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No side effects
Anything that is engaging is important to me,” he shares, while confessing to be out of the hangover of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. “Hopefully I have come out of that film. I gave it eighteen months of my life. Three weeks later, I started shooting for this film,” he shares while at North Country Mall, Mohali. He has got his reasons in place and many enough to turn the unexpected move into understandable. As for the film, “It’s yet another phase and it’s about a couple that is rediscovering their love like any other…it’s a comedy and should be taken as that. There is no underlying message to it.” Joining him is Vidya Balan, just as equipped to deal with curious queries on life after marriage. It’s an honest and silent nod to how much she identifies with the role. As for who gets to dominate back home, she laughs, “I’m not even going to answer that question.”
‘Fam-com’ is how they’d like to term the film. It cashes in on the connection it aims to form with the audience. Shares Farhan, “For me, the most relatable scene of the film would be when I hold my baby daughter in my hands for the first time.” Emotions, when they are overwhelming, are universal, whether onscreen or off it!
Talking fashion
As much as she is complimented for her acting prowess, she is criticised for her sense of dressing. Fashion is all things random and immaterial. “I don’t deal with the criticism at all…Rather I’m unconscious of fashion.” Films make much more sense. “I am looking forward to Bobby Jasoos, for the fact that it’s a film on a female detective. It’s a very human story.” Playing a mother to an infant must have been difficult had it not been for some real-life education. “My sister had twins and they are two-and-a–half-year-old now. Before that I was petrified of children, but of course that’s not the case anymore. Now I’m quite adept at handling them.”
Being together
The chemistry often ought to start behind the lens. Says Farhan, “My first question to the director was who would be the female protagonist of the film?” Vidya, on the other hand, was just as ‘much looking forward to acting with him’. She adds, “There was a scene where he was so fabulous that I kissed the back of his hand after it ended.”
Surprise visit
To get into the spirit of the film or the promotion, the star couple gets to pay a surprise visit to a bride and a groom in a wedding happening in the city! Shares Vidya, “We are going to gatecrash a wedding today evening and we’ll be doing that just to wish them.” Laughs Farhan, “I’ll be going there for food.” It’s a wedding; everybody jumps in for reasons best known to
them! manpriya@tribunemail.com
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Fusion fantastic
You can’t miss that serious, sombre, no-light-talk-please and let’s-talk-about-people’s-diminishing-interest-in-classical-music look on any musician’s face today. We try to spot the same as we meet Salil Bhatt, Matthias Muller from Germany and Kaushik Konwar, who are in Chandigarh to perform at the Pracheen Kala Kendra.
They seem unruffled by whatever bothers others though; at peace in their own space, the trio utilise their time in fusing music. They have been together for eleven years now, but it is creating different permutations and combinations that they still relish. While Matthias offers notes of jazz music with his guitar, Salil and Kaushik come up with a complementary raga on their veena and table, respectively. “More often, it is by accident that we realise which raga can complement a note from jazz,” shares Salil. At Chandigarh, they are keen to show a sample of, “melodious accident. We will play ahiri raga and Matthius will play Dorian B 9, which are exactly the same on the scale of music.” Also they will collaborate with Jog Jazz; Jog being the most popular raga of Indian classical music was an obvious pick. They have often received adulation for the choice of music they pick and perform to create the fusion genre. As for comparison between the Indian and Western audience, they quip, “We can’t judge the receptive level of audience, but a sure difference is those phones keep ringing in between here. If the same happens abroad, the guilty is barred from attending a music concert for at least six months.” They aren’t averse to pop or Bollywood music, but believe that these forms of music are cooked rather than created. Matthius comes with an interesting explanation, “Whichever instruments are used and compositions created, the sole aim is to make money.” Matthius stays put in Kolkata when he is here in India, for the city, he says, has a vintage feel to it and respects the artist and his art best. When he sits for practice sessions with Salil and Kaushik, a few new compositions are created, but most of what they perform on stage are spontaneous jugulbandis, a result of the camaraderie they share. “When we perform, we can see that audience is enjoying the bond we share.” And that is their compensation, though not in monetary terms. “We don’t play music to earn money,” adds Salil. (The trio will perform on February 26 at the Pracheen Kala Kendra,
Chandigarh) ashima@tribunemail.com
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String surprise
Two friends get a job in a zoo, where they have to take care of animals but that's certainly not a cakewalk, hence the adventure begins. The dangerous-funny situation is presented in the form of a puppet show by Ireland-based puppeteers Tommy Baker and Boris Hunka. And they guarantee entertainment adequately peppered with a social message.
