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Ram Gopal Varma is getting ready for another show at the box office. The movie stars Nisha Kothari, who was last seen as Ghungroo in Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag. Apparently, the movie Go has been lying in cans for quite some time now. “It’s an old film and finally Ramu will be releasing it this month,” says a person from his office. Wonder if another attempt by Nisha will do anything to boost her career.

“Can I just call you back? I’m shopping and have been mobbed,” says Sagarika Ghatge, with people screaming ‘Chak De!’ in the background. Sagarika aka Preethi Sabharwal, her name in the film, is the hot forward lead of the Chak De! India team who has the audience cheering for her when she appears on screen. “Yeah, my friends have been telling me that. But I guess it’s all a part of this industry,” she says like a seasoned artiste.

So what’s life like after Chak De! India? “Awesome! I’ve watched the movie four times - every time my friends or family want to watch it, I accompany them. I’m sure I’ll see it at least ten times more,” she laughs.

And she’s thrilled about working with SRK. “When we met him he was like, ‘Hi, I’m Shah Rukh Khan,’ and we felt intimidated. But he’s such a nice guy without a hint of arrogance. He’s very approachable, which made it easier for us to work with him,” says Sagarika.

But she got really nervous during her first shot. “Since I play the captain of a state team, I had to show him attitude. And it just wasn’t coming through because he’s SRK! I kept goofing up, so he took me aside and taught me how to throw attitude!”

But there were reports that said Shah Rukh and director Shimit Amin didn’t get along and that Khan just wanted to wrap the film and get away. “This is bulls*#t. Shimit is a calm guy and is the last person to cause a misunderstanding. Once we wrapped the film, the entire team, including Shah Rukh and Shimit, attended a private screening of Don. And we partied till 5am. I don’t know why they’re spreading these false rumours,” says Sagarika.

There’s more. A tabloid recently carried an article about a rift in the team because Sagarika and Vidya Malavade (who plays the team captain and goalie) are getting all the attention, while the others felt sidelined. “The film must be really doing well because the media is writing such a lot of things about us and half of them aren’t even true. I’ve been receiving SMSes from all my coactors all day asking me if I read the article. They were all laughing about it! We’re all good friends even today,” she maintains. And what about the exclusive shoot she and Vidya did for a designer? “We all did a shoot for a teen magazine after which both Vidya and I did a shoot for Babita Malkhani. And who wouldn’t lap up such an offer? Tomorrow, if someone in the team lands a film, we can’t get jealous and ask them why the film wasn’t offered to the rest of us,” says Sagarika.

They’re two women who love having fun. Raima Sen and Gul Panag just couldn’t hold back their naughty streak when it came to shooting in an isolated hotel in a remote town near Jaipur. The film in question was Manorama - Six Feet Under, and the two girls got a kick out of calling up unit members in the hotel in the middle of the night and scaring the daylights out of them. We must say, we’d like to see someone scare these two damsels for a change. Any adventurous people out there willing to take up the challenge?

Though Payal Rohatgi’s image was not that of a homely girl, thanks to her initial decisions of signing some sleazy movies, things seem to have changed for her. Apparently, Payal’s father was upset about seeing his daughter in some B-grade flicks, and stopped speaking to her. But after he got to know that she has signed films with some respected filmmakers like Priyadarshan he seems to have forgiven her. The actress, who will be seen in Dhol, has reunited with daddy dearest and is enjoying quality time with family.

Actress-turned-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt is unconventional in many ways. She began her acting career at the age of 17, but after her short stint she switched lanes and became Bollywood’s youngest producer at 24 with Tamanna. Pooja turned to direction with Paap, next came Holiday and now Dhokha is getting her rave reviews. Here’s the youngest director from the Bhatt camp unplugged as she talks about her father Mahesh Bhatt, Muzamil Ibrahim and her latest film.

You were a successful commercial actor, yet for your directorial ventures you chose movies like Paap, and now Dhokha?
(Laughs) Dhokha emerged out of the failure of Holiday. I was looking for something more meaningful and topical and that’s when my dad narrated this story. I was bowled over by the story. I will say Dhokha is an attempt to find my roots. It’s a serious attempt to do something that I always wanted to do. I always believed in doing unconventional things. I started my career with Daddy and turned producer at the age of 24.

Tell us more about the film?
Dhokha deals with the issue of terrorism and its incalculable spiritual costs. It’s about human beings. It dwells deep in the mind of a suicide bomber. The subject has a universal appeal. What goes in the mind of a suicide bomber, why does he/ she take his extreme step? These are some of the soul-searching questions.

