Filmy Duniya News & Gossips: May 2013

Thursday 16 May 2013

I don’t think I can be a part of Golmaal again: Sharman

Bombay Times met Sharman Joshi on the set of War Chod Na Yaar in Rajasthan where he spoke on on various topics, the most prominent being his relationship with Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal franchise. Owing to date issues, the actor was replaced by Shreyas Talpade in Golmaal Returns. Given the popularity of the franchise, we asked if Sharman would want to go back to the comic series. He said, “Golmaal is not the kind of genre I wanted to continue doing. I don’t have an issue with comedy, but as an actor, I had already explored that particular space in the first film. It wasn’t exciting for me anymore. Every project that I pick should pose a new challenge for me. I don’t think I can be a part of Golmaal again. I had fun shooting for it but I want to do something else now. Rohit is a big director. If he chooses me to be a part of a new project I will be more than honoured.”

Sharman Joshi

Kiran Rao calls Avantika Bahurani

For the longest time, everyone spoke of how the Bachchan parivaar addressed their daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as bahurani. They also affectionately referred to her as pari (fairy) on occasion. Now, we have another bahurani in BTown. Kiran Rao, Aamir Khan’s wife calls Avantika Malik, Imran Khan’s wife as bahurani.
When Kiran visits Imran’s residence, the first thing she asks the domestic help is whether bahurani is around. And Avantika loves it.

Avantika Malik

Kiran Rao

Sunny’s ‘bucketful’ of humour

    Sunny Deol doesn’t believe in taking small pegs. Instead he prefers drinking bucketful of whisky. No, don’t get misled, this is only for his character Paramveer Singh Dhillon in Sangeeth Sivan directed Yamla, Pagla Deewana 2, which is
touted as a ‘whisky comedy’. Sunny is a teetotaler in real life.
    Says Sunny, “I don’t drink or smoke, and yet, it's funny that I have played many characters who do that otherwise. It’s our job as actors to portray the characters we are given.” He adds, “The balti scene comes in a song. Paramveer had done it in the original, so we are carrying his signature style forward.”
    While Sunny’s character is always seen drinking milk, there’s a twist in the tale as he is forced to take to liquor. And the makers are sure the audience will roll with laughter when Sunny is shown drinking from not one but two buckets this time round. And the hilarious dialogue — ‘Jatt Risky After Balti Whisky’ will continue to tickle people’s funny bones. Talking about this scene, his co-star Neha Sharma says, “It is a classic moment sure to make the audience break into laughter.”
    The music video also features Dharmendra, Bobby Deol, Neha Sharma, Kristina Akheeva and Annu Kapoor.
    Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, produced by Sunny Sounds Pvt Ltd & YPD Films Ltd UK, releases June 7.

Sunny Deol in Yamla Pagla Deewana 2

New Ash in Sonam’s life

Sonam Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan are the ambassadors for the same brand. But they are at best cordial with one another. So when Sonam keeps dropping Aishwarya’s name in every alternate sentence, you start wondering, who she is talking about. Till you realise that the star-beti is talking about Rajinikanth’s daughter Aishwarya, wife of her Raanjhana co-star Dhanush.
And to think, one almost got fooled into believing that suddenly the original Ash and Sonam had rediscovered one another.

Sonam Kapoor

Aishwarya Rajinikanth

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Paris Hilton calls herself ‘tough businesswoman’

Paris Hilton now insists she is a ‘tough business woman’. The 32-year-old former Simple Life star — who is dating 21-year-old model River Viiperi — claims she is no longer interested in fame since Nathan Lee Parada tried to break into her Los Angeles home wielding a knife in August 2010. The hotel heiress told a British newspaper: “It was terrifying. I had never experienced anything like that before and it really shook the foundations of my world. I was certain he would kill me if he could get inside. Seeing someone with such hate in their eyes — someone who wants to kill you — makes you question things, and it made me wonder about the price of fame. There was so much chaos in my life at the time. After the attack I decided it was time to withdraw from the public eye before anything worse happened.” Paris’ then boyfriend Cy Waits came to her rescue during the incident and her stalker was sentenced to two years for the burglary in April 2011 but she was then pursued by another obsessed fan, James Rainford. She said: “It got to the point where I was not able to do everyday things. I put the most advanced security system in my house and hired a full-time security team. I stopped going to clubs and parties and I started focusing on my business interests instead.” Paris, who has an empire worth an estimated $1 billion, is now desperate to shake off her partying girl image and is starting her own hotel chain. She said: “It would have been easy to sit back and live off my family, but I wanted to be independent and make my family proud. Now I’m moving into the hotel business and it feels the natural next step. I’ve always been inspired by my grandfather and how he grew this huge empire from nothing.”

