I would love to kidnap Ranbir Kapoor: Dia Mirza

Vivacious and beautiful Dia Mirza looked splendid in a golden dress during the promotional spree for her film ‘Hum Tum Aur Ghost’.

The actress, who is playing the role of a high profile fashion editor, seemed hopeful about the film, which promises to be a comedy with an emotional angle to it. The lady believes that her life after winning the Miss India second runner-up crown in 2000 has been a roller-coaster ride and she has a long way to go.

In an exclusive chat with Shivangi Singh and Tanu Talwar of Spicezee.com, the actress revealed her happy-go-lucky side and also gave the meaty byte about kidnapping Ranbir Kapoor.

Q: Please tell us about your character in ‘Hum Tum Aur Ghost’?

Dia: My character in the film is very special. I am playing a high profile fashion editor named ‘Gehna’. She is a very practical woman and she is madly in love with Armaan – that’s the character played by Arshaad Warsi in the film. ‘Gehna’ has all the shades of a woman – she is jealous, naughty, adorable and giving. She is blindly in love and ready to make compromises for her lover.

Q: You seem to identify with this character…

Dia: (Laughs) Yes, absolutely. I am very much like ‘Gehna’ in real life.

Q: From being crowned Miss India 2000 to Hum Tum Aur Ghost. How has the journey been?

Dia: It has been a roller-coaster ride, but the journey has been very gratifying. I have done a lot of work and I have a lot to look forward to. I have received a lot of affection and there is a long way to go.

Q: Your hobbies also include writing and you have written for newspapers. Do you plan to undertake a literary work?

Dia: I have been writing on and off for publications. I feel that if you are a creative person, you choose various mediums to give vent to your ideas. I paint, I am also interested in making pottery and writing is one of my mediums of expression. I cannot write a novel because I cannot work in continuity. My works are more abstract, may be, I will try short story writing.

Q: In one of your interviews, you said that you would love to kidnap Brad Pitt. Whom would you like to kidnap now?

Dia: Well, now I would like to kidnap Johnny Depp and yes, Ranbir Kapoor for sure.

Q: Dia, what’s the secret of your beauty?

Dia: I should thank my parents for my beauty. It’s in my genes.

Q: Please tell us about your upcoming projects?

Dia: I have not signed anything as yet.

Anushka`s sexy new avatar

Divya Dutta Hollywood bound

Versatile actress Divya Dutta, who wowed audiences with her performances in 'Delhi 6', 'Morning Walk' and 'Welcome to Sajjanpur', has bagged a couple of Hollywood projects. One of them is 'Hisss', and she says it's one of her best roles.

Directed by Jennifer Lynch, the film is about a snakewoman who can transform herself into a human being at will. While Mallika Sherawat plays the female lead, Divya will be seen as Irrfan Khan's love interest.

'It is one of the challenging roles I have received. I am really looking forward to it. I play Irrfan's love interest, who is passionate as well as sensitive. The role is not cliched and has subtle things to portray. It is one of my best roles,' Divya told IANS on phone.

The film is being shot in the jungles of Kerala and other parts of India to give it an authentic touch.

Apart from 'Hisss', Divya has two more Hollywood projects in hand. One of them is Emmy winning director Fred Holmes' 'Heart Land'.

''Heart Land' is a light hearted film in which I am playing a Punjabi girl. It deals with a sensitive relationship my character shares with a much older man from the US,' said the actress, who seems to be impressed with Hollywood's working style.

'People from the West are extremely passionate and disciplined about work. Everyone, from the junior level to the director, is so involved that we have no choice but to give our best,' she added.

The films also stars Amelia Jackson Gray, Reg Grant and Stephan Mario Singh.

Divya refuses to divulge details about her third Hollywood project saying she is bound by a contract.

The actress was also seen on the small screen in serials like 'Kadam' and 'Shanno ki Shaadi'. She says although she enjoyed her stint on TV, she has no plans to return to soaps or serials.

'Creative freedom on television is very limited and I get bored very easily. It doesn't interest me any more,' added the actress who compered the 56th National Awards ceremony.

'It (compering National Awards function) was a prestigious moment for me hosting in front of the president (Pratibha Patil). It is something I will cherish. I had kept my fingers crossed. The response was very nice,' she said.

Apart from Hollywood flicks, Divya has a few Bollywood movies like 'Hello Darling', 'Haat - The Weekly Bazaar', 'Chehere', Amole Gupte's 'Stanley Ka Dabba' and another one with director Sudhir Mishra in her kitty.

