Sunday, July 1, 2001		Movie Magic

WITH Lady Luck on one’s side, is there anything else one needs to be a success? No way! If you’re the chosen one — that someone very special who’s divinely destined to make a mark career-wise, what do "challenges" and chutzpah matter? And this fortune has fallen in a big way on the lovely, lively showbiz wannabe from New Delhi — a comely named Sandali!

Sweet, sexy newcomer Sandali happens to be the leading lady of Super Cassettes’ fantastic, blastic offering: Tum Bin! And the coveted film role just landed in her li’l lap, can you beat that?! Whoosh, talk about Chappad Phaad Ke ...!

Sandali is a stunner, no two opinions on that ‘score’. She looks as glam in hip western gear ‘n’ make-up as she looks invitingly fetching in trad threads — including a (tightly tied) Laavni saree! Having done her first ad film with Shah Rukh Khan — where the two are hounded by a dog and trapped in a car when all they desperately crave is a Pepsi — there’s just been no lookin’ back for sensational Sandali!

Her cordial contact with music video director, Anubhav Sinha, has landed her the (plum) role in Tum Bin... but only after half a dozen screen tests. "I tell you, when I heard the script, I got cold feet, literally! I mean, to be the heroine of the movie — co-starring with not one but three new hunks — took my breath away! I was nervy as hell, believe me! But for the help ‘n’ encouragement from Anubhavji, I don’t think I could’ve done it. And now that Tum Bin is ready for release, I’m not scared anymore — I’m simply confident and cool that the viewers are gonna love me!" (And, to think, Sandali was never fond of films!)

Here’s hoping the public plumbs for the three fellers, as well ........

Oh, sure, I’ve always known Saif Ali Khan to be the life of any party... but it sure came as a surprise to find (the usually sedate) Fardeen Khan pitching in to make a delightful Khan-Khan duo at the music launch of Venus’ new film: Love Ke Liya Kuchh Bhi Karega!

Believe me, these guys simply took off! There were practical jokes, pranks push-offs... and, inevitably, peals of laughter all around! And none of them quit the funny ‘act’ till way past midnight, y’know. Usually, the Jains of Venus are known for their sedate (even serious) parties, but this one will certainly go down in the merrymaking annals as the bash that virtually had all the invitees bushed!

Whether life imitates films or films imitate life will forever remain a moot point, I reckon. But it does seem to me that the episode you’ve just finished reading could quite be the ‘inspiration’ behind a party scene that film-maker Farhan Akhtar is especially having added to his Dil Chaahta Hai.

As it is, he’s created a (hilarious) hungaama in Bollywood by putting the long, flowing manes of his heroes — Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khan... er, sorry (got "Khan"-ed away there!)... I meant Akshaye Khanna — under the electric lawnmower at its tightest screw. So, we have three (goodlooking, no doubt) men with hair so short that even the American GIs would be rejoicing with their half-inch crew cuts!

The monsoon has hit Mumbai hard and appears to be in no mood to let up without throwing office-goers, the road (if you can see it!) and the suburban railways totally ‘n’ thoroughly out of gear.

But then, look at the silver lining amongst the brooding, black clouds: Least ways, a whole lot of school-going kids and CEO executives are bound to get swimming ‘n’ back-floating lessons free! The ‘common’ sight is to see them wading through waist-deep (at least knee-deep) swirlin’ waters which no amount of (choked) BMC gutters can do anything about........ (Did I just hear another "splash", huh?)

The point is, this weather has brought out the party animals in Mumbaikars — esp the film crowd. And not a single week goes by without daily bashes..... and never mind the starry stock arriving soaked to the skin!