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Honcho in Hollywood
In the city, India-born Hollywood producer Ashok Rao gets talking of success, Slumdog, and more… The CEO of Excalibur
Pictures, Ashok Rao, does not want to talk discuss nineteen to twenty
who he is. He’d rather focus on what brings him to the city. And if
you want to know more on him, let Google unfurl his repertoire in a
chronological order. However, in a country like India, where people
spend most of their time discussing either cricket or Bollywood rumours,
the word ‘Hollywood producer’ will never go unnoticed. More so, if
the producer is an Indian, born in Delhi, who moved to the USA in 1970,
worked for several years in the telecommunications world and founded
Midcom communications in 1990, making the company into the ninth-largest
long-distance telephone American carrier, and making it public in 1995
eventually, you can’t help asking ‘What is an extremely successful
businessman doing in Hollywood’? "I guess, I am answering my
suppressed creative desire, which could have been a financial disaster.
Also, it sounded a good thing to do after my second retirement,"
smiles Ashok Rao, in the city to speak at TIE’s Entrepreneurship
Development Cell at Punjab Engineering College. But the ‘once
clueless guy’ was plain lucky. After successfully handling the
mismanaged Bollywood Bride (crossover movie), he went on savour
the success of Before the Rains, and produced two other
full-length Hollywood feature films—-The Whisperers and The
Lost Tribe. "I went with a clear understanding that I might
have to end up losing my shirt in this venture. But this should not
upset me. If I could somehow manage to pull the mismanaged project, I
thought I could do better than this," says Rao. For this
corporate honcho, who viewed films differently before he turned a
Hollywood producer, his work has made him a good critic. "I don’t
just finance the movies, I am involved in the whole movie-making
process. I am on the sets, in the studio, the lab. All this helps in the
learning process as well," adds Rao. Any hurdles? Rao brushes
aside any. "If you can create a positive impact, people appreciate
and like it." Surprisingly interesting, the ex-president of Enron
Energy Services, still doesn’t think he can handle the song and dance
in Bollywood. "Bollywood is not my expertise. I wouldn’t know
where to start," he says. Is this because Hindi cinema has lacunae?
"Not at all. I believe the post-production in Bollywood is
equivalent to any. We could be lacking in special effects, but there isn’t
much demand for it. Besides, I think Indian crew is better in terms of
their involvement in work, sincerity and energy level."
Bollywood is doing great. So, are the actors. Any favourites, we ask.
" Nasseruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan, Rahul Bose, Anupam Kher, Tabu,
Nandita Das, Sushmita Sen. They are great," smiles Rao. You missed
Amitabh and Shah Rukh Khan? "Oh! They are Brad Pitts and are pretty
good," he adds quickly. A Hollywood producer would certainly have
a take on Slumdog Millionaire? " A fabulous movie,"
offers Rao. "It is a storyteller’s film and not actors. No matter
whether it helped or hurt India’s image, the movie was brilliantly
told. Danny Boyle deserves the Oscars." Oscars. This is always a
big deal. "Yes, it is. Of course it is. I would kill for one. And
anyone who says it isn’t is lying." jasmine@tribunemail.com
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"Mallika can't steal my limelight - never - let her do whatever she does. That's her game. That is not my game. I entertain people. I be myself, do my work in a way that I enjoy and connect with my audience so that they remember my work for at least two years," Irrfan told IANS. He was here Saturday for the launch of the seventh season of MTV's adventure reality show Roadies. Speaking more about Hisss, the actor said, "It's a different kind of action adventure film - a very nice take on a story everyone has seen - Naagin. But through that story, the writer and director have incorporated the elements of how we as human beings call ourselves advanced and evolved, but actually we have made ourselves blind to nature. On the surface, it's just an action sort of a film with lots of nudity and sex and Mallika plays a snakewoman." Irrfan, who played the inspector in Danny Boyle's multiple Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire, said it would be unfair to reveal his part as it will spoil the essence of the film. Other films that he is looking forward to include Sanjay Gupta's Acid Factory and Paan Singh Tomar - both of which have streaks of action and adventure. Why this sudden inclination towards the genre? "I have loved adventure, especially physical sports. When I went to South Africa to shoot for Acid Factory, I sky-dived 18,000 feet. It gives you an adrenaline rush. As for the choice of genre, it's not sudden. People have always taken me as a serious actor but I was dying to tell them I am not. As an actor, I need to do all - comedy, tragedy, action and adventure. I want variety," said the actor. Irrfan is also excited about his stint on MTV Roadies 7, Indian television's longest running reality show. The actor may replace Raghu Ram, to make special appearances on the show to throw open seven twists based on the seven sins - lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride - during the show. "I agreed on this show for two reasons - because I love action and adventure and because I love travelling. Now, I won't be doing action, but I will be compelling the contestants to do a lot of it. I like the show, as it's a test of mental and physical endurance. It gives you a chance to challenge yourself," he said. — IANS
