Sister act
Who would think that being a judge at a beauty pageant comes with a downside? Well, evidently there are hazards to even this seemingly uncontroversial job, as one-time beauty pageant winner Celina Jaitley discovered recently.
“I almost got attacked by the sister of one of the girls who made it to the top five in the Miss India contest,” the actress confided yesterday. Clearly displeased that her sister hadn’t made it to the top three, the overenthusiastic sibling apparently told Celina, “You think my sister wasn’t good enough to win? You think she wasn’t as good looking as you?”
“I was shocked,” Celina narrated, while two beauticians tended to her tips and toes at Bandra’s Nail Bar yesterday, “I told her I wasn’t responsible for her sister not winning, but I really didn’t know what else to say! I was dying to say: Somebody help me!”
Of course Celina knows how close sisters can be. She was, after all, confiding to a female cousin while the two ladies enjoyed their beautifying break…
A steaming <i>Khel</i> with Celina!
[ SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2003 03:31:22 AM ]
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In a film that stars two muscle-heroes (Sunny Deol and Sunil Shetty) and one on-field master blaster (Ajay Jadeja) — all wooing one gorgeous woman (Celina Jaitley), what d
oes one expect?
You guessed it right... khel, khel and lots of khel . The lady becomes the centre of attraction. Or like someone in the unit bashfully remarked: "I think she is the corner of attraction."
Popcorn & Galaxy Entertainment Corporation's new venture, Khel wrapped up the last leg of its shooting schedule in the picturesque locales of Cape Town in South Africa.
And India's premier portal Indiatimes.com, fast becoming the best-known promotional platform across media (Internet, print, radio) for movies, finds itself everywhere an Indian movie unit would be.
South African airlines flew us right there — at the exotic sands 'n' turf of Cape Town with the cast of Khel — Sunil Shetty, Celina Jaitley and Ajay Jadeja (minus Sunny). Seen here are three of the main players of Khel , playing games in Cape Town. So what are you waiting for?
Just watch out to see who will be the sabse bada khiladi in this one! Log on to www.filmfare.com for more pictures, interviews, Times Talk Radio , behind-the-scenes gossip and more....
back from the jaws of death after a road accident now promises a spice of life with plenty of sex in his new venture.
Director-producer Sanjay Gupta talks in this interview about his new film Musafir and its heroine Sameera Reddy, whom he calls "India's J Lo".
Do you feel your original energy level is back?
Totally, even better. The accident has been an eye-opener. I'm quite focussed on my work. I've come to believe in the old adage 'What doesn't break you only makes you stronger'. My faith in life and god has been reiterated. I want to start with a clean slate.
Your first post-accident production Plan looks interesting?
We've nearly completed that. We've been shooting round-the-clock. I let the director, Hriday Shetty, do his own thing. I've been through the experience of having the producer breathe down my neck constantly. And I wouldn't want any director to go through that.
Hriday has been my assistant for almost 10 years. I want talented young people like Hriday and Sanjay F Gupta to make films for my company. My namesake is keen to direct a film called Radio Rapchick for me.
Is that another gangster epic?
No, no! At one point Javed Akhtar had thrown a challenge at me. He wanted me to surprise him and myself by making a film without any crime. Radio Rapchick is about five couples and their relationships. It's my most contemporary film to date.
Your films are fiercely contemporary and violent.
Yes. But in Musafir , which I'm going to direct next, violence will be replaced by sex. We're doing some crazy pre-production right now.
But I've made up my mind to find time for myself. Sanjay Dutt and I are no longer that ambitious about our company (White Feathers). I'd rather produce only two films per year out of which one would be directed by me. After my accident I wanted to take a year off. But Sanjay Dutt and Anil Kapoor got me back much sooner.
How big is Dutt's involvement in your company?
He's wholeheartedly there. Obviously he can't give all of himself. But yes, he'll be in all the films that I direct. I've reached a stage where I can't conceive a film without him. In Musafir I've cast him in an incredible role along with Sameera Reddy.
Why Sameera?
We did approach Priyanka Chopra, but she had certain reservations about the script. She was honest enough to admit the character's aggressive sexuality made her nervous. She wanted me to tone it down. But that would be defeating the plot's purpose.
It's really sad -- and this isn't a comment on Priyanka or any one actor --but hardly any actor wants to play against his image. Why are they so scared about what's mom or boyfriend going to think? Don't they know acting is make-believe?
So were your leading men in Musafir apprehensive about dropping their pants?
Anil Kapoor took me home for dinner and made me narrate the script in front of his wife so there'd be no misunderstanding later. Sanjay had the most reservations not just about his character but the entire project. He was thinking of what's best for me as a filmmaker.
Again, why Sameera Reddy?
I was looking at a lot of girls, including Celina Jaitley, who was highly recommended. I met her. I was about to meet Lara Dutta. I wanted a woman not a girl. In walked Sameera Reddy to audition for Plan .
I hadn't seen her debut film Maine Dil Tujhko Diya . In the promos she looked demure. But in real life she has an imposing personality. When she walks into a room she makes heads turn. She immediately grabbed my attention.
I used to laugh at directors who claimed they met an actor and the character immediately fell into place. It happened to me when I met Sameera. She's our own Jennifer Lopez.
So will Musafir be your first female-centric project?
I've never consciously made macho movies. So why should I now consciously do a woman's film. Yes, Musafir does have a woman at its centre. But as the script writes itself out let's see how woman-oriented it remains. Right now we're looking for a scriptwriter.
What do you mean?
Anurag Kashyap who was supposed to write Musafir upped and left for some strange reasons. I've moved on. I have Vineeta Coelho and Samir Malhotra to write Musafir . I've brought in another talented writer, Suparn Verma, to do the dialogues.
Is Musafir going to be a huge film?
We wanted to make a small film. We don't want to let the stars dictate the film's canvas. It's easy to get carried away. But I'm not in the race to prove I'm making a big movie.
Mr & Mrs Iyer was shot for Rs 20 million. What a brilliant movie. My friend Sujoy Ghosh shot Jhankar Beats for less than Rs 10 million and look what he has achieved. Of course Musafir has stars and they'll build their own expectations. But I won't succumb to the temptation of playing up my cast. I didn't in Kaante .
Surely directing Amitabh Bachchan ( in Kaante ) was special.
I wasn't swayed against the script although I was working with the legend. Of course, I'm human and there was more thought going into a shot with Bachchan than any other actor.
Will Musafir be the boldest Hindi film ever made?
I don't know. I don't want people to come for the film just because it's got amazing sex. I'm not going to make a film that audiences wouldn't identify with. At the same time I don't want to make a film that abides by conventional yardsticks of morality.
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