If water and air are two essential things on which life depends, then party is something on which life sustains! And well, literally. Those who choose to differ, we have qualms about it, but those of you who are grinning ear-to-ear…we combine the best life sustenance things for you! Water, air and party-all rolled into a pool.

So, go ahead have a splash in the pool party, which apparently is in vogue. Private pool parties are unlimited fun if organised keeping a few handy things in mind. If you are looking to set up, this might be of use.

Interestingly, it is business hub, Ludhiana, which takes a leap when it comes to having fun in the pool. Nitin Mahajan, a businessman, organised a pool party on his daughter's first birthday at Sparkle, The Family Club, in Ludhiana. And what a party, he gushes. "As it was a pool party, everything about it had to be different — the venue, the dress code, snacks and music." Nitin and his wife zeroed-in on a club, which had the best pool. Their main concern was aqua lights. "The water was clean and the lights made all the difference. It was a Hawaiian theme so people were dressed in floral shirts and Bermudas, with flowers tied on their wrist and head," shares Nitin.

Your friends will love it and your colleagues will owe it to you; pool parties are an interesting way to beat the heat. A good venue and good food, you can't ask for more. Jagdish Sharma from Chandigarh threw a pool party at his Panchkula residence a week back, which is still a hot topic of discussion in his circle. "We had organised a live kitchen that served Mexican, Thai and Japanese cuisines. Indian snacks don't go well with pool parties," provides Jagdish, who lends a handy tip. "I invited close friends purposely so that everybody could have a dip in the pool. And we had some great Samba and Bollywood numbers to go with it."

Life depends on water and parties we said, but be ready to shell money for it as well. Yes! For water and party too. Says Sunil Seth, an event organiser from Ludhiana, "Somewhere between Rs 1 lakh to 1.25 lakh is what a pool party costs, which includes the venue, food, music and rest of the things." Wow, whooping money going in the pool!! Sunil maintains that a pool party shouldn't be a choc-a-bloc affair. "Don't overdo anything. Invite the close group only, and also make sure you have safety arrangement handy. Choose a theme and follow it, have a decent dress code, and there you are - all set to have a pool of fun!

jasmine@tribunemail.com

For a country like Malaysia, known for its scuba-diving reefs, if you happen to overhear the beat of Punjabi music, it is definitely not a day-dream! Far in the country, two brothers Manjit and Sukhjit Singh Gill of music band Goldkartz not only make Punjabi music, but also sell it to the Malaysian audiences!

In Chandigarh to promote their promotional song Mauja from the Bollywood movie Chala Mussadi Office Office, the two brothers talk of breaking barriers, internationally. But first, some office talk!

"Mauja is a promotional song for the movie, and we are pretty happy the way it has turned out," says the duo. Mauja is their first Bollywood project, with contemporary beats. But this wasn't an easy track, because how many people have you seen dancing and swaying to a song based on corruption? So, we had to bring in peppy beats and gel in with the theme of the song and movie. It is Punjabi yet modern at the same time," shares the duo. How else would you sell a Punjabi number in South Asia?

"We released our first album in 2008, which was again a blend of Punjabi and modern beats. Our second album 24 Karaatz won awards in Malaysia," puts in Sukhjeet and Manjeet, born and brought up in Malaysia. The duo is known as Bhangra ambassadors in Malyasia and has also done collaborations with various artistes like Rishi Rich, Shankar Mahadevan, Punjabi by Nature etc. "The audiences have always reacted well to our work, which is neither strictly Punjabi nor Western. We have created a middle path, which appeals to everyone."

At the moment it is their first-ever Bollywood track that is taking the band's time. Puts in Manjit, "We have a couple of projects lined up, let's see how they shape up. We have been brought up in a different culture; the effect can be seen on our music as well. However, we still get in the 'real' Punjabi touch in our tracks."

jasmine@tribunemail.com

If you think Dilbagh Singh is yet another run of the mill Punjabi singer churning out 'GT Road' for a track, wait till you know about the inspiration behind it.

