Bollywood Zone : Blog, Movies, Celebs

After Abhiash tied the knot a few months ago, wedding bells are set to ring in the house of Raj Babbar. The actor-politician’s daughter Juhi, also an actor, will be getting married to longtime boyfriend, filmmaker Bijoy Nambiar, on June 27.

Informs a source close to the Babbar family, “The wedding will be a grand affair and will be attended by a number of bigwigs from the political and Bollywood circles.” The wedding festivities, says the source, began with a special lunch party hosted by the Nambiar family on June 24 followed by a sangeet ceremony and a mehndi function on June 26.

The wedding function on June 27 will see a South Indian wedding in the morning, followed by saat pheras being taken according to North Indian customs the same evening. The couple will later fly down to Bijoy’s hometown in Kerala for the wedding reception, adds the source.

Talking about the time he met Juhi, the groom Bijoy says, “It was during the shooting of my film Reflection that I met Juhi. And we’ve been seeing each other since then.”

The flight of this aspiring pilot landed on the airport of tinsel town much to the glee of Bollywood. “Oh yes,” says the Bhatt girl and adds, “I was always creatively inclined and forever wanted to do something intriguing. I am a trained Kathak dancer. However, I think it was my association with Shiamak Davar that introduced me to the world of films.”

She was first noticed in an ad for a soap. From doing a music video to acting opposite stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Pankaj Kapur, she definitely has come a long way. Talking about her career, she says, “Luckily my entry in films has been quite a smooth one. The adulation that we actors receive is overwhelming and I think that is what keeps us going,” says Bhatt, who was in Vadodara to inaugurate Radio Mirchi. Having garnered appreciation for her performances in films like Haasil and Asoka to the recent Dharm, Bhatt is more than ecstatic. She says, “It’s a creative high to work with great actors as you get to learn so much from them. I would love to have Shah Rukh Khan’s energy and spontaneity. Pankaj Kapur is like a teacher. One can learn so much by just observing his acting techniques.” Bhatt also feels that an actor never stops learning as each role brings about a new talent to light. So is there a dream role she is dying to perform? “I would like to do the role Sridevi did in Chalbaaz or the one Jaya Bachchan played in Guddi. I love Madhuri Dixit’s role in Tezaab. But I too want to perform a role that would become somebody else’s dream role in future.” Her film Dharm was recently screened at the Cannes Film Festival. She says, “It’s nice that the Indian film industry is finally getting its due from the world audience. Our cinema is definitely grabbing the attention of the West.”

And so where does she see herself in the near future? “I want to be a part of good films and would do a lot more work than what I am doing now. I would also like to give more time to painting.” Is love in the air for this damsel? “People see love as a need and not as an emotion which needs to be felt for its sheer purity. When it happens to me, it will be unconditional love,” she says.

Actress Hema Malini is all set to perform a solo dance in a Hindi film after nearly 17 years. This will be for Pradeep Sarkar’s upcoming movie, being shot in Varanasi. Hema will perform a mujra in the yet untitled film and lip-sync a Thumri sung by director Vishal Bharadwaj’s wife Rekha. “I love the song. And, the dance will be Kathak. That really makes me happy. The last time I performed a solo dance on screen was for Gulzar’s Lekin. That was another special appearance for the beautiful mujra ‘Jhoote naina bole’. I really enjoyed that, and I’m really enjoying this,” said Hema. “It’s not often that one gets a chance to do something classical in our films these days. That’s why I agreed to do it. They told me that no one except me could perform the mujra. But, I think Rekha would’ve been a better choice,” she says. The veteran actress will be making a special appearance in the movie produced by Yashraj Films. “Though I’ve come to Varanasi many times for dance performances, the last time I was here for a film was Sohanlal Kanwar’s Sanyasi more than 30 years ago.” Hema says dancing is the high point of her life. “My daughters are busy with their own thing. And I’ve the time to do what I want,” she ads.

