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A bubbly affair
In television, more often than not, stereotypes make way and sometimes, seep deep in. Things are likely to be clear-cut in black and white, rather than the hazy grey. So the demure girl will wear a screaming Indian attire (picture a loose fitting salwar kameez coupled with long hair) while the brat will be all frills and fancies. Enter the girls of Zee’s Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke, a show dedicated to the wonder years of two teenage girls, who are diametrically opposite from each other.
Laughs Rupal Tyagi, who plays the all bubbles and giggles Gunjan, “No, in real life I’m slightly less bubbly, but when I get on to the sets and into my costumes, I automatically become this cherubic personality that you see right now.” In Chandigarh for a meet and greet with their fans, it’s hard to take out the person from the character. Smiles Mahima Makwana, who plays the shy girl Rachna, “To some extent, it’s the same. I’m a sweet, simple and sober girl. The only thing is I don’t dress up like this in real life,” she admits before drawing attention to her green and pink churidaars, bindi as well as plait. The girl-next-door Mind you, they are still playing their part, only off-screen; so no admitting the real age. ‘You can say I’m sixteen,” cuts in Mahima, before the chorus, “We are in our ladakpan.” So much so that they wouldn’t reveal anything that gives away. “We are not allowed to tell our ages and what we are studying.” Lest the age gives away, so the best way out is to either guess it through the tell-tale signs or judge it going by their journey so far! Says Mahima, “I’m originally from Mumbai and worked in a couple of serials before taking this up, which is a priority now, given the “twelve to thirteen hour work schedule.” Rash-brash brigade She danced her way through this role, literally. For the Bangalore brought up, Rupal, getting into the skin of the character wasn’t difficult. “I come from a nuclear family, so it was easy.” She adds, “I started as an assistant choreographer and have done a lot of shows before such as Hamari Betiyon Ka Vivaah, Jhansi Ki Rani and Dill Mill Gaye.” It was a long walk to this role, but it’s been an easy journey so far. I actually wanted to only act, choreography was just a way.” As for films, “That’s a very long wait before you get any lead roles. Movies are difficult to break into.” She adds, “Television is more challenging, in a way, it’s a daily nine-to-five job; even more than that.” It’s only a matter of moving from their characters and the serial before the debate shifts to the television. “It’s just a make–believe world and if the people enjoy watching it, what’s the harm.” She adds, “In fact, in a lot of villages, Internet is considered a taboo for girls. Through this serial we tried breaking that.” The questions might be over, but both girls are still trying hard to defend the medium, “We hope the serial continues for as long as possible.” manpriya@tribunemail.com
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Natural notes
Just as his re-mix of Asha Bhonsle’s Rahul and I came out, the entire music industry went ga-ga over re-mixes and suddenly, there were only re-mixes all around. In 1992, Leslie Lewis with Hariharan and Colonial Cousins were born. Following this, again there was a surge of bands and collaborations. Cut to 2012, Leslie Lewis joins forces with Animal Planet to make an anthem — Yeh Mera India. Leslie Lewis sure worships music and is a passionately in love with lyrics!
Yeh Mera India Anytime we hear anything about nature and wildlife, the biggest fear is turning it into a lecture! With the exact idea of preventing this, Leslie’s composition Yeh Mera India is bringing children face-to-face with nature. “I consider myself lucky, as it is my way of being able to give back to the nature,” he says. Letting go of his own mesmerising voice, Leslie asked for Shaan to step in and sing the anthem. “I basically wanted a singer who is loved by India,” he adds. On Colonial Cousins Apart from the several live concerts, the duo, which basically brought alive fusion music in India, are soon making a comeback. Running busy with their respective duties and creating waves with some great compositions, they are set to launch their album in the next two months. “There was a time when music was all over television, today, it’s just in Bollywood, so we have also been trying to get music back to television,” he smiles. Coke Studio Leslie Lewis, the music director of Coke Studio, is still celebrating the new form of music. But just as the comparisons with the Pakistan Coke Studio begin, there is a defensive note in his tone. “See, Pakistani music is about middle-eastern influences and India expands to Assam, Bengal and Rajasthan,” he says. Strongly influenced by Punjabi fusion and Sufi music, he says, “There is still a reason why in India Coke studio has 41 million followers and still counting.” The basic character of the show, according to Leslie, involves creating a separate niche in the respective countries. Future calling “Just pick up the guitar, like I did when I was 18, and make music,” Leslie laughs. He will soon sing his own creations and work towards taking music back to Bollywood in a better way. His next album, Tanhaa Saa Hoon, includes the songs by him. “There is no difference between Hollywood and Hollywood music; we should try to achieve that status,” he says.