"We mostly present shows that have a hidden message of environment conservation," informs Tommy, who writes script, designs the puppets and manages them on the stage while Boris Hunka plays music in the background. " Tommy mostly uses recycled material to make puppets and that he says is elemental to the theme of the shows. In the profession that started as a hobby twenty years ago, Tommy feels puppetry might be a traditional art of India as well but it is far more popular in the West. "The only difference between how it is performed in India and the West is that we don't use strings and act on the stage." He finds voice modulation for different characters most challenging on stage. "It is important to do justice to the look of puppets." When Tommy and Boris are not travelling around the world for their shows, they teach children what they are good at — craft and music, respectively. About the show, they say, "It will be fun-filled show, which not just children but even adults can enjoy." (To be held on February 26 at The Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh)
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Cultural mix
The Rashtriya Sanskriti Samaj Avom Sabhatya, New Delhi, again brings to the citizens of Ludhiana an expo that has artisans drawn from different parts of the country. This cotton and silk 'Fab Utsav' is an all-round effort to bring together the customer and artisans under one roof. There is much on offer, including Benarsi silk chikankari products, to name a few.
"We started this society in 1999 with the main aim of marketing, promoting and training of artisans who, though genuine manufacturers, have no place to sell their products," says the president of the society Rajesh Kumar, who himself is an expert in the field of block printing. The exhibition, which is being held on the premises of Nehru Sidhant Kender, has stalls for home décor items as well. In silks, the variety is good with suits, sarees and dress materials in raw silk, tusser silk, monga, champa and matka silk. The rich colours and heavy texture material has the proper ethnic look. Their vibrancy hits the viewer as soon as one steps into the exhibition hall! Another stall offers you block-printed material from Rajasthan, Chikankari works from Lucknow and block-printed dress materials from Gujarat. Says an artisan, Ishtiaq, "We are from Bihar, but these textiles have been woven in looms in Jharkhand." Then there are handloom kurtas and kurtis from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Kota doriya, Mangal giri, Pochampally, Ikkat and Chanderi materials are also available. Says Neeraj, the manager, "We had studied the market before and that's why we have brought the maximum variety in dress materials for suits and kurtis." In home furnishing, on display are kalamkari rugs, Gudari, Punja durries, tablecloths and woven bedcovers. For the men, there are kurta pyjamas and for children, there is a range of ethnic wear. (On at Nehru Sidhant Kender, Feroze Gandhi Market, Ludhiana, till March 3)
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On a new path
Monica Dogra, who is rightfully called the queen of Indie music will soon be seen in a short film with Kalki Koechlin. The film that also stars Gulshan Devaiah is called Severing Ties and is directed by Ahmed Roy, a UK based filmmaker. Monica plays the role of the woman who is responsible for creating the love triangle between a husband and wife played by Kalki and
Gulshan.
Set in a modern day scenario, the film focuses on issues of moral judgement between what is right and wrong and what happens when everything in one's life appears to be neither black nor white. Speaking about her excitement on being a part of this project, Monica said, "I am so happy I did this project. I feel like I made genuine and real friends in an industry where friends are hard to come by". Monica has previously done roles in movies like Dhobi Ghat and David.
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Dino to make a comeback?
Despite being blessed with good looks and decent acting skills, Dino Morea never made it big in Bollywood. A few flops in his filmography meant that the actor soon found offers drying up for him. So Dino decided to pack his bags and head to a place where he could sharpen his basics and come back stronger.
Dino got himself enrolled with N.K. Sharma's theater group in Delhi. After spending close to six months training in the group, the actor is now ready to restart his journey in Bollywood again. And helping him this time is filmmaker Sanjay Gupta who has offered him a meaty role in his next film titled Mumbai Saga. Dino will be seen playing an industrialist in the movie. Mumbai Saga also stars John Abraham and Anil
Kapoor.
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Hilary Duff dating new man?
Actress Hilary Duff was spotted holding hands with mystery hunk at Miley Cyrus concert last weekend. Duff, 26, who announced her split from husband Comrie in January, walked into the Bangerz concert at the Staples Center arm-in-arm with a dark haired man, reported a publication online.
After the concert, Duff and her new man looked even closer as they left the concert holding hands. Both were casually dressed as Duff wore a low-cut black top, leather jacket, jeans and statement necklace while the unidentified man looked relaxed in a tank top with a denim shirt over it and white jeans.