Mandira Bedi’s learnt her lessons from the controversies that have been dogging her. And what lessons they are too! “I have learnt that I should always cross my left leg over my right,” says the lady, with the straightest face. “That way the pallu doesn’t show at all. So no matter what design is there on the pallu, it remains hidden.” If she had just discovered that earlier, all this brouhaha would never have happened, she feels. Now, she makes sure that she carefully folds her left leg over her right and not the other way round, to keep her public life clean, healthy and controversy free. She still hasn’t gotten over the controversy surrounding her tattoo either, and she was still apologising for it. “The tattoo was not meant to hurt anybody’s sentiments. I’m sorry if it did,” she said. “I’ll think twice before getting another tattoo done.” Well, Mandira, you live and learn, don’t you!

Actress Meghna Naidu is peeved. Recently a tabloid had reported that she performed a show with Rakhi Sawant. But Meghna says that the piece of news isn’t true and that ‘some people were trying to get publicity by taking her name’. “It’s so silly! I haven’t done a show with Rakhi for over three years now. And the photograph used by the tabloid was one clicked at a recent function where I met her for a few seconds.” Meghna says her focus is now Bollywood. “I have been working hard on my body and looks. I play tennis, do yoga and sleep early. I don’t even party much now. Also, I choose films very carefully. And at this juncture, when people use my name to garner publicity, it really hurts.” Now wonder what Rakhi has to say to that?

She’s the sexy girl who breezed her way into a million hearts with her Kabhie Aar Kabhi Paar number and then went on to add another army to her fans with her big screen debut. But now the doe-eyed Deepal Shaw has herself fallen for another actor – but only professionally, mind you. Deeps is all praise for Irrfan Khan – she says working with Irrfan Khan makes her feel good as an actor because every time she is with him he helps her re-discover her potential. The way Irrfan Khan does a scene, says the actress, helped her to react better. Irrfan, Deepal informs, is basically from a school of acting where if you keep observing him every minute, you will learn a new style of acting! With such compliments from this bomb-shell, is Irrfan blushing already?

Heard about Geeta Basra? Her steamy scenes with Emraan Hashmi in The Train are the talk-of-the-town. When the movie was premiered during a recent awards show in Yorkshire, she turned many heads when she walked the red carpet in a clingy gown, with men and women alike asking, ‘Who’s she?’ But the other reason she probably turned heads was due to the curry stains on her lovely outfit. One piece of advice for Geeta – next time you wear a light coloured gown at an important event, please ensure there are no curry stains on it. The fashion-conscious Bollywood isn’t likely to overlook such mistakes. This may in fact be worse than a wardrobe malfunction. Better be careful. And after the steamy scenes this has become a hot topic of debate on certain websites. Talk about a newcomer being the ‘flavour’ of the season, she sure is the flavour of various discussions right now.

If you’ve been wondering where Neetu Chandra had disappeared after Traffic Signal, here’s news on that front. She’s been busy signing a few plum roles and will soon be seen in as many as five films back to back. So these days, Neetu is on cloud nine and is flashing her most radiant smile at one and all. Work apart, what’s been happening in her life? “I have just shifted to a new house in Mumbai with my brother Nitin Chandra. Now that I have got someone to give me company, I don’t feel bored and lonely anymore,” says the gal. And what about her Mr Right ? “Frankly speaking, I am a tomboy, so finding Mr Right seems a bit of a difficult situation right now. But who knows? We might bump into each other someday!” says Neetu.

Although she may be back from her first stint with Hollywood after wrapping up production on the soon-to-be-released film – The Prince, the Pimp, the Jackal and the Spayed, Kashmera Shah says that she isn’t done with the land of glitz-n-glamour!

Kashmera is in talks with the same producers of her debut Hollywood film to star in not one, but two films that will soon be going on the floors. And guess who might very well be sharing screen space with sexy Kash? None other that the Die Hard hunk Bruce Willis!

“I can’t believe it that I could be doing a film opposite Bruce Willis,” gushes Kash a ‘die hard’ fan of Bruce. “The details of the film have to be ironed out, for which I will be leaving for the States shortly and the film will tentatively roll in October. The producers of The Prince… were very impressed with my work in it and they even referred to me as the Sophia Loren of India.”

The second film in question, Kashmera says is based on the life of the person who’s name has become synonymous with spying, espionage, intrigue, and sensuality – Mata Hari. “I will be playing the title role of the exotic dancer-turned-spy if all goes well,” says an excited Kash. “I have been told that Mata Hari had some Indian blood in her which makes me perfect to essay her role. I am thrilled with these two new developments in my life and I hope and pray I get to do both the films!”