But you can’t deny that Dhokha takes a sympathetic look at terrorism?
No, let’s put it this way. It takes a more human approach towards it. There is no justification of violence, either for the people running the government or those who fight in the name of Jihad. Have you ever given it a thought, how terrorists are born? They are born by circumstances and then you mete out injustice in the name of giving them justice. Terrorism doesn’t have any religion. Before embarking on this film, we did extensive research by going to terrorist-infected places like Kashmir, Assam, Nagaland. You will find a gross amount of human right violations in these places and the rate is higher among the minorities.

So are you taking sides in Dhokha?
Just because the main protagonists, Zaid Ahmad (Muzamil Ibrahim) and Sarah are Muslims, it doesn’t mean that the movie is pro-Muslim. I have chosen to tell the story from the Muslim perspective. It can be a story set in Assam, Nagaland, or even Sri Lanka. By taking up this issue, I have made it more relevant in today’s time. Dhokha is based on true incidents. I remember one morning Khwaja Yunus’s (who was apparently killed in custody) father came to our house and requested my father to interfere and get his son’s dead body. He told my dad, ‘I don’t want justice, just help me get my son’s body. I will pray and bury him and fulfill the duty of a father’. My father called a senior police officer and told him ‘Yunus’s dad should be going to you not me. I’m a filmmaker and yet he comes to me.’ I have used that part in my film. Anupam Kher is playing Yunus’s father.

Have you had a difference of opinion with your dad?
Always. But he is my ideology. And one keeps fighting with it. Infact after Dhokha, my dad calls me half Muslim (smiles).

What’s the scene with Muzamil?
There is no scene. Muzamil is a chauvinist and he can’t accept the idea of being directed by a woman. He’s not a bad guy, but his ego was hurt when I ordered him around. He couldn’t cope with the idea of a woman bossing and ordering him around.

Did you slap him as reported?
Let’s not give him importance by discussing it. We have worked with so many newcomers and Muzamil is the only unpleasant experience we have had so far.

Muzamil is going around the town saying he had a tough time working with you?
Oh really? I’m the victim here. And I should be saying this. One should always respect people when they have given you a break, no matter what. You know, after John Abraham finished shooting for Paap, he called up Viraj Adavm the artiste who dubbed his voice and thanked him. He told me this guy’s dubbing has added to my performance. And that’s the reason John has reached where he is today. Always learn to be humble in life.

Will you work with him again?
I will never work with anyone who doesn’t respect his seniors and women. Having said that I would like to thank him for choosing to make his debut with us. We have created a monster and it’s up to the world to deal with it now.

And he isn’t promoting the film as well?
Well, what can I say to that? That’s his loss, not mine. I have made a product and if it’s good, no matter what, it will work.

What’s next in the pipeline?
I’m planning another small budget and socially relevant film called Mushkil. I will be launching a newcomer, a young bright assistant of mine, Sagar who will direct the movie.

Tara Sharma is one firm believer in serendipity… even more so now! Two years ago she met fiancé Roopak Saluja at a wedding of a common friend and today she and Roopak are actually planning their very own. Yes, all set for a November end wedding, Tara is ever the blushing bride-in-waiting.

“Roopak proposed to me in January and we decided that we would get married towards the end of the year. The wedding will be in Mumbai with a reception in Delhi. It will be a simple and elegant wedding - just the way we want it,” says a visibly radiant Tara, who’s wedding is going to be an amalgamation of cultures. “I am half English and half Punjabi, while Roopak is half Sikh and half Nepali and to top it off my sister is married to a Chinese!”

With barely any time to plan for the wedding, Tara is relying on her faithful bunch of friends. “Friends like Priya Awasthi and Ashley Lobo are helping me with my trousseau. I will be working till a week before the wedding.” laughs Tara, who also plans to squeeze in a few weeks’ honeymoon in December. Having just signed a whole lot of new films, Tara has every intention of continuing with her acting career, post matrimony. “Roopak has been so encouraging and supportive of my work and, in fact, after I started seeing him, I have done much more varied kinds of roles in both Indian and international projects,” says Tara, who also plans to be an active part of Roopak’s ad film production company. “We are just so happy that everybody is excited about the wedding - exes et al,” says Tara, who adds that former boyfriend and now close friend Akshaye Khanna will surely be a part of the wedding. “We have always remained friends and will continue to do so. Even Roopak is a friend of his now. And yes, Akshaye is very happy for the both of us.” Now if that isn’t serendipity, then nothing is!