— PTI
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TV’s ideal Babuji returns
Act apart: Alok Nath A remake of the Pakistani sitcom, Nadaniyaan revolves around the lives of the Verma family featuring a self-proclaimed writer, his pushover wife a clumsy younger brother and quirky neighbours. With rib-tickling comic situations and a fabulous comic timing by the actors, this is one sitcom that will definitely leave you rolling on the floor. Don't miss Babuji's comeback on small-screen only on BIG MAGIC's Nadaniyaan, every day at
8pm! Winner’s take
Shyam Yadav, the winner of Dance India Dance Season 4, is on cloud nine after winning the competition. The 17-year-old, who has been part of some songs in films, hopes to be a well-known choreographer some day. How does it feel like to be a winner of DID? It feels great to be the winner of this show. The fight was tough and I am so happy to have won. I got the sunheri topi and a car as prize. What are your plans next? I want to build my future in the field of dance, in Bollywood as a choreographer. There are many others winners who got lost in the competition, what do you have to say about that? If you work hard and get noticed, then you get good opportunities. DID is a platform that gives every dancer his or her own identity. The show has given a lot to the contestants. Look at Dharmesh bhai, Shakti, Salman bhai and many others, who have made a name for themselves. I hope to make a mark for myself too. Just good friends?
Apparently, Anas Rashid and Rati Pandey are dating each other, but they claim that they are just good friends. Also, the two have been seen making appearances at events together and posing as a couple. However, the grapevine claims that recently at an event, Anas introduced Rati as his girlfriend and this raised many eyebrows. Maybe, this is a starting of a new phase for them. A cop’s
love story
Mika Singh recently shot an episode with Kavita Kaushik and the FIR team. He insisted in doing a romantic song sequence and even requested the producers that Chandramukhi should be in a
saree. Pick and choose
Dimple Jhangiani, who was interested to be a part of the show, Iss Pyar Ko Kya Naam Doon... Ek Baar Phir, was offered to play the role of Shok's first love, Swati, but she chose to play another role. Now Neha Sargam will be seen essaying the role of
Swati. Vidya Balan and Sakshi Tanwar had a ball while shooting for Shaadi Ke Side Effects integration with Sony television's show, Bade Achhe Lagte Hain. Earlier, they had had shot for Dirty Picture's integration with the show and during their second meeting, they spent time recalling the moments they
shared.
Revisiting memories: Vidya Balan and Sakshi Tanwar
Still going strong
Recently, the cast and crew of the show, Balika Vadhu, enjoyed a lavish party and celebrated 1,500 episodes of the success of their show. Many others, including Shashank Vyas, Sidharth Shukla, Anup Soni, Toral Rasputra, Roop Durgapal and Surekha Sikri were present at the
party.
Bipasha Basu has come out in the open on her relationship with Harman Baweja and she has become thick friends with, Dishkiyaaon producer, Shilpa Shetty too. She recently praised her hot avatar on Twitter. Relationship status: Bipasha Basu Sonakshi’s stunt sequence Actress Sonakshi Sinha, who is currently shooting for her next film Tevar, recently shot for an action sequence. "My dad always called me Fearless Nadia! Now i know why :p Ready to be thrown off a 5 storey bldg! Wheeeee," she tweeted with a picture. Life beyond movies Karisma Kapoor is in no hurry to do movies. She is busy with endorsements, raising her children and organising family get-togethers. She also wrote a book recently. Like father, like son
Shah Rukh Khan is proud of his son Aryan who is now 17 and studying at Sevenoaks School in England. He had a great time with his son and his friends recently. He dropped him off at school last week. No signs of stopping
Deepika Padukone has bagged Bajirao Mastani opposite Shah Rukh Khan and she already has Imtiaz Ali's film opposite Ranbir Kapoor. She is racing ahead of the competition. Black and beautiful There is a big similarity between Sunny Leone's song Baby doll from Ragini MMS 2 and Jennifer Lopez's Dance Again. Both of them are wearing black in the video.
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ASTRO TURF
ARIES: Trust your own instincts. Don't listen to people as they could have hidden agendas. Over-confidence can trigger wasteful spending, so be prudent with
your investments. Tarot message: Do not leave things up to chance. Lucky colour: White
Magic Number: 39
TAURUS: New contracts are likely to prove most valuable. Communicating with people at a distance should be extremely helpful. Clear thinking is necessary. Relationships can be problematic. Tarot message: Strive for perfection at work.
Lucky colour: Yellow Magic Number: 64 GEMINI: The day starts on a jarring note. It would be best to do one thing at a time. Avoid social gatherings. Your harmonious nature is highlighted as you interact with friends, family, and potential lovers. Tarot message: Take no chances.