vasudha@tribunemail.com
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Sallu rocks
Ek Tha Tiger Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ranvir Shorey As expected of Salman’s films, Ek Tha Tiger too has had a grand opening. Trade analysts placed it to be a record of the sorts. Be it the controversy over the Katrina’s short blouse or promotions across the border, the movie has been in news for quite a while now. This romantic, action thriller is the story of an agent who falls in love on the mission. Love takes precedence, and, the duo is on a thrilling run. Love wins or war, well, find out for yourself… Grand fare Sizzling couple Gundeep Kaur, homemaker Super entertainment Tiger rules Average fare — (As told to Mona)
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Silk touch
Superia, one of the leading personal care brands from ITC, has launched a new soap range Superia Silk. The range is available in two variants – melon and saffron and is specially crafted with a unique combination of ingredients to give a luxurious and silky smooth skin feel.
The unique range combines natural ingredients which have been traditionally known for their beauty enhancing properties - milk cream, besan, saffron, papaya, almond oil and melon. The ingredients have been revered over ages for their effectiveness in beauty care regimens. It is priced at Rs 64 for 100gm.—TNS
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Million dollar rings
Procop has been busy all year making the wedding rings, a source said. They are matching rose gold bands with a tablet-cut diamond in them and their vows to each other engraved in them, reports a website. The rings are now reportedly ready after months of work at the Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat in southern France. Pitt, 48, recently bought 37-year-old Jolie a $500,000 watch as a pre-wedding gift. —IANS
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Hrithik, Kareena to reunite on screen?
Malhotra previously made the blockbuster Agneepath with Hrithik. A source says, "This is one of the most exciting films next year and Kareena has already signed. She knows it is a big deal. Hrithik will mostly play the male lead. He gets along fabulously with both Karans and the success of Agneepath is there for everyone to see. This is a new script altogether and not an adaptation or remake. Kareena trusts Karan completely and takes his advice on her career. A big announcement is expected soon for this movie." Kareena and Hrithik scorched the screen in Yaadein, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham and Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon. Out of these only K3G worked at the box office. Kareena and Hrithik were linked romantically off screen when he was already engaged to Sussanne so they stopped doing films thereafter. Now they meet socially as well and both are in committed relationships. Hrithik is married to Sussanne and Kareena is engaged to Saif Ali Khan. Let us see if this project works out. It will be exciting to see Hrithik and Kareena back on screen.
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Preity’s French avatar
Preity Zinta's comeback film Ishqk in Paris is being made in two languages. Preity will speak and dub in French in
the French version and French actress Isabella Adjani will speak and dub in Hindi for the Hindi version. She learnt the language from scratch and insisted on dubbing her own lines.
Learning languages: Preity Zinta
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Olympics 2012 on DVD
Oscar-winning film-maker Danny Boyle is working on a feature-length version of his London 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony that will come out on DVD. The DVD will also try to shed light on some of the open questions surrounding the event, which drew a peak audience of 26.9 million viewers, reported a publication. "I hope to make things clearer on the DVD, giving people time to spot additional cultural references in the opening ceremony that people may have missed on TV," he said.
The DVD is also expected to include further video clips from a montage Boyle used, but had to cut short. "It will make more sense in this version," he added. — PTI
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Awesome heroine
Randeep, who will be seen sharing screen space with Kareena Kapoor in Heroine, is all praise for his co-star.
When asked Randeep about working with Kareena, he said, “For me an actress is defined with not just the physicality of a person but also the acting. Kareena is simply great and the best combo of good looks and talent.”
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One-man army
"I have done 170 Bhojpuri films. I have played solo hero in all my Bhojpuri films. But in Hindi, I needed to prove all my aspects and this is the right time... Jeena Hai Toh Thok Daal is that film," the 41-year-old said here in an interview. "I have been in Bhojpuri cinema for more than 20 years. My fans always waited for me to make a kind of correct entry into Bollywood. Now after 20 years I have got such a film," he added. His role in the film, coming out Sep 7, is a complete package. "All my fans will be happy to see me in a wholesome role, where I will be seen doing action, romance and will cry too. So I have got the correct cinema and that's why I am promoting it so much," Ravi said. —IANS
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A star apart
Actor Clive Owen says he hates being famous. Owen, 47, who did not get into Hollywood for the fame, said it was difficult to adjust to his newfound celebrity status when he first rose to notoriety in 1990 with ITV drama
Chancer, reported a publication. "I never wanted to be a movie star. And I didn't become an actor to become famous. I genuinely didn't. It was always theatre for
me.
