Ballroom dance

Mona

Day: Tuesday, Venue: JW Marriott. The King and Queen of the Punjabi cinema are due to make an appearance with in half-an-hour of each other, albeit for different reasons…King Diljit Dosanjh is to announce a short film, yes, a short Punjabi film, and Queen Neeru Bajwa to launch an apparel collection. As one goes from one ballroom to another (it is just a wall separating the venues), our Queen makes sure we don’t have to hurry with the King! And, how…

Diljit haazir hai…

Diljit Dosanjh is calm, composed, sober, sweet and reticent at the film event. He declares his faith in director Baljinder S Mahant and format he has chosen. “Ishq Haazir Hai a short love story. I guess it’s my first proper romantic role. And, I have sung a romantic number too,” opens up the actor who has been ruling Pollywood. The short film, due to be released around Valentine’s Day, talks about the story of a Prince, and his love.

Director Baljinder S Mahant does the rest of the talking, “In Punjabi film industry, expenses have really shot up and returns are not certain. Director, producers play safe and go for romantic comedies that have been a genre well accepted by the audience. With short films, I wish to try out different genres and who knows if they click, producers are ready to invest in say… a murder mystery.”

Ishq Haazir Hai has Wamiqa Gabbi playing Diljit’s lady love.

Twenty-fives minutes in total with a song, the movie was shot in the beginning of January. Ask Diljit, if he found the experience different from the commercial films, “Not really. I only say my dialogues and make sure I get to sing, I did both in this. Yes, it’s a break from what I have usually done. When picking songs one aims at foot-tapping numbers that ensure one gets shows too, but here it’s pure romance.”

Yes, Ishq Haazir Hai, interests us with a Youtube launch, jointly produced by Filmyshots and Prinday; but with Diljit around, how we can resist asking about his much talked about Bollywood debut. Our hero skirts the issue, brings you back on Ishq Haazir Hai, mentions his upcoming films Sardaar Ji and Mukhtiar Chadha. Udta Punjab isn’t even mentioned. While he keeps mum on Udta Punjab, ask him on his favourite co-actor, pat comes the reply — Neeru Bajwa.

A little birdie tells us that the Pollywood superstar has film offers from Bollywood everyday but Diljit wants to make sure that he gets as much screen space as his leading lady (touted to be Kareena Kapoor in Udta Punjab) and the turban stays!

Dressing for the occasion

If our King is all humble, our Queen is … how she is supposed to be. The organisers have hard time keeping the invitees waiting; the director of the designer label Sahiba making an announcement time and again that she is going to make an appearance in two minutes. Late by little over an hour, she makes a grand entry with three bouncers in tow. Without wasting a minute (or apologising for the delay) she gets straight to the point. “I chose Sahiba for three reasons — its quality, affordability and style,” says the leading lady as she unveils the catalogue.

“For me comfort is the key,” says Neeru as she invites attention on the pretty purple suit with printed dupatta and embroidered churiddar she is wearing, “In a suit like this, I can run around different events. I am here from a shooting and have to go back. And, it’s not ordinary, some thought has gone into designing it” she declares.

Ask her if she could design, what would be her style, and she chooses comfort, names Sabyasachi to be her favourite designer and as she answers the questions she too gets busy checking out the catalogue that has her shot in mustard fields. Her style? “Well it varies, depends on my mood. Sometimes I like to be in saris or Patiala salwars.” Her favourire colour? “Yellow,” comes the quick answer.

Our Queen marches out in a hurry. About Sahiba — this

Surat-based apparel concern has Neeru as their face in the North for their last three collections. Director Sabby Saluja explains, “I didn’t know about Neeru Bajwa two or three years back. Once we got to know about the booming industry and Neeru being the most popular actress, we chose her to be our brand ambassador. Women want to dress up as their icons and who is better than her.”

If Neeru is the face in the North, Sahiba also has on board Jacqueline Fernandez. Their upcoming summer collection has unstitched cotton suits in cotton from a price range of Rs 450 to Rs 600. Their saris start from Rs 350 to Rs 2,500. Being available at all leading retailers, including Kohinoor in Chandigarh, Sahiba has on board two new designers —Rajdeep Ranawat and Pakistani Maria B.

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If Neeru is the face in the North, Sahiba also has on board Jacqueline Fernandez. Their upcoming summer collection Pattiyalla has unstitched cotton suits in cotton from a price range of Rs 450 to Rs 600. Their saris start from Rs 350 to Rs 2,500. Being available at all leading retailers, including Kohinoor in Chandigarh, Sahiba has on board two new designers —Rajdeep Ranawat and Pakistani Maria B.