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Action and comedy are boring, says Akshay, who wants some romance now He has done loads of action films and made audiences laugh in rib-tickling comedies, but Bollywood star Akshay Kumar now says he's bored and wants some romance...on screen of course! "I want to do more romance. I've actually gotten bored of comedy and action. Yes, I just want to do some romantic films. And that's what my next thing is going to be," Akshay told Myleen Klass in an interview for CNN's The Screening Room Xtra programme. While his fans enjoyed actioners like Khiladi, Mohra and Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, Akshay also drew audiences for laugh riots Hera Pheri, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Welcome and Sing Is Kinng among others. "I've done quite a lot of comedy now and I don't know sometimes an actor is very sensitive about what he's doing and where he wants to go ahead and do. I know comedy has worked a lot and it has worked brilliantly for me, but now I've want a complete romantic film," said the actor, who entered Bollywood in 1991. One of the highest earning members of the Hindi film industry, Akshay maintains that there is no sure-shot secret to success, but stressed that hard work and being "a producer's actor" is essential. "It's actually your hard work, your punctuality...Even if you're not a good actor, to be a producer's actor is very essential...If you finish your films on time, save a lot of money for the producer. I remember there was a time when I had delivered 14 flops in a row. But I still had movies along with me for a very simple reason, because I was a producer's actor." "I had good films still coming... I had finished all films in a three-month span. Even if they went for loss, they still preferred working with me. And after that, even I thought my career was over. But it still carried on," Akshay added. And luck, he said, is of supreme importance for remaining on top. "I've just been lucky... a lot of times I've watched my films and I felt it's not good. And those films worked. Like I tell you another film of mine was 8x10Tasveer. I love that film... When I saw it, it's good but it didn't work at all. So I don't know exactly what works and what doesn't work. You just flow. I liked Chandni Chowk To China. I did it with Warner Brothers, I was very confident and it didn't work at all." So why didn't it work? "I think it was the storyline. Like Kambakkht Ishq was another film where that combination got together (Bollywood and Hollywood), so that worked. But this one didn't. So it's not the combination, it's actually the script - and sometimes the script doesn't work." The actor also firmly believes that the blessings of his parents too go a long way in making him the star he is today. "I would say my success lies at the feet of my parents because that's been my biggest strength and that's what we Hindus believe in. Every morning before going to work just touch your parents' feet and go ahead in life. That's my personal belief and I followed that in my life. And I told a lot of people and they have also been successful. People may believe it or not, but that's exactly what I believe in," Akshay said. — IANS
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Tere mere beech mein
Farah wants to mediate between SRK and Salman
The choreographer-turned-director, believes that the fight between the actors is getting longer. "I wish I could bridge the gap. I love both of them. It's (the fight) getting longer now," Farah said. Farah, who has turned a chat-show host with Tere Mere Beach Mein had Salman Khan and his mother as her first celebrity guests while she is planning to bring Shah Rukh in the final episode. "Since Salman had never come on a chat show before and was very candid during the show, we made him the first guest. But Shahrukh will be the last one to keep the audience hooked till the end," she says. The two Khans of Bollywood have not been on talking terms since last year, with both taking regular digs at each other in public, after a fight at the birthday party of Salman's girlfriend Katrina Kaif. Interestingly, Shah Rukh owned Red Chillies is one of the producers of the show. Salman and Shah Rukh shared friendly relations in the industry and they even starred together in the 1995 hit movie Karan Arjun. — PTI
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"I love being sexy and I would be happy if people call me sexy even when I turn 100. I would love to be called a sexy grandmother. The tag has never bothered me," Bipasha, who has been named one of the sexiest celebrities of Asia, told PTI in an interview. "If a woman says she does not want to be called attractive then she is foolish. I like being exclusive, the girl-next-door image has never interested me. It is too boring," the actress, who started her Bollywood career with bold characters in Jism and Raaz, says. She, however, believes "sexiness" is not only related to having a good body. "It's not only about having a great body. It is about how you carry yourself, your confidence, your self-respect, these help you look attractive. I am sexy with a mind. It is a complete package." The Bengali beauty is portraying the character of Radhika in Rituparno Ghosh's movie Shob Charitro Kalponik, which deals with love and loss through the story of a woman, who goes on a path of self-discovery after the death of her poet-husband. — PTI
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United colours of
canvassing
It’s election time, and what we see is a mélange of yellow and
orange stickers on the campus
Wear it on your sleeve, put it in the classrooms, how about teacher’s chair, the dais itself is a good idea, we even spotted on a plant inside the department, railing of the staircase, lecture registers, on the leg of the jeans, sleeve of the shirt United colours of elections! And it’s a war of the stickers. The yellow and orange hues to be precise; anyone’s who’s been to campus ever in September, would testify. Did we forget? Oh, the bulletins, walls, notice boards have always been there, what are they for! Trust us guys; we spotted all the party allegiance spilling onto places mentioned above.
