Bollywood Zone : Blog, Movies, Celebs

Which is the best place to be?
A secluded beach in Goa on a sunny winter’s day.

Your most spiritual experience?
Driving on the Pacific Coast highway in California with jagged cliffs on one side and seals and whales diving in the crashing waves of the Pacific ocean on the other.

What music puts you in a romantic mood?
Diana Krall. She has the smokiest, sexiest voice.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve put in your mouth?
Cigarettes..when I did the New York stage production East Is East.My character, a smoker, had to puff away throughout the play – every night for 11 weeks. I refused to smoke tobacco, so these were herbal cigarettes but they were still disgusting.

Your favourite comic book characters?
Asterix and Obelix.

Your perfect date?
Oysters and champagne at sunset on a beach followed by a moonlit swim.

Your favourite poem?
Madhushala by Harivanshrai Bachchan.

What would you change about yourself?
Not owning a dog, currently.

Three things that attract you to a woman?
A sense of humour, a sense of adventure and flirty eyes.

Three things that turn you off in a woman?
Smoking, high drama and an Adam’s apple.

What attracts a woman to you?
Skilled hypnotism.

The best compliment a woman has given you?
Not filing a police complaint after our first kiss.

A movie character you’d most want to be like?
Thomas Crown from The Thomas Crown Affair.

A movie character you are actually like in real life?
Jack Nicholson’s character from As Good As It Gets.

Two necessities in life
Sushi and a valid passport.

What are you terrified of being remembered for?
A couple of films I’ve done.

What don’t you leave home without?
Pants (for the most part).

Are you scared of commitment?
I’d rather not commit an answer to this.

Your worst nightmare?
Answering questionnaires like this.

Something you regret?
Missing a chance to fly on the Concorde.

A weakness you love to indulge?
Caviar.

My college…
I did my B.Com from Hansraj College, Delhi.

Favourite hangout…
The college canteen and the football ground (which after seeing the colleges in Mumbai, I feel we were lucky to have!)

Pocket money…
Actually, I earned my own pocket money as I started modeling quite early. Life was so simple then…I was content if I had enough money for my canteen expenses and fuel for my bike.

If I were 18 again…
I was a serial bunker and now wish I’d attended college more regularly. I was blacklisted several times but saved because of the dramatics quota which I was a part of.

Most memorable moment…
Whilst I was in college, I was seeing this girl from school. We used to meet once in every two months or so. Once, she bunked her tuitions and I bunked dramatics and just as we were about to meet on the college grounds, my teacher spotted us. She ran out and I took a U-turn and ran back in!

Lesson learnt…
When we’re in college, we’re struggling to rush through college to get into the ‘real’ world. One thing I’ve learnt is to enjoy the journey – not rush through it.

Actor Anupam Kher is busy with his acting school - Actor Prepares. At his school, recently, the man was seated in the principal’s chair and was proud of where he belonged. When Kher took a round of the school, the aspiring actors were conscious of their principal’s presence. When asked whether he is a strict principal,

Anupam replied, “Yes, when I have to be. I took one of their lectures yesterday and since the past two turns, they hadn’t done the homework. They deserved a scolding. They have to realise that they can’t take their teachers, facilities or their parent’s money for granted.” It’s time for some serious drama!

Actor Rajpal Yadav’s love life is in full bloom. He’s just returned from a vacation in Malaysia where he celebrated his third marriage anniversary with wife Radha. “It was a great experience. On the roads, in the casinos, wherever there were Indians, I got recognised. I got inspired by at least 10 people from there and I want to play those characters soon.”

Rajpal and his wife are poles apart, literally. Though an Indian, Radha was born and brought up in Canada. Interestingly, Rajpal’s love life is like a scene out of a movie. “I had gone to Canada for a film shoot. It was a two-month schedule and we were in Calgary busy shooting. I was with my friend Parvin Dabas. One day I told him I wanted to have the best ice-cream there. That’s when I met Radha. I fell in love with her while I was having an ice-cream! But we didn’t speak to each other. I then met her again in the evening. We both liked each other. I visited her home and liked her family too. After that, for 10 months I spoke to her over the phone from Mumbai. So you can imagine my phone bills! Thereafter, she shifted to India and we got married.”

