I have met a lot of stars in the course of my career, but there is still something surreal about sitting in front of Shahrukh Khan, in his makeup van, as he makes his phone calls, mattifies his face for the next shot and rifles through the wardrobe, discarding some clothes and approving of others...definitely surreal, and very, very special.
SRK's intelligence literally radiates off him in waves...he is not one for frivolous answers or brainless interviews. Ask him something that's too superfluous, and he will patiently explain to you why its not a good idea to print something so "childish"...he tells me he is too old for believing in New Year resolutions, and that at the age of 40 there is little about women that he can claim to not understand. Is there anything that he thinks women should understand about men?? Honest to a fault, he says that he is not a "man's man", but he does hear his friends cribbing about how their women don't allow them to just hang out with their men friends, shoot some pool, guzzle some beers...but, of course, since some men exploit this freedom when its given to them, maybe women are smart to keep them on a short rope. So says SRK :)
He wants to know what we are doing pegging him for a sexy photo shoot...why not someone younger?? Good question. Why do women continue to swoon over this 40-year-old actor with two kids and a marriage that has already lasted almost two decades?? I don't know, and I don't care. Bottom line is that SRK has an appeal that just seems to increase with time...and its not the kind of respect that women have for Amitabh Bachchan. SRK is the ultimate romantic, the ultimate fantasy...the guy everyone thinks of as the perfect boyfriend or husband. He is glamour and superstardom and the boy-next-door rolled into one. The characters he plays all seem so real, so accessible that the dream seems worth striving for.
But is this what SRK is like in real life? Is he truly perfect? I don't know, and I don't care...all I know is that when he holds a door open for you, when he gets up and carries over a chair for you and when he casually puts his hand on your shoulder or touches your hand to emphasise a point that he is trying to make, its a totally fabulous experience. I am a cynic...I tend to take most stars with a pinch of salt now, but this is not an interview I am going to forget in a hurry.
December 28, 2005
December 21, 2005
It's winter time again :)
Yup, winter has finally arrived in Bombay, and if you have noticed that huge smiley on top, you will know that I aboslutely love this season!!!!!
Its not only the chill in the air - even the light has changed...its become softer, more bluish-grey with a hint of silver shimmer rather than the blazing yellows of the past few months, the haze softens the city's edges and makes everything seem just a little more appealing, makes life (even in Bombay) appear a little slower and more relaxed. And through the Bombay fog has nothing on Delhi's, I can't even catch a glimpse of Oberoi and NCPA, which lie just across the water from my house. It sort of makes you feel like you are all alone in the world, which is a beautiful thing :)
Its not only the chill in the air - even the light has changed...its become softer, more bluish-grey with a hint of silver shimmer rather than the blazing yellows of the past few months, the haze softens the city's edges and makes everything seem just a little more appealing, makes life (even in Bombay) appear a little slower and more relaxed. And through the Bombay fog has nothing on Delhi's, I can't even catch a glimpse of Oberoi and NCPA, which lie just across the water from my house. It sort of makes you feel like you are all alone in the world, which is a beautiful thing :)
December 11, 2005
Bollywood woes...
Bollywood is jinxed...Amitabh Bachchan is laid up with abdominal surgery which has all his fans (and advertisers) extremely worried, John Abraham is out with typhoid and now Saif Khan got arrested for knocking over a teenage boy while driving. Fortunately, the boy did not suffer too many injuries and Saif tested negative on the alcohol breath analyzer test - nobody wants a repeat of the Salman Khan scenario from a few years back!
Incidentally, have you ever been on a Bollywood set?? I highly recommend that everyone should see a film shooting at least once - it will immediately disabuse of the notions that films are all about glamour and that actors have it easy. Its really, really hard work, and the makeup, sweltering lights and endless costume changes are not easy either. Was watching Sushmita Sen shoot a dance sequence yesterday...I got exhausted just sitting on a chair and watching. She must have been dead at the end of it.
2006, btw, is definitely going to be Sushmita's year to rock! Despite being a phenomenal actress, the lady has had a penchant for peppering her career with some mediocre stuff amidst flashes of brilliance. But starting with Chingari, she has some terrific projects going which are simply going to blow the competition right out of the water. Go girl!!!!!!
Incidentally, have you ever been on a Bollywood set?? I highly recommend that everyone should see a film shooting at least once - it will immediately disabuse of the notions that films are all about glamour and that actors have it easy. Its really, really hard work, and the makeup, sweltering lights and endless costume changes are not easy either. Was watching Sushmita Sen shoot a dance sequence yesterday...I got exhausted just sitting on a chair and watching. She must have been dead at the end of it.
