proUD To be prAN

The man who gave a new status to villainy in Indian cinema is no more! Pran, the versatile actor who became a household name in the 1960s and ‘70s was a legend of bollywood. Pran saab as he was fondly called, had an illustrious career in the Indian film industry that spanned more than six decades, and saw him acting in over 400 films. on July 12, the veteran actor and redoubtable legend passed away after a prolonged illness.

Pran was a master of disguises. From the unforgettable smoke rings he created in the movie Badi behen, or as the flawless Sher Khan in Zanjeer with the trademark flicking back of his hair, Pran’s versatility as an artist was evident from the ease with which he portrayed various characters on screen, bringing them to life and making them imminently believable.

As malang Chacha of Upkaar, jailer raghuveer Singh of Kaalia or the Nepali Pyarelal of Kasauti, Pran gave each character his unique touch. his dialogues are still popular after years; remember ‘Barkhurdar!’ rendered in his baritone voice? his famous run-ins with the big b in Kaalia and Zanjeer are still remembered and revered.

Not many people know that Pran played lead roles in a few films like Khandaan, Halaku and Pilpili Saahib. Some of his famous movies included Madhumati, Jis Desh Main Ganga Behti Hai, Victoria No. 203, Be-Imaan, Johnny Mera Naam, Don and Duniya. Amitabh owes his role in Zanjeer to Pran, the turning point of the megastar’s career.

At the time Pran commanded more money than top stars, a rare feat even today, considering that his roles were mostly those of a villain.

A man of great discipline and immense talent, Pran was fond of Urdu poetry and sports like soccer, hockey and cricket, even financing his own soccer team, the d ynamos Football Club. Pran, a kind human being, once even offered to finance a training trip for Kapil dev to Australia, when the cricket board refused to do so.

with his natural good looks, charming mannerisms and rich baritone voice, Pran won millions of hearts globally. villains were at par with heroes in the hindi film industry, thanks to Pran. For him, it was the character that mattered the most, and not the fact that he was a hero or a villain. And he proved this true with his craft.

The fickle film fraternity had turned its back on Pran in the last decade or so. The veteran actor did not receive much recognition or even awards. Even the dadasaheb Phalke award came quite late, in 2013. It’s a real shame that bollywood failed to acknowledge this great artist much earlier. his demise has left a big void in Indian cinema that will be hard to fill. Artistes like Pran are born once in a lifetime.

we salute this legend for entertaining the masses for so long with quality work and his outstanding contribution to the hindi film industry. Pran lived up to his name, infusing life into all of the characters he played on screen. Even though he is no more, sweet memories and indelible performances will always linger on in our hearts.

Farewell, Pran saab! PERDy MOHINDRU

All about acting, by Vidya Balan

From a single mother to a sex symbol, vidya balan has portrayed a range of characters on the big screen, and she’s done a great job. And vidya finds living in another person’s world exciting. “I don’t think it (acting) is about proving oneself. It is about inhibating another person’s world, one you have not been in before. I think as an actor, living another person’s life is exciting,” said the talented actress recently.

her latest role was that of a plump, loud Punjabi woman with an unusual dressing sense in Ghanchakkar, and the actress says she always finds a way to connect with her characters, and managed to do with this one too.

“There is also a part of them, which I connect with. my character in Ghanchakkar is not someone who I could identify with initially, but the point of identification was that she was just happy with herself,” explained vidya. “I might not be happy with myself all the time, but I love people like that. you find that point of identification with the character”.

The movie didn’t rock the box office, but the critics and audience alike have praised vidya’s performance, and she finds this appreciation humbling.

“I feel humbled when people say that. I am just doing work, which I believe in,” said the actress who played central roles in Kahaani and The Dirty Picture, but didn’t mind playing second fiddle in Ghanchakkar vidya is married to Siddharth roy what about creative satisfaction? olympian athlete milkha Singh’s biopic didn’t get an overwhelming review, but the Bhaag Milkha Bhaag box office success has thrown the movie business into a tizzy. director rakeysh omprakash mehra admits that collection has indeed surpassed their expectations with the bio-pic raking in rs.55 crore in the first week with rs.3.58 crore collected in the second week in mumbai alone.

“In the movie, Sanju (Emraan hashmi) was the central character. I was not the protagonist. I was ok with that as I love the character. I don’t have set notions and don’t take on that kind of pressure. my only dream was to be an actor and I am living my dream to the fullest,” she said.