Paris Hilton

New York is my favourite holiday place, with or without a girlfriend: Ranbir

    Here’s some respite for those planning last minute vacations. MakeMyTrip .com, which is the official travel partner of the Bollywood film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, has launched a new application which was launched by lead actor Ranbir Kapoor in Mumbai recently. In this application, last minute hotel deals are displayed as the first five hotels in the search results for same-day checkin on their website and mobile app. The television commercial was also launched here.
    Deep Kalra, CEO and Founder of the website, said, “We are excited to come on board as the official travel partner of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. The movie is a perfect fitment for us as it celebrates travel, fun and friendships. MakeMyTrip is known for making all aspects of Travel easy and fun. Our new product — Last Minute Hotel Deals — offers the convenience of great deals for same-day check-ins to impulse-travellers like Bunny, the character played by Ranbir in the movie. We are confident that our new Online Hotel deals will encourage more customers to book hotels online and on mobile.”
    Ranbir, at the launch, entertained the crowd with his antics. On his favourite holiday spot, he said, “New York is my favourite holiday place, with or without a girlfriend.”

Deep Kalra, Ranbir Kapoor and Keyur Joshi

Pregnant Kate Middleton has a craving for Indian vegetable curry

    Mother-to-be Kate Middleton is craving for Indian vegetable curry cooked by an Indian couple in her Bucklebury neighbourhood. The seven-month pregnant Duchess of Cambridge has enjoyed the homemade dish cooked for her by Chan Shingadia and her husband Hash, who run a shop in Kate’s hometown village of Bucklebury, southern England.
    The Indian couple are family friends of Kate’s mother and father, Carol and Michael. The Duchess, 31, picked up the meal from the store in the village of Upper Bucklebury, a British tabloid reported. Kate was visiting her parents on the weekend of her second wedding anniversary at the end of April, it said.
    Hash did not want to say what Kate ate. But he added, “We cook for her mum and family.” When asked about Kate’s cravings he said, “Yes, yes — she likes my wife’s cooking.” Chan added, “I’m vegetarian — I only cook vegetarian curry.”
    The couple spoke about Kate's love of Chan’s food after being invited to the Royal Wedding to see Kate and William tie the knot in 2011.
    He said, “My wife made her curry a little while ago which she totally enjoyed. I think she came in one day and my wife was cooking upstairs. She said it smelled lovely, so my wife gave her some to take away.”
    PTI

Kate Middleton

A music video made in space

    Asmall step by an astronaut has proved to be a giant leap for music. A Canadian astronaut on the International Space Station has become a global superstar, taking video-sharing sites by storm with his personalized rendition of David Bowie’s Space Oddity.
    Chris Hadlfield, who was in space since last December, wrapped up his five-month mission and bowed out of orbit with the song featuring him and his acoustic guitar. His video, which was posted on Sunday — one day before his departure from the orbiting lab — has garnered over 1.5 million views till Tuesday morning, the day he returned to earth. The astronaut, who posted updates on a microblogging site daily from space and has more than 895,500 followers, is trending on the site with this video. “With deference to the genius of David Bowie, here’s Space Oddity, recorded on Station. A last glimpse of the World,” Hadfield wrote online.
    It’s believed to be the first music video made in space, according to NASA. Hadfield, a former test pilot from Ontario and an erstwhile rock ’n’ roll band member, was Canada’s first professional astronaut to live aboard the space station. The spaceman altered some of Bowie’s 1969 version, singing “Planet Earth is blue and there’s nothing left to do.” The Bowie version goes “...and there’s nothing I can do.” And instead of “Take your protein pills and put your helmet on,” it became, “Lock your Soyuz hatch and put your helmet on.”
    Bowie, it seems, is aware of the clip. His official page says Hadfield’s Space Oddity is “possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created”.

Chris Hadlfield playing his guitar inside the space station

Shooting stars party hard

After a quiet party at Ekta Kapoor’s residence before she left for Harvard, filmmaker Sanjay Gupta hosted a party at a nightspot on Tuesday night for the Shootout At Wadala team. Contrary to their onscreen characters being at loggerheads, Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, Sonu Sood and Tusshar bonded cracking jokes throughout the evening. Kangana Ranaut was overheard talking about how tiring dance can be as she had been shooting a song sequence for a film. Also present were coproducer Ram Mirchandani, Lovely Singh, Sameer Arya, Shrishti Arya, Akbar Khan, Kumar and Milap Zaveri among others.

Kangana Ranaut

Sonu Sood, Tusshar, Sophie Choudry, John Abraham and Anil Kapoor

Sanjay and Anuradha Gupta

Anu Malik

Shivangi Siddhant Kapoor Erika Packard

Jackie Shroff

Women and the gentleman’s game

    Cricket has always been known as a gentleman’s game. But this IPL season, the women are grabbing eyeballs on the field as well. Female leads of Star Plus like Sandhya from Diya Aur Baati Hum, Pankhuri (Disha Parmar) from Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara, Kumud from Saraswatichandra appeared during the matches to give away the Nayi Soch awards to the cricketers. While Sandhya (Deepika Singh) presented an award to Ricky Ponting, regular housewife Doyel Sarangi got the opportunity to present it to captain cool MS Dhoni.
    Says Sandhya, “This has been a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. It is truly an inspiring moment for me to be able to bestow honour on the biggest names from international cricket.”
    Says Pankhuri, “My father called to say that watching me among cricketers, presenting them with the award, has made him a very proud father.”

