Home is just not a place where you live, an abode for your basic needs of sleeping, eating and sometimes hiding. It reflects the depths of your personality and is a live example of your existence. And since home décor is now a specialized art form, to ensure that our home is just not another address, we are ready to cover any distance and dig deep into our pockets. Sticking to the popular home furnishing couture, here’s the latest offering in the city- the Inside Outside mega show on at the sector 17 Parade Ground. It’s a one-stop shop for all your home décor needs and aspirations, and spells out the trends and fashion in home styling. Here are the hottest picks…

Priyadarshan’s Billu is about an ordinary man’s extra-ordinary life. Releasing Friday, the film has Irrfan Khan in the title role while Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan makes a guest appearance in the comedy. Earlier titled Billu Barber, the film is now called Billu as it fell prey to controversies by the Hairdresser’s Association of Mumbai for hurting their sentiments with its title - a week before its release. Billu is said to be a remake of the hugely successful Malayalam film Kadha Parayumbol (2007). It was remade in Tamil as Kuselan and megastar Rajnikant made a guest appearance in it.Produced by Shah Rukh’s Red Chillies Entertainment, the film’s much-talked about special attraction apart from Shah Rukh himself are item numbers featuring Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra. “Billu is a beautiful film about relationships, love and friendship. I also have a good part in the film along with Irrfan Khan and Lara Dutta,” Shah Rukh had recently said. The story goes like this: Billu (Irrfan) is a village barber, whose business is going for a toss, as he is not being able to adapt himself to the changing trends. One day, a film unit visits his village to shoot a movie that stars superstar Sahir Khan (Shah Rukh), who Billu claims to have been friends with. Billu’s status in the village rises as everyone wants to meet the hero through the barber. Billu fears that the star may not recognise him. He makes attempts to meet the star but fails and gives up. The villagers believe he lied about the relationship with the star and insult him. The truth about his friendship with the actor comes out at the end of the movie.Despite the pre-release buzz, the film has not generated mass appeal. In terms of music, its album has been average on the charts.

Priyadarshan’s previous movie Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) was a hit and a laugh riot. It remains to be seen whether Billu succeeds in recasting his spell over the audience, with Shah Rukh being the icing on the cake. —IANS 

One of the important changes in Mumbai film industry is that a new breed of non-glamourous stars are ruling the roost. Irrfan Khan is one of them. Though he is not a romantic hero but there are films like Life in a Metro, Chocolate, Rog, Apana Asmaan where viewers were mesmerised by his dreamy performances. Ready to take up diverse roles, Maqbool, Salaam Bombay and The Namesake saw him play meaty characters.

Adding another cap to his feather, in the role of Slumdog Crorepatti he made his character extremely believable. Making his mark in the film industry we talk to the actor whose new film Billu opens this week.

You are regarded as a serious actor but with Billu you are veering towards the mainstream cinema.

An actor is an actor, being an actor you are supposed to do every kind of role. Priyadarshan wanted me to do this role and it was he who forced me into it.

Were you overwhelmed when Priyadarshan offered you a lead role?

Yes, I was excited. From my point of view, it is a perfect role.

What is the movie Billu all about?

It is a film about an ordinary man who led an extra-ordinary life. It also stars Lara Dutta, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav and also has Shahrukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Paudukone in special appearances.

How was it working with SRK?

Amazing, when two stars respect each other work becomes easier for both.

What made you choose this film?

Well, I always wanted to work with Priyadarshan ji. He is very capable and I knew I would be in good hands.

Will you focus on big budget films?

I do not know. I don’t plan anything, but yes, I will do it if I get an interesting script.

— Dharam Pal

Golgappas, chhole bhature and non-vegetarian delicacies from popular eatery Karim’s—star kid Sonam Kapoor gorged on all this and more while shooting for her forthcoming film Dilli-6 in the capital. “I’m quite a foodie and have a very Punjabi taste in terms of food. So when we were shooting in Delhi for the film, I used to eat a lot of golgappas, chhole bhature, dahi bhalle and meat from Karim’s. Basically, I used to eat all the wrong things, but I loved that,” Sonam said. In Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Dilli-6, Sonam plays Bittu, an aspiring singer who lives in a conservative family in the crowded Chandni Chowk area and has a desire to break free from the typical Indian societal norms. The one-film-old actor says a good amount of preparation went behind her character in the film in which she stars opposite Abhishek Bachchan. “One has to really prepare for the role he or she is portraying in a film. For Dilli-6, I had to work on my accent, body language, clothes, my expressions, the way I walked and a lot of other nitty-gritty stuff,” she said. Apart from Sonam’s carefree Indian looks in the film, her performance in the hit peppy number Masakalli, picturised on her and a dove, has been really appreciated.“Masakalli is the name of the dove in the film and it is very symbolic of my character,” said Sonam. —IANS 

