Fenil and Bollywood

Mohini Karkarey, a descendant of the Peshwas hits out at portrayal
DNA (November 20, 2015)

Since Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming movie Bajirao Mastani’s song Pinga was released, there have been varied reactions. Now, Mohini Karkarey, who is a descendant of the Peshwas, has written an open letter to director Sanjay Bhansali, hitting out at him.

Mr Bhansali,
The time has now come to speak out, against the picturisation in the song and certain scenes in Bajirao Mastani. This is not fiction, Mr Bhansali. You have portrayed real people who have been recorded in history. The Peshwas ruled for more than 100 years. Did you do any research at all? Did you, for instance, understand the life and times of people in the 1700s? Do you know and understand their behavioural pattern?

Here are a few recorded facts for your perusal:
Fact 1: Kashibai Saheb was suffering from tuberculosis and had arthritis. Due to this she had a limp.
Fact 2: Kashibai would never get into a dance routine even if she was healthy because that was not in the culture.
Fact 3: The costumes shown in the song Pinga were never worn by royal families or even normal women. The way the nauvari was draped did not show even an ounce of skin.
Fact 4: Kashibai and Mastani met only once in their lifetime and that too formally.
Fact 5: Kashibai was the daughter of Mahadji Krishna Joshi from Chaas and was known as Chaskar Joshi. Her descendants are still alive.
Fact 6: Mastani was not a courtesan or dancer. She was the daughter of Raja Chatrasaal of Bundelkhand. She was married to Bajirao and was his second wife. Mastani’s descendants, the Nawabs of Banda, will give you enough proof of this.

Proof of all the facts is available on Peshwe Gharanyacha Itihas by Mr Pramod Oak and you will find plenty more proof in Peshwe Daptar.

Bajirao was a great warrior second only to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. With this so called love story you have made a mockery of him. You have insulted the very essence of Maharashtrian families. This will definitely create a flawed image about such a great personality and his family.

Yours sincerely,
Mohini Karkarey

This is said to be the start of a nearly Rs 220-crore deal between Shah Rukh Khan’s production house and a leading television network
MID-DAY (November 20, 2015)

Barely four months ago, Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainments (RCE) had plunged into the distribution market for his upcoming film, Dilwale. Now we hear the production company has entered into a ‘strategic alliance’ with TV network Multi Screen Media (MSM) to explore opportunities related to television, digital and film content.

Sources close to the star’s banner claim that MSM has acquired the satellite rights of Dilwale for R 60 crore and the entire deal covering his next two to three creative projects comes to a whopping Rs 220 crore.

“This is the first time in many years that the satellite rights of a movie has been sold before its release. The alliance involves some of the future creative content that RCE will make. Although not exclusive, it will be among the biggest and one-of-its-kind deals,” says a source.

On April 10, hitlist had reported about the Rohit Shetty action-drama cracking the biggest music deal with Sony Music at Rs 19 crore. Venky Mysore, CEO of RCE, confirms that the deal has been struck.

Elimated contestant takes off on the host, says he decides who stays and who gets evicted from Bigg Boss
Pooja Nayak (DNA; November 20, 2015)

Puneet Vashisht who was eliminated last week from Bigg Boss 9 is taking panga with the host. In an interview after coming out of the reality show, he said, “Everything is finalised according to Salman. I am not saying the show is scripted but you really need to be in the good books of Salman to last on this show! Last year Gautam Gulati won the show because he is like a version of Salman. Toh socha hoga haan chalo yeh meri tarah hai and he won! This year I am so sure Salman is going to make Mandana Karimi win. I dunno why Salman doesn’t like me but it was evident! Maybe he couldn’t see my talent selling on the show. Why would Salman want to sell someone else’s talent on his show? Salman personally didn’t like me. Or maybe even the channel thought I am not being how they wanted me to be inside the house. They introduced me to create fights, controversies. But after a while, I was like why should I act so fake? I am not such a kind of person and can’t live in lies! So yeah, everything came against me but I am glad I am out. Realised a lot of things in that few days stay on Bigg Boss 9.” Over to Salman Khan.

MID-DAY (November 20, 2015)

Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, who are on a publicity blitzkrieg for their upcoming film Tamasha, dropped into the mid- day office yesterday for a candid chat. RK, as usual, was honest and forthright, and had Dippy jumping to his defence every time questions about his last few duds were posed. At one point, an overwhelmed Ranbir told her that he would burst into tears if she continued indulging him.