Disha Parmar, Vijay Mallya, Brijesh Patel and Chris Gayle

Deepika Singh with Ricky Ponting

CHEMISTRY BETWEEN AAMNA AND ME WAS NEVER THERE

Raqesh Vashisth on his show going off air in just six months

The much talked-about show Hongey Judaa Na Hum (HJNH) failed to garner TRPs and went off air within six months of its telecast. While the female lead Aamna Sharif remains tightlipped, her hero in the show, Raqesh Vashisth, is vociferous about his feelings in a candid chat with BT. Excerpts:
You must have been disappointed with the show’s debacle… I was terribly disappointed because after Maryada having done well, I wanted to grow. But Honge Judaa Na Hum tanked perhaps because audience couldn’t relate to it. Creatively, the show was very weak. No actor knew where they belonged to. A show is not just about big metros, flashy clothes, makeup or glamour; it is about good scripts and performances. I was crying my heart out when I was doing the scenes. Now I know what not to do in my production.
Did you feel let down at the start of the show since the makers kept focussing on Aamna’s comeback? I was okay with it because she is a big star having done a huge show in the past. But then if one looks the other side, it is good because then you are not blamed for the failure (laughs). I was happy in a way. But yes, the channel crying hoarse about the return of Aamna led to a lot of expectation. Keeping low profile helps. In television, nobody is a star.
The chemistry between you and Aamna seemed to be missing… Chemistry between us was never there. There has to be lot of give and take between actors. When we were shooting Maryada, Riddhi would reciprocate to my action even while we were rehearsing. As an actor, you have to give your best, you cannot be a director’s actor on television. But then it was not Aamna’s fault, it was the pattern she was working under.
So, what next? I will produce shows with JD Majethia and Aatish Kapadia. I am doing films and scripting one as well.
It has been about two years since you and actress Riddhi Dogra got married, how is married life treating you? There is no married life, Riddhi's show is taking away all of her time. She has no personal life. In fact I tell her that she is treating this house as a guest. Right now I am playing the role of an understanding house husband.

Raqesh Vashisth

Raqesh Vashisth and Aamna Sharif in Hongey Judaa Na Hum

Sanju breaks into tears at the drop of a hat

    To say the Sword of Damocles has been hanging over Sanjay Dutt’s head since the Supreme Court asked him to surrender for his involvement in the 1993 bomb blasts case is not an exaggeration. The scene of events that has played out in the period following the judgment has been typical of Bollywood. Initially, many of the actor’s friends paid him a visit at his residence, Imperial Heights. He also had shooting and dubbing assignments to keep him busy. But, in the last few days — the period when he actually required a shoulder to lean on — there have been virtually ‘no friends’ visiting him. A staffer says, “Baba is very vulnerable at this point. He breaks into tears at the drop of a hat. He has also spent a lot of time alone.”
    It is said that while his wife Maanayata and the twins — Shahraan and Iqra — have been with him, most of the film industry has steered clear of Pali Hill. Last night, few of his old faithfuls did make fleeting visits. However, the traffic to his home has been negligible and the media has shown more empathy towards the actor than his ilk.
    Mahesh Bhatt, who is Dutt’s wellwisher and guardian, has been the only constant in his life through the last two months.

Sanjay Dutt

ARTICLE 161: A FIGHT FOR JUSTICE

    Bengali director Agnidev Chatterjee and superstar Rituparna Sengupta are coming together for a Hindi film titled The Truth Behind Article 161. It deals with the only real-life case of pardon by a Governor, a power that is explained in Article 161 of the Indian Constitution.
    Says Agnidev, “On May 12, 1978, a 23-year-old student was arrested for homicide, convicted and imprisoned. In 1999, after serving his sentence, he was pardoned by the Governor and absolved of his crime. Today, this man is leading a life of dignity and honour. He wants his story to be told so that people have a comprehensive understanding of Article 161 and people who deserve to get pardoned under this Article are able to lead a normal life. I went to Delhi to meet him and was completely overwhelmed after he narrated me his story. What struck me most was his wife’s silent struggle. While Rituparna will play the wife, Karron Mallik will play the protagonist. He has an uncanny resemblance with this man and it will add to the authenticity of the character.”
    Rituparna, who has delivered back-to-back hits last year with the director, says, “Portraying a real-life character is very challenging and we are looking forward to making a social impact with this film.”

