Short Takes

Back to business
Bumped into a glowing, dazzling Madhuri Nene nee Dixit recently at a suburban preview theatre where she arrived with her parents just like the good old days. Producer Boney Kapoor had organised the screening of a Tamil flick which he proposes to remake in Hindi subject to Mrs Nene’s approval. The film offers a mature role of a mother with two kids to Madhuri. Looks like the bride isn’t wasting much time honeymooning and it’s business as usual for the enchantress. Remains to be seen how succesfully she manages to shuttle between des pardes and juggle a career with marriage.

Busy bee
There are no full stops in Aishwarya Rai’s diary. She’s shooting without respite and if she’s not facing the camera, she’s playing the graceful hostess at film festivals or endorsing Logines watches as their official ambassadoress,”Let alone interviews, there’s no time for script sittings or professional meetings. I have always worked on a tight schedule,” she grimaces prettily. Perhaps that’s the reason she looks leaner than ever before, we ask. “Since I don’t work out regularly my face has rounded, chubby contours but I have been dancing rigorously for the Euro-US tour and that’s how my face looks little pinched, hmmm?” she asks starightening out creases from the scalloped patiali salwar.

Just then director Raj Kanwar accompanied by hero Abhishek Bachchan walk into her make-up van to discuss the next scene of Dhai Akshar Prem Ke. “It’s the suhaag raat scene,” informs Kanwar on our way out. Ash looks simply divine in a peach salwar kameez while Abhishek looks like a nervous groom in a three-day stubble. “They make magic together,” Kanwar sighs happily. See you later, Ash.

Bua tales
Himani Shivpuri plays the eternal bua yet again in Raj Kanwar’s Dhai Akshar Prem Ke. “I have been typecast as screen aunt,” she protests mockingly,”I play Amrish Puri’s sister in the film,” she reveals with a characteristic twitch. Better typed and cast, we tell her, she agrees whole-heartedly. And then she goes on to defend her latest release Hum Saath Saath Hain,”It isn’t as if the film hasn’t fared well but people are measuring it against HAHK and MPK - that’s not fair,” she pouts. Whatever said and done, the Rajshris have done her good in casting her as the mischievous aunt.

Diamonds are forever
Diamelle‘, the world’s first 100-faceted diamond(57 facets is the regular count) was unvieled by Sridevi recently at the Inter Gold Store, Hughes Road, Mumbai. Futuristic decor of the store displayed atomic configuration of Carbon, the chemical formula of diamond. Chief guest Sridevi walked in, clutching possessively at hubby Boney Kapoor’s arm, dressed thematically in a shimmering white outfit which complemented the diamond launching very well. Named the multifaceted star of the millennium, Sridevi did the honours, took a walk around the store and left quietly without a word. Her silence however spoke louder than words as she wowed the gathering with her glamorous presence. Supposedly undercover, Gupt maker Rajiv Rai was also present on the occasion.

No complaints
Ask Ms Bendre if she didn’t feel like a lost sheep amidst the mega cast of Hum Saath Saath Hain and if she didn’t mind playing a silent part in the film, Sonali will tell you that she knew what she had bargained for. “Even as he had narrated the script to me, Soorajji had told me that it was a part where my eyes would do the talking. I am glad that he has stuck to the original script verbatim and people have been complimenting me that I have never looked this good on-screen,” elaborates Bendre. So Sonali, would you say that Ash’s loss turned out to be your gain? Remember Ash wasn’t able to do the role because she didn’t have the required dates then?


Matter voice
Allegedly Twinkle Khanna had a showdown with Mela director Dharmesh Darshan when he asked somebody else to dub for her. The reason? Twink’s voice wasn’t deep enough, it seems. When we confronted Twinks, she laughed aloud nodding disbelievingly,”I wonder how such baseless rumours get going. I have absolutely no problems with Dharmesh, quite the contrary he’s the most dedicated maker I have encountered. As for dubbing my part in somebody else’s voice, such a thing was never suggested. In fact I have just concluded dubbing for Mela and my suggestion to you would be to ignore all those vile rumours and go watch the film. Mela is a treat,” says Twinkle persuasively.

Double trouble
This is the first double role of his career and yet Om Puri isn’t exactly crying with joy. In Guru Mahaguru, Puri plays identical double role, which means his look remains unchanged in both the roles. When Puri argued realistically that how could both the characters have similar pock marks, director TLV Prasad gave him an admonishing look and quipped, “Cinematic liberty.” Puri was rendered speechless by the argument and since then he’s stopped making suggestions and started following the director’s orders blindly. Puri’s sure learning the ropes.

Dancing dudea
Sanju Dutt tells us that he doesn’t mind boogeying any more,”I overcame my inhibitions after doing the tamma tamma number. I am quite OK with dancing these days,” he admitted with a lopsided grin. What the deadly Dutt objects to is going abroad for dance sequences,” I hate being a spectacle in front of those foreigners. I find it very embarassing when we dance and they gather around and ogle at us in sheer amazement,” he elaborates. Sanju often insists on shooting his songs on home soil since we are all used to seeing our heros and heroines breaking into vigorous pelvic thrusts and bosom heaves at the drop of a hat. So play on the music and dance along but make it in India.

True to life
Young turk Sooraj Barjatya made his very first TV appearance for Saira Banu’s Is Duniya Ke Sitarey recently and when we met him on the sets of the teleshow, he related to us his style of filmmaking,” I make a film when it comes from within. When I made Maine Pyar Kiya, for instance, I was a fresher from college having all those idealistic notions of romance that got incorporated in the film. While Hum Aapke Hain Koun reflected my observations of family weddings including my own.” And what inspired him to make his latest offering Hum Saath Saath Hain? “I realised the importance of a joint family system when my mother passed away and the whole family rallied around in support. That’s where I found the germ for my film,” he relates. What kinda family bonanza has he to offer next, we enquire. “My films just come from within, Let’s wait and watch for the next idea that will inspire me,” he says with a brief smile.

Going steady
Action jackson Akshay Kumar and belly dancer Shilpa Shetty insist that they are made for each other and they insist that it isn’t splitville for them. “Although marriage is not on the cards for next four or five years as we are both concentrating on our careers. We are still together and still in love,” stresses Akki. So the Shetty-Akki romance is no publicity stunt as the rumour mongers would like to believe. This is a brave new world with a fresh social dictum. Right, Akki?

Deepa Karmalkar with Chaya Unnikrishnan and ALok Mathur