I can still challenge today’s item dancers as I take the credit for introducing cabaret and ballet in Indian films,’’ says Helen who has now been honoured with the Padma Shri. Helen came to Mumbai, as a Second World War refugee and rose from the quagmire of poverty and had to struggle hard to eventually reach the pinnacle where she was unchallenged. Helen was forced to drop out of school and begin working. At that juncture, she had no inkling that she would someday work for the silver screen. Helen was aided by family friend and that era’s famous dancer Kukku whose recommendation got her chances as part of dancers’ groups in Shabistan(1951) and then in Raj Kapoor’s immortal production Awara (1951). Prior to entering Bollywood’s portals, Helen mastered Manipuri, Bharatnatyam, Kathak and other classical dance forms. She felt confident that she would attain an exalted stature in filmdom by dint of these skills. Helen soon got chances as a solo dancer in Alif Laila (1952) and Hoor-e-Arab (1953). After that her dance items featured in about 65 more movies but became immensely popular only in 1958 for the Geeta Dutt-sung Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu in the runaway hit Howrah Bridge. —UNI 

Not many cine buffs may know that Bollywood’s Villain of the Millennium Pran, who turned 89 on Thursday, was actually paid more than Amitabh Bachchan for his role in Chandra Barot’s 1978 production Don in which Bachchan played the male lead. Padma Bhushan Pran is actually a poetic person in real life, possessing a philanthropic nature, loves sports, is a good player himself and has his own football team by the name Dynamos Club, which he financially assisted for several years. After a roughly 60-year-long filmy career during which fans mostly loved to hate him, Pran whose full name is Pran Kishan Sikand, now spends his time watching football, hockey, cricket on TV besides gardening, reading and looking after his dogs. Born in Delhi on February 12, 1920, Pran never dreamt he would feature on the silver screen. He actually wanted to become a photographer but a chance meeting with storywriter Wali Mohammad was a turning point as he got his first role as a villain in the Punjabi film Yamla Jat (1940).He bagged his maiden role as hero in Dalsukh Pancholi’s Khandaan (1942). Noorjahan, the female lead, was less than 15 years of age.‘’In close-up shots, she was made to stand atop bricks or stones to compensate for the difference in our heights,’’ reminisces Pran who later featured in immortal films such as Madhumati (1958), Johnny Mera Naam (1970) and Bobby (1973). —UNI

Refusing to be drawn in the debate over Valentine’s Day celebrations, bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan today called for the need to take a liberal stand on the issue.“Instead of taking a literal meaning that Valentine’s Day is not an Indian festival, one should understand the essence of what it conveys about spreading happiness, goodness and love,” the actor said. He added, “Events like Valentine’s Day are to think about a friend and say I care for you. It is an occasion to think of love and relationship, to think of someone you care for.” Asked about the greatest love-story he has seen in reel and real life, Shahrukh said, “The next love story that I do will be the greatest, while in real life it is my own love-story.” On his past Valentine Day celebrations, the actor said he would exchange cards and letters with wife Gauri during their courting days.“After being together for so many years, material things do not matter. Gauri wishes me good health now and I wish her the same,” he said adding, “These days everyone wishes me good health.” —PTI 

Romance can be likened to the ecstatic emotion that reflects the world through a rosy filtered glass. Books are an expression of the eternal affair combining the comfort of the spouse and charm of a mistress. Lost in translation? Let’s make it simple. What if words and romance are wedded? A million love stories! The affair of books with its lovers, wedding of a poet with his words and the flirtation of emotions with expressions. Acknowledging such ‘love sagas,’ the British Library-9 on Thursday inaugurated Romantica, a three-day festival.

Inaugurated by theatre artist, Neelam Man Singh Chaudhry, the first day saw the Poetry Recitation and Enacting Romance Competitions. Curious, we ask about her teenage love affair with books. She says, “I read every junk that was available.” She lists Dennis Robbins as her favourite.

What is it about romantics that unflinchingly hooks generations? “I think it’s the fantasy involving the stereotypical TDH, that creates the magic,” she answers.

Twentynine participants battled it out at war of rhythmic words in the poetry recitation competition, with the theme ‘Romance’. Shilpa Dhar, a participant, said, “I recited a poem on nature involving human emotions.”Over to judges. What are they be judging on? “Certainly it’s the originality, the way it’s put across and, of course, what has been put across,” said Nirupama Dutt, one of the judges.

Moving on, the Enacting Romance Competition attracted 20 participants with (hold your breath) situations as hilarious as ‘You are about to approach a beautiful girl when her muscle-ripping boyfriend appears on the scene. How do you save your skin?’ One more? ‘A boy/girl you are proposing faints. What do you do?’ Keep thinking.

Before we leave. Time of the year, when everybody seems to be encashing in on the day in the hues of crimson. Their take behind Romantica? Says Bipin Kumar, manager, British Library, “This is the month when people actually have romance on their minds. This is our way of celebrating the affair with our customers, patrons, loyals.” Whoever thought Valentine’s was exclusively for the young and revolved around genders?

manpriya@tribunemail.com