Dev dares to defy age
By Madhur Mittal

FILM folk are taken aback by "birthday boy" Dev Anand, who has just completed 76 to get into 77 — because the guy is still looking so fit ‘n’ fine. But then, they obviously don’t know this miracle star very well, for the simple (and indisputable) fact that Dev Saab will continue to look as young — if not younger — when he’s 86 and going on 87.

"Look, I hadn’t planned any kind of birthday bash... but there was little else I could do once the stream of callers and visitors began," shrugs Anand. "In fact, it was an overseas call from New York that woke me up with ‘Happy Birthday’ greetings in the first place!" Well, he may have disliked his private phone line jingling at five in the morning...but, by breakfast time, Dev Saab was smiling broadly — ready to receive his friends and fans — smart ‘n’ snappy as ever in red socks, navy blue cords and a powder pink jacket. And, by evening, he was truly enjoying every single moment of the special day!

Seeing the "evergreen hero" surrounded by flowers in beautiful bouquets, I thought it was high time we started calling him eco-friendly Dev Saab, hey!

Out of control

Nobody in tinsel town is flipping out or going out of control. It’s just that a couple of Shah Rukh Khan movies are financially pole-vaulting. First, it was Josh-Mansoor Khan’s film with Shah Rukh and Salman minus cousin Aamir Khan — 50 per cent of which has been reshot. And amidst all this Shah Rukh has been going to town cribbing about "the lack of focus and unprofessionalism" of the director.

But the funniest part is that Shah Rukh’s own production Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani is in the same (if not worse) position. Close friends who have seen the rushes of the film, have found it "very, very mediocre". So Shah Rukh is going through reshoots and changes, while expenditures escalate. Makes you wonder if such an overdose of perfection and money leave a film commercially viable? I have my doubts!

Pooja’s trump card

If there is one trait that I honestly admire in Pooja Bhatt — it’s honesty! Of course she is frank, outspoken, critical, talkative etc. But when all the attributes come with generous dollops of honesty, it exhibits a very open nature! She’s the first one to declare that her acting has limitations. "I can’t dance like Madhuri or Karisma, neither can I emote like Kajol or Tabu nor do I have the sensuousness of Raveena or Sushmita Sen" But then she has her own style which is different, so much so, that it borders on being exclusive.

Even her latest (and first) foray into TV — with her own production Dhund— throws up all those nuances and shades of histrionics which are palpably pithy and passionately precise!

So don’t worry Pooja if you can’t sashay down a ramp, on the path of performances you are way ahead!