The former flames, who have no qualms about pairing up professionally and lighting up the big screen with their sizzling chemistry, touched upon a lot of topics in an hourlong chat with hitlist. Excerpts from the banter:

From exes to friends
RANBIR: A lot of people are linking what we are doing at promotional events to our personal history. Whatever we say is misconstrued. I am talking about Deepika because she is my co-star. Had I been promoting Besharam (2013), I would be talking about Pallavi Sharda who was my co-star in that film, but everyone only wants to talk about the chemistry I share with Deepika.
DEEPIKA: We have come to a stage in our lives where we have a lot of clarity about where we stand in each other’s lives. Whatever we say will be turned into a headline. It has been this way ever since we got to know each other. But I have learnt to take things with a pinch of salt.
RANBIR: I don’t know if there is any formula to exes being friends. But there is no negativity between us; we came to the sets without any baggage. A lot of credit for what you see between us on-screen goes to the director. In Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), it was because of Ayan (Mukerji, director). Since he knows us personally, he knew how to build our characters and extract the emotions required for a particular scene. The same happened in case of Tamasha because Imtiaz (Ali) also knows us well. Both of us have worked with him earlier. He has a mature energy and comes from an honest place, so we cannot fake anything with him.

Journey in B-Town
RANBIR: Time has flown so fast. It has been a wonderful eight years of highs and lows; I still feel like a newcomer.
DEEPIKA: For me, it has been an amazing journey. Coming from a sports family and having no idea of the industry, it was just my passion that has brought me here. I am willing to work hard. Every film has taught me something; so has every success and failure.

Hope to bounce back
RANBIR: I did not expect Bombay Velvet to be such a disaster, but then every film has a fate of its own. There is a lot of expectations from Tamasha. I cannot put parameters for failure and success, but right now I am almost back to square one — I had a string of hits and then three films back-to-back that didn’t work. But I am grateful that people still repose trust in me. I am not doing films for the intelligent audience, but for everyone. But failure does impact your confidence. When someone pricks you, you bleed. If people out there have given their love to you, then you have to be ready to face their brickbats too. I don’t regret having done any film. My debut film, Saawariya (2007), was such a big disaster. I consider Rockstar (2011) as a milestone, but it was Wake Up Sid (2009) that really got me going. My only regret is Roy — not for myself, but for my friend (director Vikramjit Singh). I just had a special appearance and needed to shoot for 10 days. And I think I took it for granted. I really wish that I had worked on my character and discussed it at length with the director.
DEEPIKA: Every actor goes through a phase when his/her films don’t do well, but in Ranbir’s case, it has been amplified. As if it were solely his responsibility. The questions have been asked for years. I have never come across any actor who has had to answer about his films not doing well for such a long time. To Ranbir’s credit, he has been dignified. But it is time we moved on. Ranbir was born to be an actor. He does not choose films to be a superhero; he wants to do films that tell an exciting story.

Cold war with Big B
DEEPIKA: I have not commented on it earlier and won’t now either. If I chose to celebrate Diwali with Amitji’s family instead of heading home that evening, that explains everything.
RANBIR: When the Amitabh Bachchan episode came up, Deepika was affected. They shared a great working relation during Piku, but a misunderstanding was created. I do not know how she revived her equation with him, but we were all together at his house to celebrate Diwali.

Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. Screengrab from YouTube

Box Office India Trade Network

PREM RATAN DHAN PAYO was decent on Tueaday in most circuits apart from Gujarat which fell a bit more as its coming off an extended holiday period. The business of PREM RATAN DHAN PAYO over the first six day is as follows.
Thursday - 39,00,00,000
Friday - 29,25,00,000
Saturday - 28,25,00,000
Sunday 25,75,00,000
Monday 11,25,00,000
Tuesday 10,00,00,000 apprx
TOTAL - 143,50,00,000

The film should another 15 crore nett plus in the next two days and then it will be the crucial second Friday and the drop here will give idea where the film will land up.
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PREM RATAN DHAN PAYO had an excellent extended eight first week of around 160 crore nett. The first week collections are the fifth highest of all time after BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN, PK, DHOOM 3 and KICK if we take the seven day week. Despite the huge first week it was a mixed trend after the first day which set opening day records in practically all the circuits.

The film started behaving differently across India from day two - some circuits were excellent while others had major falls and this continued through the weekdays. It is after a long time that there is such varied business across India for a big film. Some circuits have done blockbuster first week numbers while others have not even done hit business

The standouts are Gujarat/Saurashtra and Rajasthan which over seven days did all time record business. Next best are CP Berar and CI. The huge Gujarat/Saurashtra numbers have enabled Mumbai circuit to put up a big number.