"Chancer was a baptism of fire. It's very weird to go from obscurity to suddenly being in newspapers. When somebody is hot, everyone wants a piece of it. If you explode onto the scene at a very young age, there are so many people pulling you in different directions," he said. The Closer star, who has worked with an impressive list of A-list leading ladies including Keira
Knightley, Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman. — PTI
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Vivek Oberoi to become a dad
Year 2012 seems to be Vivek Oberoi’s year. With films like Kismat Love Paisa Dilli, Jayantibhai Ki Love Story, Krissh 3, Zilla Ghaziabad and Grand Masti on his platter, the actor is to become a father soon.
His wife Priyanka is two months pregnant, with their first baby due around February-March 2013. “Vivek is elated with this pleasant co-incidence. The entire family is very happy,” says an insider close to the family. Incidentally, his sister Meghna is also expecting her first child around the same time.
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Satya sequel in making
Candid talk with Ram Gopal Varma In a candid interview, the director answers all the questions. Read on… Why Satya 2 now? Satya was the story of one guy among thousands of people who keep coming to Mumbai everyday which primarily means that there are that many stories to tell provided that they are as interesting or more. Why is John Abraham producing Satya 2? Is it because you offered him John is not acting in the film, for that matter he is not even doing an item song. The film is being done with complete new-comers many of whom have not even had stage or TV experience. John heard the concept of Satya 2 through a mutual friend and he expressed interest. When I met him and we spoke at length, I was amazed at his insights into my detailed narration of the story. It’s purely our common excitement towards the subject matter which is making us collaborate. Are any of the original actors or characters from Satya going to be there in the sequel? Absolutely not. This is a completely different story with completely different characters, in fact, there won't even be a reference to the first Satya in any which way. The first Satya was produced by Bharat Shah, so would there be any copyright issues? There cannot be any copyright issues because like I said Satya 2 has no connection to either the original characters or the original story and the title Satya 2 is already registered in my name by the concerned association. When do you hope to start Satya 2? Shooting will start after my work on 26/11 is over. But even now the auditions for the actors are on and apart from the actors being new even the crew is going to be completely new. Satya to this day is regarded as a trend setter, would its reputation weigh on your mind while making Satya 2? I am not making Satya 2 to prove a point to myself or anybody else. Any film will be as good as the matter the film maker chooses and with what degree of passion he makes it. The degree of passion again will depend upon the newness of the subject matter. In 1997, I was new in Mumbai and my child like fascination towards discovering its nuances is what got reflected in Satya. After a while my expertise on it increased to the extent that I started taking my knowledge for granted which obviously will result in a certain degree of complacency and repetitiveness. But in Satya 2, I came across a subject matter which has put me in awe of it and is fascinating me to no end.
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Perfect imitation!
It’s very tough to impress a beautiful lady especially if the one in question is Sonakshi Sinha. But Vipul Mehta seemed to have managed that. Sonakshi visited the sets of Indian Idol 6 for a special Independence Day episode. The actress was mesmerised with the top four contestants but when Vipul took stage to sing A R Rahman’s Vande Mataram she was blown away. She said, “Aapne Rahman sir ki tarah hi gaya, if not better”. Vipul was very touched after hearing this and all he could do was thank the beautiful actress. Now, that’s a nice way to steal someone’s heart.
Pug marks: Kavita Kaushik Kavita Kaushik who plays the role of Chandramukhi Chautala says, “It is always good to have such character appearances on the sets. It makes our shooting experiences very interesting. I can’t even explain how excited I was when I saw him.” Catch all the fun and excitement on FIR from this Monday with various interesting characters.
TIME BOUND: Sanaya Irani
Happy to be here
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The year ahead
If your birthday is August 17...
You'll have to work with autonomy, as superiors won't have time to give you directives. This won't be a problem, but you'll be grumpy and this will cause tension in your relationships. Try to be more affable and avoid imposing your point of view. Health will be fine. There will be monetary gains from various sources. Fix up something exciting and entertaining. Your beloved will seek commitment - do not make a promise that you will find difficult to keep. Your competitive nature will enable you to win any contest you enter. Your birth on the 17th suggests that you are very fortunate financially because this date affords a solid business sense. Although you are probably very honest and ethical, this birthday enables you to be shrewd and successful in the world of business. Draw on your network to pick up on new information - you're like a sponge and should pick up quite a bit of value. You need to be harsh with yourself. If you are your worst critic, you should be able to weed out bad ideas before anyone else gets to see them. Those who work with clients should try to calm down any disquiet; wrong behaviour could lead to serious consequences. Don't be very sentimental; things that you helped set into motion will soon lead to the loss of something that is very familiar. However, in time, you will see that the changes are for the best. Big promises, big dreams and big spending are likely. An opportunity to start a new venture with quick financial gains is also likely. Your sustained efforts would achieve good results. Your health might experience ups and downs. Take necessary precautions as and when required. Avoid late night parties and junk food as it may disturb your health. Dreams of romance may be delightful but be careful or your fantasies can lead you astray. The object of your affection may not be totally real. If you're able to dance lightly in your heart without trying to turn a moment of pleasure into a lifetime commitment, you should be able to avoid trouble. Compatible signs: Aquarius, Pisces, Taurus.