Karron Mallik

Agnidev Chatterjee

Rituparna Sengupta

Ranbir ready for frontal nudity

Unforgettable! Ranbir Kapoor’s butt show in his maiden venture Saawariya (2007) is still top of mind though the actor has completed six years in Bollywood and achieved more milestones than every other actor his age. Of course, what we got to see in the film was just a glimpse of him dropping the towel because the Censors put a wet blanket on the scene. However, all it seems is not lost. The actor confessed that he is now ready for a full monty, Censors be damned! “I am shameless in front of the camera. I am even willing to do frontal nudity if the director wants me to,” he says unabashedly. “There was not a moment of awkwardness when I did that scene in Saawariya. I was butt naked in front of strangers on the set and I wasn’t ashamed of myself. People started relating to me and perhaps came to theatres because of that scene,” says Ranbir. Here’s to Bollywood’s bold new age male.
OTHERS WHO HAVE DARED TO BARE BOLLYWOOD Shashi Kapoor in Siddhartha (1972) John Abraham in New York (2009)Neil Nitin Mukesh in Jail (2009) Rajkumar Yadav in Shahid (upcoming) HOLLYWOOD Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights (1997) Christian Bale in American Psycho (2000) Michael Fassbender in Shame (2011)

Ranbir’s towel act in Saawariya

Monday 13 May 2013

WHY DID SONA REFUSE TO SHARE SPACE WITH KANGANA?

This sounds strange as we have not really heard of problems between Kangana Ranaut and Sonakshi Sinha before. Then why was Sonakshi hiding in the van at a mother’s day event held in the city a few days ago? When asked, the organisers of the event told us that Sonakshi was caught up in the shoot so she couldn’t make it for the event. A photographer present at the event said, “Sonakshi was sitting inside the van and refused to come out to share the stage with Kangana.”
Sonakshi and Kangana were last seen at Salman Khan’s party held in a club in Mumbai.

Kangana Ranaut

Sonakshi Sinha

NEIL SHOOTS ROMANTIC SONG IN A HOT AIR BALLOON

    Director Susi Ganesh’s Shortcut Romeo has been shot in Maasai Mara, an exotic location in Kenya. The romantic number, Khali Salaam Dua, featuring Neil Nitin Mukesh and Puja Gupta, has been shot in a hot air balloon at a whopping cost.
    Says producer Manjari Ganesh, “The region of Maasai Mara does not offer any subsidies for film shoots. But we wanted to make a visual impact in our twisted tale and thus zeroed in on the location. This is the first time that a Hindi film has been shot there.”
    She adds that besides the astronomical expense, shooting the track had other hurdles too. “Often, due to the sun’s heat, hot air balloons tend to catch fire. So we were compelled to shoot early in the morning. We also had to be careful about the wind movement as it often led the balloons to clash with each other. In fact, one day the balloons carrying Neil and Pooja were on the brink of clashing into the one carrying Susi. Thankfully, his balloon swayed down and Neil’s balloon gently passed above us. The song was completed in three days. But the extravagance went well with Neil’s character, who wants to impress his girlfriend with money,” she concludes.
    The music of the film, which also features Ameesha Patel, has been composed by Himesh Reshammiya.
    Shortcut Romeo, produced by Susi Ganesh Productions, releases June 21.

Neil Nitin Mukesh and Puja Gupta in Shortcut Romeo

Dev and Adah’s crazy road journey

    In Jyotin Goel’s Hum Hai Raahi Car Ke, two friends, played by Dev Goel and Adah Sharma, take off on a road trip on New Year’s Eve. Their three-hour journey from Mumbai to Pune turns out to be the most exhilarating night of their lives. On their way, the two encounter three crazy characters, played by Sanjay Dutt, Juhi Chawla and Chunky Panday.
    Says Dev, “We wanted to show that crazy things can happen to anyone. I think all of us have a story of something weird happening on a road trip.” Agrees Adah, “All you need is a flat tyre or running out of petrol or something similar. And then, see how quickly things start to go wrong.”
    About their wacky journey, Dev says, “You could actually say that Adah and I spent 40 nights together.” And before anyone draws any conclusion, Adah promptly clarifies, “Forty nights shooting together.”
    So how was it working with an ensemble cast? Adah says, “Everyone had a terrific time on set, there was a lot of laughing and joking around, which is ideal for a comic film like ours.” Adds Dev, “It’s a great feeling to work with such an accomplished cast in my first movie.”
    Hum Hai Raahi Car Ke releases May 24.

Dev Goel and Adah Sharma in Hum Hai Rahi Car Ke

RANBIR, DEEPIKA GO ALL OUT TO PROMOTE YJHD

    With barely three weeks to go for the release of their next film, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, the youngsters who have a sizzling screen chemistry, are gung-ho about the promotions of their film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. The duo is so popular with the youngsters that it was very difficult for the crew to shoot in many parts of India. In Udaipur and Manali, the two were mobbed by hundreds, who had gathered to see them, making it impossible for Ranbir and Dippy to get back to their cars. In Mumbai too, people were queuing up outside the set to catch a glimpse of them.
    Ayan Mukerji, who is excited to be back with his second venture after Wake Up Sid, has big expectations from YJHD. “It is a crazy time leading up to the film’s release. Absolutely crazy. One half of life is the madness of making sure all finishing touches are in place. The other half of me is excited and terrified. I have a lot of hope and expectations from this film and I’m also finding a connect with my audience through it. So, it’s been a pretty crazy phase,” the young director says.
    Despite their crazy work schedules, Ranbir and Deepika are travelling to over 11 cities in the country and have a very hectic last 20 days ahead. But neither is complaining. In fact, they want to go all out and set a new benchmark in promotion and marketing. Producer Karan Johar too is taking a keen interest and is personally looking into the marketing aspects of the film.
    Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, produced by Dharma Productions, releases May 31.

Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

Gold coins most preferred choice of buyers

    One of the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar is marked by purchasing gold which is the ultimate symbol of prosperity, wealth and fortune. Looks like this Akshaya Tritiya is going to be no different. As far as buying gold is concerned, it seems to be promising. The mood is upbeat among both, jewellers and buyers this year. However, sales are mostly going to be investor-driven rather than consumer-driven given the demand for gold coins.
    Since the long-term view for gold seem to be less than favourable, gold coins are going to be the preferred choice of buyers. Hence, jewellers anticipate a greater demand for coins or bars. While last year jewellry accounted for 90% of sales during the festival and coins accounted for 10% only, this year the sale of gold coins is expected to go up to 50%.
    Given the current gold rates, coins seem to be the most attractive item to invest in. The fall in gold prices has triggered the demand for gold coins across the country. Since the festival is all about never-ending luck and success, most sales are investordriven.

the day of Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej

An auspicious day

They say, ‘All that glitters is gold.’ This stands right, especially on the day of Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej, an auspicious day for both Hindus and Jains. Some claim that the day has lost its relevance by becoming nothing but a gimmick for jewellers, as this day is believed to reap financial gains. But mythology states it is the birthday of Lord Parasurama (one of the many incarnations of Lord Vishnu.) This is also the day when Ganesha started writing the epic Mahabharata as dictated by Ved Vyas. Thus, people celebrate by worshipping Lord Ganesha and the Goddess Lakshmi. Myth has it that on the day of Akshaya Tritiya, valuables bought are bound to garner success and prosperity. Gold, the most bought article on this day, signifies the same. It is also a great time to delve into new ventures and plan journeys.
From an economical point of view, the day boosts sales for marketeers who own businesses that sell products associated with the festival. One may find women among others rushing to buy gold and silver jewellery, or gold coins to mark the opportune time of the celebrations.

TV actress Sakshi Tanwar on Akshaya Tritiya

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A TRADITIONAL AND RELIGIOUS PERSON

TV actress Sakshi Tanwar on Akshaya Tritiya, the puja they have at home every year and how work is going to be her best investment today

    It’s an auspicious day and we have a small puja at home in the morning. We call this Akha Teej and it’s believed that auspicious things started on this day bring success and goodluck and it lasts forever. My parents do charity on the day so as to help and bring smiles to poor people’s faces so that the smiles last forever. We also do Laxmi Vishnu Puja and if time permits, then we buy some gold for shagun. We do try to buy something new even if it’s small as it is an auspicious day, but only if time permits. I am shooting today and hence won’t get the time to step out and buy, but I believe my work is my investment so yes, I am investing in a way.
We have been observing this day from the time I remember. But investments don’t happen every year. However, the day is celebrated with fervour and devotion every year. I am extremely bad at making investments and that is something I leave totally to my father. I trust myself entirely in to his hands for investments.
    I am very traditional and religious right from my early years till date. Every festival and occasion is celebrated with the same fervour and happiness that I did as a child. However busy I am, I take time out to enjoy the celebrations with my family.
    As told to Lisa Antao

Sakshi Tanwar

I need to say sorry to my fans for not performing well this season: Yuvraj Singh

    Recently there were reports suggesting that Yuvraj Singh might not be a part of Pune Warriors India in the next season of IPL due to his under-performance. While Yuvraj agrees that he is not in his best form now, he will not allow any criticism to bog him down. “I cannot be thinking of what other people are saying or writing. I have to concentrate on my game. Such reports should not affect any player,” he said. However, the cricketer, who returned to cricket this season after his battle against cancer, added that he felt the need to say sorry to his fans for not performing well in this season’s IPL. “Yes, I agree that I have not been able to give my best on the field. Personally, I am not happy with my performance. And I need to apologise to my fans on behalf of the team,” he said. A visibly upset Yuvraj also added, “Things do not go your way always. And even critics need to understand that. Fans come to see us win but we have disappointed them a lot of times. We let our franchisee down and I am sorry for that.”
    However, he feels that there is still time to perform and prove that the team is a ‘real warrior’. “Now, that only a few games are left to play, we have to try and play for our pride and prove ourselves,” he said.
    We had reported earlier about Yuvi’s plans to make his book into a film. Though he has got a few offers on the same, he hasn’t finalised on anything yet. “Yes, I am getting a lot of offers, but I haven’t sold the rights of the book yet,” he said.

