Frieda’s back in Mumbai

It’s no longer a secret, just as it was unlikely to be one for more than a few hours. Frieda Pinto is back in Mumbai, quietly shooting for her next film, Trishna . Apparently the crew and cast didn’t want too much attention, so it was done guerrilla style, with as few people clued in as possible. Which, of course, is impossible in the home of Bollywood, where rumours fly around at the speed of light.

Trishna is an adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s classic novel Tess of d’Urbervilles and is being directed by Michel Winterbottom. It also stars British rapper Riz Ahmed, who acted in The Road To Guantanamo , Shifty and Four Lions , and will be shot in Rajasthan and Mumbai. Back home at last! Frieda must be having fun….

an award it brings an element of surprise. It makes me feel fortunate to get recognised for the work that I love doing,” she said.

“I had received the letter three years back, but somehow due to commitments, the ceremony got so delayed. But I feel more than happy because I have my eightmonth-old son also in my arms, who saw his mom getting the honour,” Nandita added.

Nandita has also had forays behind the camera with Firaaq in 2008, as she directed this political thriller on the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots.

She is well-recognised on the international circuit, having been

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acknowledged at carious film festivals and serving as a jury member at Cannes. The informal gathering comprised of Nandita’s near and dear ones, her family and friends. And of course, her son was in the focus too, with cuddles from his mum. Well done Nandita, on an accolade richly deserved.

Akon rocks at birthday concert

Akon created quite a stir at his concert in Gurgaon recently, as he ordered security to break the class barriers, allowing the cheapest ticket holders to mingle with their gold compatriots. The venue turned into one huge party as the Senegalese-American rapper and singer celebrated his 38th birthday in a rocking party with fans and the not-so-pleased expensive ticket holders.

“I have a quick question! What is that separate section back behind those gates? What section is that?” he asked the audience as he pointed towards the silver class area.

“That’s the silver class,” the audience shouted back. “What class is this then?” he questioned back.

“This is the gold class!” responded the audience.

“Oh! You mean they didn’t have enough money? Come on all you people, come forward, come close! I am going to pay for it! Jump up the barriers! Let’s turn this into a party!” Akon said, much to the delight of the audience.

“I got to tell you people that if my audience is suffering, I am not comfortable. There should be no class, and no matter how successful you are, I want to see you all together here,” said Akon.

That was the cue to an amazing performance from the singer, as he sang, jumped and danced with them, and even went crowd surfing in a transparent balloon!

If that wasn’t enough, he dived into the crowd and was carried along on a sea of hands to the end of the crowd, much to the dismay of the VVIP crowd, who sat separately - away from all the action.

Although the concert began two hours late, the singer’s performance and involvement with his fans made the occasion memorable. Akon sang popular hits like Don’t matter, Ghetto, Smack that, I Wanna love you and Dangerous among others. He also cut his birthday cake on the stage, and shared it with some of his fansproving himself as a people’s person.

The rapper has been frank about Bollywood being his ultimate goal, where he can pursue a career as an actor. “I’m waiting to get into Bollywood movies. I want to do it successfully. I’m not quite sure what character (I would play), but I definitely want to do it,” said the singer, who has worked with composer Aadesh Srivastava and also sang a song for Shah Rukh Khan’s forthcoming film Ra.One

“Working with Shah Rukh was an amazing experience. He opened me up to Bollywood. He made me see a whole new light and the possibilities. I enjoyed it so much that I’m trying to sneak in now,” he added.

And it’s a chance few of tinsel town’s bigwigs are likely to miss. I actors for his action-thriller Singham . Ashok Saraf, Sonali Kulkarni and Sachin Khedekar, among others will act in the movie, scheduled for release in mid-July. At least we can be sure that it will be a hit in one state!

An honour for Anupam

Veteran actor Anupam Kher, who has been in the film industry for 27 years was honoured at a function in Toronto for completing 400 movies.