"I remember we were stuck in a huge traffic jam recently and found out that a wedding party had blocked the road. For me that was the true spirit of my community. Only Punjabis can be different and larger than life. Unfazed by the road block they were celebrating out on the streets. Be it in a club or even on the road and they have a typical way of dancing."

"That was more than enough for me to come up with the theme of my next song," he says. Well that's pure emotion behind his second album 'GT Road'.

"My first album was 'O Tina', this one is an endeavour of Various Artists and I have two songs in the album" The other number too falls in the jumpy dancing category. It's a club song called Seeti and we are going to be out with a video on it soon," he says.

Both his tracks are restricted to merry making and that's where he draws the line. He rues, "A majority of the tracks these days talk of violence and vulgarity. It's sad that they are making such songs because people follow us, so there should be some responsibility."

He adds, "The idea should not be to promote violence or negative shades. Especially Punjabi songs and singers have a huge fan following. I was in Kenya for a show and was happy to see that Punjabi music is a hit there."

His shows are keeping him busy these days. "In the past six years I must have done about 700 shows."

He is yet to dabble into acting like other singers. "For me, an acting stint can be very time consuming. To act in a film I will have to take at least five to six months off," he says.

Coming back to the album, GT Road brings together four artists and eight songs. "I don't believe in solo efforts only. I've cut a solo album before but I feel if newer and better talent can be promoted through an album, why not? The message of music should be to have fun, celebrate, live a good life and that's about it." Live life Punjabi style.

manpriya@tribunemail.com

The luxury of driving a version of your desired car that has been creating a buzz across the Globe gives you a special feel altogether. Super luxury cars, the likes of Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley have set the trend of offering the similar driving wheel across the land but getting to experience the same fun in the value for money cars was never considered a possibility.

Swift entered the auto market with an ice-breaker to the set trend and was marked as the Maruti Suzuki’s first global car, launched simultaneously in Japan, China, Europe, and India. Maruti engineers spent nearly a year in Japan working on the design and development along with their Suzuki counterparts. Considered one of the most stylish cars on the Indian roads, the 1.3-litre Swift was launched in 2005.

Nissan has also announced the launch of its new car ‘Sunny’ in its global variant by the end of this year. The global sedan Nissan Sunny’s price in India would be around Rs 6.8 lakh. The V-platform sedan car will be launched in both diesel and petrol variants. Its features and specifications are expected to be out of the league of its competitors.

Recently, Ford too has entered the global bandwagon with its ace car Fiesta. Ford’s global all-new Fiesta premium sedan arrives here as first of the eight new global vehicles slated for launch in India from Ford’s kitty by mid-decade.

Available in style, trend, Titanium and Titanium Plus trims with all new 1.5 L Ti-VCT (petrol) and 1.5 L Duratorq TDCi (diesel) engine option, Global Fiesta offers a choice of seven trendy colours.

The all-new Fiesta’s seductive and aesthetic interiors reveal an advanced technological cockpit, which is intuitive and impressively modern. The car comes equipped with exciting new features like an intuitive human-machine interface, first-in-segment Advanced Bluetooth Voice Control that allow for hands-free control over six functions such as phone, radio, CD, USB, iPod and electronic climate control.

In addition to unmatchable fuel efficiency of 17 km/L (petrol) and 23.5 km/l (diesel) as per ARAI and a super quiet cabin and rattle-free ride, Ford’s Global Fiesta is offering a two-year warranty/100,000 km to ensure the peace of mind that comes with owning the latest Ford.

The years of research, superior material and the best of engineering also bring to the customer a lower cost of ownership.

With more and more global versions being launched in India, it seems our country is racing up against the developed nations at least as far as luxury is concerned. So how about owning a global wheel for you?

(Kharbanda is a Chandigarh-based auto expert)

Works of some 65 artists have come together to celebrate one cause-saving the environment. Sixty eight paintings, some of them with obvious connection to nature – flowers, animals, water, others not so direct, are part of Earth Connection on at Government Museum and Art Gallery-10.

