Sunday, June 24, 2001		Movie Magic

I AM telling you, this woman is incredible... and I mean that as a core complement, mind it! Meeting up with the stunning Sushmita Sen may be harmful to your health — that’s the statutory ‘warning’ I’d like to underscore with a big, bold (permanent) glow-marker because, after a face to face with "Sush", you will never be the same again.

Unfazed at being left behind

The fact is, she can make you climb walls like that "friendly, neighbourhood spiderman" — and no extra special effects needed, folks! Believe me, for a life of me, I can’t remember another Hindi film heroine who’s had her pretty head firmly fixed on to her (even prettier) shoulders by such strong, stubborn screws!I mean, try your best but you can’t faze her, rattle her, or roll her, dig?

Let me narrate, ever so briefly, my aap beeti: I’d planned (perversely, have to confess) to have her shaken’ ‘n’ stutterin’ with some pinchy posers. And what do you think happened...? I’ll tell you.

Isn’t she bitter that Aishwarya has overtaken her so brazenly?, I asked her. "No, not at all," Ms Sen smiles. Doesn’t she simmer at being neglected by the top film-makers? "No, why should I?" Haven’t cinegoers made her feel a misfit in movies by rejecting her starrers? "No way!" Isn’t it high time she admitted that she’s a flop heroine? "No, because it isn’t true at all..."

See what I mean? With a woman of substance, guts, grit ‘n’ glitz like Sushmita Sen, I honestly feel that’s it’s me who’s incredibly insane.

Yeah, not yet, anyway. Bollywood scribes were into an overdrive to push in articles and scoop stories about mommy-to-be Twinkle in the week gone by. Every magazine, every tabloid, was full of the "sansational news" that Twinks and hubby Akshay were all set to raise a family, with "inside reports" that Mrs Bhatia was pregnant. And having a terrible case of morning sickness!

To be (frightfully) frank, there’s just no saying for sure in such matters, especially here in movieland. "No, no", "Yes, yes" is the buzzword.

But what’s making it worse in this case is the fact that when Twinkle is asked about it, she laughs and says: "Don’t be silly!" And when Akki is queried, he starts blushing like a proud papa-to-be!

Quite a lotta people had noticed (and commented upon) that Deepti Bhatnagar was looking rather radiant and happy, of late, but nobody really seemed to know why. Well, that’s because this delightful dazzler managed (don’t ask me how) to keep the news a secret and under wrap for a long time.... but now it’s out in the open. Or, more appropriately, it’s out on the television screen, should I say!

It’s not a new soap or teleserial I’m referring to — It’s Deepti’s very own travel show which went on the air worldwide on Sunday last on Star Plus, titled Musaafer Hoon Yaaron. Congrats, Ms Bhatnagar!

"It’s not as if I’m going to be quitting films", Deepti clarifies, "but this is the realisation of one of my fondest dreams — to travel the world over, meet up with some of the most influential ‘n’ interesting people, have a whale of a time .... and get paid for it! Yeah, she can say that again ‘n’ again because besides the inaugural New York chapter, she has already captured the travel highpoints of Italy, Austria, Malaysia, the UK and France! I say, some people have all the luck.....

One can learn so much from Jackie and Ayesha Shroff... particularly about the four-letter word called Love! They hosted one of the most extravagant parties to mark ‘n’ celebrate their silver wedding anniversary — even though they’ve actually been married for only 15 years!

"Look, our maths is more functional than figurative," grins Jaggu. "We’ve been man and wife for the past 15 years, but then, we’ve been together for 10 years before that. So, all you have to do is add up!

Keep it going, guys!