The ever-popular Juhi
By Madhur Mittal

WITHOUT in the least having any intention of running down the popularity of Juhi Chawla as a heroine the cinegoers don’t mind seeing on the screen time and again, I must add that she does have an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time... thereby getting piled on with unexpected offers by proxy, as it were.

Remember it first happened when Sridevi’s love liaison with Boney Kapoor became public? As Sri tried to withdraw into the shadows of the wings, Ms Chawla suddenly found herself centrestage in the limelight. The next time a rather similar situation came her way was when "queen" Madhuri Dixit’s films flopped in a row and Juhi found herself being raised to the (exalted) pedestal of Numero Uno, yeah?

Well, yet another professional windfall has hit our girl once more! And, do you know who is responsible for it this time? That’s right — none other than the year’s "Best Actress" awards sweeper, Kajol! You see, by (finally) becoming Mrs Ajay Devgun officially, and promptly whizzing off on an extended honeymoon circling half the globe, she has not only left a number of filmmakers stuck with her starrers hanging fire in various stages of (in) completion... she has also left the filmi field wide open for other heroines to make the most of. So, take a wild guess as to which leading lady the producers are now abruptly chasing (even for their original Kajol movies) It’s the ever smiling Juhi Ji all over again!

Sanjay Dutt

Incidentally , Juhi has a very strong and staunch supporter in Sanjay Dutt. According to a producer (who, understandably, would prefer to remain unnamed), macho Sanju has been flexing his muscles to "promote" and "highly recommend" Juhi as the leading lady for not only his own starrers — but generally, as well....

While I may not myself subscribe to the view, the industry wags are already having a field day insinuating that, thanks to the torrid love scenes and the rain-drenched dances — the two have done in the forthcoming film, Safari, that this newfound foundness has suddenly surfaced! After all, the film is being promoted as "Love At Its Wildest", get me?Phew, it’s hot out there, folks!

They’re still laughing!

I’m telling you, the distinguished guests who’d gathered for the Filmfare Awards nite, are still doubling over with laughter at one of the so-called "highlight" presentations of the evening — namely, the one staged by Gulshan Grover and Kashmira Shah!

Now, with the damn good bad man and the damn bad good girl of Bollywood coming together, expectations expectedly ran high, was easily evident from the deafening cheers from the audience that greeted these two performers into the laserlite. However, hardly a few minutes into their act... and virtually the entire Andheri Sports Complex was guffawing away to glory! And the best part is that the item was in no way intended to be a comic one giggle: The whole concept (and execution) was so directionless and hotch-potch, that the laughter was even greater than when Johnny Lever had the audience cracking up! Don’t miss the chance if the show is aired again. But, a word of friendly caution: Do not watch on a full stomach.

Money talks

Can’t help talking about awards. The air here in Mumbai has been too full of them tumbling one after another. However, this snippet is on a youngster who has not quite been featured in these columns before — Fardeen Khan, the good looking son of (better looking) dad, actor-filmmaker Feroz Khan.

He and his family is thrilled that he bagged the Best Actor Debut trophy for Prem Aggan. But there happens to be someone who is simmering over it! Yes, it’s his debutante heroine — Meghna Kothari. She is feeling pretty cut up with the ignominy the industry has apparently showered on her. Because, Meghna is of the (personal) opinion that she was the most obvious and deserving choice for the award of "Best Female Debut"... considering the lengths — and ‘shorts’ — she went to ensure and abandoned display of her body beautiful in the film. "All these so-called genuine appreciation awards are a farce — sheer bullcrap. Only money talks "

Hey! Don’t let the biggie sponsors hear you, dear Meghna......!