Amrita Rao

Tanveer Khan/DNA

Dishy awards: Sweet tooth award winner Amrita Rao at the first edition of DNA After Hrs Food Awards, a start to what will be a long tradition

Will Mallika Sherawat Usher in some romance?

Mallika Sherawat is single. And from the looks of it, very ready to mingle. Especially if the man goes by the name of Usher.
Yes, folks, you read it right. Bollywood's hot siren just might be dating American R&B singer Usher.

Image: Singer Usher and Mallika Sherawat
Photographs:www.millionsofmilkshake.com and Fred Prouser/ Reuters

Kareena is my favourite: Imran

I am here to stay: Gayatri Patel

Gayatri Patel’s debut film Let’s Dance has opened to a good response across the country. An excited Gayatri spoke to us about her film and her journey so far.

She began at the tender age of seven when she was signed up for a local Indian dance competition in Alabama in the US and decided that she was going to win the trophy. She did win it that year, the next year and the year after that, until they stopped the competition. While in the US, Gayatri graduated from high school and went to university in Atlanta, Georgia. Here, she won the Miss India-Georgia title and later emerged the first runner-up at Miss India USA pageant. She says. “I have formal training in Kathak and currently I’m learning under Vijayshri Chaudhary who is Pandit Birju Maharaj’s student. My strongest training in is Kathak which I have utilized in my hip- hop and western dance forms. I have grown up learning jazz and ballet in America. I use my classical dance forms as a root to western dance forms.”
She tells us, “As dancing is central to me and my character in the movie, I consider this film a gift from God. I play the character of a dance teacher, who is simple yet determined about her goals. It’s the story of the teacher, who on her way to fame, motivates a group of underprivileged kids. My co-actors are Ajay Chaudhary and Aqib Afzaal and the film is produced by my father Dr Arvind Patel," she says.
Apart from Let’s Dance, Gayatri has two more movies on hand but the projects are yet to start. But for now, she has no qualms about making a place for herself in the industry. "I am concentrating on my work rather than the competition. I want to show the world that I am not just a novice and I am here to stay," she says.
Gayatri considers Vyjayantimala, Madhuri Dixit, Meenkshi Sheshadri, Waheeda Rehman as her dance icons because she feels they were not only brilliant dancers but also fantastic actors.
“I want to follow their path and want to be known not just for my dancing skills but also my acting capabilities. I am essentially an actress and also a dancer.” She concludes.

Instrumental music always interests me- Anushka Manchanda

One of the VIVA girl’s Anushka Manchanda has come a long way in this industry. After the group spilt because of differences, Anushka got to work as VJ for Channel [V] for a short time. She has also been in the modelling world.

In a tete- e- tete this vivacious singer cum VJ cum model talks to us about her stint on television and big screen. Alongside she speaks about the music liked by the junta in our country.
What are you doing these days?
I have been working very hard for the past 6 months but since 10-15 days I got free from all my commitments from work, so enjoying and relaxing at home. I have completed my recordings for the films and now desperately want to put on some weight.
I had been travelling for some shows abroad and was also having food outside but still I lost weight.