Kapur, managing director of Studios, disney UT v, but unlike her husband, she does not want to enter the production business.

“I don’t want to start producing films. I am very greedy about being an actor and I always have a producer at home,” she said.

“After The Dirty Picture, I thought I had done everything that needed to be done. but I was even taken aback when rajkumar Gupta came to me with Ghanchakkar. I felt grateful to him that he could think of me in this diametrically opposite character. but he was also making a diametrically opposite film”.

Now vidya will be seen with Farhan Akhtar in Shaadi Ke Side Effects, another challenging avatar for the talented actress (and one which was filmed in Australia in parts). but perhaps vidya’s newly married status will help her identify with the role!

More to Milkha than just the moolah!

“our film’s reach has exceeded all our expectations. we knew milkhaji’s story would have a resonant emotional impact. but we couldn’t have guessed it would reach so far and wide,” said a surprised mehra.

Farhan Akhtar who plays title role in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag chronicling the life of athlete milkha Singh, was overwhelmed by the audience’s reaction to the film.

“I am just so happy. Acceptance and recognition of one’s effort is such a wonderful feeling,” he said. The bio-pic tells of the strife and struggle of Indian sprinter milkha Singh’s life. Even veteran actress Jaya bachchan couldn’t hold back her tears after watching a special screening of the movie. She seldom attends movie screenings these days, but made it a point to attend because of the family’s very close relations with the film’s director and Farhan.

“After the screening, she just couldn’t control her emotions. She called Farhan aside and wept openly, telling him he had lived the pain, suffering and triumph of milkha,” said a source.

Farhan refused to comment on Jaya’s emotional response to the film and his performance, saying it was a private moment. but when contacted, Jaya said, “I loved it. Farhan was brilliant. I enjoyed a film so much after a long time”.

And that’s not all - showing exemplary attentiveness to the film’s far-reaching inspirational impact, the maharashtra government recently granted tax exemption to the bio-pic. Naturally, mehra is thrilled, saying, “The film would

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Share your views with us on our Facebook page now be accessible to those middle-class Indians who cannot afford the ticket prices at multiplexes. That thought makes me very happy”. The filmmaker hopes other states would follow suit and grant the movie a tax exemption too.

The immediate impact of the ace runner’s saga has also brought about a heightened interest in films related to sports and sportspersons. director omang Kumar is shooting a bio-pic on boxing olympic medallist mary Kom with Priyanka Chopra in the lead role, while Ekta Kapoor has bought the movie rights of the life of cricketer mohammed Azharuddin. And a biopic on the life of legendary hockey player dhyan Chand is in the pipeline.

An excellent way of telling the stories and struggles of India’s sporting greats, albeit the bollywood way. well, at least they are preserved for posterity!

An Iftaar surprise

A reconciliation between Salman Khan and Shah rukh Khan would have seemed unlikely, after years of cold-shouldering each other. Since an incident at Katrina Kaif’s birthday bash in 2008 in which the two Khans began taking pangas at each other, they have refused to share space. So it was a surprise to all present when the actors shook hands and hugged each other openly at the Ifatar party of Congress leader baba Siddiqui recently. or perhaps they had no choice when Siddiqui asked them to meet each other! both Shah rukh and Salman seemed perfectly fine, the latter being the one who took the initiative to shake hands and hug Shah rukh. well, looks like another bridge has been built in bollywood! what’s next, a movie featuring the two? I doubt that!

Madras Cafe cleared by censors

Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar has heaved a sigh of relief now that his film Madras Cafe has been cleared by the censor board with a U/A certificate.

“ when I was making Vicky Donor, I was very worried about the censors. I thought, it’s a film that deals with sperms, which will get it an A-certificate, but thank God, things went well,” Sircar revealed. Vicky Donor released with a U/A certificate and the audiences liked the film so much that the rs.5 crore project earned rs.45 crore at the box office.

“The film didn’t look vulgar and sent across the message perfectly. Luckily, Madras Cafe, which has so much action has got a clean nod from the censors and has got a U/A certificate,” said the director. The movie is a political-thriller, and deals with terrorism and civil war. It was reportedly shot in Sri Lanka and India. Sircar requested the audience’s indulgence for enjoying the sequence of events in his forthcoming offering.

“I would request the audience not to leave their brains at home. bring your brains and do a bit of research before you come to watch the film,” he stated.

