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Crazy for more
Crazy…maybe, as they like to live with their feet firmly on the ground and head absolutely in place, even under the razor-sharp archlights! hanchakkars…to an extent, for they can laugh at themselves, on their mistakes, on their decisions! Grounded…totally, as they all know that somehow what they have right now might not be there tomorrow! In Chandigarh to promote their film Ghanchakkar, director Raj Kumar Gupta, actors Vidya Balan and Emraan Hashmi don't look even a wee bit lost! Lost & found Last-minute touch-ups before the public appearance, a few glances through the mobile phone and Emraan Hashmi is ready! The fact that you don't how he is going to play the shot makes you think twice. He smiles, "Maybe yes; I am a bit unpredictable as a person. In fact, I have surprised myself by doing roles that I thought I wouldn't," says Emraan looking relaxed in his blue tee in denims. There is something that suddenly makes everyone sit up and notice him. Is this the look, we try to concentrate on his face. "I don't know why people think that I have changed; I am doing films to change my image. The change actually is in my own thinking; I am doing certain kinds of films because I want to. For how long will I conform to the same kind of role? As an actor I have to move beyond my boundary." It took Once Upon a Time in Mumbai, Shanghai, Dirty Picture, Ek Thi Dayan to rip off the serial kisser tag! Emraan, however, isn't shouting from the roof-top about it. Even the industry does not call him the new superstar. Says the actor, "I don't know what superstar means; I am doing characters that have been well-etched out. Yes, with each film I see more fans clocking in. I was always a masses material and now I have a multiplex audience too." For someone who never thought he would be an actor, for someone who wanted to do something in special effects in movies and for someone who just wanted to make money, arriving does not mean going bonkers! "The industry, probably, never counted me as a contender in the first place. I was never in any race anyway and even now I don't give myself any rating. I do a film, detach myself and move on to doing something else," shares Emraan. "I don't want my wife to have an identity as Emraan Hashmi's wife." He promises a month's vacation to himself every year and this time he has successfully managed to do the same, pretty much the way he has slipped into polka dot pajamas for one of the tracks in Ghanchakkar. He laughs (this is something he doesn't do often), "The tough part was running in my underwear on the street with people watching; walking barefoot, but I was convinced with the character so I could do it." Emraan heard the first line of the narration and said yes! "The film and my character were so interesting that I went onboard with it," says the actor, who has recently signed an international project. Who said he was lost, you need an extra pair of eyes then! Dirty to quirky She is not going to read this; she doesn't read what's written about her in magazines or newspapers. She is busy deciding the menu for the dinner! "And you bet it is quite a task; the only thing that has changed after marriage," laughs Vidya Balan as she lets her make-up artist treat her face as a canvas. She is slipping into the loud Punjabi attire. Her promotional appearances are never too far from her character. "I realised this while promoting Ishqiya — an actor can go very far with interviews or promotions. For all my film promotions I dress up according to my role," shares Vidya, not forgetting to make eye contact once in a while even as her make-up man takes full charge of her face. What would he possibly be doing on this pretty face? Why would people back home criticise her attire in Cannes? "I was surprised too. There I was being treated as an Indian princess and back home they were talking about how wrong I went with my dressing, but I don't care about such things," she quips. Surely she doesn't, all she cares is following her gut and her instincts. "I read a book Blink and it said something interesting about instincts - that we all know what we want to do instinctively, but we pretend to hide it under pressure situations and circumstances." Vidya definitely did not hide her instincts. She followed them boldly and they too took her through a string of successful films, including Dirty Picture and Kahaani. And now it's Ghanchakkar! "I play a loud Punjabi character; as it came from Raj Kumar Gupta I was sure I was in safe hands. I don't want to limit myself to a central character; I am game for something where I portray other people's lives. Ghanchakkar is my first comedy film in the real sense and I wanted to be sure about it, which I am," she extends a warm smile. jasmine@tribunemail.com
Gala time Cleopatra Day Spa raised a toast to a beauty kitty party with the stars of Bollywood movie Ghanchakkar Vidya Balan and Emraan Hashmi. Women from all over Punjab joined Cleopatra and indulged with the stars in enjoying beauty quiz, parade, face painting, games like Make-up Like Neetu (Vidya Balan) style and many more fun-filled acts. Many ladies turned into the Ghanchakkar avatar wearing wacky, wild red and stunning ghanchakkar dresses.
Raj Kumar Gupta has a knack of picking different subjects or different subjects find him; either way it is true. "I like working on identifiable situations; on subjects where I can explore," shares the director who doesn't go overboard with any genre or subject, whether it is comedy or sentiments. "I know where to draw the line, Ghanchakkar also has situational comedy, nothing below the belt. I try and seek balance."