You have sung in movies Pyaar Impossible and Kambakkht Ishq?
I was with Salim Suleman for the background music but it came to my surprise when that thing became the part of the main section in the film. It was my great pleasure to work with them. I also recorded a song with Pritam ‘Lak Lak…’ for KI, it was great fun and his music is also fabulous.
Talking about your television stint, the buzz is that you have won the second season of Khatro Ke Khiladi?
I can’t speak about that but all I would say is that the finale of the show is yet to be shot. I wish and hope this buzz becomes true and I win the show.
You have been much into music. How did singing happen to you then?
I never use to sing so much and my interest was always in instrumental music. I know to play piano and guitar. About singing it just happened. Basically I did not want to study on the day of the audition so went ahead and tried my luck there. Fortunately I was selected and then after it was never looking back.
This was the time I realise that I want to sing and over the last couple of years I have started listening to Bollywood music. This has helped me a lot to understand the world of music and singing.
Which kind of music has maximum reach in India?
I feel Bollywood music has the maximum reach in our country. There are various kinds of platforms like radio, internet beside cinema and television which gives us so much of variety of music.
Do you think that the music director are getting their face in this country? Who is your favourite from Hindi Film Industry?
They create a wonderful music and they should be given respect. Today there are much known music directors who are well recognised by the audience because of their appearance on screen which is necessary.
My favourites are Vishal-Shekhar, Shanker, Eshaan and Loy to name few. It’s cool to listen to their music as they have not lost the richness in the melody. I am also working in a project where Big B will be singing. There are various things to do in this genre.
Are there any plans to come up with your own album?
I write my own music but there are no plans to cut my own album at this point of time. Today in the market the pop music doesn’t sell. I had formed a group and we were working towards the album but I stopped everything in the middle as this is not the right time.
For now I am looking forward for my 15 songs to release from the movies like Pyaar Impossible, Luck, Kambakkht Ishq and few other flicks.

Katrina kaif has lost her original voice while dubbing in proper hindi

Who says Katrina can’t speak proper Hindi? She’s been practising constantly with friends and in her dubbing, so much so that Katrina has almost lost her voice. The dubbing for Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani has taken its toll on her throat. Raj Kumar Santoshi is always known to be very particular about his actors’ lamguage. For Ranbir in  Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani who has a lot of colloquial Hindi to speak, he has personally been supervising the dubbing.
But Ranbir is a very skilled dialogue deliverer. And getting the rustic colloquialism  right is a cakewalk for him
For Katrina dubbing is the most difficult part of the acting process. After all she was initially dubbed by professional artistes. She finally won the right to speak on screen in her own voice in spite of a thick British accent.
And now Katrina Kaif is going through the worst tribulation of her brief career.
Dubbing for Raj Kumar Santoshi’s Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani is the most challenging   thing Katrina has ever done.
“I don’t have any colloquial lines like Ranbir. I play this Catholic Bandra girl who’s very dramatic. She’s funny to others. But not to herself. So when I cry I have to cry  real tears but make sure they come across as funny First of all the lines are not comic  in the dubbing theatre. So I’ve to recreate the laughter on the sets in a studio without  knowing if I am being funny enough.”
For Katrina it’s excruciating. “I don’t know whether I’m getting it right or not. I’m  doing the dubbing under supervision. But this is the most difficult film I’ve dubbed  for.”
Now that she’s almost finished dubbing she plans to go through the entire dubbing in  Santoshi’s film and re-do the portions Santoshi isn’t satisfied with.
A bigger challenge now awaits Katrina. In Prakash Jha’s Rajneeti she must recreate all  the rhetorics that she mouthed on stage in front of thousands of spectators. as a female politician.
“The speeches I made have been taped. Now I have to listen to them, get the accent tone and voice quality right and dub in a studio.”
Easier done than said.

