BUZZThe

My wife, my hero

So the much-awaited Raavan is finally out and it hasn’t exactly shaken the establishment like they had predicted it would. Although its three versions (Hindi, Tamil and Telugu) grossed Rs.20 crore (around $4.4 million) worldwide on its opening day, the huge hype created about it was all unnecessary, it appears. Less than three days old, critics had panned Abhishek Bachchan’s performance in it, citing Vikram’s performance in the very same role in the Tamil version as far superior. Amitabh Bachchan credited his son’s poor performance, controversially, to “sad” editing, and a stunt double popped up to say that he, and not Abhishek as claimed before, had done the dangerous stunts in the film. Still, Aish looks stunning as ever, and so do the jungles of Kerala, and the film is most certainly worth a dekho….

Dutt to be a dad again

Bollywood’s buzzing that Sanjay Dutt’s soon to become a dad again, and that he and wife Maanyata are ecstatic about the newest addition to the family. The couple has been celebrating their good fortune, particularly after Sanjay’s wedding was looked on with disfavour by the rest of his family. Said an obviously happy Sanjay, “Maanyata has brought stability to my life after many years of wandering. She gave me roots and brought about a desire in me to settle down after a long time. It really feels nice to eat home-cooked meals made by my wife, not a cook. I can’t wait to become a father again. It is a lovely feeling and Maanyata is very happy.” The 51-year-old actor already has a daughter Trishala, who lives in the US. Good luck, Munnabhai and Maanyata on the imminent arrival of munna or munni!

Manisha’s Nepali nuptials

It was a fairytale wedding Bollywoodstyle, as actress Manisha Koirala tied the knot with Nepali businessman Samrat Dahal in a traditional Nepali ceremony, after an elaborate engagement and mehendi ceremony the day before. The 40-year-old was wedded to the 33-yearold entrepreneur at the picturesque Le Meridien resort in Kathmandu. Although her first hero in Bollywood, Vivek Mushran, flew to Kathmandu to attend the fourday extravaganza, as did Manisha’s friend and director Deepti Naval, there was not much of a Bollywood presence besides Sunita, who stood in proxy for her husband Govinda.

There was also virtually no sign of the Nepali film industry that has impassively accepted her return almost after two decades. Manisha returned to the Nepali film industry a few months ago, playing wife to its superstar Rajesh Hamal. However, the reception was attended by Nepal’s bigwigs, including political heavyweights and a few more colleagues from Bollywood. The newly-weds will also throw a separate bash for tinsel town stars in Mumbai, where Manisha will continue to keep a foothold. Her plans for Nepal had included opening a film city in Kathmandu and persuading Bollywood to shoot more of its films in Nepal. Hubby Samrat Dahal hails from a non-filmi business family and has suddenly found himself in the limlight, thanks to Manisha’s Bollywood career

Guess Who

This US-trained actor became a well-known name in the comedy circuit in India and has now entered the film industry, with a strong presence in a recent Shahid Kapoor film as well as family background. She is the granddaughter of B.P. Koirala, Nepal’s first elected prime minister and her family boasts of three prime ministers, two deputy prime ministers and two MPs. Her father Prakash Koirala was a minister in king Gyanendra’s cabinet in 2005.

The couple will reportedly move out of Dahal’s family home in Kathmandu for a pied-a-terre of their own. Good luck to the couple and their plans for the future.

Being Dad, by SRK

He plays a perfect lover on-screen and off screen he is the best dad, but describing a father’s role, superstar Shah Rukh Khan says dads are usually seen as rule-breakers and risk-takers with their kids.

“Someone rightly said, ‘Any man can be a father, but it takes time to be a dad’. And that someone was just right,” said Shah Rukh who has two children - son Aryan and daughter Suhana.

“Who is dad? He’s the mess-maker, rulebreaker, risk-taker and the opposite of mom who is usually seen as the creator and nurturer. But for all his mischief, dads are doing something quite right,” the actor said in a statement on Father’s Day celebrated in India.

Known as Bollywood’s favourite romantic hero, Shah Rukh donned the role of a modern, loving dad in movies like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

“Father’s Day is our day, to celebrate ‘being dad’. This day gives us the opportunity to show and express our love and care. It’s an appropriate platform to look at our children and credit them for bringing joy and happiness. After all, a child gives birth to a father as well. But even though it’s celebrated once a year, it’s the ever after effect of being a father that will keep us connected,” asserted King Khan.

The famous SRK sensitivity comes to the fore once again. Well done, Shah Rukh, your kids are lucky indeed!

Sonu’s stunned!

Popular singer Sonu Niigaam is flabbergasted by the criticism he has received from his fans and the media for sporting two ponytails and an unkempt look. He says people should rather concentrate on his singing than his looks. “One day you all will know that whatever I do with my hair, is to wake up people from a slumber. You guys pay too much attention to swim suits, fashion, hairstyles, exterior stuff, etc,” Nigaam posted on micro-blogging site Twitter.