Lucky colour: Orange Magic Number: 33 CANCER: You may have to be stricter with loved ones. A new career, overseas travel, a change of relationship, or a residential move are on the cards. Have faith in your intellectual ability.
Tarot message: Allow a sick situation to blow over before starting new. Lucky colour: Aqua blue. Magic Number: 40 LEO: You will get money from unexpected source. Important business matters should be handled carefully. Your ability to influence and persuade others is strong, but be cooperative and willing to compromise.
Tarot message: Be honest to your desires. Lucky colour: Green Magic Number: 31 VIRGO: In public meetings, you may feel forceful or aggressive, so control your temper. If you are one of those people who can't say no, you are about to learn to do so very soon. Your private life could be disturbed. Tarot message: Avoid being hurried and over anxious.
Lucky colour: Golden brown Magic Number: 60
LIBRA: Your spouse may complain of backache. You may come into some unexpected money. It is time to slow down and recharge your physical and spiritual batteries, so don't push yourself. Tarot message: Involve yourself in new projects.
Lucky colour: Peach Magic Number: 52 SCORPIO: Postpone work that requires concentration and physical efforts. Stick to your diet or exercise routine. You need to pay attention to your health. Pursue a gentle sport or go for a walk around a local nature spot.
Tarot message: Let things run their course. Lucky colour: Saffron Magic Number: 50 SAGITTARIUS: A neighbour may gossip but lend an ear and hear something interesting that might turn out to be invaluable information. An authoritative figure is on your side, so use their support to your advantage.
Tarot message: Avoid the tendency to criticise. Lucky colour: Peacock green Magic Number: 35 CAPRICORN: A restless night's sleep can result in irritability. A love affair could be going into strange places that may put you at a distance from your partner. Health needs attention.
Tarot message: Avoid situations that may turn nasty. Lucky colour: Mauve
Magic Number: 27 AQUARIUS: You must not do anything to damage your reputation. It will be difficult to avoid conflict between home life and employment affairs. It would be best to deal with minor issues. Tarot message: You are advised to focus on professional changes.
Lucky colour: Black Magic Number: 32 PISCES: Romance is your forte today. Everybody will love you and small problems and pretty grievances will disappear. Love on the home front will renew your hopes and wishes.
Tarot message: Try not to give money to strangers. Lucky colour: Crimson
Magic Number: 57
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THE YEAR AHEAD
If your birthday is February 26...
You will be able to get a new position or a promotion. Today, on your birthday, you will feel passionate and if you are single, you'll win someone over with just a glance. Everything will go smoothly, albeit step by step so don't worry about anything. If you are in a creative field, you may project quite a glamorous image of you, which makes it easy to attract romance. Joining a volunteer organisation gives life purpose and meaning outside of work. Business will be profitable, as you will procure orders as May starts. Spend time with influential people. Love and romance will brighten your dull routine. Students seeking good results in exams may have to face disappointments. Positive colours: Black and chocolate brown Select days: Sunday and Tuesday Favourable numbers: 1, 4, and 8 Gems recommended: Blue sapphire, diamond and emerald Charity on birthday: Donate green vegetables or
fruits to the needy.
You share your birthday with Pankaj Kapoor [February 26, 1961, Ludhiana] who has appeared in several television serials and films. In the 80s and 90s, he became a household name through his TV series like, Karamchand, and Office Office. Pankaj will continue to entertain the country for a very long time.
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It’s a conquered turf for Farhan Akhtar. Perhaps, familiar too. After all, it’s a city whose character he has done absolute justice to on the celluloid - both commercially and critically. After Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Shaadi Ke Side Effects it is this time and that sounds like an absolute switch of genres! “Whether you are a filmmaker or an actor, it is important not to get stereotyped.
Chips in Farhan, “It’s another chapter in a relationship…It’s another aspect of love. It’s a completely new film and not a sequel to Pyaar Ke Side Effects.” In between the friendly banter there are words of wisdom. Quips Vidya, “I hope one does not try to change the basics of the other person; it would be disastrous then.”
If there is ever an ideal 'babuji', its got to be Alok Nath! Riding high on the digital wave that catapulted Alok Nath as universal Babuji, Big Magic will be featuring him as the Babuji of Verma family in the show called Nadaniyaan, where his character will be that of a photo hanging on the wall! Out of his two sons, Nandu and Pappu, Babuji will be seen conversing only with the younger one, Pappu. Gear up for some hilarious sanskar attacks by Babuji as Pappu indulges in some Asanskari
nadaniyaans'.
When two is company…
Bipasha’s new set of people