Basically Gujarat has rescued the film somewhat. With Delhi and Punjab not performing, the next most important area Gujarat is phenomenal which has really helped its cause. It has been helped by extended holidays in Gujarat and it remains to be seen how the second week goes. The story is totally different in Delhi/UP where the first week is not even in the top five as Delhi city was a huge let down though UP did very well.

X: Past Is Present is an experiment that goes horribly wrong. The concept and the idea sound interesting but the final product is lacklustre and very incoherent. It features 11 tracks, all made and written by 11 groups of directors and writers. Each director has its own style but this aspect doesn't really enhance the appeal of the film - rather the scenes looks disconnected despite that the story is actually going forward. Few sequences do impress to be honest but when seen in totality, it fails to really make a mark. Rajat Kapoor is fine and his scenes with Aditi Chengappa after a point don't really engage much. Swara Bhaskar, Huma Qureshi, Radhika Apte, Bidita Bag and Richa Shukla deliver brilliant performances. As 11 short films, these stories might have worked (especially Swara Bhaskar's track) but when all clubbed in one film, it's a major disappointment. Avoid!

My rating - ** out of 5!

Sonil Dedhia (BOMBAY TIMES; November 21, 2015)

Riding high on the success of her latest film Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 (PKP 2), Sonnalli Seygall is gushing with joy, “I really have no words to describe. It's more than a month since the film released and it's still doing well. I have been getting congratulatory messages even now.“ The young actress adds that the newfound success means a lot to her career, “People noticed my first film Pyaar Ka Punchnama and knew I had acted in it, but this time around they have started recognising me and taking me seriously and this is surely a high point in my career.“ She also admits that there have been several offers post PKP 2 but nothing has been finalised yet. “I don't want to rush and take any wrong decisions. Currently, I am reading scripts and will take a final call soon.“

She credits her family for all the success, “My mother has been my pillar of strength and has supported me in all my decisions.“ Talking about her journey, this beauty from Kolkata admits, “I never wanted to become an actress. I moved to Mumbai with the intention of becoming a successful model. My days of beauty pageants and winning titles (crowned Miss India International 2006) were like a fairy tale, and now I am really enjoying my time in Bollywood. I don't want to set any boundaries, I want to work with different actors and do some good work.“

Meena Iyer (BOMBAY TIMES; November 21, 2015)

She's petite, spunky and her expressive brown eyes flash fire. That's Nushrat Bharucha, fresh from the success of Panorama Studios' Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 (PKP2). Like most greenhorns, her short career in Bollywood is dotted with hits and misses, but today everything else is overshadowed with the box office numbers of her last release, which was produced by Abhishek Pathak and Kumar Mangat Pathak.

Sitting opposite me like an earnest child, she explains that all that is happening has been unexpected. She says, “Our director Luv (Ranjan) Sir was confident that PKP 2 would do well. However, we were skeptical because my co-star Kartik Aaryan, Sir and I had seen failure in Akaash Vani.“ Fair enough. And then what? She continues, “Last week, I took director Bejoy Nambiar with me to see the film and was pleasantly surprised that it is still running to packed houses.'' Will she work with Bejoy shortly? “I have my fingers crossed. Both of us have been keen to work together since Love Sex Aur Dhokha. But nothing materialised,“ she says.

Quiz her what the future looks like and Nushrat replies, “With PKP 2, I have tasted success again. It has taken me to a place where conversations have opened up. Now, people want to meet me and give me a narration. PKP 2 has given the entire cast the platform that we so desired. Where we head from here and how far our talent carries us, etc. we don't know because everything is not in our hands. You know how Bollywood functions. There have been occasions in the past, when I know I'm the deal fit for a role, but I didn't get cast. That happens a lot o me and I do not understand why. This film has given me the space where I can talk to people and say his is my work, so please work with me. It's easy to get lost in Bollywood.'' She admits she is inspired by Nawazuddin Siddiqui and states, “He had miniscule roles in his earlier films. But today he is on top of his game.“

Nushrat is confident that now she will be heard above the din. “When your film hits the box office, people are forced to take notice,“ she signs off.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 21, 2015)

Dil Dhadakne Do actor Vikrant Massey has bagged the lead in Konkana Sen Sharma's directorial debut, Death At The Ganj. Set in the hinterlands, in the late 70s, the Hinglish thriller narrates the story of a family from the actor's perspective. It's expected to roll early next year.

