Happy birthday Priyanka

Priyanka Chopra, who has been busy shooting for her forthcoming films Anjaana Anjaani and Saat Khoon Maaf, took time out to celebrate her 28th birthday in Phuket recently.

She took six girlfriends with her.

Priyanka posted on micro-blogging site Twitter: “Off for my sinful holiday with my girls! Oh sooooo needed it... See you guys in paradise.”

Priyanka, who won the Miss World title in 2000, made her Bollywood debut with The Hero: Love Story of a Spy in 2003, after which she featured in Andaaz

In 2004, she received critical acclaim for her performance in Aitraaz and later did commercial films like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Bluffmaster, Krrish, Don - The Chase Begins Again and Salaam-E-Ishq

It was Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion that brought her into the league of top-rated actresses in Bollywood, and even won her a National Award.

There has been no looking back for her ever since.

She was seen in commercial hits like Dostana and Kaminey and also featured in films like What’s Your Rashee, and Pyaar Impossible, which didn’t fare too well at the box office. Nevertheless, she has films like Anjaana Anjaani, Vishal Bharadwaj’s Saat Khoon Maaf and Don 2 - The Chase Continues in her kitty this year.

She is one of the youngest producers in Bollywood, an industry that has few active women producers. Sure enough, 23-yearold Rhea Kapoor says she found the job of challenging and learnt that one has to swallow one’s ego to run a project

“The most difficult part is that you have to take responsibility for everything. If anything goes wrong, it’s your fault,” said the quick

The daughter of actor Anil Kapoor and younger sister of actress Sonam Kapoor, Rhea never planned to get into production.

“I did a course in acting from New York but I realised that being in front of the camera is not what I want to do. Dad heard and loved it. He asked me to produce it under our banner because he felt that it’s a young, fun film and so I would be able to do justice to it,” she said.

Emma, the romantic movie about a high society girl who feels she is naturally gifted in finding love matches will feature Sonam as the matchmaker and Abhay Deol as the guy who falls for the self-confessed spinster. It is set

So did Dad help? “He gave me a complete free hand on the film. He let me make it the way I wanted to. He was there when I needed his opinion but he never interfered”. can get up to with is all set to Gandhi Ki Shaadi Mein , which he describes as a unique love story about a modern-day couple named

Guess Who

She did try her luck on the silver screen, but she is best known as the wife of a legendary

Gandhi and Kasturba.

“The film is about a boy named Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - his father was a freedom fighter and hugely inspired by the Mahatma, hence the name. Similarly the girl’s name is Kasturba,” Dhiwar says.

Before venturing into direction, Dhiwar worked as an editor on films like Mr Singh Mrs Mehta and Dabangg. He is currently directing a serial called Crime and Bollywood.

Does he think the names will irk people?

“We are not dealing with any historical facts here, it is a simple comedy. Only the characters’ names are same, but their traits are completely modern. It’s all in good humour.

Some people might try to create a controversy, but when they watch the film they’ll know there is nothing defaming in it.”

TV actor Karanvir Bohra, popularly known as Prem of Ekta Kapoor’s Kasautii Zindagi Ki, has been finalised for the role of Gandhi, but the female lead has not been decided yet. The film, to be made in Gujarat, is likely to go on floors in August.

Hey, if we’ve had ‘Bin Laden’ in a title recently, why not ‘Gandhi’?

Akshay fulfills

mannat

Akshay Kumar likes to seek out places of worship to visit and find solace, wherever he is shooting, particularly in the unexplored interiors. Be it a small gurdwara tucked away in the bylanes of Amristar or a temple on a hill in Manali, the star will climb that extra mile to get there.

So it was in Baramati, Pune, where Akshay shot for several months this year for the new Priyadarshan film Khatta Meetha. He discovered a small temple in a far-off place that he immediately felt a connect with.

Akshay began to frequent that temple every day.

“Earlier, he wouldn’t tell anyone where he’d disappear to early in the morning, or any time of the day,” said a source from the unit. “Soon we found where he was off to.

What we didn’t know was that he had taken a mannat that he’d return to the temple when Khatta Meetha was ready for release”.

So, early one Saturday morning, Akshay took a chartered flight, just before he left for Manali to shoot a song with Aishwarya Rai for Vipul Shah’s Action Replay, to fulfill his mannat in the little temple at Baramati.

