I always wanted to be Junior Madhuri Dixit: Vidya Balan

While Vidya Balan is still basking in the success of The Dirty Picture, the actor is ready with her next release Kahaani, where she plays a seven-month pregnant woman who comes to Kolkata from London in search of her husband. Sreya Basu catches up with the actor after the launch of the First Look of the film in Mumbai

You have emerged as the new ‘Hero’ of Bollywood post The Dirty Picture. How do you feel?
Really film-making is team effort. It is very elating when people give the actor credit for the success of a film. So I will also not refuse to it.

But I think it is team effort and I am hoping that the success of The Dirty Picture will help me get a chance to work with more good directors and good teams; so that I can continue my performance level.

Your Dirty Picture dialogue says a film runs only on three things-entertainment, entertainment and entertainment. What does Kahaani have that will make it run at the box office? 
See, there are different levels of entertainment. Even now I will say films only run on three things-entertainment, entertainment and entertainment-and you have to watch Kahaani to find out what kind of entertainment is there in the film. It’s a mystery. So it’s very different.

Tell us about your transformation from a boombat avatar to that of a pregnant woman searching for her husband. 
Dirty hone ka yeh hi nateeja hota hai. I am just kidding. As you said in Kahaani I play a pregnant woman and it’s a mystery. But I can’t say anything more at this point about the film. None-the-less, I enjoyed playing a pregnant woman.

I am glad that I am getting the opportunities to essay different characters. I am fortunate that I am getting to play characters like Sabrina (No One Killed Jessica), Silk (The Dirty Picture) and Vidya Bagchi (Kahaani).

Do you think the films you signed in the earlier part of your career were mistakes? 
I don’t take them as mistakes but learning experiences that didn’t turn out very well.

I think if at all they can be called mistakes, they were very important for me to commit so that I can reach here

. It’s because of those films, you are calling ‘mistakes’, I realized what kind of work I actually enjoy doing, where I can put my heart-and-soul.

So now that you are being acknowledged as an actor who can pull off a film on her own shoulders, are you refusing hero- oriented films?
No, not at all. It’s God’s grace that my films have worked. But I like always say, it depends on the role and the overall film that’s being offered to me. I am a very greedy actor. I want to play different people, I want to do different kinds of films.

So even if the man or the hero is the central protagonist, as long as I have enough to do, I am more than happy. Also let me clarify, money is more than welcome. Maine roles ke bare mein toh keh diya. But as for money, the more the merrier.

When did you actually realize that you want to be an actor? 
I think when Ek Do Teen (song from Tezaab, 1988) was released, tab mujhe Madhuri Dixit ka bhoot chara tha. I used to stand in front of the mirror and dance all the time. I wanted to be Junior Madhuri Dixit.

There is a buzz that you are planning to settle down at the end of the year now that your career has reached a peak…
Why? Career is doing well…I am happy…emotionally, mentally I am in a very happy space. I am not at all thinking of marriage as of now.

Uska bhi waqt aayega aur zaroor aayega (Time for that will come and surely). I believe in the institution of marriage. So I won’t postpone it for too long; but filhal ke liye taal rahi hoon (For now delaying it).

There was a news that you were in New Zealand with Siddharth Roy Kapoor (boyfriend) recently where you escaped a mild earthquake. Is that true?
Earth toh aab yahan quake ho raha hai. (Laughs) No, I do believe there was an earthquake in Christchurch. But I wasn’t there.

So obviously I escaped it like the whole lot of people who weren’t there. But all of it was a bit dramatized.

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Big Boss Love Birds

Since its evolution mind games, flirting and dating have been an inseparable and spicy part of reality show 'Bigg Boss'.

The recent rumors about Sky and Pooja Bedi going around, have revitalised the tradition. So here are a few more cupids of Bigg Boss who had generated ripples of love on and after the game show.

1. Sky & Pooja Bedi

During the entire course of BB-5, inspite of errant behavior of Sky towards all the housemates, Pooja always stood by her good buddy.

If rumors are to be believed then ever since the show ended, something is brewing between the two. The couple was even seen posing together at Dabboo Ratnani's calender launch.