She’s a lethal combination, with her Lolita looks and voluptuous figure. And Meghna Naidu has used this to her advantage, with her sizzling item numbers scorching the screen at regular intervals. Surprisingly, now the lady is hell-bent on changing her image-from a sultry diva to a salwar kameez-clad actor in a totally de-glamourised role. Despite a sore throat and viral fever, Meghna talks to NT about her makeover.

These days Meghna is eagerly awaiting the release of her new film Riwaz, wherein she hasn’t worn an iota of make-up. Is it true that she bagged the film thanks to her salwar kameez? She explains, “Ashok Nanda, the filmmaker is basically from theatre arena. He saw me wearing a white salwar kameez and signed me. In fact, on the first day of shoot, I was made to wash the little amount of powder that I had put on– because he felt even that was glamorous.”

The big cover-up
So what exactly is she doing in a film, where she will be covered from top to toe? “The movie is set in a rural backdrop and deals with a family, where the daughters of the house are traditionally pushed into prostitution by the men of the house, so that the brothers and husbands can live comfortably without having to work,” she says.

Isn’t Meghna scared that her diehard fans might reject her in such a role, where she’s not showing even a bit of skin? The lady says in her inimitable forthright manner, “Initially, I was slightly worried but now with the film getting good response at the recently held New York Film Festival, I am quite enthusiastic about it.”

What else is she up to, when not trying the image makeover? “I am doing quite a few stage shows all over the world. In fact, that’s my bread, butter and jam. I have also completed a Tamil film a few days back and starting yet another Tamil film, soon,” she says.

Whither item numbers?
Does that mean, the item numbers in all those music albums are a thing of past? She says diplomatically, “Not really. We are working on some good songs, so that we can come out with an item number, which generates mass frenzy.”

People know her as an oomphy gal, but what is real Meghna all about? She answers, “Oh, I am a plain Jane and a homebody. I try my hand at cooking too, but somehow every time something goes wrong and I end up putting either too much of salt or mirchi.”

Waiting to kiss
What about her famous crush on Salman Khan? After all, she had publicly proclaimed that she would love to smooch him on screen. In a dulcet tone, Meghna replies, “Now that he’s with Katrina–maine maaf kar diya.

But whenever he is single again, I will just go and pounce on him. And why on screen, I would love to kiss him off screen even more!”

Vidya Malvade began her career as a flight attendant only to fall in love with young pilot Captain Bagga and later marry him. Sadly, her husband soon passed away in a plane accident. “Times were tough, some times devastating but I had to come out of it,” recalls Vidya, who is the flavour of the moment after playing the girl’s hockey team captain in ‘Chak De India’.

After a long spell of struggle and two flop films (’Inteha’ and ‘U, Bomsi me’) Vidya is glad that people have started recognizing her talent now. She says, “It was a tough time. People suddenly didn’t want to talk to me because I was not successful. I am very glad that things have changed now. Offers are coming my way and I don’t have to try too hard to bag them.”

The fact that veteran Nana Patekar called up Vidya to congratulate her for her credible performance in the Shimit Amin directorial has Vidya overwhelmed.

However, Vidya admits that when she first saw ‘Chak De India’ she was a little disappointed. “I had shot many scenes. But I was hurt when my role was cut as my scenes got edited. I had worked really hard on them. But I am not complaining,” she reveals adding, “I have realised that the film looks great and that is what matters to everyone right from the actors to the director.”

Interestingly, Vidya has also received offers to pursue hockey as a profession. “When we began our training I was really bad. But at the end of it my hockey coach actually asked me to stay back and continue training with him. It was overwhelming. The movie has given me a lot and I hope the success stays on,” she concludes.

Payal Rohatgi told us that one thing she hates is talking over the phone. She says she prefers to save her energy for more constructive skills, rather than to while it away on the phone, talking endlessly. “When I can convey the same by messaging and hence save time and energy, why should I talk over the phone? Messaging is always better. In fact I always keep my cell on silent mode as I hate the noise. But trust me when it’s related to work or my family, I’m the first person to call up,” she quips. Payal is looking forward to her role as the second lead in the yet to be released Dhol. “I want to do good cinema and this movie is just the beginning. I want to work with talented filmmakers,” she says. This girl sure has her ideas pretty clear!