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Astro Turf
ARIES: Love, celebration and romance are on the cards. You will be able to accomplish many things today. You are generous and giving in family and personal relationships. Tarot message: You shall prevent a lot of trouble by taking timely action.
Lucky colour: Yellow Lucky number: 25 TAURUS: You may find yourself involved in noisy confrontations with close companions. Try to keep your confidence high. If you feel one close relationship is tense, you need to be honest. Everyday mates at work seem easier to handle. Tarot message: Arrogance will not be rewarded. Lucky colour: Orange. Lucky number: 36 GEMINI: You do need friends around today to make you feel loved and appreciated. You want advice about long-term goals. Beware of over-indulgence in emotion, food or drink. Tarot message: Don't read too much into ordinary situations. Lucky colour: Red Lucky number: 59 CANCER: Professional entertainment and communication flows well. Organisation and negotiation brings favourable agreements. Tarot message: Don’t get into ventures where returns are spread over a large period of time. Lucky colour: Sea-green Lucky number: 40 LEO: Money you have been waiting for finally arrives. Don't be in too much of a hurry to spend. Be wary about making new joint commitments of a financial nature. Tarot message: Do not cover up your own mistakes. Lucky colour: Brown Lucky number: 33 VIRGO: You achieve a goal through hardwork and endurance. A happy event calls for a celebration. Essentially a busy day; rewards are received for efforts made in the past. Be light, playful and remain free. Tarot message: Do not let anyone take advantage of you. Lucky colour: Metallic grey. Lucky number: 45
LIBRA: Your relationships are affectionate and friendly today. This is a good time for parties, social gatherings and other pleasurable activities. A journey is on the cards. Tarot message: You must learn to accept responsibility for yourself as well as others. Lucky colour: Black Lucky number: 39 SCORPIO: An excellent day to take stock of your life and determine your next steps. Relationships at work will progress smoothly. Be flexible if you have travel plans as there could be delays. Tarot message: Take time before reacting. Lucky colour: Golden Lucky number: 62 SAGITTARIUS: You will be focused at work and this will enable you to get through your tasks without putting in much effort. Tarot message: You will need to learn how to cope better with success; its demand and limitations. Lucky colour: Electric pink Lucky number: 36 CAPRICORN: Forgive a friend for an error of judgment despite losses incurred in speculation. You may be in a sensitive frame of mind and could overreact to perceived criticism from colleagues or loved ones. Tarot message: Boost your confidence with positive thinking. Lucky colour: Peach Lucky number: 27 AQUARIUS: You will be enthusiastic and optimistic about your assignments; you spend time in creative and sporty activities. Ego should be avoided as they only brings conflicts. Tarot message: Focus on your emotional and spiritual life. Lucky colour: Crimson Lucky number: 46 PISCES: You will be energetic and confident about your abilities. Students need to focus more on their studies. Try and gather more information if you have doubts about a certain business venture or assignment. Tarot message: You are on the right track; don’t allow others to interfere. Lucky colour: Fuchsia. Lucky number: 32
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Hollywood couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie has reportedly enlisted the services of a luxury jeweller Robert Procop to craft two custom-made matching wedding bands worth $1 million.
Karan Johar can do what no one else can. He might bring Kareena Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan together on screen in his biggest production next year.
Karan Johar is like a brother to Kareena. They both are extremely close and will do anything for each other. Karan's films like Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham and Ek Main Aur Ekk Tuu have done wonders for Kareena's career. So now he has cast her in Karan Malhotra's film next year.
Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishan, who has so far only done supporting roles in Bollywood films, is happy to be doing his first solo hero Hindi movie Jeena Hai Toh Thok Daal.
TV comes to rescue 
Dog’s day out 
Bang on time, always 
Sharat Saxena (August 17, 1950, Satna) has acted in almost 200 films. Saxena started his career in the early 70s and has mainly played either supporting roles of a father, uncle or those of a villain. He has starred in some of the most successful films of Bollywood like Mr India, Tridev, Ghayal, Khiladi, Gupt: The Hidden Truth, Soldier, Baghban, Fanaa, Krrish, Ek Hi Raasta and many more. Benaam (1974) was his first release. Then followed Dil Dewana, Agent Vinod and Kaala Pathar among others.