 |
 |
Music is the real
hero HE happens to be one swell guy, — no hang-ups, hassles or hiccups. Just comes on so comfortable, casual ‘n’ cool that it’s a delight to chill out with him, I swear. Like it was at the tete-a-tete with Abhijeet arranged by the Super Cassettes guys at Hotel Kings the other evening... to celebrate the (successful) launch of this gifted singer’s latest, solo album — Aashiqui. Found him swaying to the beat of (his) music videos being screened on two huge makeshifts... even before all the invitees had arrived... and before the booze had started being served! Welcoming each new arrival with an open smile, open arms and a warm hug, Abhijeet really set the mood for a meet to be enjoyed. He floored everyone with his frankness. Never, for a fleeting moment, losing the smile on his lips or the (naughty) twinkle in his bespectacled eyes. "I’m the most unwanted singer in Bollywood!" he laughed as spoke about the (repetitive) stories the glossies keep doing on other playback singers. "So it’s a rather pleasant surprise for me to suddenly find myself surrounded by so many friends from the Fourth Estate. At the very outset, I’d wish to make it very, very clear that wherever I am, whatever I’ve achieved today, is thanks wholly to RD Burman, who was my idol and my inspiration. Had it not been for him, I may have been selling bananas today! It was he who gave me the big break in Anand aur Anand and he who told me to knock off my surname (Bhattacharya) to give more impact to simply Abhijeet". "When I sing, my prime priority is to infuse entire expression, be it any leadman I’m singing for. Because, let’s not forget, today, music is THE hero!" |
|||||||||
|
Incidentally, I was rather fazed to find that hardly any colleagues of Abhi had come forward to rejoice with him at this wonderful bash. In particular, Alka Yagnik, I mean, she’s sung along with Abhijeet in umpteen movies, and Nikhil-Vinay (the music directors of Aashiqui) are no strangers to her, either.) Add on the fact that there’s hardly any party where she’s not visible with her (patent) all-black ensemble and the matching mobile. This absconding act was an eyesore, to say the least! Demand for KBC in Pak... The bigwigs at StarTV are truly bowled over the unprecedented demand from across the border to take Kaun Banega Crorepati to Pakistan! Apparently, India’s (unfriendly) neighbour nation has latched on to this ‘moneyed’ quiz show in a big way and is maha keen to have anchor Amitabh Bachchan fly into Lahore or Karachi by the first available flight! With hundreds of participants having already won millions — on KBC, no wonder many borders have been broken with eager-beavers from virtually all over the world wanting to cut a piece of the prized pie for themselves. But Star TV’s top brass say the idea is "not viable" at least, for now. So KBC fans in countries other than India will, for the time being, have to console themselves to being mere viewers — not participants, contestants or winners. Sorry, guys, you’re all locked in! On the Mark! Much has been written about the high love between Preity Zinta and Marc Robinson already... but, believe me, it’s now touching ‘lofty’ heights. A very obvious indication of how truly ‘n’ tightly our girl has her guy wrapped around her fair fingers! Like, would you believe it, Preity needed some typical, Christian maternity dresses recently, No, not in real life but for reel life in a movie she plays a plump preggie. (Relieved?) So what d’ya think Marc did? Well, he ran around town visiting all the friends he could think of who might have what his girlfriend required real desperately. He finally found them in attics and lofts, after climbing up all the (dusty) way. Rumour has it... * That Rani Mukherji is taking special, swimming lessons for her aquatic role in a forthcoming film. (And guess who her ‘instructor’ is? Salman Khan!) * That Shah Rukh Khan’s pretty better half, Gauri, is hell bent upon making her screen debut very, very soon. (Does she wannabe the latest sex symbol?) * That Bobby Deol is turning producer. (Just to spite elder brother Sunny, yeah?) |
 |
 |
