She smiles despite all odds
By Madhur Mittal

"YES, I’m terribly disillusioned and very, very disappointed... but I try not to think too much about it. Let’s face it: That certainly isn’t going to help me or my career, is it?"

She shrugs and suddenly flashes a super smile. And I can’t help admiring Indrani Banerjee’s inner strength. After all, for a young girl who was hailed as "the discovery of the decade" not too long ago and who, today, is left trying to put her (shattered) career back on the rails... the going could be anything but smooth.

Other than her good looks and emoting talent, Indrani also possesses determination. As a matter of fact, it’s this strong never-say-die attitude that has seen her through lean times and is now responsible for bringing a couple of promising breaks her way again... notably, Jaana Na Dil Se Door, directed by none other than Vijay "Goldie" Anand! Keep your smile flashing, gutsy girl!

Fear of flying!

Believe me, it’s an experience extraordinaire to watch Paresh Rawal if you happen to be sharing a flight with him. I mean, most of us suffer from the fear of flying to some extent. However, in the case of this actor, it’s high drama all the way!

To begin with, he literally has to be pushed into the queue when the boarding call rings out; left to himself, he’d probably run right out of the airport like a hare! Even when once seated, Paresh’s problems don’t end — they begin! Like, he’d be the first one to belt up and test the locking system; thumb the buzzer for a glass of water; switch his seat if it happens to be next to the window; start reciting some mantra under his breath.

The best is when, the engines rev up for take off, Paresh promptly clutches at the taveez hanging down his neck and kisses it, touches it to his closed eyes... and then puts it into his mouth! During these flights, I’m afraid he might swallow it whole!!

See how the terror on screen is so easily (and entirely) terrorised by the simple fear of flying, huh?

The Shah is a sham

Shah Rukh Khan is enjoying a great run at the box office of late, no doubt, but the discerning cinegoers are apparently beginning to tire of him, y’know.

According to a survey carried out by a cable TV channel, the buzzword is that "Shah Rukh is a sham"! Gals, who once went into swoons over his winks and smiles, now find him "boring’’, "repetitive" and "frankly, so extremely artificial"!

Looks like our man needs to drastically change his ‘act’: Fast!