Showcasing works of as many as 65 artists, this exhibition represents as many expressions. A woman immersed in water, a Sikh warrior riding a horse, the back of three women standing holding hands with flowers in their hair, these are scenes from life. Then there are some abstract works so beautiful that one just stands and stares. Viewers are busy interpreting the works. “My endeavour is to create art that invokes happiness,” shares Anand Shende, assistant professor, Government College of Art-10. Bright colours in his painting are an attempt to create joy. Originally from Maharashtra, Shende’s works often portray characters from his homeland.

A small section has works inspired from Buddha. Lotus, a disciple praying, two Tibetan monks, these paintings convey serenity.

Works from known artists Bheem Malhotra, Madan Lal, Jiten Sahu, SK Sahni to some beginners in the field, the exhibition has a range of works. “The idea is not only to provide a platform for emerging artists but also have paintings of affordable price, which can be a beautiful reminder of a deed of charity for the rest of life,” says Neenu Vij, whose painting is also a part of the exhibition. Supported by Rotary Club, Chandigarh, this exhibition aims to generate money for charity.

(On till August 6)

A bit of patriotic flavour peppered with some monsoon magic and a generous sprinkling of spiritual nuggets. The ladies at the Astha Ladies' Club had a gala time at the 'Welcome' programme organised at Friends' Regency in Ludhiana on Thursday.

It was a nice mix of songs and dance. Some songs celebrated the romance of the rains, while others were about the resurgence of love in the month of sawan.

The ladies took their inspiration from the music and dance of Bollywood. And they were quite unabashed about it.

Decked in beautiful finery and adorned with traditional ornaments, the ladies danced unselfconsciously. It was not so much about getting the steps right as it was about expressing yourself without any restricting rigours.

The choreography depicting the Radha-Krishna camaraderie stole the show. The ladies had their bit of fun when the woman playing the role of the Blue God chatted away happily on her cellphone, oblivious of the mirth she was generating around her.

The game of tambola was another point of interest. Now, if you think that the game is just about numbers that you go on striking out mechanically, you need some tambola-lessons. The number '42' is about the Quit India Movement even as the number '62' says something about the Chinese aggression. Surely, an innovative way to revise your history lessons! And yes, at the ladies' meet the number '1' was associated with Anna Hazare. We leave it to you to decipher the connect!

Home is where you feel happy and at ease. It's your comfort zone - your alcove of peace and tranquility. No wonder, it's the place that you want to be done up your way. The furnishing, the décor, the garden space and the colour scheme - it's your privilege and prerogative to give it all a decided stamp of your ingenuity!

You may draw inspiration from your creative insight or simply take some cues from your much-envied neighbour, whose house invariably looks bigger, brighter and better even though its exterior paint may be at the peel-off stage! It's all about being at home in the art of aesthetics.

Already weaving dreams about your home, sweet home? Well, time to do a quick market watch of some interesting products. Here's a checklist, courtesy the 'Inside Outside' mega show being organised at Gulmor Hotel in Ludhiana.

Aromatic nightlights: These come in pretty shapes and varied sizes. As you switch them on, a waft of fragrance envelops you.

Lock sans keyhole: If you're keyed up over your lock and key issues; you can go for locks without any keyhole.

Wood polymer composite (WPC) planks: These are environment-friendly materials that can be used as substitutes for wood. "The WPC products are anti-corrosion, all-weather and biodegradable. These can be used for decking and cladding. These products are malleable and they have the appearance of natural wood," says Nitin Goyal, director of Zap Exports Private Limited.

Exotic door handles and knobs: If you had till now thought only about the functional aspect of door handles and knobs, it's time to brush up on the style element. Axe handle, picture handle, oyster handle, alu square handle, arrow handle, duo handle, wing handle, turbo handle, belly button knob, connect knob, radio knob, pyramid handle, bowl knob - the list is long enough to boggle the mind!

Gold-plated electric switches: These gold-plated switches are a heritage collection, says SL Luthra, DGM (Sales) of SSK Switches, a company that has been making switches since 1935.

