A Producer asked me to sleep with him

Her maiden film as an actress – Hum Sey Hai Jahaan bombed at the box office, but then pretty, dark and smart Vishakha Singh is not unduly perturbed by the fate of the film for the simple reason that even before Hum Sey Hai Jahaan was complete, she had bagged two more films – Abhijeet Sengupta’s Do Aur Do Paanch and Venkatesh Naidu’s Coffee Shop, which are also being readied for an early release.

Born and brought up in Abu Dhabi, Vishakha, who was the cultural captain while she studied in school, is a beauty with brains, having graduated in Business Administration in New Delhi. Vishakha confesses that it was sheer boredom with her internship in a couple of ad agencies that prompted her to try her hands at modeling.

Vishakha continues confessing that her acting stint had actually started right from home when she had lied to her strict father that she wanted to go to Mumbai to do theatre because he was not in favor of letting her act in films.

Vishakha concedes that though it is easy to get offers to act in ad films after giving the auditions, to face the camera and emote and lose one’s inhibitions to a blank lens which is just a piece which does not respond to you is quite a tough task.

“Though I did not learn acting by joining any acting academy, I am glad I was able to understand the medium by facing the camera for ad films.

Though as far as acting was concerned, I was 10 when I embarked on a career in acting, today I feel I can rate myself 4 out of 10, ” Vishakha quips.

Though Vishakha has not acted in any TV serial till date, she says that all the credit for having made her an actress ought to go to Balaji Telefilms which had auditioned her for a role in their popular serial Kasauti Zindagi Ki.

“I was given a two page long dialogue for the scene in which Prerna loses her son. After I had done the scene, I went on crying and was asked to report for the shoot from the next day.

However I decided that I could not suffer doing such scenes for 25 days every month and politely declined the role of Aparna who ends up marrying Mr Basu, ” explains Vishakha.

However, Vishakha says that she does not regret having said no to act in TV serials.

“TV is a very open medium. Touchwood, if my films do not do well at the box office, I am one hundred per cent confident that television is one medium which would still welcome me, with open arms.

I do not mean to look down upon TV. It is just that as of now I want to concentrate all my attention on making a career as an actress in Bollywood, ” Vishakha explores her world of hope.

Whether in Hum Sey Hai Jahaan or Do Aur Do Paanch or for that matter Coffee Shop, Vishakha says that she has made it a point not to expose at all, though it is the latest mantra in Bollywood.

“Losing one’s inhibitions does not at all mean that one should bare one’s clothes but emotions. It is only the director and the script which can convince me as far as agreeing to expose on the screen is concerned, ” bold goes the rising star.

What is Vishakha’s take on exposure? I ask Viashakha. She shoots back, “I have a lot of pride in me.

When I saw Esha Deol appear in a skimpy bikini in Dhoom, my heart sank, because I realized that I stood no chance of saying no to getting into a bikini, if Esha who is from the film industry had to do it. I am not at all a prude.

Though I had turned down Arjun Sablok’s offer to cast me in Niel N Niki in the role in which he had eventually cast Tanisha, because he could not convince me to expose my cleavage almost throughout the film, I’d readily do a lip to lip kissing scene like Rani did in Black if the scene changes the entire narration like it did in Black.”

Is she scared of the syndrome of the casting couch? I ask her.

Without batting her eye lids, she replies, “I am not scared at all of the casting couch, because I’d slap the person if someone makes an attempt, though I do not deny that it does exist.

A Telugu film producer told me on my face to sleep with him if I wanted to act in his film, but he was lucky because I had politely walked out, since I was new then, long before I bagged the offer for my first film.”

In Do Aur Do Paanch, Vishakha plays a typical tapori girl since the film, in her own admission, is a take off on Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, a comedy action film, which has Salman Khan doing a special appearance though the flick has no love triangle at all.

In Coffee Shop, Vishakha plays the role of a painter. “It is about the struggle of the girl who wants to go to the New York School of Fine Arts. Though in real life, I also dabble with painting as a hobby, I am not a M. F. Hussain in real life, though I could identify with the journey of the character that I am playing in Coffee Shop to a large extent, ” Vishakha casts light on her character.