"Konkona and I were shooting for Prakash Jha's Lipstick Wale Sapne in December last year when she offered the film to me. She didn't even audition anyone for the role," says the 28-year-old actor, who plays a young Bengali boy and needs to lose five-six kilos to essay the role.

Reading sessions are on, workshops are scheduled to commence from December. "I will reach the location 20 days before the shooting begins. Since the film is based in the 70s, I want to live without technology for a while to get into the character," informs Vikrant, who describes Konkana as a "perfectionist" who is very clear about what she doesn't want.

Vikrant doesn't have a love interest in the film and there's no "naach gaana" either.

Is there any truth to reports that he is dating actress Shruti Haasan? "Not at all, she's just a dear friend. Unfortunately, if you're spotted with someone, people immediately assume that you're dating."

Dev Patel is back in Goa, this time for the Ramanujan biopic which was the opening film of the International Film Festival of India
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 21, 2015)

Dev Patel cannot sit still. He takes short walks between interviews, his hands turn fidgety while answering questions, he runs his fingers through his mop of curly black hair and taps his feet constantly. "I hate sitting for too long, I just can't do it," he admits.

His big, black eyes twinkle when he laughs, which he seems to be doing 24x7 while he's in Goa promoting his upcoming film, The Man Who Knew Infinity. "A while back I was in Goa on a holiday and it was so much fun. I want to go shopping and body surfing, explore the place. And there's no harm in knocking back some Feni while I'm here either," he guffaws.

Since, he's already watched the film, the 25-year-old Hollywood star is giving the screenings of his upcoming film a miss, but is sure his Indian-origin parents will cry when they see the film. "My mom keeps saying that I look like my great grandfather because of the hair and the period costume. She was quite nostalgic when she saw the stills," he reveals.

The actor who has a pronounced British accent owing to his upbringing in the UK worked on the Indian accent for months before he mastered it. "I have dabbled in an Indian accent in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in which I played Sonny, but that was slapstick. This is serious. My best friend, Raghu Veer Joshi, became my dialect coach and we spent a lot of time working on my accent together," he reminisces.

There wasn't much research to be done since there was no audio footage on the genius mathematician who gave the world the 'zero'. Being inside the University of Cambridge helped him understand the man. "Being part Indian-part British helped me and I managed to get my own selfie moment with Ramanujam," he smiles, remembering a shoot in a chapel with Toby Jones who plays his friend and fellow mathematician Littlewood.

"Inside the chapel was a large statue of Isaac Newton and beside it on a wall golden plaques of the men who became fellows at Cambridge. At the bottom was Littlewood and below him Ramanujan. We did the "yeah man, selfie thing", it was so cool!"

However, Dev candidly admits that he is really poor in maths but is a master prankster. "I had a chemistry teacher in school who had a cactus on her table which she adored. One day, when she wasn't looking, I poured sulphuric acid in it and it went from a lovely green to a horrible grey," he laughs.

The actor who swayed between American films and TV, appearing in three seasons of Aaron Sorkin's TV drama The Newsroom, in which he plays a blogger, Neal Sampath, confides that he hates television. "It moves fast, and you don't have the indulgences you have when you're shooting movies of many takes because of tight deadlines. And Aaron, he's a tough guy to please," sighs Dev.

Another revelation: He loves cooking and does a lot of it these days. He has bought a little home for himself in Los Angeles and the Goa-shopping he mentioned earlier is for his new home. He refuses to allow even the mention of ex-girlfriend Freida Pinto in the conversation but prod him on the special woman in his life and he says, "I'll be shopping for my mom, she's the special one." With that he jumps out of his chair to take a quick walk. This interview, unfortunately, was never going to be infinite!

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 21, 2015)

Matt Brown's gripping biopic, The Man Who Knew Infinity, based on the life of Indian mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan, was the opening film at the 46th International Film Festival of India in Goa last evening. It received a standing ovation, just like it had at the Toronto International Film Festival and Zurich International Film Festival earlier this year.

And the entire unit, including Slumdog Millionnaire actor Dev Patel, who plays the title role and New York-based actress Devika Bhise who plays Ramanujan's wife, were teary-eyed by the response in Panjim.

Owing to the positive buzz, several Indian distributors have demanded that the film be released here one week prior to its international release on May 6, 2016. But the film's producer, Edward R Pressman, the filmmaker behind Leonardo DiCaprio's 2010 drama, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, is still shattered by the earlier response to the film.