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Ronit’s keen about fresh faces
What's new with Adalaat? The channel and production wanted something new in the show. They wanted to spruce up the show with investigative officers and more characters. Also I think people are bored of seeing my face (laughs). With new characters, you can play around with more elements. There is a boy who is a techno whiz, a girl who is reporter; so different personalities will bring in various facets, which will add to the show. Is this addition also due to your time constraints? I shoot ten hours a day and my presence on the show won't reduce. I do two films a year. My commitment and KD Pathak will be everywhere on the show. These guys will be with me and maybe in some story we might explore different aspects of investigating a case. Is there a supernatural element in the show? Yes; supernatural element is for a month. We will have four stories over four weekends. This is again to give the audiences a change, but these new characters will remain a part of KD's team in the longer term. There were rumours that you were quitting Adaalat, but it turned out you were only taking a long break to shoot for your film Boss. Was that an excuse to get a raise? I don't need to come up with reasons to get a raise. I am friends with my producer and can ask him for one anytime. These were all false rumours and reports. Recently you spoke about the conditions in which TV stars shoot. Did you get your set shifted from the vicinity of a garbage dump? Yes. That happened much before I spoke about it. I refused to work in such a place where we all would suffer. Don't give me Yashraj, but provide basic cleanliness at least.
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Rishi uncut
Rishi Kapoor has rediscovered himself as an actor after 55. His son Ranbir is doing very well. He talks about himself and his family and his passion for films.
Arrogant by birth I am an arrogant man and I take pride in that. I cannot change who I am. I have the famous Kapoor temper too. I am arrogant when I am acting, doing media interactions and such but I am not arrogant when I play with my granddaughter, talk to God or my domestic help, and spend time with my family. Neetu is quite grounded. I am not complacent at all and I don't like incompetent actions or people. I am a high-strung person with high energy and high blood pressure also. Proud father I am his father, not his secretary or spokesperson. I am very proud of his achievements. He has guts to do what he wants to do and has great instincts. It is a wonderful feeling when people roll down their windows at traffic lights and praise him. In one movie he plays a deaf and dumb, in another a Rockstar and in yet another he is a sardar. I do not know where he gets his humility and calm nature from. Maybe it is from Neetu or it is his own grooming. We let him do what he likes. We want him to get married and settle down too. It can be any girl of his choice as long as he is happy. Neetu the anchor I am most attached to Neetu. Sometimes we are friends, at other times we are foes. We are husband and wife and we inherently love each other. She gave up her career at the age of 22 and married me and had Riddhima the same year. Then Ranbir was born a year later. She is down-to-earth. If I am flying high, she has the strings of the kite. She is my anchor. I love shooting but she does not like to get up and go to work at 8.30 in the morning. Second innings For 41 years, I have been an actor and for 25 years, I enjoyed a romantic run. People did not take me seriously as an actor. I was always there but never on top. Then I gave it up. Rakesh Roshan challenged me as an actor and I wanted to prove myself as a versatile actor so here I am today. I feel great to be one of the busiest actors in the industry. I am the son of Raj Kapoor, a big father and the father of Ranbir Kapoor, a big son and I also have my own identity as an actor today. I love experimenting and the suitable roles have come my way to allow me to do that. I am enjoying a second innings as an actor Playing Dawood D-Day is a patriotic film. Terrorism is the big problem today which the government could have rooted out but India's most wanted man has now gone into an alien land which does not reciprocate our protocol. A group of four people set out to bring him back alive as the government machinery has failed to do so for their own convenience. Every Indian wants accountability on what happened and why he was not brought back to the country. I have been selected as he is a humanised character and it needed to be played by an actor. He doesn't look like a Mogambo but has a mind of his own who feels that what he is doing is actually business.
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When Arshad slapped Madhuri
This is not a joke but it really happened on the sets of Vishal Bharadwaj's Dedh Ishqiya. Actor Arshad Warsi was required to hit Madhuri but he was shivering while shooting the scene. While displaying anger, the actor gave a tight slap to Madhuri. "Whenever the director told Arshad that the shot required him to hit Madhuri, he was nervous," revealed a unit source.