Bollywood took away pop singers, says Shibani Kashyap

Shibani Kashyap is not only beautiful, but is also an equally talented singer, composer and a class performer, whose inimitable style and high energy level always win over the crowd.

Starting her career with AIR FM jingles, Shibani Kashyap has come a long way and has dabbled with both small screen and Bollywood. She first came into limelight with her debut album ‘Ho Gayi Hai Mohabbat’ and blew us all away with the haunting melody ‘Sajna Aa Bhi Ja’ from ‘Waisa Bhi Hota Hai II.’

The versatile singer-composer has also sung in ‘Mr Ya Miss’, ‘Zinda’, ‘1971’, ‘Sunday’, ‘Maharathi’, ‘Sirf’, ‘Woodstock Villa’ and has also come out with her personal albums - ‘Thodi Thodi Sanj’, ‘Nagamagee’, ‘Nazakat.’ An active live performer, Shibani has performed all over the world (UK, UAE, New Zealand, Indonesia, Pakistan and Malaysia).

The songstress recently released her latest album ‘My Free Spirit’, an Indipop album that boasts of an eclectic mix of various sound spaces. Talking to Aman Kanth of Spicezee, Shibani Kashyap spoke at length about her new album, her band ‘Sojourne’ and what ails the Indian pop industry.

Aman: Hi Shibani, please accept my hearty congratulations on cutting your new album ‘My Free Spirit’?

Shibani: (Smiles) Oh yes, thanks a lot.

Aman: From signing jingles, dabbling in Bollywood projects, reality shows and cutting your personal album - you have come a long way. How fulfilling has been your musical journey?

Shibani: It has been a fulfilling journey, an interesting journey. During all these years, I have been discovering and re-discovering myself. As an artist, I feel that we must keep expressing ourselves, be it Bollywood projects or cutting personal albums.

Aman: Despite the raging success of your debut album ‘Ho Gayi Hai Mohabbat’ (1998) and equally acclaimed compositions like ‘Sajna Aa Bhi Jaa’ for film ‘Waisa Bhi Hota Hai II’ (2003), why don’t we get to listen to you more?

Shibani: It’s all about getting the right opportunity, something which didn’t come my way. Though I would love to work for Bollywood, I have been quite selective, as I don’t want to associate my voice with just another song.

Aman: Can you please tell us about your new album, ‘My Free Spirit’?

Shibani: ‘My Free Spirit’ is an ensemble of different genres of music. The album offers nine mellifluous songs, which have a mélange of Arabic and Turkish tunes, Rhythm and Blues and Classic Rock and a remix song apart from a Sufi number ‘Alvida.’ The album also boasts of a Disco number, which is crooned by the ‘Disco king’ Bappi Lahiri.

Aman: Tell us about your musical influences?

Shibani: I have always been inspired by Sting, then there has been the 1960s music, there are Beatles and the Doobie Brothers. Beyond this, RD Burman and Asha Bhonsle have been huge inspirations.

Aman: Your favourite Bollywood male and female singer?

Shibani: My favourite male singer is the eternal Kishore Kumar and favourite female singer has to be Asha Bhonsle.

Aman: You also have a band called ‘Sojourne’, please tell us something about it?

Shibani: ‘Sojourne’ is my passion. It’s a five-piece band which comprises extremely talented instrumentalists and musicians. In ‘Sojourne’, we play organic music, its raw and unplugged, not the electronic music.

Aman: Don’t you think that the pop industry is facing a bad time in comparison to the late 1990s? What could be the possible reason behind it?

Shibani: 1990s was the boom time for the pop industry. Pop music, like Bollywood, had its own sound during this time, when it was established. However, the downfall began when Bollywood took away the pop music and singers for films. You see one just can’t blame the artists alone as media too played a crucial part. Nowadays, there is hardly any music channel that gives free airplay to Indi-pop music. When I came into the pop industry with my debut album ‘Ho Gayi Hai Mohabbat,’ I was getting due airtime and became MTV artist of the month. Today, the music, which we get to see on music channels, is just Bollywood songs.

Aman: If not a singer, what would you have been?

Shibani: (Smiles) Well, I can’t be anything else! I could have been a painter, because I can sketch or else an interior designer.

Aman: When not making music, how do you unwind?

Shibani: I love to watch films and I do like sketching and painting.

Aman: What’s your message to your fans?

Shibani: Please go out there and buy original albums.