"I visited India 10 years ago looking for financers. I visited every major film production house and studio in Mumbai. Everyone I met wanted me to produce a Star Wars for them. My business trip turned into a vacation and I flew back to London. My wife has visited India several times since but I waited till I was ready to show the reel 'Ramanujan' to India," says Edward.

Edward who had the rights to Robert Kanigel's book, The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan, revived the project in 2012. There were a dozen producers wanting the distribution rights across continents. "In the last few months, I even received funding from Indian filmmakers, but that was too late," he sighs.

The film follows the journey of Ramanujan, growing up in a poor family in Chennai, going to Cambridge University during the First World War and becoming a pioneer in mathematical theories under the guidance of his professor GH Hardy, played by Jeremy Irons.

Edward, who has produced over 80 films, hasn't given up on Indian filmmakers and looks at IFFI as a great platform to find new talent and partners. "It's a mix of what I really want to do and what can realistically be done. I wish I could have stayed here longer to explore more cinema," says Edward who flies back to the UK on Sunday.

IFFI kick-starts on a Bollywood high, Goa CM describes it as 'our very own beach festival'.
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 21, 2015)

The 46th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) kicked off at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee indoor stadium on the outskirts of Panaji in Goa to a packed house on Friday with plenty of song and dance. I&B cabinet minister Arun Jaitley who inaugurated the festival, and state minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, natty in a three-piece suit, were among the early birds. The Bollywood brigade, including chief guest Anil Kapoor, International jury head Shekhar Kapur, and Sonakshi Sinha, arrived fashionably late. Jaitley released the book on Dadasaheb Phalke award winners, Legends of Indian Silver Screen, in the presence of Sonakshi, actress Devika Bhise and filmmaker Kabir Khan.

Ayushmann Khurrana, who was the co-host with Aditi Rao Hydari, was a hit with the locals, as was chief guest Anil Kapoor. Also turning heads on the red carpet was Dev Patel, the lead of the fest's opening film, The Man Who Knew Infinity, also featuring Devika. The film's director, Matthew Brown, who had earlier overdosed on spicy pani puris at the IFFI Food Festival, was down with a stomach bug and arrived later.

Goa CM Laxmikant Parsekar described IFFI as the Cannes (Film Festival) of India, "our own beach festival". Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja, who was honoured with the Centenary Award, asserted that music needs to be taught in every school and college. Earlier, he was seen conversing with Anil Kapoor who worked with Ilaiyaraaja in his first film as a leading man, Mani Ratnam's 1983 Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi.

"There are times when films are made and don't get commercial releases but film festivals give them recognition. I gave the Marrakech Film Festival a miss to be here. Unfortunately, I won't get to enjoy Goa on this trip as I have to be on the sets of my TV series, 24, from Sunday. But from now on I will come here every year," Kapoor told Mirror.

The actor met Shekhar Kapur warmly who teased him saying, "Thirty years on and you're still Mr India. You will never live it down, I'm sorry."

Kapur introduced the International Jury members, Michael Radford (UK), Julia Jentsch (Germany), Suha Arraf (Palestine) and Jeon Kyu-Hwan (South Korea). Seven Spanish filmmakers were also there as part of the fest's Country Focus.

Terence Lewis paid a tribute to Hindi films with a medley. The highlight of the event was Dev Patel greeting Slumdog Millionaire co-star Anil Kapoor with a bear hug, mouthing Kapoor's line from the film, "Who wants to be a millionaire..."

The real revelry came towards the end when many of the 7000-strong delegates grooved to "Bappa Morya", Dil Dhadakne Do's "Swing" and "Lahu Muh Lag Gaya" from Ram-Leela, among others. Anil Kapoor, who took off his jacket and threw it at Dev, grooved to "Lakhan" and "Dhak Dhak Karne Laga."

Gaurav Dubey (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 21, 2015)

Bajirao Mastani' actress Priyanka Chopra is believed to have been approached for a biopic on Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian woman in space

The grapevine is abuzz with rumours of Priyanka Chopra being approached for a proposed biopic on Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian woman in space. Viacom18 Motion Pictures will be producing the film, we hear.

Says a source, “Priyanka has been offered the lead role, but she is yet to give her approval to the makers. She is currently busy with her American TV show along with other Bollywood commitments, and so, is taking time to make up her mind. The makers feel Priyanka fits the bill; the common factor is that she, like Chawla, hails from a small town too.”

