his bright phase, Suniel has just been signed to play the pivotal role of bandit Faiz Ali in J.P. Dutta's version of "Umrao Jaan".
Suniel is the third male lead for the film after Abhishek Bachchan and Arshad Warsi.
"I guess it's one of the signs of changing times in my life. To work with J.P. saab is almost like coming home for me. I can never say no to him. And he can never refuse me a role.
"I thoroughly enjoyed being part of his war trilogy 'Border', 'Refugee' and 'LOC'. And now I'm looking forward to seeing what JP does in a costume drama."
This would be Suniel's first film with Aishwarya Rai, not counting the ill-fated "Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke" where Suniel was paired with Ash for the first time.
"It was a really beautiful film... almost like an Indian 'Sound Of Music'. Shashilal Nair, one of my favourite directors, was doing it. And another huge favourite Gulzar saab had written lovely songs. I wish it hadn't been shelved. I'm glad I'm finally doing another film with Ash."
Suniel is doing a film with Priyadarshan, another favourite director, which UTV will produce, and Subhash Ghai's "Shaadi Se Pehle" directed by Satish Kaushik.
"Both are crazy, crazy films, absolutely endearing. The best thing is I don't have to worry about having a girl opposite me. I've reached a stage in my career where such considerations have become irrelevant."
About his last release, the ensemble curiosity "Chocolate", Suniel says:
"Sure, there were a whole of lot of us actors in the film. But each one of us had a definite role. I was certainly not there just for the heck of it.
"'Chocolate' was always aimed at a metropolitan audience. It cannot be seen as a mass-oriented film. I'm happy with the way it performed."
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Marking her acting debut with Chocolate, Sushma feels that she is not fit for mainstream cinema as she looks forward to different kinds of character roles like the one she has played in Chocolate. "There are many actresses who I look up to as my milestones. Rani Mukerji is one of them. I think she is an actress who doesn't need to make any effort as far as acting is concerned. It seems that acting comes very naturally to her. I make sure that I don't miss any of her films," she says.
Abhishek Bachchan not doing sequel of 'Sholay'?
Karan Johar just can’t do without her. In New York, shooting for his new film, a stressed-out, anxious Karan laughs at the very mention of Jaya aunty. “She’s a darling… almost a second mother,” he says.
Bombay Jen and her friend Paul Meidinger were insistent. I had to go with them to the lobby bar of a hotel in midtown Manhattan to watch the stars of Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna.
Bollywood stars in the US on Diwali day!