Radha is younger than Rajpal by nine years. “But she is very mature. She is my home and finance minister. She is my best friend. We share a wonderful rapport.” Isn’t Radha taller than him? “People think she’s a lot taller than me. But in reality she’s only an inch taller.” So, is Rajpal a loving husband? “After every three months of hard work, I make sure that I take her out on a holiday.”

Now that he is one of the most sought after actors, he admits that he has become conscious of his appearance. “I do look after my physique. I jog 10 kms every second day. I went on a special week-long diet recently. I love my body. I never want to be out of shape.”

Rajpal is glad with the way his career graph is moving steadily. “I feel apart from my earlier roles in Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon and Main Meri Patni Aur Woh, my recent releases are my best roles. I’m touched by Priyadarshanji’s belief in me. He has given me meaty roles in films with heavyweight starcast.” Rajpal admires Johny Lever but feels he has been misused. “Johnybhai has been used as an item abhineta. I’m making every effort to avoid that risk. I won’t be in a film just to raise a few laughs.”

The wonder years
I’ve spent the first 19 years of my life in Srinagar. The memories of camping and trekking to the Himalayas are still so fresh. I was good at sports and have even represented J&K in Junior National Championship in Squash. Later on my career plans wavered between joining the forces and becoming a sports-person. But fate had different plans for me.

Haunting memories
On August 1, 1990 I lost my father to a terrorist attack in Srinagar. We were forced to leave our home along with my father’s dead-body, in less than five hours. One single moment wiped off 19 years of my life and generations of history for my family. Sometimes I feel joining the film industry was perhaps an attempt at regaining
my lost identity. Imagine being called refugees in your own country!

Art with a heart
I like to do all kind of movies. I’ve been fortunate to be a part of films that use the medium of entertainment and end-up spreading awareness. I am not an activist, but I do believe that of the five films that an actor does, he can make at least one attempt towards more than box-office collection.

I want to break free…
I am now bored of reflecting a part of me in my films. But where are the creators (writers/directors) who can break the mould and visualise you in a different role?

A complete man
I am a family man. My wealth is my family and friends. I enjoy going on holidays with my family. I can also cook well and treat you to a meal too!

Together we grow
My wife Ambika and I strike a great balance. She’s a psychologist, so now you know who helps me come out of the characters that I portray. We discuss a lot about our professional lives. She’s my best friend.

I have a dream…
I don’t live too much in the past or future. I know the direction but don’t have a goal set for the journey. My dream is to see India as a super-power with no poverty, no hunger, no communal riots, no corruption, lots of education, peace, love and happiness.

It was celebration time for the Deols. Dharmendra and Prakash (his wife) celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary. And the family was there in full spirit with the couple. Bobby, Sunny and Dharmendra are shooting in Bangkok for Apne, so the lady of the family joined them there for the special day. The proud betas - Sunny and Bobby - had a little surprise party organised for their parents. It was a complete family affair, but that’s the typical Deol style. The Deols like to keep it quiet. When When the family is together, nothing else matters.

Arshad Warsi hates the tag of being a solid comic actor, but he cannot get away from it, not after his role as sidekick Circuit in the hit Munnabhai MBBS. Though he debuted in Tere Mere Sapne about a decade ago, it wasn’t until three years ago that Warsi found a firm footing in the industry. That too in the genre of comedy. Strange that he often tries to shake off the tag.

Considering at one time Warsi was ignorant of the ways of the industry, it’s interesting that today he is working with one of the biggest banners in Bollywood, Yash Raj Films. Af ter Salaam Namaste, his next venture with them is Kabul Express, which features him in a parallel role with John Abraham. “It’s a realistic role, and being a part of the media, you’ll understand the characters very well,” says Warsi. He plays a news channel’s cameraman while Abraham is the journalist.

The crew of Kabul Express was shooting in Afghanistan at a time when the Taliban had issued threats to Indians. So did he feel the pressure while working there? “We were certainly worried when we were travelling from the hotel to the location, which was far away. But once we reached it, there was no worry as the entire area was cordoned off, so we could work without any fear,” he shares.

Before Kabul Express, there’s Anthony Kaun Hai?, a thriller with Sanjay Dutt directed by Raj Kaushal. “It’s great working with Sanju because he’s so chilled out and secure that an actor has complete freedom to explore his character to the fullest,” says Warsi, adding, “In this film I’m romancing two girls, a drastic change from not having any romantic angle in most of my recent films.” He reprises his role as Circuit in Munnabhai II Innings scheduled to release this September. It must have been a cakewalk repeating himself in the sequel to Munnabhai MBBS.

