Saif an incredible actor: Priyanka Chopra

SPOTTED: New moms Aishwarya, Lara at an event

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It’s better to be star than an actor: Abhay Deol

Foxy Kangana Ranaut at an event!

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Shashi Kapoor, an actor and a gentleman

By Hindustan Times

When I was a schoolgirl he was my poster boy. The toothy smile, angreezi ada and his commercial capers made him an actor and a gentleman who was simply irresistible.

I waited for Doordarshan to screen one of his movies but hated to see Shashi Kapoor chasing another woman, even if it was all make-believe. Only Sharmila Tagore and Raakhee’s Sharmilee didn’t make the hate list. And that was because few believe my name is really Roshmila since it’s unusual even for a Bengali. They simply correct it to Sharmila or Sharmilee. These names were so much a part of my persona that I could happily believe I was Sharmila or Sharmilee who made Shashi swoon.

I wasn’t the only one with a secret crush on him. Recently, Shabana Azmi admitted that he would drop by with his father, Prithviraj Kapoor, every Sunday to meet her parents, Kaifi Azmi and Shaukat. And every week, schoolgirl Shabana would save her pocket money to buy a new black-and-white movie still of his that she’d shyly ask him to autograph.

My dream of romancing my matinee idol on screen remained a dream. Shabana was more fortunate. But Fakira made her smile and cry too. It happened one morning when she arrived on the sets and the assistant choreographer told her they were shooting a night-after song. He then went on to demonstrate some intimate dance moves that left her appalled and sent her scurrying into her make-up room.

“I can’t do it!’ she told Shashi in tears. He responded with a gruff, “Silly girl, don’t be daft! Guess you didn’t know what you were getting into when you’d tell Shaukatji, ‘Mummy, mummy main bhi actor banoongi. (I also want to be an actor)’”

He walked out of her make-up room but when she arrived on the sets, she found that he’d changed all the steps. Typical Shashi Kapoor!

I never got a chance to interview him but I recall a senior colleague setting up an appointment with him and arriving five minutes late. She was turned away at the door. Shashi was a stickler for punctuality and even at the peak of his career, when he was juggling four films, he never kept anyone waiting on the sets.

I loved Sharmilee, Fakira, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Chor Machaye Shor, Trishul… And 36 Chowringhee Lane, Junoon, Kalyug and Vijeta too. I found it interesting that Shashi was one of the first Bollywood stars to go international with Shakespeare-Wallah, Pretty Polly and Siddharth, and made his money from commercial cinema and then put all of it back into art-cinema and Prithvi theatre that earned him nothing.

“He was one of the most generous people I know. When we’d go for festivals abroad with eight dollars a day, Shashiji was the one unobtrusively picking up everyone’s tabs,” reminisces Shabana, adding that during Junoon, the star-producer refused to follow the hierarchy of the time and gave both cast and crew equal treatment.

However, the incident that’s etched in stone in her memory involves a hunger strike in ’86. Crusading for alternate accommodation for slum-dwellers whose homes had been demolished, Shabana, with activist-filmmaker Anand Patwardan and three slumdwellers, went on an indefinite hunger strike in Colaba. It was hot and after five days without food, her blood pressure dipped alarmingly.

Shashi heard about the fast and dropped by. Anand explained the issue to him and without a word to anyone, he paid the Chief Minister a visit during which he pointed out that a member of his fraternity was ill and if he didn’t help out now, he should not expect the industry to come together for any government campaigns either.

Immediately, the Housing Minister was sent across and all the demands met. Everyone was jubilant and when the media asked Shabana how the miracle had happened, she pointed to Shashi. “He refused to accept any credit, and when I went on stage and officially broke my fast, I saw a quiet figure disappearing around the corner,” she says, with a catch in her voice.

Today is Shashi Kapoor’s birthday and Shabana who has been invited to a few celebrations, remembers them as quiet family affairs at home. “He was a big star, has won the National Award and the Padma Bhushan, done loads of charity work and contributed majorly to our film industry, yet he’s always played down his achievements,” she says. “My mother who knew his father well says he’s a worthy son. For me he will always be a gentleman-actor.”

Me too! And even though I’m all grown up now, he’s still my Prince Charming!