Heady heavy cocktail of politics and youth,
can’t get more innovative. "Going by the look of the
university these days, I wonder if it’s an election for the Panjab
University Campus Sticker Competition (PUCSC)," laughs Geetika
Arora, from Kasturba hostel. She adds, "You should come and look at
the hostels and you’ll get the point much better." So what’s
the craziest place they’ve spotted the SOI, SOPU, PUSU bandages on?
"At the places where you cannot even reach and take off the
posters. On the roof tops, the ceilings, and all those up above
places," says Abhinav Sood, final year student, Department of Laws,
PUSU volunteer.
Is anybody forgetting car posters in various shapes and sizes. The windscreen, the rear window, the top left, what not. Hold on, didn’t the recent big bad fight outside U.I.E.T originally occur out of ‘who will paste where and what’. For godsake! Firing? Huh`85and the poor tree outside one of city colleges would still be reeling under the shock called student elections. But why the maddening rush? Laughs Harroop Sandhu, II year student, Department of Laws, SOPU volunteer, "It’s about a wave and at the end of the day it’s a battle of convincing neutral voters whom to vote for. Understandably, every party tries to display its strength and might in whatever way they can, this is just one of the ways." Well said. But what does the boy have to say about, the ‘most neutral of objects’ that tree and many other things that became a victim of party politics? He opines, "Ideally places and things that form part of nature’s beauty should be spared. Who are we to spoil it?" Some are still on the right track. Cheers! manpriya@tribunemail.com
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On way to elections…
How the fourth step of staircase outside ‘Department of Molecular Mathematics’ is not wide enough and the trauma that students have to go through in having to pass through it. The strikes at the drop of a hat, two more strikes and there’s a hattrick! Which party sent the maximum hunger strike candidates to hopsital? What, they’ve increased the fee by one hundred and sixty seven rupees. Gross injustice! Boy, it’s election time. If not exact, but generally that’s the kind of ‘nonsense’ that goes on around the exercise of students adult franchise. “Not that there aren’t issues, it’s just that at times, in a bid to gain attention, a lot of insignificant ones seep in,” shares Ritu Saini, from Savitri Bai hostel. She adds, “These days rather than asking the name or department, they question ‘So what party are you supporting’” What now, is that your identity?” Hold a sec, don’t jump to conclusions, and note the disclaimer. Whatever; we love elections, where else and when else do you get to see the panorama of colours, splash of stickers, the posters of ‘party poster boys’ greeting at the gates of university, the ‘issues and events in the air’. When every little incident rules the city supplement of national dailies the next day. Confides an ex-student of University Institute of Legal Studies, “Last year or maybe last to last year, a boy belonging to a political party picked up a duster in the class and hurled at the campaigning group of other prominent political party. They really become school kids at times.” He adds, “The whole thing went onto become a huge issue seeping into open house debate.” And don’t even mention open house, we’d run out of printing space, narrating the tales. Confides yet another girl student from School of Communication Studies, “Around one year ago, there is this popular among girls student leader of a prominent political party. The other campaigning group can’t accept the fact and begin saying nasty things on the fact that he used gel on his hair! And how the girls shouldn’t go for appearance of candidates while voting. Imagine.” The funny anecdotes, the pot shots taken, the one liners, the promises, the developments that take place and how very less sense prevails, the whole atmosphere’s charged up. Shabnam Bharti, from Department of Laws, after much prodding, reveals, “There is this party, suppose ABCD that comes campaigning in the class. One of the girls asks what’s the full form of ABCD. As soon as they’ve elaborated she again asks, ok so who’s A among you. It was a little hilarious.” But no, nobody’s complaining, the countdown for this year’s begun and active students out in the corridors are any day better than those hibernating in corners. manpriya@tribunemail.com
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What after war cry!