“Not really. After I finish shooting for a film I’m over it. I don’t mull over it or my performance. So, when Raju (Rajkumar Hirani) told me about the sequel, I had to reac quaint myself with whatev er I had done in the original.” And with expectations from the film in creasing by the day, Warsi ad mits, “The pres sure is definitely there. We have to be better than before because that’s what is expected from us in the sequel.” While he’s associated with the easy and funny characters he’s mostly played, Warsi asserts that he’ll “continue portraying serious sober roles that are realistic in nature and treatment. Like Seher, which I thoroughly enjoyed acting in. Kabul Express is somewhat like that. Even my scenes with John are as real as it would be between any TV reporter and his cameraman.” And he’s already slated to play a terrorist in Seher director Kabeer Kaushik’s next film. So if he’ll be seen the comedy Golmaal he be balancing it with a more intense role in Rokda, where “my character gradually changes from being a principled guy who suddenly crosses the thin line between good and bad even before he knows it,” he says.

These days Warsi is shooting for Indra Kumar’s Dhamaal, an all male-comedy with Sanjay Dutt, Riteish Deshmukh, Aashish Chowdhry and Jaaved Jaafri, while awaiting the release of Zamanat (which he did only to work with Amitabh Bachchan), Mr Black Mr White and Kisse Pyaar Karoon (a campus comedy). On a final note, he says, “Whatever role I play, I make sure I deliver my best. Because according to my wife Maria, my directors don’t expect anything less than brilliant from me.”

Can you see life beyond comedies?
Of course, I can. I’m one actor today who has done it all, positive, negative, grey and white. I bring a smile on people’s faces but that doesn’t mean I only do comedies.

What’s your approach to acting?
I do characters, not caricatures. I try to get into their mind-set. My character in Vaastu Shastra was powerful even without much dialogue. Ram Gopal Varma had briefed me very well.When a character is well written, it makes life easier for the actor.

After Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon and Main Meri Patni Aur Woh as a lead actor, do you think you are hero material?
I did those two roles simply because my director Chandan Arora felt I could do justice to them. I don’t know what hero material is. All I can say is that I’m doing three more films as a leading man – Undertrial, Hum Lallan Bol Rahe Hain and Ladies’ Tailor.

Is your character in Ladies’ Tailor inspired by Manish Malhotra?
Not at all. I play a tailor who lives in a remote village. He aspires to design clothes for superstars. If the character had been like Manish Malhotra, he could have played the role, not me. Yet, of course today every tailor wishes to be like Manish Malhotra.

Any plans of acting in Bhojpuri films?
May be next year.

Aren’t you Ram Gopal Varma’s pet actor?
I am a pet of all my directors. I have a special regard for Ramuji because he gave me my first film Jungle. All my directors love me. Priyadarshan considers me for every film of his.

Even as he reprises his role of Baburao in ‘Phir Hera Pheri’, Paresh Rawal asserts, “No actor can rise above the script of the film. I enjoy doing all kinds of roles, but I don’t want to be restricted to comedy alone.”

An ardent admirer of actor Naseeruddin Shah, Rawal is excited about working in Shah’s directorial debut ‘Yun Hota To Kya Hota’. “The film is a love story and has all the right ingredients. I am thrilled to have worked with someone as talented as Naseeruddin,” he says. Rawal, who plays the character of an event coordinator in the film, believes the role has helped him improve as an actor.

In an industry where friendships are momentary, Rawal shares a special bond with producer Feroz Nadiadwala. “We are friends because we are able to learn from each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” he says. “‘Phir Hera Pheri’ has opened phenomenally well in most places,” states Rawal. However, making a sequel involved a risk that the unit was prepared to take. “We knew no matter how well ‘Phir Hera Pheri’ does, it would always be compared to ‘Hera Pheri’. Yet, we took it as a challenge.”

Open to versatility, Rawal may just give his trademark comedy a miss, “I am tired of doing stupid comedies. Though comedy has given me the breakthrough in the industry, I constantly feel the need to grow. For that, I want to do all kinds of roles.” And, having shot for an English film in Australia, the actor seems to have already put his new goal in action. “However, I do not want to talk about that film at this stage,” he signs off.