WOW’S THE WORD
AMISHA PATEL, as you’ve already guessed by now, is all set for her next test at the turnstiles, with Gadar — Ek Prem Katha poised to hit theatres any time now. And it’s not just the film that’s been garnering rave reviews in advance. Amisha, too, has come in for a fair bit of praise from everyone who’s been privy to the rushes.

At the film’s final mixing, we notice Amisha’s ballet performance in the film is greeted with a spontaneous “Wow,” from the junior artistes who make up the crowd in the shot. It’s the scene where Sunny is roused from reverie by the murmur of appreciation he hears around him, and he, too, walks up to Amisha to congratulate her. As director Anil Sharma sits watching the mixers at work, he suddenly jumps up. Would people have used the word “Wow” in 1947, he wants to know. Would the students even in an elite Simla school have exclaimed “Wow?” Then, not reassured, he decides to do away with the offending word, retaining just a general noise to indicate spontaneous applause.

THE HAND THAT CRADLED A MIKE...
SONU NIGAM, since we last ran into him, has gotten even busier as an actor. We meet him again, this time at the launch of yet another of his starrers — the latest Raj Kumar Kohli film, Jaane Dushman.

We’re reminded of the oft-asked question: has he begun to miss the microphone as all singer-turned-actors invariably do? The photograph, curiously, has him holding a mirror, rather than a mike, doing what he’s become adept at lately, dabbing his own make-up. That reminds us of an old chestnut, the famous Sulakshana Pandit lament, “I asked for a mike, and they gave me a mirror instead.”

With Sonu Nigam, we dare say, it could well have been the other way around, if the way he seems to relish acting is any indication. So now he’ll be the last to be heard lamenting.

LOVE IN THE TIME OF THE PARTITION
THE bash was well-attended by the papparazzi. In fact, the smallish venue was packed to the gills, with the TV cameramen and their crew making it practically impossible for any one behind them to see what was happening on the dais. And it was all a reflection of the interest the film, Gadar, has generated in the minds of the audience.

The stars were conspicuous by the absence at the film’s press show, though. Amisha Patel herself came in late. But producer Nittin Keni and director ANIL SHARMA managed to hold the fort between them. One question the latter got asked had to do with the backdrop: why make a period film when films of that description haven’t done too well with the masses? Sharma’s reply was spot on, “The very title Gadar — Ek Prem Katha suggests it’s no mere historical, that on the contrary, it’s a romance. The romance just happened during the era of the Partition. People did fall in love even then, you know.”

THE DIRECTOR’S PAT
DIRECTOR Satish Kaushik can only speak gushingly of TUSSHAR. Well, what else do you expect, now that Mujhe Kuch Kahna Hai hit the goldmine at the turnstiles? But it isn’t the success of the film alone that’s caused the admiration, that’s for sure.

Here’s Kaushik himself on his hero: “All along, while the film was being made, I heard Tusshar say but two sentences daily, ‘Good morning, Sir,’ and ‘Good night, Sir.’” Tusshar hardly spoke on the sets but surprised the unit when it came to the dramatic scenes. Apparently, he has the ability to memorise long lines, and if you can remember your lines, that’s half the battle won as an actor.

For the climax scene, for instance, the director had conceived the final scene as a trolley shot. However, the hero, even while merely giving cue to Kareena, the heroine, was so effective that Kaushik was tempted to shoot the entire sequence in one take, without cuts. In sincerity, evidently, he is second to none. Bravo, Tusshar, great going.

COLLEAGUES AND ADMIRERS
MS SATHYU’s travails with his forthcoming movie are finally over. Or so it seems. First there was the problem of dates with Urmila Matondkar. And then there was the challenge of finding a star to match the hero’s role.

While scouting around for a hero, he had a common friend speak to SUNIL SHETTY, and Shetty, we’re told, went out of his way to accommodate the offer. When the friend said he’d get Sathyu to give him a tinkle, Shetty said, “Sathyu Sir is my senior, and it will be an honour to work with the maker of Garam Hawa”.

Little wonder then, that Sathyu himself is all praise for Shetty. The twosome, by the looks of it, comprise a mutual admiration society.

—Shaju George Alex
email: shaju_alex@chequemail.com

A Happening Week :

SHATRU ON STAGE:
SHATRUGHAN SINHA makes his debut on stage as Shatrughan Verma, a sutradhar-like character, in Ramesh Talwar’s play, Pati Patni Aur Mein.

Co-starring Amar Babaria as the husband and Gayatri Rawal as the wife, the play is produced by Sanjay Goradia, and will have its world premiere on June 10.

20 YEARS OF PAPPU:
Choreographer PAPPU KHANNA has completed 20 years in films. Having made his debut as choreographer with the Rajesh Khanna starrer Dhanwan.

Khanna has worked for 300 films including Aaj Ki Awaaz, Tawaif, Nikaah, Halo, Damini and the national award winning Shaheed-e-Udham Singh. Says Khanna, “I still have a lot more to give. I want to continue working because it’s my passion.”

SHARARAT WEBSITE POSTS RECORD:
The official website for Gurudev Bhalla’s forthcoming movie, Shararat has posted a record: within 15 days of its launch, it has had more than 1,00,100 visitors (as on June 7). The site has been created by Himanshu and Rahul Nanda of HR Enterprises.