He is the bashful Deol

By Madhur Mittal

YOU should see Bobby Deol blush and turn all bashful when anyone happens to comment on his changed, trendy way of dressing up — on and off the screen. The guy starts looking at the carpet and then, he looks up and says (almost shyly!): "It’s all because of Tanya, my wife!"

Yes, it appears that Tanya is more than just another good looking starwife. In fact, if one of the couple’s close friends (sorry, no name-dropping, please) is to be believed, Tanya is responsible for bringing Bobby where he is today. She’s the one who has instilled the confidence and the social graces in Bobby and helped him to come out of the shadows of being an introvert. Any wonder, then, that Bobby usually likes to have Tanya on his arm while attending filmland functions — something that the Deols (dad Dharmendra and brother Sunny) have always avoided like the mumps.

Monica’s smile returns

After a long time, a genuine smile has touched the lips of beautiful Monica Bedi. All of a sudden, she’s looking forward to the future with optimism. Like, she feels she may still be able to realise her fond dream of becoming a sought after leading lady of Bollywood, after all.......

Yes, the (unexpected) popularity to Tirchhi Topiwale is just what she needed because she had all but given up any ambitions left of making something solid out of her career. This, especially, after the brutal murder of her mentor and benefactor filmmaker Mukesh Duggal. He had convinced Bedi to fly down to Bombay all the way from Norway, her home!

New offers have already started coming Monica’s way and she’s busy once more in going through the scripts and her role(s). That’s reason enough to smile for this smooth-skinned stunner who definitely deserves to go far.

Terrific twosome !

Quite recently, there were reports in a section of the filmi Press that filmmaker N. Chandra was ruing the day he signed on Karisma Kapoor and Tabu for his new film, Shikari. It was alleged that because of the friction between the two actresses sparks were flying all over the sets!

What nonsense! It just goes to prove how fertile some scribes’ imaginations can be. Karisma and Tabu made such a terrific and talented twosome that the entire unit was surprised out of its caps. Whenever they’re shooting together, they sit next to each other, whisper and generally end up laughing and hugging!

It’s darned difficult to say who’s more thrilled — maker Chandra or leading man Govinda.....?

Prince to pauper?

Looks as if J.P. Dutta simply cannot make a movie without some hoo-haa and controversy. He’s preening himself for getting Abhishek Bachchan’s debut in films off the ground with a sound recording and, expectedly, the frenetic fanfare but industry people are not amused.

For starters, what was originally slated to be Bachchan jr crowding the big screen, now has Jackie Shroff and Sunil Shetty in it, as well. A Border hangover, perhaps. Next, Karina Kapoor, who had been unceremoniously chucked out on the scripting table, is back on the sets!

But what appals me most is: How could JP, who started out with a towering title like Aakhri Moghul, came down to renaming his film — Refugee? That’s virtually making a prince a pauper!

Rumour has it...

...that Juhi Chawla is now going around denying that she ever told any magazine that "I don’t deny my marriage"!

...that Madhuri Dixit was coaxed ‘n’ cajoled into making a very special dance appearance in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, at a price almost her full rate for a complete feature film!!!