The scene did not come easily to Arshad because Madhuri was a senior actor and he felt really awkward to hit her. But he was helpless as the script demand so and he finally had to shoot the scene. "The discomfort was so apparent that Madhuri could not help but feel amused by Arshad's plight. The director had to ask for quite a few retakes as Arshad would invariably end up hitting her softly and the incident became a joke with the unit," said the source. Dedh Ishqiya is a sequel to blockbuster Ishqiya and the film stars Madhuri Dixit, Arshad Warsi, Naseeruddin Shah and Huma Qureshi. love hurts: Madhuri Dixit
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B-town now welcomes Sunny’s hubby
They will be directed by director Kaizad Gustad. Sunny had once hinted that her husband is getting Bollywood offers. Sunny said, "My husband has been getting good proposals from this industry. There are few people who have approached him and want both of us together in a film." She seemed excited at the prospect of their working together in a Hindi movie. She said, "He would love to be in a Bollywood movie and it's just an idea, which he is considering and might take it forward. He is open to it. It will be fun to see both of us together. " According to the latest grapevine, the couple is shooting together in Goa. "It is the first time that both of them are coming together for a Bollywood film. Though Daniel is not paired opposite Sunny, he was keen to make his Bollywood debut in a film with Sunny. And finally it is happening," the source said. "Daniel has been approached by Bollywood filmmakers. It would be fun to see both of us together," she added.
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Lootera pruned to 135 minutes
Vikramaditya Motwane's forthcoming Lootera has been pruned to give it just the perfect running time.
"The final version of the film is being cut short by 20 minutes," says a source close to the film. "The first cut of the film was almost 2 hours 35 minutes. The director was in a quandary about what to retain and what to remove. Every scene was brilliant and he was unwilling to let it go. However, in the interest of being practical, the producers convinced him to make it racy and engaging. A tight running time also ensures more shows in cinemas thereby increasing footfalls and revenues," adds the source. The film's final running time is believed to be approx. 135 minutes. It has also been given a clear U/A certificate with no cuts.
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Ready to cook?
There is nothing in the world that the Punjabis won’t trade for their love for food. However, as fast as the region is evolving, the eating trends have witnessed a considerable change too, especially when it comes to snacks. Let’s admit it, most of the working women burn both ends of the candle to meet the requirements of a routine day and that spares them with very little effort to cook when they return home. Now the key to solve this problem is to find a food that is easy to cook and healthy to eat. So, Vegit, an agro division of Merino, has launched its ready-to-cook products.
“The diverse range offers a very easy way out for those who are time bound or are not willing to cook snacks. Initially, in 2005, Vegit started outsourcing its products for industrial sales across various restaurants, hotels and catering (HORECA), in 2012, we went for retail sales to make our products common household items,” says Rajneesh Sharma, general manager, sales, Vegit. “We have been providing our products across 60 countries across the world and our products, including shammi kebab, aloo tikki, aloo bonda, veg cutlet and aloo mash have been a hit. Now, that we have come up with a new range that comprises hara bhara kebab, soya roll, cheese balls and burger patty, we are focusing on healthy and easy snacking,” he adds. While Chef Amit Kumar of Vegit demonstrates the cooking procedure that involves making dough out of the premix with water and then shaping it to fry, he stresses on the tagline of the product (Hamara mix, aapka twist) as he highlights the avenue of improvisation.
Desi dumplings Cooking time: 15 min Ingredients
Method
Cooking time: 10 min Ingredients
Method
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Models in the making
The auditions for Miss Icon India 2013 have concluded in Chandigarh. As many as 73 candidates had participated in the audition, out of which 20 candidates were selected for semifinal round, following which three models from the city will qualify for grand finale.
The 20 selected models from the semifinals will get Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh worth working contract for one year form Cynosure Modeling Agency. zoom is telecasting all proceedings of the event. Before the grand finale there will be a grooming and training session in Goa in which the final contestants will be professionally groomed and trained by experts from various fields like personality development, skin and hair care, diction, ramp-walk, modelling and physical training for 20 days. Here titles of Miss Beautiful hair, Miss Beautiful eyes, Miss Beautiful body, Miss photogenic face, Miss beautiful smile, Miss talented, Miss Glowing Skin and Miss Popular will be awarded through various contests. Miss Icon India 2013 will be selected during the grand finale, which is scheduled to be held in Indore. — TNS
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CELEB POINT Divya Dutta Next week I am off to Macau for the IIFA awards. It feels great when the entire industry gets together to celebrate and acknowledge excellence in the same field. And it’s great to be appreciated by your clan! It coincides with the release of two of my films--Lootera on July 5 and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag on the June 12. It’s never been that I've had two back-to-back releases, that too, the most awaited ones of the year. Yes there's excitement, but more than that there's pride, to belong to these films, especially Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. To relive a truly inspiring real story, to play a part which actually was, and to be responsible to be as true to it as possible! Apart from my Punjab connection, it anyways is an honour to be a part of this cult film on our very respected and admired Flying Sikh. The whole process of making this film has been an inspiration--right from meeting the man himself! I, Farhan Akhtaar and Rakesh Mehra the director and Prasoon Joshi the writer, got an opportunity to meet Milkhaji and his family. It was amazing to hear him talk about his life, the beautiful moments, the special people in his life. It left me moist eyed. What a life…and to bring it on celluloid was a challenging task. I and Farhan have different looks in the film ranging through the time span...to undergo various look tests, gain and lose weight, relive the moments lived by the man himself was a tough job but very enjoyable. That's the beauty of cinema. I saw magic weaving on this set, in every scene and I actually cried with Farhan in our scenes! I saw moist eyes around after every scene. I saw a sense of fulfillment after a beautiful job done. I saw people working hard together to make a memorable film! My phone has not stopped ringing! People I admire the most, Javed saab, Shabanaji everyone calling to say, “Ye to kuch kamaal ho gaya is film mei! You will be in everyone’s heart!” I cry again! Tears of sheer joy, of gratitude, and yes of pride, for having played an inspiring part in a truly inspiring film! This one will be very special for me always for the many cherished experiences. Saluteto the man himself and the film that will be an integral part of many hearts, especially mine! (Dutta is a Bollywood actor)
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The delightful world of crispy cakes
"Gone are the days when a birthday party just meant a birthday cake," says Sakshi, a homemaker from Ludhiana. Yes, the cake still is the hero in the party but it has become all the more interesting and versatile!