Yuvraj Singh

Is your man fussing over your weight?

It’s a given that women are sensitive about their looks, but it can crush their confidence when their partners are critical about it

Most men dread the “Do I look fat in these clothes?” question asked by their girlfriends/wives, confused whether to tell the truth or subtly convey it to them or simply lie, to avoid offending them. But on the other hand, there are some men who waste no opportunity to criticise their partner’s physical appearance due to weight gain. Sadly, in some cases, they don’t think twice before mincing their words referring to certain body parts of their partner’s as ‘ugly’, saying they are embarrassed/ashamed to be seen with them in public, and other hurtful things. Little do these men know that their ‘alleged’ constructive criticism can be quite damaging to their women’s emotional well-being.

CASE IN POINT
Beverly D’Cruz, 26, a freelance writer, who recently got engaged for an arranged marriage, discovered her fiancé is worried about her weight for all the wrong reasons. “My fiancé started commenting on my weight a little after we got engaged. He stressed that I need to lose weight, so I looked gorgeous in my wedding dress,” she says. While first it seemed like motivation, it took an ugly turn too. He started sending her articles and online videos on how to lose weight. He also checked on her to know if she missed gymming. And if she did so, he’d scold her. “After a point, every fight lead to my weight issue some way or the other. Once he commented ‘You have such ugly arms’ and ‘I need a hot wife, don’t you want to be the same for me.’ Now, I am in a phase where I fail to understand if he loves me for who I am. I have lost confidence in myself. I feel fat, really fat. And I feel that will never change,” she says.

WHY ARE SOME MEN CRITICAL? “Our society has always been patriarchal which has created double standards for women. Women are expected to achieve size zero while a man with a paunch is considered a sign of prosperity. Physical attractiveness is based on social perceptions which is gauged by the fact that something that was fashionable in the 80s is passé today. Societal pressures make women who are overweight feel low and unhappy,” says Dr Balakrishnan.

EXPERT SPEAK
In most cases, when a woman gains weight she’s unhappy about it. Psychiatrist and psychotherapist Dr Anjali Chhabria has encountered cases where girls/women are much unhappier because their partners are critical of their weight. “It’s now a trend, as people are more weight conscious thereby increasing one’s expectations from their partner to maintain herself. Couples are also more open to discuss their expectations from each other physically and/or sexually. It can happen in any group i.e., college students, professionals or housewives,” she says adding, this is more common among college-goers due to their age-related insecurities, and housewives as they consider it a part of their role to satisfy their family’s needs or wants, and end up feeling inadequate when criticised for their weight.

HOW IT AFFECTS WOMEN?
Women tend to be sensitive about their physical appearance and do tend to take care of looking attractive for their partners. Chhabria explains, “Women look at themselves through their partner’s eyes. So when they hear complaints about their weight from them, they are likely to feel bad, inferior and may also worry about their physical intimacy with their boyfriend/husband.” On the other hand, when criticism is taken positively, they may be motivated to lose weight and try to live up to their partner’s expectations as subsequently they want to be accepted by them.

ADVICE FOR MEN Consultant psychiatrist Dr Milan Balakrishnan says that men need to understand that being overweight is often a vicious cycle of emotional eating and suggests the following advice:
Society is already putting women under a lot of pressure and the most important person in their life also being critical will only add to this problem.
Women need to be encouraged to stay healthy, fit and happy with all the focus not being on the weighing scale.
Supporting your partner and establishing that weight need not be equated with self-esteem.
Taking part in activities as a couple like sports or dance, which both enjoy, will make keeping fit fun.

A WORD OF CAUTION: Boyfriends/husbands should also be observant (of their partner) of symptoms of being more irritable, crying, changes in sleep — too much or too little, decreased interest in previously pleasurable activities which may be symptoms of depression and seek help in such cases.
TV actress Debina Bonnerjee’s health-conscious husband Gurmeet Choudhary doesn’t let her eat any mangoes, fearing she would gain weight. “The problem is that Gurmeet doesn’t allow me to eat mangoes because he thinks I will become fat. So, I haven’t had any mangoes yet... Hopefully, before the season ends, I would get to eat some,” Debina said here on the sets of her TV show.

Gurmeet Choudhary and Debina Bonnerjee

Don’t be so harsh on your woman

Rubina beats Aamna

Actress Rubina Dilaik, last seen in Saas Bina Sasural, has beaten Aamna Shariff to bagged the lead role in chapter two of Punar Vivah. Incidentally, Aamna who was almost finalised, had to make way for Rubina as the channel was keen on casting the latter. Says a source associated with the show, “The channel finalised Rubina at the last minute.” The new chapter of the show will have two female leads, Shrishty Rode and Rubina, along with Karan V Grover. Ayaz Khan, last seen in Parichay-Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka, will play the parallel male lead. Confirms producer Sumeet Mittal, “Yes, Aamna was one of the strongest contenders for the role, but Rubina has bagged the role finally. We were anxious and cautious about selecting the artists who could be later known as the characters. So, after series of mock shoots and look tests, we have selected them.”