Mosaic tiles: These designer tiles can be used as highlighters; with them you can give that special look to your living room and even your washroom.

LIBRA: A good day to get things done by people in power. You will get an opportunity to become a member of an important club. Take a look at why you are putting up with the situations you do not like. Tarot message: Be determined. Lucky colour: Forest green. Magic number: 25.

SCORPIO: Love life is bubbling with excitement. Students will get down to their tasks and creative hobbies. Businessmen: Expect help from clients and loan from bank. Be careful not to violate traffic. Tarot message: Win the war with honesty, not by distorting facts. Lucky colour: Cream. Magic number: 27. 

SAGITTARIUS: Tendencies for manipulation or revenge should be controlled. Believe in your own worthiness. Political bosses: Danger looms large over the head. Right day for investment in property. Tarot message: Trust your heart and intuition rather than confusion yourself. Lucky colour: Yellow. Magic number: 43. 

CAPRICORN: Scarifies today can put you in a far better place in future. Promotion? Talk to your boss. Now is the time to sit at home mopping. Sudden travel could disturb your plans. Tarot message: Question the value judgment which has been shaping your financial aspects. Lucky colour: Black. Magic number: 49.

AQUARIUS: It is a day to forget worries. Talk to superiors and see what they can offer. Romance is likely to be in your mind. Uncooperative family members will throw a spanner in your life. Tarot message: You need to take things slow and listen to your inner voice. Lucky colour: Peach. Magic number: 62.

PISCES: Today you will be in an enthusiastic frame of mind. . Matters connected with the state or government agency will go smoothly. Family matters can get out of hand. Tarotm message: Change the status quo both at work and relationships. Lucky color: Silver Grey. Magic number: 29.

Kajol Devgan, née Mukherjee (August 5, 1975, Mumbai) celebrates her grand day with you. Her mother Tanuja is a renowned actress, while her late father Shomu Mukherjee was a film producer. Kajol made her acting debut with Bekhudi (1992) and had her first hit with Baazigar with Shah Rukh Khan, with whom she also starred in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

She was paired with her husband Ajay Devgan; won Rs 1 crore in KBC and donated them to a cancer hospital in Chennai. She has also appeared in Indian Idol, seasons one and two, as a guest judge. 

Divine beginning

Hunk Gurmeet Choudhary is ruling the small screen with his delectable act as the dynamic business tycoon, Maan Singh Khurana in Star One’s Geet- Hui Sabse Parayi. This 27-year-old actor began his career as the lead negative character in India's first 3D TV series, Mayavi in Tamil. After gaining popularity, he accepted the role of Lord Rama in Ramayana in 2008 on Imagine. He later took part in a reality series Pati, Patni aur Woh with his fiancé Debina Banerjee.

His popularity as Maan Singh Khurana is unmatched. The show needs him to be comic, dramatic and romantic, which he feels is the best part of playing Maan. Gurmeet married Debina in February this year.

Rugged Rajput

This hot Delhiite stole the hearts of millions of viewers with his good looks and a winsome smile. Sushant Singh Rajput (25) began his career with Balaji's Kis Des Mein Hai Mera Dil as the moralistic Preet Junega. Hailing form an intellectual family, Sushant joined the Delhi Engineering College. His love for dance took him away from his studies. He joined Shiamak Davar's dance troupe in Delhi and enjoyed being there. Later, he did a theatre class with Barry John and against his family's wishes went to try his luck in Mumbai. After few theatre plays and assisting Director Mohit Suri in Raaz 2, he got lucky with Balaji. But Sushant struck gold with his honest performance in the role of Manav in Pavitra Rishta. He also wowed the audiences with his dancing skills in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Sushant who is dating his Pavitra Rishta co-star Ankita Lokhande, is also a social activist and recently joined an NGO.