Chawla, the first Indian-American astronaut, hailed from Karnal, Haryana, and has inspired thousands to dream big. She died on her second expedition along with seven other astronauts in February 2003 when the space shuttle exploded. She spent 31 days, 14 hours and 54 minutes in space.

She was awarded with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by the United States. Both Priyanka and the spokesperson for the production company remained unavailable for comment. A source close to Viacom 18 confirms the story, saying, “We have the rights to the biopic on Kalpana Chawla. We have had a discussion with Priyanka about the film and she has shown interest. We are waiting for her to return to India next month to take things forward.”

DNA (November 21, 2015)

It would be an interesting casting when it happens. Sushant Singh Rajput and Priyanka Chopra might well come together on screen for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gustaakhiyaan. The film will be directed by Ashi Dua. Word is that Sushant will play the male lead, based on the legendary poet Sahir Ludhianvi, while PC is expected to play his love interest Amrita Pritam. PC had agreed to do the film long ago but the male lead had not yet been finalised then. At one point, Sonakshi Sinha and Fawad Khan were in talks for the lead roles but it didn’t work out. Shooting begins next year.

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Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; November 21, 2015)

Persuasive and confident, Karan Singh Grover, a popular face on TV has made foray into films lately, who doesn't mince his words when it comes to voicing his opinion. Contrary to his casanova image, he has no qualms about admitting that intimate scenes scare him. In a candid chat, he talks about Hate Story 3, his love for Bipasha Basu and his unshakable belief in the institution of marriage, despite two failed attempts.

What drew you to Hate Story 3?
I've never played a negative character before, so when Vikram Bhatt narrated the script to me, I figured this was unlike what I had ever done. I feel an actor can only grow only if he experiments with different roles. My character Saurabh Singhania is a rich, bad guy, who is driven by revenge, so much that you feel like scratching his face or throwing stones at him.

The intimate scenes in the trailer are creating quite a buzz...
I wish they had shown more of the story, instead of the sizzling scenes. The film is not about boldness or intimacy. Even Alone was not really only about me being presented in a certain way, because eventually the story fizzles out and this is what remains with the audience. In this one, the plot is so strong that other things will take a backseat. I guess, since the franchise is like that, it's being promoted a certain way.

Are you apprehensive about doing bold scenes?
I feel it's scary and uncomfortable as I am a reserved guy. It is not the favourite part of my work. But as professionals, we follow the director's vision and do what he wants. We have to be extra careful while shooting these scenes because we cannot do it over and over again. Thankfully, my next is a funny film that is within my comfort zone.

Does it help if you are friendly with your co-star?
Not really. It's not about your friendship with the co-star but your equation with the director and the whole team. As actors, we need to do our parts exactly the way they have visualised it, because if we don't, we have to keep doing it many times over.

Have you had a hate story in your real life as well?
Hate is a very strong and heavy emotion, probably as strong as love. I don't think I can live with hatred. If something bad happens, you feel bad about it, you forgive and move on. There's no hatred.

So you are the kind who forgives and forgets?
I never forget anything and that's the problem. I wish I could. I am not vindictive. I forgive but I don't forget, ever. Hatred bogs you down. There is more to life than that.

What is the one thing you hate about yourself?
I trust people easily and I am a bad judge of character. I see good in others even when it's not there and sometimes I feel let down. But I don't know if I should change that about myself and become more practical. I have to see something good in every thing.

What annoys you about other people?
I don't like pretentious, two faced people. Everyone has a right to say or behave the way they want to, but I can't fathom how people can pretend to be somebody else.

What's your relationship status with Bipasha Basu?
She is very dear, very close to me. We spend a lot of time together.

Are you in a serious relationship with her?
Let's just say that she is really dear to me and I feel a lot of love for her. She is lovely. (smiles)

What is it about her that you like the most?
She is a child at heart. What you see is what you get. She's a simple girl. I think some people are born with an aura and energy that is so pure. Everything about her is like that.

What binds you together...
We both are very emotional. She is relatively more practical but we have a lot in common. We both like to travel, work out and eat. Trust me, we both are foodies.

After two failed marriages, do you still believe in the institution?
I have not lost faith. I believe in the institution of marriage. It's a beautiful thing, but I have been unlucky. That doesn't mean there's something wrong with it. Sometimes you make wrong decisions in life.