When she met Mashoor Amrohi who has not only played the leading man in Hum Sey Hai Jahaan but also produced, directed, written and choreographed the film, Vishakha says that she could easily gel with him because they belonged to the same age group and there was no communication gap.

“I was relieved to make my debut with a banner which was known to present women in a dignified way”, Vishakha quips and adds that it was a big advantage to her that Mashoor, besides being the leading man, was also the director of the film since she did not have to necessarily look tom the director behind the camera.

Inrterestingly Vishakha’s name was suggested by the unit of Chak De India after she had been rejected by Shimit Amin when she auditioned for the role eventually played in the film by Vidya Malavade, because Shimit did not find her suitable for the matured character.

Vishakha says that her wish list is to act in films like Black and Cheeni Kum since she is a die-hard fan of Rani Mukerjee, Kajol, Tabu, Vidya Balan and Minissha Lamba (“I like Minisha’s choice of films”) as far as actresses are concerned though her staunch favorite among the actors is none other than Hrithik Roshan. “I dote on Hrithik Roshan because he is so devoted to his work”, she concludes.

Theme Ringtones :

Ranbir gets Rs 7 crores for a film

Raj Santoshi is a very happy man.

Belying all rumours of a fall-out with Ajay Devgan Raj Santoshi is all set to make another film with his favourite actor.

“We’re just about to zero- in on the subject. It’s a contemporary film, not the two period films on Emperor Ashok and the Ramayan that we were planning to do together. Those are on hold right now.

For now Ajay and I getting ready for another film, though I’ll definitely make Ramayan and Ashok with him. But we haven’t fallen out just because a couple of our films together haven’t clicked. That’s not how we work.”

For now Raj is on another trip. “I’m finally starting Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani with Ranbir and Katrina from tomorrow (Wednesday).

It’s my first love story, though people seem to think it’s an intense love story. Which it is not. It has lots of very light very humorous moments. I haven’t worked with Ranbir and Katrina before. So I’m really looking forward to that.”

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani is to be shot in Mumbai (from tom) then Goa and finally Italy.

“A lot of elements in Ranbir’s character will remind people of his grandfather Raj Kapoor. I’ve worked with Ranbir’s father in Damini.

When I saw the boy in Saawariya I wanted to work with him immediately. Katrina and I were supposed to do a film that had Shahid in it. That didn’t work out. This is a totally different subject.”

Ask the director about Ranbir’s reported remuneration of Rs 7 crores, and Raj shrugs. “That’s between Ranbir and the producers Tips.”

Oh one more thing. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani also stars Upen Patel.

“It’s a pivotal role. Upen expressed a desire to work with me. We met up. When I narrated the subject he fell in love with it. I’m working with an entirely new team including music composer Pritam.”

Mallika Sherawat’s that one special Kiss – 99 SLAPS 1 KISS

Guess what’s turning out to be the USP of Mallika Sherawat’s upcoming release Ugly Aur Pagli? Those 99 slaps that she has in the offering for Ranvir Shorey.

Believe it or not but in this upcoming riotous comedy from the house of Pritish Nandy Communications, Mallika slaps Ranvir a staggering 99 times

. And all this happens even as the two are shown to be love birds in the film. One wonders if Ranvir was a real sport to this treatment mainly because at the end there was also 1 kiss reserved for him, as indicated by the film’s tagline – 99 SLAPS 1 KISS!

Ugly Aur Pagli is the story of Kabir (Ranvir), a carefree guy who has been studying engineering for ten years now.

However, his life goes through a spin when he meets the quirky and kinky Kuhu (Mallika Sherawat). Though Kabir always wanted a girl to love, never in his wildest dreams had he imagined to come across someone like Kuhu who would make him do crazy things.

And what were these crazy things? Well, nothing less than dancing around circles, run semi naked, ride cycles without seats or wear high heeled ladies shoes! Well, 99 slaps were just a few more add-ons!

A desperate Kabir tries hard to escape Kuhu’s clutches, but in the process only ends up falling in love with her even more! Will he survive all her insane demands and tantrums?