2. Ashmit Patel & Veena Malik

Both Ashmit and Veena became overnight stars when they were seen cosying up with each other during Big Boss 4. Even the going around of the two fetched a good TRP for the channel. Though the duo always termed it as 'just friendship' but were spotted together number of times.

3. Rahul Mahajan & Monica Bedi

Attention seeker Rahul Mahajan was also seen romancing Monica Bedi in Big Boss house. Rahul proposed to Monica for marriage, but on eviction when asked about his love for Don's lady Rahul backed out from his intentions. Ah, true political legacy.

4. Aryan Vaid & Anupama Verma

Amid lots of emotional proposals and sobbing, the love saga of Aryan and Anupama also entertained the audience during Big Boss 4. Later Aryan married Alexandra Copley an adjunct photography instructor in Columbus State Community.

5. Parvesh Rana & Claudia Ceisla

In the season 3 of BB, being jailed was less of punishment and more of fun for Parvesh and Claudia. The experience emerged as a boon for the two and possibly it was that awsome imprisonment which ignited the flames for the duo and fetched a sound popularity too.

6. Ravi Kisan & Carol Gracias

Well, love doesn't know any differences, at least rumors about love vibes between Ravi and Carol substantiated the fact. Though Ravi was assumed to be one women man but still the brewing of love story between the two fetched a huge attention.

 

 

 

 

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Will it be Nargis or Amy?

Arjun Rampal wants Nargis Fakhri but his makers are keen on Amy Jackson for his next project!

It appears to be a toss-up between Nargis Fakhri and Amy Jackson for Nikhil Advani's film with UTV that stars Arjun Rampal.

Casting for the project is currently on. Sources state that the makers are keen on Amy, but Arjun suggested the name of Nargis instead.

Says an insider, "For one of the female roles, they were considering Amy Jackson. But then suddenly the name of Nargis Fakhri cropped up."

After her disastrous debut in Rockstar, Nargis has been largely doing endorsements while no films have been announced with her.

While Amy, who will be seen with Prateik in Ek Deewana Tha, has done a Tamil film Madrasapattinam earlier.



Adds the source, "Both the girls have a similar background of modelling. The producers felt Amy was apt. As Arjun has a good rapport with the production house, having worked in Rajneeti earlier and currently Heroine, he suggested Nargis's name."

Nargis's spokersperson, however, maintains, "We don't have anything to say right now." While Arjun states, "That's not true." Adds the insider, "Nargis was the name that tossed up. A final decision has yet to be taken."

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Kunal Kapoor romancing Abhishek's cousin Naina Bachchan

Kunal Kapoor whisks his rumoured sweetheart Naina Bachchan off to London where he's shooting for his next 

It's certainly not 'all work and no play' for Kunal Kapoor in London.

In the British capital for a schedule of his next Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, the actor is enjoying a seemingly well-deserved holiday on the side with his rumoured sweetheart Naina Bachchan.

Abhishek Bachchan's cousin and the youngest of Ajitabh's daughters, Naina started her career as an investment banker. She soon, however, ventured into acting in plays.

She met Kunal at a theatre workshop and the rest, as they say, is history!

A source close to the Kapoor lad spills the beans.

"They are still in that 'getting to know each other better' phase and want to spend more and more time together.

Kunal's continuous shoots have played spoilsport and have kept him away from his ladylove who lives in Delhi.



So Kunal decided to take her along for the London shoot, which will last for 10 days. This is a perfect opportunity for them to spend some quality together away from the family and media glare." Nonetheless, we found out!

The film is a bone tickling madcap comedy starring Huma Qureshi and has already being shot in Ludhiana, Punjab.

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Salman replaces Yuvraj as brand ambassador of an energy product

Salman Khan has replaced cricketer Yuvraj Singh as the brand ambassador of an energy product.

Yuvi has been the face of it for a year now and buzz is that he was not keen on continuing any more.

Sallu obviously has a better draw these days, and so he was the chosen one.

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I'd gift my perfume to Deepika, Ranbir so that they both smell a bit alike

Arjun Rampal has begun 2012 with a new fragrance.