Featuring John Abraham, who has also produced the film, and Nargis Fakhri, the film is slated to release in mid-August. In a snippet, John has recently become the brand ambassador for reebok, and promises some really exciting stuff in the near future. John in action is certainly worth a dekko!

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Dear Auntyji

I am an ambitious and driven 40-year-old female and I would appreciate your insight. I have a 17-year-old niece, who I love very much. She is very bright and creative, but she continually frustrates me with not having any idea about what she wants to do with her life after high school. She wants to go to university, but she is unsure of what she wants to study. I find myself getting continually frustrated after each conversation with Cheyenne, because each time I offer her some ideas, she shoots them all down. It would appear that not only does she not know what she wants, she has no idea about what she does not want to do. Talking to her about her future goals is like an exercise in trying to decipher the conversation of two demented people on heroin. I don’t know how she can’t know what she likes or dislikes. If I say study medicine, she crinkles her nose. If I say study business, she grimaces. I suggest teaching, and she shrugs. So I find myself feeling frustrated, but fortunately, because I only see her every few weeks, I don’t express my irritation at her. I think that being so bright, she should live to her potential and achieve something useful - instead of being like her mum and staying at home. what are your thoughts Auntyji? what is your proposed solution for me? obviously, I love my niece very much and want her to be happy. Can you please give me some ideas on the best options here?

Auntyji says hmm. I can completely see your dilemma here. Say nothing and have Cheyenne meander through life, not knowing what direction to take, or say something and have Cheyenne think you’re an interfering aunt. First things first. As much as you are driven and ambitious and you only want a happy, fulfilling future for your niece, this is her life. you are living your life exactly how you want to, and you can provide guidance to Cheyenne, but you must not impose your expectations on her. If she wants to go to university and have a high-powered job, that’s a decision she needs to make. If she wants to stay at home and have babies and raise them without putting them in daycare, then that is her option as well. I suggest you start by changing your thinking. you are there to provide guidance to Cheyenne, if she asks for it. If she doesn’t, then leave it at that. Cheyenne’s crinkling of her nose and shrugging of her shoulders are signs that she is probably being polite and not wanting to say to you that really, she does not want to talk about her future career, she is currently stressed out about her hSC. So your job is to support her by saying that whether she wants to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer or housewife, you will be there to help her if she needs you. Then leave it at that. And please, don’t make sarcastic comments to her about how she will end up as a mere housewife, because that is doubly insulting. So, I suggest you re-orient your thinking, and leave Cheyenne alone. Talk to her about things that will decrease her anxiety, not increase it. So talk about fashion or T v shows. Leave it at that. If you want to be a hip aunt, you will need to step up your game, girly, and learn that your drive and ambitions are yours alone. There is no rule that says that this needs to be passed to the next generation.

One potato, two potato…

Dear Auntyji

my sister-in-law makes the best mashed potatoes ever, and no matter how much I try to recreate it, I can’t seem to perfect the recipe. I have asked her for her recipe, but she makes excuses and does not give it to me. do you have a good recipe that you would like to share with me please, Auntyji? I love mashed potatoes and mostly have it for special occasions only (because I am mindful of getting fat). So can you help?

Auntyji says o f course I can help you my little laccha paratha. I have a particularly good recipe that I am happy to share with you. but be mindful, this recipe is for those people who don’t eat mashed potatoes every day. If you eat this dish every day, very soon you too will become a golu matolu aloo yourself – all shapeless and jiggly with each step. To, pehle, take 4 medium unbrushed aloo. Now I am not fussed, but you will need to cook them till they are soft. you can cut them into chunks and boil them gently, or you can boil them whole, or steam them. Either way, the aloo must be cooked completely and drained well. Now, once cooked and while still hot, leave them in the pan, and add ½ cup of cream (the proper kind, not thickened) and about 75 grams of real butter (no margarine or any of that rubbish – get the best quality butter you can find). Then, mash it all up while on low heat. Turn off the heat and continue mashing until there are no lumps left. you can add a little more cream if the mixture appears a bit dry. The potatoes should be very fluffy and light. once done, add a dollop of butter to the middle, and let it melt. Then serve. you will find this mashed potato so rich and tasty that you will want to eat it by itself. which you should, but of course, with accompaniments, it is quite superb. Now remember, don’t do it that often, otherwise you will become a petu. Good luck with this recipe, I am sure you will love it very much. write to me and tell me how it turned out for you.