Hate Story 3's promo bears an uncanny resemblance to Hollywood film Indecent Proposal. Are the two similar?
There's no similarity except for the line really. That's a small part of it. The resemblance is just about the line, where he (Robert Redford) wants to sleep with the other person's (Woody Harrelson's) wife (Demi Moore). Apart from that, why my character does what he does is different.

How different is this film from the previous two installments?
Hate Story as a franchise is about revenge and the genre is erotic thriller. This story is different from the previous two films. While the first two were about revenge from the female perspective, this is from the man's perspective. There are so many twists in the film that it keeps you guessing.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 21, 2015)

Varun Dhawan, who began filming Dishoom in Mumbai on November 13, will team up with his Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania director Shashank Khaitan immediately after he wraps up the action-adventure, which is being directed by his brother, Rohit Dhawan.

The Badlapur actor will be flying off to Abu Dhabi in late January with his Dishoom co-stars, John Abraham and Jacqueline Fernandez, for the action thriller which is set to release later in 2016. The grapevine has been buzzing that Varun will begin Shashank's film early next year, but the actor's spokesperson clarified, "Varun will first wrap up Dishoom and only then move on to his next film". The yet-to-be-titled film is a rom-com. Shashank locked the script this month.

Speculations have been rife that Shashank would repeat the duo from his debut film. But Alia Bhatt is not part of the cast. "We have spoken to Varun and for the leading lady, we have a few actresses in mind but haven't zeroed on anyone. The film's shoot will be worked out depending on the availability of actors," he asserted.

Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; November 21, 2015)

Sources claim that Deepika Padukone will shoot with host Salman Khan sans 'Tamasha' co-star Ranbir Kapoor for the special Sunday episode of 'Bigg Boss 9'

Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor have been going around town for the promotions of their next, 'Tamasha'. They have visited the sets of almost every reality and fiction show to endorse the film and it was expected that their next pit stop would be 'Bigg Boss 9'. However, sources claim that Deepika will shoot with show host Salman Khan sans Ranbir for the special Sunday episode.

A source close to the show says, “Ranbir has decided to skip 'Bigg Boss 9' because of Salman. After all, meeting your girlfriend’s ex is always awkward.”

At Anil Kapoor’s Diwali bash recently, when Salman bumped into Ranbir and Katrina, he reportedly ignored the Kapoor scion and spoke only to his ex-flame. “Now, Ranbir clearly doesn’t wish to make things any more awkward by going to the reality show sets and sharing screen space with Salman,” adds another source.

As far as Deepika is concerned, she will shoot for the special episode in Lonavla today. After she is escorted into the 'Bigg Boss 9' house, contestants will try to woo her.

The channel’s spokesperson remained unavailable for comment.

Somy Ali’s cousin sister Sana is eager to pursue her passion and try her luck in Bollywood
Harshada Rege (DNA; November 21, 2015)

Sana Ali, cousin of former Bollywood actress Somy Ali wants to try her luck in Bollywood. Like Somy, Sana resides in Florida and is likely to make her first trip to India this December. Having participated in local pageants, Sana is no stranger to the stage. “Dad loves singing. And I have been performing with him at many concerts. I am familiar with Bollywood films ever since I was a child,” she says. And though Sana resides on foreign soil, language is not a problem for her. “My first language is Urdu. I learnt English only when I went to school. I’m pretty good with Urdu, so Hindi comes easily to me.” The youngster has been dreaming of trying her luck in movies ever since she was a teenager. “I knew this is what I wanted to do, but I had put it off so that I could complete my education. I recently got my Bachelor’s degree in Science. I want to concentrate on getting into films now.”

Need a mentor?
Sana’s closest Bollywood connection would be Salman Khan, who dated Somy for many years and the actor is known to give newcomers a break. So, has Sana thought about approaching him? “I haven’t thought of approaching Salman at all. I haven’t seen Salman in the longest time. He is a great guy and I know that he does a lot of charity work. I respect him a lot.” She recalls, “I had met him long back. I probably wasn’t more than 10 years old back then. He had come to Florida. He was really nice to me and met everyone with love and warmth.”

Seeking advice
For her foray in Bollywood, it’s Somy who Sana will be looking to, for advice. “Somy has been supportive. One thing she asked me to do is follow my passion. She says that if I enjoy what I am doing, things will fall into place. She is always there for me. She wants me to meet a few people when I visit Mumbai. But she also wants me to experience things on my own and do things my way.” Sana considers her older cousin a role model. “She is doing some great work with her organisation No More Tears (her charitable organisation). I am proud of her.”

