Monday, 10 February, 2014
ARTS
WOODY ALLEN DENIES MOLESTATION ALLEGATIONS
BOLLYWOOD ACTORS ARE COMFORTABLE WORKING WITH TALLER ACTRESSES 5
’9”, Deepika Padukone towers over most leading men in the industry, even without heels. Shah Rukh Khan is about an inch shorter while her Cocktail co-star Saif Ali Khan is two inches shorter than the actress. And increasingly, most actors are getting used to being vertically challenged by the fairer sex. SRK says, good-humouredly, “There is definitely one advantage of pairing with Deepika. Between shoot breaks, she helps me pick clothes from the top racks.” Fivefoot-six-inch Aamir who romanced the tall Katrina Kaif (5’8”) in a recent release, cheekily said he loves romancing taller women. This wasn’t always the case. It is heard that one of the tallest actresses in the 80s, Zeenat Aman had diaries full of anecdotes about heroes who were propped with high-heeled shoes and even cushions to look taller. In particular, Rishi Kapoor and the late Rajesh Khanna, the shortest actors of their generations, had a tough time. Yesteryear actress Zaheeda, who loved high heels and huge bouffants, recalls a
hilarious time on the set of Anokhi Raat when she had to be literally cut to size by co-star Sanjeev Kumar. Apparently, he told her, “Don’t wear high heels... at least don’t pile that hair so high on your head. Flatten your hair. You look too tall.” The current crop of heroes are far more charitable. Shah Rukh has admitted that all his recent female leads have been taller than him. Salman Khan, who is about 5’7”, has had no qualms being paired with actresses like Sushmita Sen and Katrina Kaif. And so has Farhan Akhtar who worked with Sonam Kapoor and Deepika. Huma Qureshi, at 5’7” was seen with her 5’5” co-star Arshad Warsi in Dedh Ishqiya. In the 90s, actresses like Madhuri Dixit, Karisma Kapoor, Kajol, Rani Mukerji and Preity Zinta were of average height. But now, with the increase in the advent of models and beauty pageant winners in the industry, there has been a whole mass of tall Bollywood heroines. And clearly, more and more actors are getting comfortable working with actresses who tower over them. COURTESY TOI
WORLD’S LONGEST-SERVING SOAP STAR CLEARED OF SEX ASSAULTS British television actor William Roache, the world’s longest-serving soap opera star, was cleared by a jury today of raping and sexually assaulting teenage girls. The 81-yearold, who has played mild-mannered Ken Barlow in “Coronation Street” since the soap’s first episode in 1960, was found not guilty of two counts of rape and four counts of indecent assault. Roache had denied the claims, which involved five girls aged between 11 or 12 and 16. The threeweek trial heard allegations that he had used his fame to assault teenage girls in his television studios in the 1960s and then force them to remain silent. Speaking outside court after the verdict, Roache thanked his five children, his colleagues and the private broadcaster ITV which he said had supported him throughout the case. “In these situations there are no winners and I think we should all be much kinder to ourselves,” he said. “Now if you’d excuse me I’d like to get back to work.” ITV took him off the show while legal proceedings against him were under way. Guinness World Records lists Roache as the longest serving soap actor in the world. NEWS DESK
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I NOW HAVE TO LIVE UP TO BIGGER EXPECTATIONS: SONALEE KULKARNI Maharashtrian actress Sonalee Kulkarni, who had a good 2013 with Grand Masti and Zapatlela 2, is upbeat about her career. “Last year, it was a great high that I did two films that did well at the box office. I knew that Grand Masti was a massy entertainer and not everyone’s cup of tea. But, these kind of films reach a wider audience and I knew I was working with a good team. The extent of the film’s success was a huge surprise, especially since adult comedy is comparatively a newer genre in Bollywood. I’m happy to be getting good offers,” she says. On Zapatlela 2, she says, “Being part of the Marathi industry’s first 3D film was also extremely satisfying. I’m proud that I was part of this film, which is a sequel to one of the biggest hits, 20 years ago. The icing on the cake is that they’re planning to make another instalment of the film.” Meanwhile, Sonalee is gearing up for her new releases. “I now have to live up to bigger expectations. I’ve a few big budget films coming up in both Hindi and Marathi, one of which is a period film where I’m essaying one of the most misunderstood and controversial characters in Marathi history,” she reveals. COURTESY TOI
ELIZABETH OLSEN HATES SEX SCENES
Elizabeth Olsen finds sex scenes ‘’incredibly awkward.’’ The ‘In Secret’ star, who is dating 32-year-old model Boyd Holbrook, tried to create a safe environment with her co-star, Oscar Isaac, before filming intimate moments for the new movie, in which they play secret lovers in 1860’s Paris. The actress told E! News: ‘’It’s incredibly awkward. But you have to feel safe and you have to feel respected and you just provide that for each other. You create a safe environment. In those situations you’re just thinking about what’s the choreography her? It’s like a dance in a way. You get it done.’’ The ‘Kill Your Darlings’ star also had to wear corsets in the film alongside her co-star Jessica Lang but they weren’t as uncomfortable as she thought they would be. She said: ‘’The corsets are kind of fun. The most uncomfortable thing is figuring out how to sit in between scenes. Jessica [Lange] and I would just prop up our legs on a table and just be like this huge hoop scoop reclined. It’s not that uncomfortable.’’Elizabeth is set to turn 25 on February 16 and is planning a very artistic celebration. She said: ‘’My friends and my boyfriend are throwing me a painting party! We’re painting.’’ She added: ‘’I’m terrible. That’s why it sounds like fun.’’ NEWS DESK
CMYK
Director Woody Allen has written an open letter in which he has denied allegations that he molested his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow. The iconic filmmaker, whose adopted child recently spoke out claiming he had abused her at the age of seven, has penned an open letter in which he denies any wrongdoing and insists she has been ‘’exploited’’ by her mother Mia, reports contactmusic.com. He wrote in the New York Times: ‘’Of course, I did not molest Dylan. I loved her and hope one day she will grasp how she has been cheated out of having a loving father and exploited by a mother more interested in her own festering anger than her daughter’s well being.’’ Allen also revealed while Farrow believes the allegations, he thinks she feels that way as a result of his ex-partner convincing her it happened. He said: “Not that I doubt Dylan hasn’t come to believe she’s been molested, but if from the age of 7 a vulnerable child is taught by a strong mother to hate her father because he is a monster who abused her, is it so inconceivable that after many years of this indoctrination the image of me Mia wanted to establish had taken root?’’ NEWS DESK
‘SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE’ BEST OSCAR-WINNING FILM IN 64 YEARS? ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ has advanced in the ABC News’ Oscar Bracket Challenge, edging out film ‘No Country for Old Men’. Only 48 votes separated the two Academy Award winning pictures after the first round of votes were tabulated, in order to find the best Oscar- winning movie in the past 64 years of Academy Awards. This means that ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ earning 3,058 votes has moved on to the next round of voting on Feb 9. In total, 32 films will advance to the second round. Other films in the second round include ‘Argo’, ‘The Kings Speech’, ‘Titanic’ and ‘All the King’s Men’. After six rounds of voting, a winner for the best Oscarwinning film will be declared. COURTESY ANI