Neetu Chandra

Kim Sharma

Celina Jaitley

Smitten by Jane Austen novels, Sonam awaits her Mr Darcy

Sonam Kapoor may have shot to fame playing the coy beauty Sakina in 'Sawaariya', but she is set to surprise audiences with her turn as a headstrong socialite in 'Ayesha', an adaptation of the young actress's favourite novel, Jane Austen's 'Emma'. The film which is a contemporary take on the popular classic is set in Delhi and is being produced by her father Anil Kapoor with Abhay Deol playing the lead opposite Sonam.
“Emma is one of my favourite novels. I love the characters because even I want a Mr Knightley or a Mr Darcy in my life," said Sonam, who all set to make her maiden performance at the IIFA awards besides walking the ramp for designer Anamika Khanna for a charity event on Friday.
"The beautiful thing about Jane Austen's novel's is that all the heroes are the same while the heroines are different. Emma had a stereotyped romance but she was not a typical woman," Sonam told reporters in Macau.
The actress who was the only Indian to be featured in trade bible Hollywood Reporter's Asia edition said that she will sport a new glamorous look in 'Ayesha' as compared to her previous traditional avatars.
"I play a modern Indian girl in the film, who is from the upper class and my look therefore is very glamorous. The film revolves around her life and her view point of the world. Ayesha lacks self-control but she tries to control everyone," said Sonam about her character in the film which is being directed by Rajshri Ojha.
The Bollywood beauty may be only two films old but she was a clear hit with the crowd in Macau as people chanted 'Masakkali' 'Masakkali' when Sonam hit the green carpet in a colourful Manish Malhotra creation.
"It feels great to hear your name being chanted by so many fans. They just went on 'Masakkali and 'Saawariya'," said a pleasantly surprised Sonam.
Sonam was born into fame being the daughter of Anil Kapoor but the 24-year-old actress said that it is her grounded upbringing which helps her maintain sanity in her fast paced life.
"I am extremely confident about who I am and am not part of the rat race. I want to do films that I like and lead my life in my own way," said the actress who debuted opposite another star child Ranbir Kapoor in 2007.
"People never treated me different when I was young. I never attended the fancy schools in Mumbai. My mother kept me away from the industry. My dad once came to school and he was advised not to do that again," added Sonam.

Deepika perfect choice for 'Love Aaj Kal': Imtiaz

Director Imitiaz Ali, who made the superhit movie 'Jab We Met' with Kareena Kapoor, has said that the bubbly actress did not fit the bill in his forthcoming film 'Love Aaj Kal' that features Deepika Padukone as the leading lady. "Kareena is my favourite actor. But, I can't cast her in a wrong role just for the sake of working with her. I have to be fair to her and her talent," the filmmaker said justifying his decision not to repeat Kareena Kapoor.
"Deepika was the perfect choice for 'Meera', the female lead of 'Love..' as she has a unique sense of silence in her," he said.
To a question on whether he was nervous before the release given the fact that 'Jab We Met' was a commercial success as well as critically acclaimed, Imtiaz said, "nervousness is a luxury directors can't afford."
Stating that he was not scared about how the film would be received, Imtiaz said, "if I don't embarrass myself…after seeing the film on completion…then it has to be good...doesn't matter if it's a commercial success or not."
On his working relationship with Saif Ali Khan who was not only his leading man, but also his producer, Imtiaz said Saif was very happy to be just an actor on the sets.
"If the synergy between an actor and director is good, it reflects positively on the overall film," he said.
Speaking about 'Love Aaj Kal', Imtiaz said he was not judging love then and now. "I am just the witness," he said adding that his films were a reflection of his experiences in real life.
"I have grown up in a middle class family which travelled in different small towns of the country as my father was in a transferable job before settling down in Delhi and later in Mumbai," Imtiaz said.
The director is especially excited about yesteryear actress Neetu Singh making a comeback with this film. On how he managed to rope her in, Imtiaz said, "I was on my knees persuading her to accept the offer. Her husband and actor Rishi Kapoor, who also plays an important role in the film, put in some good words from our side."
"Both she and Rishiji display a positive romantic energy in real life and on screen," he said.

Deepika Padukone to do item number in Telugu movie

Hyderabad, June 9 : Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone is set to shoot an item number for a Telugu film titled “Love 4 Ever”.

“Deepika has agreed to shoot an item number for the forthcoming venture ‘Love 4 Ever’ from June 24 onwards - her first in Telugu,” a publicist told IANS.

Starring Ranadeep and Mridula, “Love 4 Ever” is being made in Hindi and Telugu and Jayant C. Paranji is wielding the megaphone for it. Laughing Waters Entertainment is producing the film.

“The successful track record of Paranji for having enlisted the services of another Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai came in good stead in this film,” added the source.

Deepika started her career with Kannada film “Aishwarya” and debuted in Hindi films with 2007 hit “Om Shanti Om”.