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Mini’s new anchor

Mini Mathur no longer wants to veejay

ONE look at her and it is difficult to say that the vivacious Mini Mathur is staging a comeback after a year-long maternity break.

But instead of going back as a VJ in MTV, Mini is teaming up with Aman Verma to present the Indian Idol on Sony Entertainment Television.

So what’s made her give up the glamour world of veejaying and take up the job of a co-anchor in a show that doesn’t seem so hot?

Says Mini, "I didn’t want to go back to veejaying. Doing the same stuff after such a long break didn’t excite me. But I also didn’t want to act in serials as they’ve all started looking the same and I can’t see myself doing that tear-jerking stuff."

That’s where she says, the Indian Idol fit the bill. " It’s different and it’s spontaneous. It’s an inter-active reality-based show and it just fits the bill for me."

Hope Mini knows that Sony has already burnt its hands twice with reality shows — the Govinda-hosted Jeeto Chappad Phaad Ke and Kahin Na Kahin Koi Hai anchored by Madhuri Dixit.

Adnan Sami’s lift karadey prayers have been answered time and again. God has lifted him up the charts with such speed that it has left the music industry breathless. A perfect example of an expatriate Indian making it big on the Indian music scene.

Now Sami is all set to lift the fortunes of Channel V by helping it discover a super singer.

The portly musician is part of a talent hunt that goes to ten cities —Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kolkata, Indore, Hyderabad, Kochi, Bangalore and Ahmedabad. He’ll be at the auditions to identify a singer who can sing as well as him.

Says Sami, "There’s tough competition out there but the person who wins can hope to go places. He’ll probably be giving me a run for my music in the years to come."

"Channel V is providing one of the most unique opportunities to identify singing talent. There’s never been something like this before," says Sami.

The chubby melody man perhaps is not aware that some of the top singing stars, including Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan and Bela have been discoveries of TV shows like Sa Re Ga Ma and Meri Awaz Suno hosted by other channels.

SHE can be safely called destiny’s child. Acting happened to her by default and today just a few years down the line she is calling shots as far as the choice of roles goes. Rushali says she’s in a tearing hurry to succeed and is handpicking projects.

"Time is very short so I want to do the kind of work I enjoy. Because if you enjoy what you are doing, it makes you more receptive to learning," says the star who made her debut in Ravi Rai’s Teacher and is now the popular Aarti in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.

Besides television, there’s a career in Bollywood to nurture as well. She’s now looking forward to her second release opposite Victor Banerjee. Though her debut film Funtoosh sank like the Titanic, she says she’s learnt from her mistake. "You can’t keep regretting about your failures. Life must move on," says Rushali philosophically.

Besides films and serials, Rushali is into theatre as well. "I am doing the role of a pop singer in the stage play Sabse Bada Rupayia. Then there are more film and TV offers." Sure, life is moving on for Rushali at a great pace.

IN television where even one project can be exhausting enough, she’s doing five. And each of the five roles that she’s essaying is different from the other.

Mrinal Kulkarni takes it all in her stride. "It boils down to time management," says the actor who was far removed from acting when she was doing her masters in linguistics.

But destiny had other plans for her. She was offered the lead role in Swami and from then onwards there’s been no looking back. What followed was a slew of serials like Srikant, The Great Maratha, Meera, Draupadi, Hasratein, Teacher and Sparsh.

Today Mrinal is one of the busiest actors on the small screen and her appeal cuts across channels. There’s Son Pari and Jeet on Star Plus, Zindagi Teri Meri Kahani and Arzoo Hai Tu on Sahara Manoranjan and Avantika on Alpha Marathi.

However, it is her role of the fairy in Son Pari that is made her a household name. But, she says many people advised her not to accept the role in a kiddie serial. "I had a gut feeling it would be a hit. And I was right."

She shows loads of letters she gets from children daily, cheering her for her powers. "It is as if there’s some Pari who is guiding me in my career". Sure it’s been magic all the way for the soft-spoken Mrinal. — NF

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