After opening a nightclub in Delhi and with an impressive career graph, the national award winning actor has now launched Alive and wants to gift it to Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone.

"I think I just feel certain things are extension of you. This is a very natural progression of good quality which I can give to all around the world the sense of fragrance.

And being an actor it helps me to get that opportunity. We worked hard on it for two years," Arjun told.

The model-turned-actor-turned-producer said he would like to gift the perfume to two stars so that they can smell alike.

"Among female actresses, I would gift this perfume to Deepika and among males I might give it to Ranbir Kapoor so that they both smell a bit alike," he added.

Arjun has been an integral part in the development of his nouveau brand from the initial stage.

"It's not an easy business. I am involved in only the creative side. At the end of the day I can make a movie, I can make a good dish, but people should like it because they are the judge.

If they like it, great and if they dislike it then I will go back and smell some coffee and bring some better cologne," said the 39-year-old.

Arjun, a doting father, astute businessman and loving husband who has been extremely busy with his projects these days, doesn't mind hectic lifestyle.

"When you get the opportunity, then you must work. There were times when I was sitting at home with no work.

You must run against time and manage it. Most importantly, I have to thank my team of Alive that has managed with no wastage of time," he said.

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Angela bags a film with Salman

Angela Jonson has signed an exclusive deal with Salman Khan's home production to feature in their movies as reported 'To Angela, with love'.

Now the model has also bagged Sajid Nadiadwala's next with Sallu. We wonder if she is the new girl in the star's life!

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Aamir enjoying with his little one

Aamir Khan is a bit free these days and the actor-producer is keeping himself busy spending time in watching his newborn son grow up.

"Hope the new year has begun well for you all. Me, I'm spending all my free time with Azad :-) Love. a," the 46-year-old posted on his Facebook page.

Aamir and his second wife Kiran Rao's son was born Dec 1 last year, to a surrogate mother through IVF. The couple has named the boy Azad, named after freedom fighter and independent India's first education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Aamir's great grand uncle.

The actor, who also has a son, Junaid, and a daughter, Ira, from his first wife Reena, loves playing with his new bundle of joy.

This year, he will be seen only in one project. He will feature alongside Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor in Reema Kagti's "Talaash", a psychological thriller written and directed by Reema Kagti.

This apart, he has also joined hands with Star Plus for a talk show, said to be completely for the masses. He has sent out an open invite to his fans, who wish to be a part of the show's audience.

"Hi guys, important announcement: Those of you living in Mumbai, and interested in being a part of the audience on my TV show, please write to audience@akpfilms.in. Further details will be given to you once you write here," he wrote on his Facebook.

Aamir has also been signed on to play the villain in "Dhoom 3". But the movie will only release in 2013.

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Bring them back to life, Bollywood!

While Hollywood has portrayed several legends, Bollywood has strangely shied away from biopics despite our rich history. Here are a few names of our choice

It's an ongoing trend in Hollywood to make biographical films. A Beautiful Mind, Alexander, The Aviator, The Queen, Frost/Nixon, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, Moneyball, J Edgar and The Iron Lady are some recent examples. Bollywood hasn't replicated this fad. Yet.

Interestingly, India's first feature film Raja Harishchandra was a biopic. But the Hindi film industry continues to shy away from this genre for commercial reasons.

Audience's lack of zest for history is also to be blamed. Asoka, Rang De Basanti, Mangal Pandey The Rising, Jodhaa Akbar, Guru, Bose: The Forgotten Hero and No One Killed Jessica were a handful of brave aberrations.

There is definitely no dearth of characters from our history to inspire film writers. Here are some personalities who could inspire an interesting watch and the actors who might do justice to their role.


Sardar Patel (Aamir Khan)
For a man who drew our map as we know it today, we barely know anything about him. After all, he was not called the Iron Man for nothing.


Dara Shikoh (Ranbir Kapoor)
He was the rightful heir to Shah Jahan's throne and a cheerful hedonist but a political fool. A Sufi liberal whose advocacy of Hindu- Muslim unity proved to be his undoing.


Sanjay Gandhi (Saif Ali Khan)
Not only a Nehru scion and an apparent heir to the political dynasty, he was also someone who was a rebel and was drawn towards commotion. His magnetic demeanour mixed with hyperactivity and an eventual premature death makes his life quite cinematic.