A variety of cakes are now available in the market, thanks to the number of bakeries that have
now come up in Ludhiana. The latest bakery to join in is Nik Bakers, a well-known bakery chain
from Chandigarh. "People are now spoilt for choice as far as good bakery products are concerned. And cakes at the various bakeries in Ludhiana are a real treat," says Diksha, a resident of Sarabha Nagar. So much is the craze for the bakery products in Ludhiana that the main market of Sarabha Nagar now has three bakeries, offering different products in their own different and unique style. Whether it is the homely feeling at Cake Square with the handwritten menu on blackboard or the variety of patties at Hot Breads or the professional set-up of Nik Bakers, there are a host of options for Ludhiana residents now. Nikhil Mittal, Director and Head Chef at Nik
Bakers, says that the reason for opening an outlet in Ludhiana was because people of the city were great food-lovers. "People have already visited
our outlets in Chandigarh. Ninety percent of the corporate orders we were getting have been from Ludhiana," he says. “We would introduce more cakes around Diwali," he adds. People will have a wider choice and there is market for everyone, which is a wonderful thing," says Maninder Sobti from Cake Square. "We are focussing more on desserts," he adds. gurvinder@tribunemail.com
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Astro Turf
ARIES: There will be the issue of a vital relationship that you will have to deal with. Your intuitive and perceptive skills will be especially sharp and unusually sensitive to the vibrations you receive.
TAURUS: With the presence of Saturn in your money sector, you will need to work out your plans for investing and saving as much as possible. Your love life will be quite interesting
GEMINI: Relationships are essential and vital to our existence and therefore, you should be patient with people. There will be times when you feel neglected; however, it will only be temporary.
CANCER: Be attentive and careful about everything that you do at work, since it will affect your overall career. Let all your latent talents and skills shine through. Accept invitations to party.
LEO: will be an increase in confidence and energy as you go about your work. Most of you will also start planning career moves and get a good response from prospective employers.
VIRGO: Finances and spending will be your focus today. There will be some splurging due to the festive air and some of you will be surprised by a sudden windfall.
LIBRA: The focus of the day will be on your ability to deal with more than one thing at a time. It is vital that you plan everything and deal with any hurdles that come your way.
SCORPIO:This will be quite an uplifting and inspiring day. You will be able to realise your goals for the future and start working towards them in full earnest. Social and familial bonds will become stronger.
SAGITTARIUS: Take care of your health and exercise caution while driving since you are prone to mishaps. Some of you will decide to take concrete action in order to improve your personal life.
CAPRICORN: Some of you have overshot your budgets in the past few days due to celebrations, so be prudent now. Domestic affairs will be calm; however, you will feel overburdened.
AQUARIUS: Your instincts and reactions will be relatively fast today and as a result, you will be able to make the most of the situations. Deal with any pending tasks at work.
PISCES: Although you are driven and focused on your goals, it is also important that you avoid being critical of your team members. This can lead to arguments and undue stress. |
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Calling the shots 
Ronit Roy is gearing up to add to his family - well not his real family but that on reel. With new additions to KD Pathak's team, the Adaalat star talks about the changes in his show and more.
The Jism 2 actress Sunny Leone will now share screen space with her husband Daniel Weber. Sunny, who made her Bollywood debut with Pooja Bhatt, is highly excited to work with Daniel.
Crispy canapés