Aamna Shariff

Rubina Dilaik

After husband, Chhavi to get baby’s name tattooed?

TV actress Chhavi Mittal who delivered a baby girl in December, is enjoying motherhood to daughter Areeza Hussain. Estatic about yesterday being her first Mother’s Day, she says, “Areeza is very special. I’ve been thanking her for giving me the oppprtunity to make Mother’s Day as my own. I’d like to go out for lunch with her but she’s too small to eat anything. So next year, I’ll take her out for lunch when she’ll be able to eat solid foods.”
Chhavi has a thing for getting inked, as she already has three tattoos and is thinking about getting a fourth one. She has her husband’s name tattooed and when asked if she would get her baby’s name inked she quipped, “During my pregnancy I was toying with the idea of getting another tattoo, since I already have my husband’s name tattooed. Also, babies are permant and yours for life (laughs). May be my husband and I will get one of our daughter but that’s yet to be decided.”

Chhavi Mittal

Wild card entry on Masterchef

    The gruelling action in the MasterChef kitchen is picking up steam in its final few weeks. After solo innovative challenges and team challenges in real-life scenarios, the contestants of MasterChef Kitchen Ke Superstar had thought that it would be a smooth fight to the finish. But tonight, the judges will throw in a new twist for the Kitchen Stars when they set them yet another trial – a tough choice between the heart and the mind.
    All the eliminated contestants, including the much loved Khoku Patra, dynamic Ishrat Ali, rajputana Devyani and multifaceted Happy Singh, will return to the MasterChef kitchen in tonight’s episode – not just as spectators or well-wishers but to compete for the Wildcard entry.
    Friendships will be put on the line and loyalties will now be tested. They have to cook with a chosen ex-contestant and help them win back a spot in the MasterChef kitchen. Will the safe kitchen stars choose their best friends or pick a weaker contestant to gain an advantage in the weeks to come?
    MasterChef Kitchen Ke Superstar airs tonight at 8 on Star Plus.

A still from MasterChef Kitchen Ke Superstar

JAY SONI GETS EMOTIONAL

    While we have seen Jay Soni play the role of an emotional son in Sanskaar- Dharohar Apno Ki, now we realise he is the same in real life too. The actor recently showed got emotional while felicitating the winners of the Sanskaar Milaye Aapko Apno Se Contest when he found out that the winners – Mr and Mrs Puran Singh Banga of Mumbai will get to meet their son Amardeep in Phoenix, USA after four years as part of the gratification of the contest.
    Says Jay, “I had tears in my eyes when I heard the story of how Amardeep dreamt of becoming a pilot but lost a limb and got his fingers amputated in an aeroplane crash. And the worst part about it is that his dreams were shattered as it happened on the day when he was to acquire his flying license. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for his parents who’ve invested all their savings only to see their son go through so much.”
    Touched by the story, Jay also called the braveheart in USA to personally wish him on his birthday. “After playing the character of Jai Kishen, I can relate to Amandeep’s back story, of making a place from himself, chasing his dreams.” he said.
    The segment in Sanskaar- Dharohar Apno Ki, which is a Mother’s Day special, will air tonight at 9 pm on Colors

Aruna Irani, Shamim Mannan, Jay Soni with the winners Mrs and Mr Banga

Introduces the final six contestants of India’s Best Dramebaaz

MEET THE TOP SIX DRAMA KINGS AND QUEENS

Introduces the final six contestants of India’s Best Dramebaaz

The reality TV show Surf Excel presents India’s Best Dramebaaz, featuring children, has boiled down to the final six contestants. Even Bollywood celebrities like David Dhawan and Preity Zinta are all praises for the kids and their talents. David says they have maturity, poise and confidence which is remarkable. Some of them deliver lines with such aplomb that even seasoned actors will have a tough time matching up to them. Exceptionally talented, all of them are looking forward to winning the ‘Golden Keeda’ at the grand finale. Bombay Times spoke to the youngsters, who have reached the top six after going through weeks
of hard work and getting lakhs of votes.

The show airs Saturday and Sunday at 9 pm on Zee TV. Online link: www.youtube.com/zeetv has a playlist to showcase the journey of the top six IBD contestants.

NIHAR HEMANT GITE Age: Six Class: Upper KG Hometown: Shirdi Title earned:
Talent House
The official mastikhor on the set, Nihar’s favourite pastime is to trouble cocontestants. The boy vows, “Now that I’m in the top six, I will cut down on my masti and take acting more seriously.” So, who is his first ‘drama’ teacher? “I have learnt dramebaazi from my father. I watch advertisements and copy the expressions of the characters in them.” Not just dramebaazi, Nihar is a painter, too. His name is registered in the India Book of Records as a young achiever, for creating the maximum number of Ganesha paintings.