The Emergency (multiple cast)
A proper mainstream film on the 21-month long blemish on the face of Indian democracy is prone to drama ¦ and dramatic characters.


Premchand (Irrfan Khan)
The discoverer of the soul in rural India the unsung Tolstoy of India. He influenced both Hindi as well as Urdu prose. Fortunately, we are aware of his beautiful stories. Unfortunately, we aren't aware of his story.


Jyotirao -Savitribai Phule (Pavan Malhotra-Shahana Goswami)
This Maharashtrian couple with their modern mindset faced huge opposition from the society but made long strides in the field of education and the upliftment of women and untouchables. Jyotirao was labelled the Mahatma long before Gandhiji and Savitribai set up India's first female school.


Dhyan Chand (Shah Rukh Khan)
The very symbol of Indian sportsmanship and the undisputed wizard of our national sport. His successful legacy stays surprisingly humble. He is party to awe-inspiring anecdotes that involve Bradman as well as Hitler.


Swami Vivekanand (R Madhavan)
He died young, leaving behind a legacy of spirituality and the idea of a global Indian. The monk who made the West buy the eternal philosophy of Upanishads ought to make a wonderful script.


Bahadur Shah Zafar (Victor Banerjee)
The last emperor of India and his melancholic final days in the country before being deported to Burma merits attention not to mention his mental vagaries and poetic indulgences.


Budhia Singh (Irfan Khan of Chillar Party)
The world's youngest marathon runner who made the media wonder whether he was a victim of torture. They've already made a documentary on him. A movie would be going a mile further.


PT Usha (Poorna Jagannathan)
Her journey towards becoming the fastest Indian woman wasn't an easy one. Coming from a humble village, her life story has what it takes to make an enthralling sports flick.


JRD Tata (Naseeruddin Shah)
A humane capitalist who provided a better meaning to the word enterprise in free India. Though we are familiar with the brand Tata, we don't have much clue about his life.

Legends who are yet to inspire Bollywood...

Rani Laxmibai: A movie on this rare mix of beauty and valour is Sushmita Sen's dream project but it's shelved as of now.

Rabindranath Tagore: Big B is reportedly portraying the Bengali poet in a Rituparno Ghosh film.

Guru Gobind Singh: There is a Punjabi film on this saint who was forced to wage a war but none has been made in Hindi.

Ghalib: Gulzar has already made a TV serial on this controversial unbeliever who could make anyone believe in poetry.

Ramanujan: R Madhavan is slated to work on a Hollywood project based on this groundbreaking mathematician's short life.

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Rani to create ‘Dhoom’ too?

She may romance Aamir in the third part of the film

Rani Mukherji

It looks like it took Rani a plain-Jane role in ‘No One Killed Jessica’ and being intentionally photographed by the paps with her camera-shy boyfriend Aditya Chopra to revive her stagnant career. The latest buzz is that the Bengali beauty is being considered for a role in the highly successful ‘Dhoom’ franchise.

The casting of ‘Dhoom 3’ was always eagerly awaited. Yash Raj productions surprised everyone by signing on Aamir Khan to play the villain in ‘Dhoom 3.’ The hunt then began for the heroine and every hottie in T’town seemed like a contender. But finally it was Katrina who walked away with the crown. Now comes the news that Rani too might be penciled in for the film.

A source involved in the project told a tabloid that Rani’s role could be similar to Ash’s in ‘Dhoom 2’ and that since Rani already shares an amazing chemistry with Aamir, seen previously in movies such as ‘Ghulam’ and ‘Mangal Pandey,’ the audience would be thrilled to see her rekindle the magic with Aamir on-screen once again.

‘Dhoom 3’ was initially slated to release during Christmas this year but now rumours are rife that its release has been postponed to next year. The filming is said to start around November and it is believed that it would be the ideal time for Rani to do full justice to her role as currently she is tired and exhausted shooting for her upcoming movie with Aamir titled ‘Taalash.’

When Yashraj Films was contacted for comment they neither denied nor confirmed Rani’s presence in the movie.

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