Ugly Aur Pagli brings together Mallika and Ranvir for the second time after Pyaar Ke Side Effects. In fact it is quite a jump for Ranvir who has graduated from being Rahul Bose’s sidekick in Pyaar Ke Side Effects to being the leading man in Ugly Aur Pagli.

So what if his role required him to be a recipient of 99 slaps!

As per the makers of the film, Ugly Aur Pagli is touted to be ‘This Summer’s Craziest Comedy’. Ugly Aur Pagli is directed by debutant film maker Sachin Khot and has music by Anu Malik with lyrics by Amitabh Varma.

Sly Stallone Turns To Bollywood

Hollywood superstar of the ‘Rambo’ fame will be soon seen on the Indian silver screen in Sajid Nadiadwala’s next flick. The actor has been roped by the film maker for his next flick, ‘Kambakkht Ishq’ which also stars Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor. Sylvester Stallone will play himself in the movie.
Exited to see Indian action hero with the one from America??

Priyanka Chopra’s Brave Red Hair Look

When my stylist for the film, Mickey Contractor, told me that I would be sporting red hair in the film, I thought he had lost it. I couldn’t imagine walking up to my dad and telling him that I had to dye my hair red. But when my dad saw me with the new hairdo, he just freaked out. He didn’t speak to me for three days! I love my dark long hair but later I took it as an exciting challenge. I thought this can be a different experience as no other actress has done it before. So I coloured my hair twice in 45 days! I never used to go out and whenever I did, I used to wear a bandana.

Priyanka’s New Look:

Rani slips and falls in her new dream house, injured

It hasn’t been an easy time for Rani Mukherjee. Getting her new dream house constructed proved to be the biggest challenge of her life.

“It was like three films by Mr Yash Chopra, Sanjay Bhansali and Karan Johar all being made simultaneously, I was going mad, ” Rani told a friend.

She had set a deadline for the home to be completed. “It had to be done before her next film (for Yashraj Films) started. And she had to meet the deadline somehow, ” a friend recalls.

To compound her construction woes, Rani recently fell on the steps of her new home and hurt herself.

“Her thumb was badly hurt. For weeks she had to undergo physiotherapy. But before it could heal completely she plunged into cricket practice for her new film with Yashraj where she plays a cricketer.

So the thumb hasn’t had a chance to heal properly. She has been going through a series of misadventures and that’s why she has been keeping out of the limelight.

Earlier Rani got her office ready a year and a half ago. Now her home is finally ready.”

After months and months of living with the heat and dust Rani Mukherjee’s dream house has been opened to close friends like Karan Johar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

“In fact the Mukherjee family moved into Rani’s dream house even while the construction was on. So Rani has been living with the heat dust and hurt thumb for months.”

On Saturday the latch of workers and designers packed their gears and left.

Rani finally heaved a sigh of relief.

Says a source close to Rani, “She’s so relieved. It has been an ordeal for Rani because she couldn’t do anything else until the house was ready. But now when she sees how happy the house has made her family she feels all the effort has been worth it.”

Rani starts shooting with Shahid Kapoor for her new Yashraj Films on June 18.

Suggest me a new marriage date: Rani

The question for the abundantly -talented Rani is, what next? After playing angel in Kunal Kohli’s Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic she is all set to do one more thoroughly unconventional role.

Rani plays a cricketer in Yashraj Films’ next to be directed by debutant Anurag Singh. She’s paired for the first time with Shahid Kapoor in what promises to be a first of its kind not just for the actress but for cinema anywhere.

Laughing her hearty Mukherjee laughter from her swanky new home Rani says, “I don’t know if any actress has played a cricketer before.

But I am playing one for sure. In fact I’ve been learning cricket regularly on the field for the past two months. I can most certainly play the game convincingly now, though not as good as the professionals yet. How convincing I look, we’ll soon know. It’s a very big challenge for me.”

Rani is hungry for new roles. ” At this stage of my career I feel I need new challenges. When Kunal Kohli offered me angel’s role I was kicked. I don’t now of any actress who has played an angel before, do you?”