2006, btw, is definitely going to be Sushmita's year to rock! Despite being a phenomenal actress, the lady has had a penchant for peppering her career with some mediocre stuff amidst flashes of brilliance. But starting with Chingari, she has some terrific projects going which are simply going to blow the competition right out of the water. Go girl!!!!!!
December 08, 2005
An unknown Bombay...
Sometimes its really revealing to see the city you live in through a tourist's eyes. Just had some cousins down from Aussie-land, and spent three days showing them around Bombay - and came away with a renewed sense of wonder about the city I have started taking for granted in the past couple of years. They were bowled over by the strangest of things:
1. Bombay's black-n-yellow taxis: Have you ever noticed how customised and ornate some of the interiors can be? We actually found cabs with chandeliers replacing the ceiling bulb, hand painted seats, and much more. Ritu spent the better part of two nights trying to catch the neon blue-lit cabs on a camera!!
2. The sheer number of top-of-the-line BMWs, Porsches, Lancers et al on Bombay roads.
3. The vast variety of indigenous cuisines - especially the seafood at Mahesh Lunch Home and the Parsi dhansak at Paradise.
4. The phenomenal in-house DJ and percussionist at Seijo & the Soul Dish - they fell so in love with the place that I was dragged back there every single night, which is phenomenal coming from people who hail from Australia, a land renown for its pubs and night spots.
5. The fact, that depsite having great places like Seijo, Bombay's nightlife is dying out - the main culprit being the 1 am curfew. They simply could not believe that such antiquated rules could be enforced in a major metro like this!!
6. The amazing stuff that you can find at the pavement stalls in Colaba Causeway - semiprecious beads, costume jewelry, hip clothes, CDs, funky bags...I never realised that it was such a treasure trove.
7. How staggeringly low the prices for CDs, books and magazines is in this country, in comparison to international standards.
8. How the surrounding waters are such an integral part of daily living. There are few other cities in the world that are so intrinsically built around the ocean, and where the waters are never more than a few feet away from wherever you might be.
So, thats our list - would love to hear what you think makes Bombay unique??
1. Bombay's black-n-yellow taxis: Have you ever noticed how customised and ornate some of the interiors can be? We actually found cabs with chandeliers replacing the ceiling bulb, hand painted seats, and much more. Ritu spent the better part of two nights trying to catch the neon blue-lit cabs on a camera!!
2. The sheer number of top-of-the-line BMWs, Porsches, Lancers et al on Bombay roads.
3. The vast variety of indigenous cuisines - especially the seafood at Mahesh Lunch Home and the Parsi dhansak at Paradise.
4. The phenomenal in-house DJ and percussionist at Seijo & the Soul Dish - they fell so in love with the place that I was dragged back there every single night, which is phenomenal coming from people who hail from Australia, a land renown for its pubs and night spots.
5. The fact, that depsite having great places like Seijo, Bombay's nightlife is dying out - the main culprit being the 1 am curfew. They simply could not believe that such antiquated rules could be enforced in a major metro like this!!
6. The amazing stuff that you can find at the pavement stalls in Colaba Causeway - semiprecious beads, costume jewelry, hip clothes, CDs, funky bags...I never realised that it was such a treasure trove.
7. How staggeringly low the prices for CDs, books and magazines is in this country, in comparison to international standards.
8. How the surrounding waters are such an integral part of daily living. There are few other cities in the world that are so intrinsically built around the ocean, and where the waters are never more than a few feet away from wherever you might be.
So, thats our list - would love to hear what you think makes Bombay unique??
December 01, 2005
Cosmopolitan goes bridal
As if my parents were not enough, now it seems that my magazine is conspiring against me as well - yup, Cosmopolitan has just come out with a special Bride issue!!
Fun as it was to put this very new kind of thing together, it also made me realise that marriage might not be a bad deal after all. I mean, so many people seem to be having a ball when they get married...maybe its worth giving it a shot after all? If nothing else, its a great excuse to splurge on oneself. The shopaholic in me is already rejoicing :)
Incidentally, this Cosmo Bride issue also marks two new innovations - its the first time that a niche lifestyle magazine in India is publishing fortnightly, and the size is also different. Its a pretty exciting package. I know that I am going to preserve my copy on the off chance that wedding bells might chime sometime in the coming year :) :)
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