SHORT TAKES

GRANDMOTHERS TURN HIP
Talking about mamas reminds us of Sushma Seth who’s very excited about playing not mama, but grandmama in Ashok Mehta’s Moksha. She’s Manisha Koirala’s dadi in the film and tells you with a delighted chuckle not to expect her in whiter than white saris and chalk-streaked hair, crooning bhajans in the pooja room. This dadiji is a hip old lady sporting smart pant suits and a chic blunt cut who tells hero Arjun Rampal who’s a frustrated wastrel that had she been in his torn Kolhapuris she’d have gone and robbed a bank. “And that’s exactly what he does,” she informs you with an isn’t-that-wonderful twinkle.

SUNNY DAYS
If Rajiv Babbar swears by Mithun, NR Pachisia insists that if you have a Sunny Deol in your film it’ll be sunny days for you. Ziddi was the only all out action special last year which rammed its way into the top 10 list. Pachisia recently launched his new film which is being directed by Raj Kanwar and of course, Sunny heads the list of credits. “I have complete confidence in Sunny. He’s the only hero today, I’m convinced, who doesn’t need me to boost him. He can stand on his own and sell a film on his own,” asserts Pachisia. Touching faith in today’s troubled times.

MUM’S THE WORD
Neena Kulkarni, a familiar face on the Marathi stage and also in Marathi films and serials, has finally signed her first Hindi film — Raj Kanwar’s Chandrachur-Mahima starrer in which Neena will be playing mother (but of course). Neena has been regularly pursued by Bollywood badshahs but she refused to take the bait all these years because of “domestic pressures”. Her children were growing up and Neena was too busy playing real life mama. But now that they don’t need her around all the time, Neena is available to mother our young heroes and heroines. And now with Reema and Bina concentrating on the small screen there’s a slot for mummy just waiting for amchi Neena who, incidentally, makes a terrific ba in Feroz Khan’s recently premiered play, Mahatma v/s Gandhi.

FAMILY PLOT
Sooraj Barjatya has finally got cracking on his third film, Hum Aapke Hain Saath and according to Alok Nath, who plays a significant role in the film, it’s another simple, ordinary story along the lines of the Ramayan, which upholds family values. The message which comes through is, “The parivar must remain united, come what may.” Alok insists that the Barjatyas’ sense of devotion to the family and films will come through in this project too and for all its simplicity the impact it’ll make will be mammoth. Already, everyone belonging to the unit, from the spotboy to Salman Khan, has this urge to be a part of the family and this is one set where, for a 9 am shoot, Alok’s confident even the stars will be there at 8.30 a.m. However, the surprising bit of info we got from our veerji was that this film will not be a song-n-dance chitrageet. There’re only seven songs in Hum Aapke Hain Saath. So would it leave you with a burp or a slurp, was your final query, to which Alok quipped, “I really couldn’t say at this stage. All I can say is that it’ll be well digested.”

ON THE EDGE
We bumped into Gulzar a day before the mahurat of his new venture, Hu-Tu-Tu, and the maker confessed candidly that he was very nervous. Wiping the sweat off his forehead Gulzar recounted the story of a pilot who was preparing his crew to parachute in case of an emergency. He turned to the first man and instructed him, “Count one, two, three, four and at the fifth count, jump.” The same instructions were repeated to the second man. By the time he turned to the third man he was sweating profusely and stuttered, “H-h-ho-how-how m-m-many-mmmany c-co-counts b-b-b-before I-I-I-I j-j-j-ju-jum-jump?” “Just one,” was the immediate reply. Gulzar recalled that story and admitted, “I’m as nervous as the third man at the moment. I think I will have to count just one when I get there.”

WHEN JUDAAI PLAYED THE VILLAIN
Shaizaad. That’s his name and no, he’s not some Sultan’s shehzade. But he sure is a Prince Charming who’s hoping to charm on screen. His first hit ...and miss... was Judaai. He was signed to play Urmila Matondkar’s fiance in the film, a real challenging role with sheets of dialogue. But by the time the film was released he found that he’d been left with just one rape scene and some fights. The anti-hero had metamorphosed into a regular khalnayak. And the effort cost him a very good role in Qilla. After that negative performance in Judaai, a wary Umesh Mehra came up with a negative answer as far as this Khan was concerned. “And the role went to Mukul Dev,” Shehzaad sighs. However, things are now looking up. He’s getting offers from the likes of Ravi Chopra and Mahesh Bhatt.

COURTING TROUBLE
Actor-producer-director Dev Anand created a stir in the Metropolitan Magistrates Court, Mumbai, where he appeared in person, dressed in his usual flamboyant style. “But just because you see me here don’t start assuming I have done anything wrong. I haven’t. I’ll come out unscathed,” Dev said confidently. A case has been filed against him by M Harwani, the co-producer of Pyar Ka Taraana. And though Dev answered the summons personally this time, his lawyer submitted an appeal for a postponement of the hearing because Dev was neck deep in work with Main Solah Baras Ki which he is readying for release, while brother Vijay Anand’s Jaana Na Dil Se Door is ready to go on the floors soon. The appeal was accepted and the hearing has been postponed to the third week of May.

BETTING ON THE BENGALI BABU
At a time when producers are complaining of Black Fridays and contemplating an alternative career, young Rajiv Babbar happily continues to dole out Mithun starrers with surprising frequency. He released Shapath starring Jackie Shroff and Mithun Chakraborty in December, followed by another Mithun starrer, Sher-E-Hindustan. He’s now wrapped up Chandal with Mithun and newcomer Sneha and is already all set to produce and direct another Jackie-Mithun masala medley, Harfan Maula. “We have discovered a winning formula,” he confesses. “We make our films on a reasonable budget and sell them for a reasonable price. Not surprisingly then, they bring in the returns. The formula could be yours too if you have a disciplined team like mine. And better still if you sign a disciplined actor like Mithun who guarantees that your film will be through in three months,” insists Babbar. Good to hear that there’re producers around who are putting their money on the Bengali babu.