The singer was the unwelcome recipient of negative comments after he was seen sporting a French beard and two ponytails at a recent event in Mumbai. The singing sensation couldn’t resist a dig at his detractors posting, “I know, they (media) will never write good about me, even if I’m looking good. Would they? Have you seen any article praising my earlier hairstyle? Nothing against media, I respect their and some of your (fans) opinions, but do you ever talk about mediocre, or bad singing or music the way you highlight hair-dos?”

Niigam, who has lent vocals to some of the Bollywood’s best known songs like Panchhi Nadiyaan, Tanhaayee and title tracks of Saathiya and Kal Ho Naa Ho, says the media must write about better aspects related to music.

The 36-year-old also claims that people in India have a preconceived notion that styling is not for singers and stressed how excessive and bizarre styling is the thing for singers in the West.

“Hairstyles and fashion, is the jaageer (property) of some other fraternity and not singers in this country (India). It takes guts to do the things I have done through

DUTT

the crew, is no less than devastating. Apparently Sonam was initially reluctant to get into the mature mould.

“She had reservations about being bracketed in the mature mould so early in her career. In all her films so far from Saawariya to Thank You, Sonam has played girls her own age and dressed accordingly in what she’s comfortable with.

The western clothes that’d transform her into a chic Delhi socialite in Aisha are as much a part of her personality as the salwarkameez that she wore in Delhi 6,” revealed a source close to the actress. Apparently Anamika, who has worked earlier with Sonam in Delhi 6, has been poring over the designs with Sonam, trying to figure out what clothes she’s most comfortable in.

Shahid Kapoor, who needed to make a sartorial changeover to play the mature mellow lover in the later part of the film, has also been heard joking about how Mausam has turned him and Sonam overnight into adult stars.

Mausam producer Sheetal Talwar said, “Shahid has sported the mature mellow look in Jab We Met. But for Sonam the transformation from girl to woman in Mausam is a challenge. Before she left for Scotland, Sonam wanted to be completely comfortable in her new avatar.” my career as a singer. Musicians in other countries get their lips, cheek, eyebrows and private parts pierced and tattooed,” he posted.

But there’s no doubt that this young lady will look gorgeous, no matter what age.

Attire to age young Sonam

After playing the giddyheaded starry-eyed young lover-girl in all her films so far, including I Hate Luv Storys, actress Sonam Kapoor will take on a more challenging role in Mausam. The talented actress is all set to play a girl who evolves into a woman in the course of the movie.

Sonam’s clothes, which are always a source of powerful on-screen personalitytransference for her, have been worked on at great lengths by designer Anamika Khanna. And the result, says a member of

Madhubala wannabe Kangana

Kangana Ranaut is set for a brush with the underworld on screen once again after Gangster. She reveals that her character in Once Upon A Time In Mumbai is a cross between don Haji Mastan’s wife Sona and yesteryears beauty Madhubala.

“In real life Haji was a big fan of Madhubalaji and he fell in love with Sona who looked like her. So my character is a cross between the two,” said Kangana in an interview.

“The character I am playing has some similarities with Madhubalaji...like the way she was a superstar and had problems in life...,” she added.

Her character Rehana, Kangana said, “is a very big star...she is the woman who evokes desire in everyone and then she falls in love with this gangster and discovers a new world. My character transforms from a star to a woman.”

Her character might be similar to that of Madhubala, but other yesteryear stars also inspired Kangana’s role. “I observed ‘70s actresses like Zeenat Aman and Parveen Babi... they were the rebels who wore bikinis and were style icons. My character is somehow like them,” said Kangana.

Set primarily in the 1970s Mumbai, the film by Milan Luthria will trace the changing face of the underworld through the eyes of a police officer. The story follows the rise of Sultan (Ajay Devgan), and his eventual fall when his protege Shoaib (Emraan Hashmi) challenges his supremacy and usurps power to rule the underworld in the city.

Kangana, who claims that she doesn’t care what people think of her, also admits that being a Bollywood diva isn’t really here cup of tea. “I really don’t care what people think of me and how they perceive me. That is okay with me because I don’t make an extra effort to be friendly to people. I do things I like doing,” said a candid Kangana. “I’m a very moody person. There are times when I want to talk about my life whereas there are days I just want to be left alone,” she added.

Seems like Rehana will be a clutch of characters for Kangana….

What’s Amitabh saying here?

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Last issue Caption Contest winning entry

What’s Hrithik whispering to Barbara here?

Hrithik: So the movie was a flop and my marriage nearly went bust, but it was all worth it, wasn’t it, Barbara?

Barbara: You might think so, Hick-Tick, but I’m out of here… Sunny Mahadevan Kidman Park, Adelaide

Sunny wins a free ticket to new Hindi film Raavan