Punjab da puttar

Punjabi Karan Kundra (27) tried pursuing MBA but quit studies for acting. He made his acting debut as Arjun in Balaji's Kitani Mohabbat Hai and also in Kitani Mohabbat Hai Season 2. His chocolate boy looks won him brownie points. He has a huge fan following as his chemistry with Kritika Kamra, his co-star and girlfriend clicks on television.

Timeless charm

Hailed as the Amitabh Bachchan of small screen, 46-year-old Ronit Roy has proved his mettle time and again. Currently seen in Sony's popular court room drama Adaalat, Ronit has a line of hits behind him. His roles of Dharamraj Mahiyavanshi, Rishabh Bajaj, Mihir Virani and Aparajit Deb made him a household name. A brilliant actor, great command over language and cool looks make him a popular figure on TV. Other than acting, he also runs a security firm. Married to Neelam Singh, he has two children Aadore and Agastya.

Model success

Vivian Dsena (23) switched from modelling to acting. After graduating in engineering, he made it to the top 10 in Gladrags Manhunt contest. He debuted with a small role in Balaji's Kasamh Se but today it is the lead role of Abhay Raichand, in Star One's 'Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani', that makes girls swoon over him. The vampire with a golden heart, Abhay is the man every teenage girl dreams of. Vivian currently is dating Vahbbiz Dorabjee aka Panchi Dobriyal in the same show.

Rustic allure

Hailing from Rajasthan, Arhaan Behl plays the UP-based Krishna Thakur to perfection right down to his diction. Krishna might have a rough appearance and arrogant attitude but deep down he has a heart of gold.

Actor Arhaan Behl feels that is the most distinguishing trait of this lovable character. This 27-year-old actor made a smashing debut in the Star Plus serial Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya'.

Plus point

Hot, charismatic and style icon Karan Singh Grover began his television career in Ekta Kapoor's Kitni Mast Hai Zindagi on MTV India. His negative role in Kasautii Zindagii Kay too got him attention. He has a degree in hotel management and even was part of his college band, this 29-year-old actor first took part in Gladrags Mega Model Manhunt contest in 2004 and won the award for Most Popular Model. Karan is still known for his famous role of Dr Armaan Mallik in Dill Mill Gayye on Star One.

A divorcee, Karan is currently hosting a travelling reality show called Perfect Couple on Channel (V). He is also looking at Bollywood and has a film Lorie lined up.

Mind and matter

Prankster Ram Kapoor became an actor by accident when he did a play in college. After graduation, he joined the Stanislavski Method Acting Academy in Los Angeles, USA. Though he started his career with the critically acclaimed television serial Sudhir Mishra's Nyay in 1997, it was Balaji's Ghar Ek Mandir that got him popularity and mass appeal. He married his co-star Gautami Gadgil and today they have two children Sia and Aks. Ram's next milestone was a medical drama Dhadkan and Balaji's Kasamh Se as a rich, suave, ruthless business tycoon Jai Walia. Ram's fun side was explored when he hosted Imagine's Swayamwar.

Currently, the 37-year-old Ram plays the role of a middle-aged unmarried man in Balaji's Bade Achhe Lagte Hain..

Chala Mussaddi Office-Office

Producers: Rajiv Mehra and Umesh Mehra

Director: Rajiv Mehra

Star cast: Pankaj Kapoor, Deven Bhojani, Sanjay Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Hemant Pandey and Asawari Joshi

It has an interesting cast and is made by the technicians from television. The film is based on famous comedy series Office-Office. The director has handled the story line effectively.

Get ready for real comedy in Chala Mussaddi Office-Office. The film is going to be the acid test for Pankaj Kapoor. With Deven Bhjojani and Sanjay Mishra landing good support, this film will manage to tickle your funny bone. Catch this movie at theatres today all over.

I am Kalam

Producer: Smile Foundation

Director: Nila Madhab Panda

Star cast: Pitobash, Gulshan Grover and Harsh Mayar

With the release of this film Smile Foundation will start a literacy campaign across the country. Debutnat director Nila Madhab Panda's film promises to be a different. It is a feature film of a young lad's journey to turn his dream into a reality.

