Watch out for Be-lagaam!
By Madhur Mittal

RISHI Films International’s Be-Lagaam can certainly boast of introducing some smart, young newcomers to the Hindi screen. For starters, we have dashing Aryan leading the marquee with his rugged looks (and flashing fists!) He happens to be Govinda’s nephew and promises to give his competitors a run for their money, believe me. Next, there’s this pretty leading lady — Sneha Sangwan — with sharp features (and a sharper figure) who is sure to send the guys’ adrenaline pumping.

And , not to forget lanky villain Nawab, who plays the bad man with real ‘nice’ conviction. Nawab plays a psychopathic killer.

Producer Anil K. Mehta and director Ram Lakhan Mishra are very happy with the way their movie has shaped up. "These young actors have put in pulverising performances, and brought out the suspense element of the story with telling impact. Be-Lagaam is going to be literally a runaway be-lagaam at the box office, we daresay!" Watch out, peoples... and do practise holding your breath before you actually go to see this romantic thriller!

Recipe for success

Wouldn’t we be delighted to know the recipe of success behind the two most successful Khans of Bollywood — Shah Rukh and Aamir? So okay, we all know that behind every successful man there is a woman — and on both accounts the Khans have beautiful, intelligent, supportive biwis — Gauri and Reena. But with no offence meant to the two charming women, I’d like to add that in the case of Shah Rukh and Aamir, it’s quite, quite different.

Both Shah Rukh and Aamir share a common addiction — boiled eggs! No, I am not trying to be funny, it’s the truth! While Aamir must have his quota of six to eight boiled eggs in a day (the number can conveniently increase if his waking hours do), Shah Rukh — a self-confessed anti-foodie guy — must have his boiled baidas (eggs in Mumbai lingo) every hour, on the hour, even his dinner is Tandoori Chicken and yes, boiled eggs. So now we know why these Khans are such eggheads.

Another queen

For as far as my memory serves me, we never had a Rani in our industry. And then Rani Mukherjee happened! Now another Rani is being launched amidst much fanfare. The girl in question is Rani Rajkumar, the only daughter of the late Raj Kumar.

Lawrence D’Souza is presenting her in his latest venture Dil Bhi Kya Cheez Hai, where Rani’s co-star is another newcomer —Shivam. Though predictably, Lawri with his penchant for his leading ladies is all agog about Rani, " her breathtaking beauty, her terrific talent, her spontaneous style..." I think the director will soon be running out of adjectives at this rate. The producer, meanwhile, is one Pappu Verma whose contribution seems to be of the financial kind only.

Come to think of it, with big brother Puru Raj Kumar taking a nosedive with heavy duty filmmaker Prakash Mehra’s Bal Bramhachari, and younger brother Panini Rajkumar’s launch vehicle Shivam not even taking off, let’s wait, watch and see how high the Jaani’s daughter soars (his son’s simply crashed, you see!)

With Lawrence aboard, it could well turn out to be a case of ‘happy landings.

Mini is wary

After the debacle of Dil Se — which was Mani Ratnam’s debut in Hindi cinema with the original lingo (not a dubbed version) — Mani has become very wary. So it is no surprise that he has scrapped his second project (which again had Shah Rukh in the lead) and opted to make a Tamil film. It will be made with a top hero of the South and will again have the leading man in the role of a journalist playing the protagonist. And if the film does well, Mani is all great up to dub it in Hindi. At least the man knows what he is capable of doing best, so he’s just going ahead and doing it.

Rumour has it...

...that the Sanjay Kapoor-Maheep Sandhu marriage is running through troubled weather. If one success (Sirf Tum) can do this to a man, he cannot be much of a Man!