MEHNAAZ MAAN Age: Eight Class: IV Hometown: Mohali Title earned:
Powerpack performer
She was a star even before performing on the IBD stage — her Punjabi flick released recently. She has been learning theatre and has completed a year. “I used to lock myself in the room and imitate people. I also used to imitate my mother, who is a theatre artiste. My mother has been my strength and support. I am living her dream. I have good grasping power and am a quick learner.”
Her strength is that she can emote well. According to her, Chinmay and Nihar can give her stiff competition. Her favourite judge is Anurag Basu, as he explains their weaknesses and strengths. She aspires to become like Madhuri Dixit.

CHINMAY PRAVEEN DESHKAR Age: 12 Class: VII Hometown: Nagpur Title earned: Golden Star
He has honed his skills by observing others. He learnt dancing by watching his elder sister and gave his first performance when he was four. His grandfather and uncle have actively participated in road shows popularly called Jhadi Patti — where social messages are imparted in villages. Chinmay has also accompanied his uncle on many such shows. His strength — clear diction and pronunciation.
“I have had no formal training. I was raw when my uncle made me join him for road shows. I am hard-working,” says he. He is also good at studies, swimming, skating, martial art, cricket and gymnastics. His favourite judge is also Anurag Basu, because he imparts useful tips to the contestants. “I have to be more focussed if I want to win the show. I don’t think I am better than my co-contestants. I feel Mehnaaz is the strongest competitor.”

ANJALI AASTHA Age: 10 years
Class: VI
Hometown: Chandigarh
Title earned: Waterworks
A chatterbox, Anjali can strike a conversation even with a stranger. She is equally good at studies and co-curricular activities such as dance and painting. After being crowned Chandigarh Superstar and Dancer of the Year in her hometown, she now aims to add ‘Golden Keeda’ to the shelf. Anjali has already collected 173 trophies in dance and 33 in painting — one of her paintings was selected for the World Kite Festival. “It feels great to be in the top six. I wasn’t scared as everybody gets to perform at the finale, which will be held a week later,” says she.
Anurag Basu is her favourite judge as he does a lot of masti with the kids and imparts valuable tips to them. She says, “I love myself. My strength is my dance and expressions. I am known as the expression queen. I aspire to become like Madhuri Dixit one day.”

ADITYA SINGHAL Age: 13 Class: VIII Title earned: The Silent One
Aditya has excelled the art of camouflaging his intentions like a true actor. Don’t go by his sweet face, the boy can be very mischievous. So, how did it all start? “I used to mimic my parents and crack jokes I heard from others. I don’t know how I
    made it to the top six. I don’t even know if I am
    an actor. I just listen to my mentors and incorporate their suggestions,” says he.
    Rather than his strengths, Aditya prefers to point out the areas he needs to work on. He says, “I don’t move my hands freely. I need to work on my tonal quality also. I have to polish my Hindi, English and Urdu as these languages are necessary if you want to become an actor. I would like to try my hands at direction, too. I want to be like Shah Rukh Khan.”

PRANEET SHARMA Age: Six
Class: Upper KG
Hometown: Jaipur
Title earned: Praneet Shastra
When not busy with dramebaazi, Praneet loves to eat and sleep. How did he earn the ‘Shastra’ title? Well, the boy has answers to almost every question under the sun. About making it to the top six, he says, “Concentration, focus and observation have got me this far. I used to watch cartoon shows and learnt the art of mimicry from there. I have a good grasping power. Aditya is one of my strongest competitors.”
Praneet can imitate Bollywood stars ranging from Nana Patekar and Shah Rukh Khan to Sunny Deol. He also won a baby show at Kota in 2008. In Praneet’s case, his mother is his teacher. “My mother teaches me dramebaazi. I would like to be a soldier or be like SRK or Salman when I grow up. They bring an end to bad. Growing up and becoming an Iron Man would also be fun,” says he. His favourite judge is Vivek Oberoi,
because he is
handsome.

JUDGES SPEAK

Vivek Oberoi Over the years, I’ve received many offers on television but it had to be a show that I connected with. Besides, I’ve turned a father this year and the time is ideal for me to be surrounded by mischievous kids. It will prepare me for what I’ll need to handle in just a few years. My role on the show has been more like that of a big brother to the kids who guides them. Had there been such wonderful avenues for acting when I was a kid, I’d have surely participated!

Sonali Bendre The show presents a win-win situation for me… I just love these kids. I’m glad the show provides an atmosphere that puts them at ease, allows them to come into their own and be themselves. Their talent is overwhelming and we have seen some brilliant performances through the season so far.The kids are cute and talkative.Their innocence is adorable and has appealed to absolutely everybody.

Anurag Basu With this show, I’ve got an opportunity to interact with so many talented children. We are not saying that we will create future superstars here. Our main objective has been to bring out the spontaneity of the kids where they will perform without being conscious and I can confidently say we’ve been successful in that. That is why apart from watching their performances; I have been spending time with them personally to understand their creativity. I think the naughtiest, most mischievous kids have fared better on the show!