So now we have come to expect something hatke from Harsh Mayar, a Delhi slum boy, who won a National Award in the child actor category for I am Kalam.

Set in the outskirts of Bikaner, I am Kalam revolves around a young boy who works at a roadside eatery. We can expect a thumping performance from this young star and that could be the mainstay of this film. —Dharam Pal

Hrithik Roshan is everyone's favourite person at Dilkhush Special School located in Juhu, suburban Mumbai. The children and teachers adore him. Recently, he donated a big bus to the school so that the children could travel comfortably in the rains. The magnanimous star interacted with the children, signed autographs, spoke to the media, danced with the children who performed to Senorita, and even sat in the new bus with them. The star-with-a-golden heart talks about his association with the school and the importance of being vocal about charitable acts.

Promoting charity

Usually whenever I come over here, I am at a loss of words. I feel like sitting and watching and learning. The silences of the children speaks so much and fills my heart. This school is wonderful and so are the people. I used to think, it was a conditioned mindset that people do charity and don't talk about it. That is a selfish, ego play. I have evolved now and changed my thoughts. When you do something charitable, you must scream it out from rooftops because people need to know and follow you. It encourages people to do charity. If you have ten rupees and you give away two rupees, it must not be considered a great thing. It should not be praised or rare; it should simply be a normal way of life. I think whenever you do charity, you should talk about it.

Food for soul

I get so much love from everyone over here. I am here for me. That is my selfish reason because I feel so good when I come here; it is food for my soul. Look how they are smiling at me. It makes me so happy.

I don't find the time to tweet about causes. If you are doing something that is good, it should be propagated so people can follow your example. If you want a headline, it should be for this and not for anything else.

Lasting impressions

I don't think you realise how difficult it is and how magical it is when children perform! It is not easy to remember steps and even I have a very difficult time doing it. The children did not make a single mistake and were such a joy to watch. It reaffirms my belief that there is a higher power that operates through us. It was the love that we have for each other. The performance was so good that it could be done at the national level.

It's special

The children at Dilkhush Special School are more normal than us, if you ask me. We all have had a handicap in our lives. When you have a handicap, it filters out all the nonsense in your life and you start focusing on what's important. When I see the faces of these children, all I see is the truth. They are so happy and smiling. There are no sad faces. These children may have handicaps but they are so happy and they appreciate life. That is wonderful and inspiring

Decade and counting

It has been ten years since I have been associated with this school. Whenever they want me for something, I am always there. My mantra is very simple. If someone needs your help and if you have the power to help, you should help them. It is not a great thing.

Every bit matters

You can never be completely satisfied in life. The day you are, that day you are dead. Life is a continuous journey. You wake up with the sunrise and run that extra mile to make it count by the end of it. If you can spread some smiles and love, then it makes your day worthy and wonderful.

Gift of love

The wonderful yellow bus is what I have donated for the children to travel in. There are many children that travel from Bandra to Juhu. It is a problem in the rains because they don't have a means of transport. So I have donated the bus. It will be a lot of fun for them to travel together with their friends. I remember I used to travel in my bus and it was a great time with my friends. Now, the children can have those moments and they can go on a picnic as well. — HRM

Southern beauty Kajal is on a high! Reason? The success of her Bollywood debut movie Singham!

Ever since the release of Singham, the Bollywood newbie has been flooded with phone calls and congratulatory messages on her work. Even though the movie emphasises on Ajay Devgn and is all about action, she still has managed to grab the industry and media eyeballs.

The actor has given a string of hits in the South, out of which Magadheera (Telugu), is her biggest commercial success. She has worked in approximately 20 films in the South and most of them have been blockbusters. Kajal has brought along her luck to Bollywood too! If you want a mega hit, you now know whom to cast!

Lady luck: Kajal

Prakash Jha's films are distinctly desi and he always has a solid star-cast. He works with actors and star-actors. One of the actors in Aarakshan's ensemble cast is the ultra-talented Manoj Bajpayee who plays a villain in the film. He talks about working with Prakash Jha again (post Raajneeti), his views on the subject, and his character.