After the storm, the lull! Very soon the elections will be over and so will be the colours on the campus—the campaigning, the crazy madding crowd. Violence, rallies, hysteria, there’s a new development everyday and very soon, it’s all going to stop. We ask the students; are they going to miss the action or do they welcome the peace post-polls? Carry on... I guess, I’m going to miss all the
action. Because right now, there’s so much happening, everything’s
action packed, there’s so much of hullabaloo. Understandably, all this
is going to be missed. Purnima Grover, BFA student
Every
distraction is an attraction
Nooran Garg, BFA student
Aditya Verma, DAV college student
Elections,
not my cup of tea
Geeta Passi, Fine arts student
Elections are also must for student rights.
Whereas the quiet atmosphere too is indispensable for studies. Salinder
Bhalla (J.J), Law Student
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You think you can Dance
The auditions for a dance talent show in the city saw a crowd of enthusiastic dancers
It has something to do with the tag, ‘Premier League’. Whether it was the much talked about Indian Premier League, or Sony’s DPL (Dance Premier League), whose auditions in city at Makhan Shah Lobhana auditorium on Tuesday turned out to be a mixed affair. Word ‘Premier League’ is known to create ripples. Here too, at the DPL auditions an argument between the organisers and journos caused unrest for a brief time. However, oblivious to all this, the contestants jived with enthusiasm. Sony’s Dance Premier League plans to showcase various dance forms in India through 5 teams from different zones (North, East, West, South and Central). Chandigarh centre for auditions goes without saying was dominated by varied colours from the North. Arshdeep Kaur from Mohali, Diksha Suri from Kurali and Tarundeep Doda from Mohali, everyone stepped up to dance to the songs of their choice.
Neeraj Saxena, student of arts from SD college-32 a trained dancer from Shaimak Davar dance classes in Chandigarh was waiting for something like this to happen. "We have so many music talent hunts, but very few dance talent hunts. I am excited about this one. I am a little uncomfortable doing Bhangra, which is a high- energy dance form. Apart from this, I can dance to whatever you want me to." As per the format a celebrity choreographer will mentor each zonal team. At the auditions we got a chance to catch up with Sara Khan from Sony TV’s soap Bidaai. " I will be hosting the show," she divulges. "This is my first stint as an anchor, and I really look forward to." On the criteria set for the auditions, Sara says that they are looking for youngsters who are confident and can present themselves on the stage. "Dance Premier League is certainly on the lookout for best dancers, but we are also looking for confidence and right attitude," says Sara. We also caught sight of Rashpal Kaur (a visually challenged participant from Dance India Dance) register herself for the auditions. Seemingly excited, Rashpal received a roaring welcome from the crowd who recognised the girl who had won choreographer Saroj Khan’s heart with her humility and dedication. jasmine@tribunemail.com
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Gem of an idea
It provides a wonderful platform to the exhibitors to promote their products and brands. The aim of India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) is to gather the potential buyers and sellers from all over the world into a single arena. This year’s IIJS was one of best the shows in terms of design, craftsmanship and quality. It also had international standard booths. Various new trends and designs were witnessed and interesting couture pieces by leading companies were showcased. This year, the central design concept of IIJS was ‘Root Connections’. At the core of IIJS is a sense of stability and connections – of ideas, people, relationships, finance and trade and this was built into the overall design theme.The rich heritage of India’s jewellery craft was also the focus of the Traditional Pavilion. Design themes
There were two extreme themes witnessed, one purely Indian using Indian craft techniques and Indian finishes and the other European and inspired by western influences. Clean-cut lines, geometry and price point conscious. Animal concepts, geometry and roots also continued this year as well. Trends for Mass Produced Precious Studded Jewellery: Ring side view
Rings have always been the hot selling product over the years. Initially, rings were more prominent in western countries given their customs around the wedding band, but now India also displays a great potential to sell a variety of rings. Romantic rings have been noticed this year. Styles with micro-pave platinum settings or carved settings with ornate gallery work, where stones are being used in the settings as well as additional side stones to frame the center stone. Classic, simple bands without gemstones are also in vogue for wedding bands as they last with daily wear. All ears
Simple, elegant earrings are a great and affordable piece for any jewellery collection. These elegant earrings were displayed in a variety of products like hoops, huggies, danglers and studs. Predominantly in white gold, although innovative combinations of diamond and coloured stone with yellow gold and varied finishes were witnessed . Wrist candy
Like necklaces, bracelets are becoming bigger and bolder. Various companies are creating a big look with the use of intricate, open patterns. The designs were often studded or sprinkled with diamond accents to add sparkle. A red-carpet look was also achieved by wearing multiple bracelets. Gold is bold