I remind her of Brad Pitt in Meet Joe Black.

“Also, ” says Rani. “For the first time I was playing a character who couldn’t cry. Now they can stop saying Rani cries so much in all her films. It was pretty cool to play a character who actually doesn’t know how to cry and who had to fly around like Hrithik in Krissh.”

Being suspended on a harness was not easy. “It required a lot of physical strength to assume the correct ‘flying’ posture on the harness. I guess it’d be equally difficult for me to look convincing as a cricketer. But I’m glad to be doing work which challenges.”

So is she equipped to join the ILP now? I quip. “I don’t know about that. But I’m definitely enjoying it. My practical sessions are on full swing.”

So who on earth is Anurag Singh and what gives him the privilege to work with an actress of Rani’s stature?

“That you will have to ask Aditya Chopra. It isn’t as if I haven’t worked with new directors before. I was in Shaad Ali’s first film Saathiya, remember? And Kunal Kohli who has made a beautiful magical film with me now started his career with me in Mujhse Dosti Karoge.”

So after an angel and a cricketer what would Rani like to play? “Maybe an astronaut like Kalpana Chawla. And I’d also love to play a doctor. I’ve never done that before. Come to think of it I’ve never worked with Shahid Kapoor before either. I’m doing so now.”

Isn’t there a danger of her being branded a resident Yashraj heroine since all her recent films have been with that banner alone?

“Why?” Rani shoots back. “Wasn’t Saawariya with Sanjay Leela Bhansali? And if Yashraj is making some of the best films in our country why should I keep out of them just because people are talking?

Incidentally my marriage date February 10, 2008 has come and gone. Would mediapersons like to set another date for me so I can start getting my trousseau ready?”

Gandhigiri Wins National Award

The 54th National Awards saw an undisputed winner in “Lage Raho Munna Bhai.” The movie bagged 4 awards and was declared the Best Entertainer Of The Year. Madhur Bhandarkar received the award for the best director in Traffic Signal and Kabul Express bagged the Indira Gandhi award for being the best movie.

Will Aishwarya play a sex worker?

According to a source plans are afoot to bring Ash and the ethereal Meryl Streep together in an American production of Chaos.

Says a source, “They ran the concept with Meryl and Ash and they were game .They need to Americanize the theme because Chaos was a very French movie. But yes, in principle Ash is on for this film.”

Another international project that Aishwarya has given the nod to is Roland Joffe’s Singularity with Brendan Fraser.

Speaking on Singularity Ash says, “I’ve asked them for the final draft of the script. Now the time factor has to be worked out. The time they want is devoted to Mani Sir (Ratnam)’s project.

New dates have to be worked out. There’re so many projects that I want to do but because of the dates or a delay I can’t. There’re only that number of assignments I can take on. I’ve never done more work that I can do. I never can.”

In the meanwhile Aishwarya gets ready to shoot for Shankar’s Robot and Mani Ratnam’s film with Abhishek.

Informs the actress, “There has been a little delay in Shankar’s Robot because of his writer Sujata’s death. That has delayed Robot a bit. All kinds of rumours have been floated about the project.

The dates situation does get tighter for me because I was supposed to shoot Robot now and Mani Sir’s film a little later during the year. We just have to work under a tighter schedule now.”

Shahid and Priyanka’s first movie together: KAMINE

Well the title for Shahid’s upcoming flick is really strange. As reported earlier Vishal Bhardwaj has signed Shahid Kapoor for his next movie and Shahid will have double role in Kamine.

A source said, “Shahid will have two interesting roles in the film. It is also believed that Priyanka Chopra has been signed as the leading leady for this film”. This is for the first time that Shahid and Priyanka Chopra will be paired opposite each other.”

Vishal Bharadwaj had earlier worker with Shahid Kapoor’s father Pankaj Kapoor in Maqbool and Blue Umbrella. Vishal is hoping that Shahid Kapoor matches the success of his father in Kamine.

I wonder why the film is called Kamine, it would have been better to call it Kutte Kamine since there is a double role in the movie.