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Asha Bhosle to file FIR against actor Sadhna

By Hindustan Times

Veteran singer Asha Bhosle has approached police seeking registration of FIR against her tenant and yesteryear actress Sadhana, alleging that the latter was not allowing her use the garden at the bungalow in suburban Khar, police said today.

The 68-year-old actor, known for lead roles in films like Mera Saya, Woh Kaun Thi to name a few, has been staying on the ground floor of the two-storeyed 'Sangeeta' bungalow owned by the songstress.

Besides Sadhna, builder Yusuf Lakdawala stays on the second floor whereas actress Baby Naaz lives on the first floor, police said adding all the three are tenants.

"Sadhana Nayyar is the tenant in respect of the ground floor premises only. However, she is wrongly claiming tenancy in respect of the garden abutting the ground floor premises in Sangeeta bungalow by creating record as also restricting free and unhindered access to the garden to me and my representatives/servants/agents. The said garden is in my possession," Bhosle said in a writing she had submitted to Santacruz police station last month.

"My uninterrupted lawful possession of the said premises is now being sought to be disturbed with malafied intentions by the said Sadhana on a false pretext and by obstructing and interfering with the entry/access to the said premises by her representatives/servants/agents," she said.

The virtuoso singer said she was approaching the police to file an FIR and take immediate action against Sadhna over her alleged claim of tenancy in respect of the garden.

"The garden was never let out to her. The same always remained in my possession," Bhosle stated in the complaint.

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Rohit Shetty turns actor!

By Hindustan Times

Director of the hit Golmaal franchise, Rohit Shetty, who was recently seen in the reality show The Big Switch playing judge, has now shot a cameo in Ekta Kapoor’s Kya Super Cool Hai Hum (KSKHH). Tusshar Kapoor, who plays the lead in the film, confirms, “Yes, Rohit is doing a cameo in the film. I have shot with him and it was fun.” Tusshar and Rohit are known to be good friends, having worked on all three Golmaal films.

Additionally, the actor was instrumental in getting Rohit on board for the project. The production team approached him for the cameo but as he was busy shooting Bol Bachchan, talks couldn’t progress. Tusshar then convinced Rohit to come on board. “He had never turned down the cameo to begin with. But he agreed after I spoke to him,” the actor says.

In KSKHH, Rohit plays himself, a director who is shy and quiet on screen. The filmmakers wrapped up Rohit’s portion in few hours as Ekta didn’t want to take much of his time. “We wanted him to be happy as that’s how he is when work is done quickly,” Tusshar smiles. Can we expect another Golmaal film? “I have no clue about that,” he says.

Directed by Sachin Yardi, Kya Super Kool Hai Hum is a sequel to the 2005 hit, Kya Kool Hai Hum starring Riteish Deshmukh and Tusshar Kapoor along with Neha Sharma and Sarah Jane-Dias.

Other directors playing themselves

1. Producer-director Karan Johar has appeared as himself in Home Delivery (2005), Om Shanti Om (2007), C Kkompany (2008), Fashion (2008) and Luck By Chance (2009)
2. Director Madhur Bhandarkar played himself in his film Fashion (2008)
3. Salaam Namaste’s director Siddharth Anand was seen as a taxi driver at the end of the movie.
4. Director Rajkumar Santoshi appeared as himself in his directorial Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani (2009)

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Veteran actor Joy Mukherjee dead

New Delhi:  Veteran actor Joy Mukherjee died in in Mumbai today. He was 73.

Joy Mukherjee was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on Monday (March 5, 2012). He was suffering from respiratory problems.

Joy Mukherjee's father Sashadhar Mukherjee, who was married to Sati Devi, sister of Ashok and Kishore Kumar,was the co-founder of Filmalaya Studios.

Veteran actor Joy Mukherjee's life in pics

Joy Mukherjee made his acting debut in 1960 with Love In Simla. Post that he became popular with films like Shagird, Love in Tokyo, Bahu Beti, Ziddi, Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon, Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, Puraskar, Ishaara and Hum Hindustani.

He is the paternal uncle of actors Kajol, Rani Mukerji and Tanisha, and has also directed movies like Love in Bombay (1974), Chhaila Babu (1977), Saanjh Ki Bela (1981) and Umeed (1989).

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Actor Dia Mirza looks beautiful as ever at the Lakme Fashion Week!

Actor Dia Mirza looks beautiful as ever at the Lakme Fashion Week

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