“There has been a resurgence of gold as a category. 2009 has witnessed a strong revival. Design wise there has been innovation in both lightweight as well as bridal jewellery using gold,”
elaborated Dharmesh Sodah, director, World Gold Council . The brilliance of yellow gold has been witnessed in all the major designers’ work in last year. Diamond dazzle
Cushion-cut diamonds and innovative fancy cuts were the trend. Combination of coloured and white diamonds were also seen. Diamond chips were also innovatively used together to give a bigger look. Rose cuts have also been in trend and used in combination with colour stones and diamonds ‘ observed Chaitali Menda creative head of Studio Reves. Suitable settings
Micro pave and delicate shared prong rings as an alternative to micro pave were seen. Some innovative pieces using invisible settings were also appreciated Couture jewellery
Unlike past seasons, where minimalist clothes demanded that one goes sans jewellery, this season’s looks are best highlighted with statement pieces. Statement necklaces are the choice of both celebrities and brides. A great necklace will really complement a gorgeous dress. Plus, it draws the eyes up toward the face. Drop earrings in bold colours and cuff bracelets are statement jewels that turn a simple sheathe into a stunning outfit. Unique pieces
There were some very unique pieces on display. Uzuri Jewels created a unique necklace called ‘Just Freeze,’ crafted in ice using material like ice, white gold, diamonds, coloured stones and enamel. The piece was refrigerated at – 25 *
. Another interesting piece was made by Sanghvi Devaji & Co using 22k gold bangle, weighing 2792.00 gm. It took eight months for six karigars to finish making this bangle,” said Jagdish S. Mehta, the company spokesperson. |
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Sweet success
Yet another accolade for city artiste Kamal Tewari, for he has been elevated to the national executive board of Rashtriya Sangeet Natak Akademi. Greeted with exuberance in the art circle here, the chairperson of the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi, Kamal Tewari was unanimously elected to the council, which monitors the activities of the akademies in India.
On his prestigious honour to be among 12 executives from artistes in India, Tewari says as an executive representative of four states, he would be in a better position to voice the concerns of artistes and institutions, NGOs for securing grants or organising seminars, workshops beneficial to the propagation of music and theatre in the region. A prolific thespian and an actor with 12 films to his credit, Tewari had led cultural delegations to Russia for the Festival of India as in charge of troupes from four states, which performed at Tashkent, Leningrad, Moscow and other cities. He later led concert tours to Libya, Syria, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia and other countries. He was a delegate member of the Government of India and the National Sangeet Natak Akademi’s entourage to China in 2005. |
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"I am searching for different roles and I refuse to repeat myself. Maybe that is why my career graph has been slightly strange," Tulip said. The 29-year-old actress debuted with a big banner film like Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai in 2002 and went on to deliver a powerhouse performance in Matrubhoomi. "Matrubhoomi is a rare film for an actress. I was offered many scripts with similar kind of role, which I refused. I don't want to be typecast," said the actress. "I am not in any rat race and I am happy to try out different things," said the actress, who is trying her hand at comedy for the first time with her latest film Daddy Cool. — PTI
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Mallika
Sherawat has been grabbing eyeballs with footage of her body-hugging
costumes as a snakewoman in Jennifer Lynch's Hisss, but her co-star
Irrfan Khan is unperturbed and says she cannot overshadow him in the
movie.
Farah Khan, who is a common
friend of Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, wants to
play the peacemaker between the two actors.
Bollywood bombshell Bipasha
Basu may be playing the deglamourised role of a housewife in her first
Bengali movie but the actress says she is happy with the 'sexy' tag as a
girl-next-door look never interested her.
Elections are a lot of fun. It entertains
you all the while; moreover, it’s like a constant conversation topic
you give to students. With rallies happening, free periods, it’s all
fun. There are so many girl candidates too this time, good all the
way.
I’ll surely
welcome the peace post elections. Because we cannot roam around freely
during elections at night. Most of the people associated are drunk. Even
the candidates have to treat hostellers to get votes and all that. It’s
not at all peaceful. 
I’m not at all in the favour of elections and all
the things that accompany it. Plus, there’s so much of money involved
in campaigning and all that, which can be utilized for much productive
purposes.
Depends on time.
Arshdeep
and her friends Ganagdeep, Jyoti and Harkiran, class IX students from
Mohali were eagerly awaiting for the auditions in Chandigarh. "I
have prepared full on," says Gagandeep, a die-hard Madhuri Dixit
fan. "I am not a trained dancer, but I can be a competition to the
best of dancers," she smiles. Today, given a chance she wants to
show her moves on Madhuri’s hit number Humko aaj kal hai intezaar. 
The India International Jewellery Show-2009 held in Mumbai recently is one of the finest jewellery events in the country.
Tulip Joshi admits that her seven-year-long career graph in Bollywood has been strange, blaming it on her quest for different kinds of roles instead of repeating the same ones.