While Akshay refused to comment saying religion is a very personal matter, a source very close to him said, “Akshay takes matters connected to god very seriously. He wouldn’t leave for Manali to shoot until he had fulfilled his mannat in that temple in Baramati.”

No doubt Akki’s wishing the resident deity at Baramati will shower success on his forthcoming releases…

Men do cry: Small screen heroes show how

It’s ‘tissue paper moments’ galore on the small screen. And from the men, no less. What was once a private activity for men has now gone public on the small screen.

Whether it’s Manav of Rishta, Bhairon of Veer of Uttaran

Bidaai or Shekhar of Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo seem to be crying at the drop of a hat, taking away the license to shed tears from the likes of Tulsi, Parvati and Prerna, the typical ‘bahus’ of Indian television.

“This new trend is revamping the image of men by showing the sensitive side of the otherwise tough body,” believes actor Nandish Sandhu, aka Veer of Uttaran. “It debunks the myth that men are stonehearted and don’t have emotions”.

Actor Apurva Agnihotri says, “Men on the whole have become more sensitive in real life as well. So why not on TV?”

The trend of men shedding tears is not just restricted to daily soaps; reality shows have also joined the bandwagon.

From Vindu Dara Singh and Bakhtiyar Irani in Bigg Boss to Shekhar Kapur in India’s Got Talent, all of them have ventured into ‘teary territory’

Pass the tissue box… they’re all weeping their way to glory here!

Rahat Ali Khan’s proposal for Indo-Pak peace

Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, who has found great fame in India, says he tries to spread brotherhood on both sides of the border. “I have always tried to advocate peace through my singing. In India, people tell me how much they like Pakistani artistes and I communicate their feelings when I get back home. Similarly, in Pakistan, people tell me how much they enjoy India and Indian artistes and I communicate the same here as well. I always say, look at what the common man on both sides feels, and not what the politicians feel.”

The nephew of legendary singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan will be seen in his second avatar on Indian TV shortly, after Imagine TV’s music reality show Lux Junoon Kuchh Kar Dikhaane Ka. Now he is returning to the small screen with another music show that will feature children from India and Pakistan as contestants.

The show Chotte Ustaad 2 will go on air on Star Plus July 24 and will be co-judged by singer Sonu Niigaam.

Talking about the show, Khan said: “It’s a great concept. It encourages brotherhood between India and Pakistan, advocates peace and that love should be the foundation of everything”.

Chhote Ustaad will feature 10 children from India and 10 from Pakistan. Each Indian child will be paired with a Pakistani kid and thus 10 pairs will be made who will compete with each other for the title.

Shreyas turns producer

Bollywood is all set to have another actorturned-producer. This time it’s Shreyas Talpade, who is co-producing a film with Ajay Jhunjhunwala. Titled Chemistry, the film has been written by Sai Kabir and will star Shreyas in the lead. It is expected to go on floors in September. Though Shreyas has produced a Marathi film in the past, he reveals, that he is just as excited and nervous about his first Bollywood production. Shreyas says, “When Sai came up with the script, it was too tempting to not want to take the plunge into production. It’s definitely a big step for me and I’m looking forward to it.” Though Shreyas is playing the lead, he insists that the story is the real

Jackie Chan in India again

Jackie Chan , Asia’s highest paid actor, was in Chennai to release the audio of Kamal Haasan’s Dasavatharam in 2008. Now he is coming to India this year on a promotional tour for his next film Little Big Soldier. The 25 million dollar film is releasing in India later this year. Jackie Chan will also be in Chennai in the south leg of his tour and during that visit he will meet Chief Minister Karunanidhi. Jackie Chan has good thoughts of the chief minister after his interaction with him during the Dasavatharam audio release.

What’s the chitchat here between Shashi Kapoor and daughter Sanjana?

Send in your responses to info@indianlink.com.au and win a surprise prize

Last issue Caption Contest winning entry

What’s going through the minds of Amisha Patel and Akshay Kumar here?

Amisha: Wow, I’m standing right next to Akshay Kumar… I haven’t lost all yet!

Akshay: Do I have to have this has-been next to me?

Sugandha Shekhar

Burwood NSW

Rishi wins a free ticket to new Hindi film Red Alert