Old-school girl
A Shah Rukh Khan and Salman fan, Sana says she loves old-school Bollywood. “I am a Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle fan. I love listening to Mehdi Hasan and Jagjit Singh’s ghazals. My friends often tease me about my taste, but I love these songs. I grew up watching Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and that’s what Bollywood means to me.” Considering she is so interested in music, is she keen to explore her singing capabilities? “Yes definitely. Music is not just a hobby, it’s my passion. And if something works out in that direction, I will pursue it wholeheartedly.”

India calling
Sana is excited about her visit to India. “This will be my first visit to India and I am super excited. I hope I get to explore places like Jaipur. I am looking forward to being there.” The Bollywood aspirant is hopeful that she will be welcomed just like B-Town has accepted other foreign actresses like Katrina Kaif and Jacqueline Fernandez.

Upala KBR (DNA; November 21, 2015)

Although Salman Khan’s birthday is over a month away (December 27), plans are already afoot to celebrate it.

A former world flyweight kickboxing champion Ali Jacko, who hails from the UK, will fly down to meet him on his birthday and surprise him with his music video.

Jacko has recorded and is set to release his first single Give My Love A Brand New Name and is looking forward to see Salman’s response to his first attempt at singing and act in the video. Says a source, “Ali met the actor years ago and they’ve been friends for ages. He wants him in his next video if Salman likes the current one he has just uploaded on YouTube.”

Ali Jacko reveals that Salman has been one of his biggest supporters right from his initial days as a kickboxer. Salman had even flown to the UK to see him win his title.

Ali adds, “Salman is one of the most amazing people I have ever known and is an equally wonderful human being. Our friendship is beyond all these professional endeavours. So, yes I hope that he would support me, but I don’t want his support as a favour for a friend. Instead I want him to support me for my talent.”

He adds, “I am sure all my B-Town friends will be surprised to see or rather, hear me sing. I am eager to see how they react to my song. I had never planned to be a singer. Forget a karaoke, I have never ever sung even in the bathroom. My family can’t believe that I have sung either. So I took it up as a challenge and immediately hired a vocal trainer. It took months of hard work, but I did it and the result is this song.”

Meena Iyer (BOMBAY TIMES; November 22, 2015)

Pulkit Samrat and Shweta Rohira dated for a long time before they got hitched. She was his steady date when he was the lead actor of Ekta Kapoor's television soap, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, to be precise. She even walked the red carpet with him when the television saga was dominating Indian households.

NEXT: Shweta and Pulkit reportedly eloped and secretly wed on May 3, 2010.

FURTHER NEXT: The young couple married with band, baaja, baraat and Salman Khan's presence and support on November 3, 2014, with the blessings of both their families.

Ten months after their big fat Punjabi wedding, rumours of a rift between them surfaced. However, everyone concerned was in denial mode. Earlier this month, there were media reports that suggested the couple was living separately. When asked if it was true that he was living in Delhi with his parents, while his bride was staying with her mother in Mumbai, Pulkit had texted back saying, “Please do wish us on our first anniversary on 3rd November.. :) (sic)“ Well, we did wish the couple a happy anniversary. However, it so hap pens that the couple itself was not celebrating that day. As has been the case in the last few months, the actor was in the capital while his wife was in Mumbai. Though they were spotted a couple of times downing coffee or was that tea, at local coffee shops in Mumbai, they went back to their individual lives and family homes. Reason enough to see the red flag, haan? Yup! In fact, even on his recent trips to Mumbai to complete his film shoots, the actor has been living alone.

A chance meeting with the young Shweta had us asking her point-blank if there was any truth to the grapevine that her marriage had crumbled. She admitted, “My husband and I have been living separately for a while now. He told me that he was separating from me because of his family. To us, families are very important. They are our lifelines. And, since I always believed in giving him whatever he wants, I have reconciled to the fact that he has left me for his family.“ Intrigued by this information, we posed some more questions:

That's strange, weren't you married in front of your families a year ago?
Yes, we were. However, a year later equations seem to have changed.

His family doesn't like you?
That is something they must answer. I'm telling you what my husband has told me.

The rumours doing the rounds suggested that Pulkit was 'good friends' with his co-star of two films, Yami Gautam?
Yami and Pulkit should answer this. I have decided to move on.

You posted a picture online of you performing a Karva Chauth ritual; but your husband was away in Delhi on that day.
Yes, I did the rituals, but he was away in Delhi at that time.

We texted Pulkit for his side of the story and even called him a couple of times.However, he chose to remain unavailable for comment.

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