Desi News Corp - Index

Desi News Corp - Desi News - April 2009 - Index

PSSST...! FROM THE FRONTLINES OF BOLLYWOOD
Hits and myths
The film has not taken the box office by storm, but during an
interview at his office in his bungalow, Janak, Abhishek Bachchan
said what appealed to him about his character Roshan in Delhi 6
was that he could easily relate to it, having spent twelve years
abroad. “I know how it is to feel like an outsider though born
and brought up in a hard-core Indian family.”
When Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra first gave Bachchan the
script, he could not adjust his dates to shoot during winter in
Delhi as he had committed those dates to Mani Ratnam for
Guru. “Rakeysh asked me if I would mind if he went ahead with
another actor and I reluctantly agreed. But I was destined to do
the role because it came back to me! You work hard in every film
and naturally want every film to click, but an actor has to be
immune to both hits and flops.”
Earlier, he had flatly declined to be part of Mehra’s Rang De
Basanti. “I could not understand the script. To add to my confusion,
it was then called Paint It Yellow! I could not fathom how he could
show Bhagat Singh in a contemporary setting. He approached
Aamir Khan, and the rest is history.”
He denies that he is signing the most films with his wife. “It is
not true that I manoeuvre to have Ash in every film of mine. I did
two films last year after marriage and Ash was not in either. Ash is
not in Delhi 6. Mani wanted her in his film and Abhinav Deo was
keen that she be a part of his film. But it is true that I am very
jealous of Ash! I’m a huge fan of Steve Martin and Ash gets the
opportunity to work with him and Jeremy Irons!”
He also denies talk of a baby. “We feel that a child is God’s gift
and frankly, we are not planning on having a baby right now as
both of us are busy with work. When we do have a child, we want
a healthy child, it is immaterial whether we have a son or a daughter.”
Monster-in-law
Industry gossip has it that the saas-bahu relationship in the
Bachchan family mirrors the saas-bahu sagas in television serials.
While Jaya Bachchan and Asihwarya Rai exchange pleasantries
while on a public platform to tell the world that all’s well, all is
well at home and the two are reportedly not on talking terms.
34 Desi News April 2009
In and out
According to the grapevine,
Anupam Kher demanded that
director Gurinder Chaddha
cast his wife Kirron as the Punjabi
mother in her upcoming
film, It’s a Wonderful Afterlife.
With Chaddha standing her ground
and opting for Shabana Azmi,
instead, Kher has opted out of
the film.
Pappu won’t
Govinda refused to shoot a
dance sequence for a film because
it was set against the
backdrop of Buckingham
Palace. Since he’s a politician,
it would be demeaning for
India if he shook his hips in
front of the Queen’s mahal, he
said. The director tried explaining
that no one from the palace
would notice, least of all the
Queen, but Govinda wasn’t
convinced. “What if Rani Saheba
The cat’s
out of the
bag
Soha Ali Khan claims
that her mother wants
her to get back to studies and is
spreading rumours saying that
she’s planning to do a PhD!
“My mother told you this,
didn’t she?” she asks, exasperated,
when questioned about her
plans for a doctorate in Political
Science. “Oh my God, I am tired
of explain- ing this. It’s not true!”
For the record, Soha has studied
at Oxford University and
London School of Economics.
Raking it in
Anil Kapoor has reason to
rejoice. Since he was astute
enough to accept a modest fee
and a percentage of the profits,
with the kind of business
Slumdog Millionaire has done all
over the globe, even a small
percentage works out to a big
grin on the quiz master’s face.
dance, sala! Sanjay Dutt is not amused
stepped out on her balcony
to see why an Indian
politician was dancing
in front of her
palace?” he asked. The
shoot had to be moved.
Jail tale
with the rumour that Madhur
Bhandarkar’s Jail is based on
his and Rhea Pillai’s life. A
source close to Dutt says, “Sanju
didn’t care when the rumours
were only about him. His earlier
films like Khalnayak have also
been advertised as biopics. However,
when his ex wife Rhea was
brought into the picture and
stories began to spread that the
film was based on their
relationship when he was in jail,
he got upset. He’s protective
of her interests
and reputation, especially
now, when she’s
remarried and leading
a happy life”.