My character

I play a character called Nikhilesh Singh. It's a negative character. I play the face of commercialisation of education who uses education to earn money. It's a strong-headed character who only knows and thinks about how to make money.

All black, no white

This role was one of the toughest and purely negative character I have ever played. Otherwise I have only played grey characters. I love grey. Everyone is grey. If anyone claims that he is white, then he is lying. But this character is totally black and very rude.

On Amitabh Bachchan

My character has more to do with Amitji's character. They are in constant friction with each other as there are continuous tiffs between them about idealism and money. Amitji's character follows idealism and my character follows money. It was great working with him. At this stage of his career also he tries to learn something new every minute. That surprised me. His perfect timing and the will to learn more has brought him here today.

No reservations

I am married to a Muslim (Neha) so you can understand whether I believe in casteism or not. I am not an alien and we belong to the country which believes in caste system but I have always managed to stay away from it.

Prakash Jha: The mentor

When we were working on Raajneeti, Prakash Jha thought about my character for Aarakshan. He was also very specific about my look: longish hair with grey patches. I had to grow and dye my hair. He even showed me how the character would look, walk, and talk and I grabbed his vision.

Aarakshan stars Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Manoj Bajpayee, Prateik, and Tanvi Azmi and will release on August 12, 2011. — HRM

Mahesh Bhatt has a fantastic sense of humour. He has no qualms speaking the truth and gives two hoots about sugar-coating anything. The maverick filmmaker talks about his protégés, ideas, and upcoming movies.

Protégés

We don't feel bad when the people we have launched do not work with us after they become stars. They are not obliged to do so. There are only two permanent members in Vishesh Films: Mukesh and myself. There is a lot of talent in India and we like finding and honing talent. We don't believe in running behind stars. There are too many fish in the sea and the ocean of talent is vast and endless. We make actors and stars. I had naysayers when I quit directing more than a decade ago to simply make films with new talent. I can proudly say that I have been successful with my vision and Vishesh Films has come a long way.

On Emraan Hashmi

I am very happy with how successful he has been and all the successful films he has done for us. He is very hard-working. What I don't like about him is that he is very kanjoos. Yesterday, he gave me a Blackberry phone as a token of gratitude for Murder 2. He must change that! (Laughs)

Networking works

We use social networking very wisely. We gauge the response of our fans and followers. They suggested the title Blood Money for Kunal Khemu's film. The pages for Murder 2 have been big hits because we used them well to promote our movie.

On Kunal Khemu

He is a terrific actor. He is our protégé because we have worked with him since he was a child. We launched him in Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke and he was absolutely brilliant in Zakhm. Ajay Devgn even thanked him for laying the foundation of his character when he won the National Award for Zakhm. You will see how good he is in Blood Money.

Upcoming movies

After Kunal Deshmukh's Informer with Emraan Hashmi, Randeep Hooda, Prachi Desai, and another heroine, we will make Raaz 3 directed by Vikram Bhatt which has Jacqueline Fernandez, Emraan Hashmi and another male actor. Of course, there is Blood Money with Kunal Khemu and Mohit Suri's Murder 3.

Everyone's equal

Tabu was set to star in Kabeer Kaushik's Maximum opposite Sonu Sood. She shot a portion of it but left because she felt she looked old opposite him. She has been replaced by Neha Dhupia.

Hollywood beauty Anne Hathaway said she is particularly nervous about how her Yorkshire accent in her upcoming release One Day will be received.

The 28-year-old actor, who plays the leading role Emma Morley in the highly-anticipated adaptation of David Nicholls' romance, said getting the vocal tone correct was hard, a website reported.

"I've never been so nervous about playing anyone as I was to play Emma. There were many reasons to say no to this part. One, because I didn't think I could pull it off. Two, I was very nervous about the Yorkshire accent," she said. However, the Oscar-nominated actor is not as concerned with criticism as she once was. — PTI