SHORT TAKES

AFTER MRITYUDAATA, WHAT?
Everyone’s talking about Mehul Kumar’s just launched Amitabh-Nana-Jaya Prada-Tabu-Ayesha-Jackie multi-starrer, Kohraam. The producer-director admitted he was aware that the country’s eyes were on him. “And I am grateful to Amitji and Nana for putting their faith in me even after I’d made a film like Mrityudaata,” he continued with refreshing candour. “It’s a frightening responsibility but I still have the confidence to make a very different film.” However, Mehul refused to talk about what his film was all about. “I’m just going to make it and let it talk for itself,” he smiled. That’s the right approach, Mehul.

WOOING THE ANGREZI BABUS
Padmini Kolhapure is in the news these days thanks to the acting school she’s all set to open in Delhi’s Haus Khaus. But the now-not-so-lil’ lady informs you that this is just a branch of the one which is going great guns in London. “We opened it basically to train aspiring Asian actors-to-be but we were surprised when even the angrez began to take a keen interest in the school,” she says. You’re told of this one British boy with stars in his eyes who insisted that he wanted to enroll for the acting course and was not daunted when told that lessons would be in Hindi and shudh Urdu. He went ahead and sat through the ABCs of acting with Padmini and her instructers. “The response has been overwhelming across the seven seas. I hope it’s just as enthusiastic in the capital,” says Padmini quickly crossing her fingers.

MISS OR MRS?
Bumped into Vikas Bhalla at the Qila audio release party and the aawara was all song and sunshine. And accompanied everywhere by Prem Chopra’s pretty daughter. “This is Punita, you know her don’t you?” Sure. Wasn’t she his biwi? “Oh no!” you were assured hastily, “We haven’t tied the knot yet.” No? Then why was Ms Chopra sporting a mangal sutra?

HELPFUL ADITYA
Aditya Panscholi you’ve been hearing for years is a brat. Should any co-star mess up Aditya, you were told, would quickly mess up her day. But on the sets of Devta we saw a very different Aditya. He kept his cool even when his heroine, debutant Ayushi couldn’t get a particular shot right. The retakes mounted but not Aditya’s exasperation. He was patience personified, cool and considerate with the lady, giving her helpful tips once in a while. He certainly deserved her grateful smile when the take was finally okayed. Way to go Aditya!

TWO MUCH
Talking of Qila reminds us of Rajeshwari. Last year’s National Award winner is all excited about a small role in this courtroom drama. “It’s not much, but I have these two frothy scenes with the thespian which I’m sure people will remember for months with a smile,” she says optimistically. And no, before you ask, Ms Sachdeva tells you that she was not intimidated by Dilip sahab. “I was pretty cool and he made me quite comfortable, thank you.”

SHOWMAN SALMAN
Salman Khan doesn’t need to act. He could make a living doing stage shows. We hear that as of today the star has offers for at least a dozen concerts. In fact, some of them are from as far off as Fiji and Thailand. Just goes to show how popular the guy is, even in the Far East. However, Salman’s too busy with his film shoots to accept all these invites despite the big dollar incentives. He has to wrap up bhai Sohail’s Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya and start on Sooraj Barjatya’s Hum Aapke Hain Saath. But Salman doesn’t plan to disappoint too many of his fans. He’s promised the organisers that he’ll do his Didi tera devar deewana and O jaane jana numbers for them as soon as there’s a break in his schedule.

ALL FOR BAT AND BALL
Before he even gave acting a thought Sunil Shetty had hoped to join the Indian eleven on the green. Till he realised that he was better with a bandook than with a bat or a ball. However, even today Sunil sits through every cricket match on the telly and is the first star who’ll agree to be a part of a charity match. And now that there’s a Shetty junior at home, Sunil’s grooming him to live out his dream. The star tells you proudly that his two-year old would rather wield a willow than brandish a bandook. And Sunil would much rather he joined Vengsarkar’s cricket academy than some acting school. “Playing for the country is a different high altogether,” asserts the papa. “I still have tears in my eyes every time India wins a match.” That’s patriotism, Sunil style.

DREAMS OF A RAJKUMARI
Tabu’s played everything from a hardcore terrorist to a heart-broken widow, from a glam glam miss to a gaon ki chhori in her short career span. But there’s one role which is still eluding her. She dreams of playing a Rajasthani princess. Something like Dimple’s role in Lekin. “I’d be quite at home in a mahal,” she smiles. “But I don’t think that’s a subject which seems to be inspiring too many film-makers today. If someone does think of making such a film I hope they’ll think of me. But it’s too much to hope that they’ll think of such a subject keeping me in mind. No one writes a film today keeping a heroine in mind.” Not even a National Award winner? Sad.