I don’t think I am that sexy: John

On a warm Thursday afternoon we headed to a film city to catch up with Bollywood dreamboat John Abraham who’s shooting for David Dhawan’s Hook Ya Crook. In real life, the headturner exudes easy charm, flashes his trademark dimpled smile and settles down for an interview in between shots.

Exclusive excerpts from an interview:

This is the first time you are doing a film with Genelia D’Souza, who’s also a big name in Telugu films. What’s it like working with her?
She’s great to work with. She’s normal. It’s hard to find normal people these days!

You were injured while shooting for this film. Have you recovered completely?
Every third day I am hurt (shows a gaping cut on his finger).

Tell us more about your role in the film?
Okay, I play the role of Viraj, who loves cricket. Then an incident happens in his life that lands him in prison. When I read the first draft of the script written by Renzil D’Silva, I immediately knew that this was the kind of role I always wanted to do. When I came to know that David Dhawan was directing the film, I knew that this would be one laughter riot.

Is this film a sports-thriller?
I don’t know about this new genre, but it’s a fun prison film and there’s a lot of cricket in the film. The prisoners play cricket with passion –– it’s a fight between two gangs. I was coached by Dinesh Lad, Rohit Sharma’s coach. Dinesh is so dedicated that even when I am shooting, he calls me up and says, “John, practice ke liye aa jao!” He says he wants me to be the first star to play world class cricket. I also value the suggestions my good friend Mahi (MS Dhoni) gives me. I learnt how to hold the bat right, from him.

We hear you are on a special diet these days?
Well, I do have a diet and exercise regime. A gym has been set up for me with a treadmill, home gym, Swiss balls, mats, etc. The whole cast comes and works out at the gym. I eat egg whites in any form, tuna sandwiches, brown bread and pulsed tofu.

What’s your take on marriage and how does it feel like to be called the ‘Sexiest man in Asia’?
Marriage is an institution. It needs to be respected. Coming to the ‘sexiest man’ tag, I don’t think I’m ‘tha-a-a-t’ sexy. It’s a great compliment, nevertheless.

What are the films you are working on next?
I have plans of co-producing a film with Sabal Shekawat. It’s an action thriller, a genre I’ve never done before. And I’d love to do an Anurag Kashyap film any day.

Any Hollywood projects?
Is it important to do a Hollywood film? I’d like it the other way round — what about my films going international?

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Censor raises finger on Preity's next

Filmmaker Deepa Mehta whose forthcoming film is the Preity Zinta starrer Videsh (earlier titled Heaven on Earth), has run into a spot of trouble with the Censor Board.

During a screening session last evening, the Censor Board felt that the film shows too much violence being inflicted on Preity and consequently insisted on some cuts, which would make the film look less gory. The film is based on domestic violence.

Now, Deepa Mehta has to once again show the edited version to the Censor Board before she gets the green signal to release the film.

Deepa Mehta’s representative who was present at the screening wanted a U/A certificate, but the Censors refused to relent unless several violent scenes where Preity is battered by her husband (played by Vansh Bhardwaj) are toned down.

Vinayak Azad, Regional Officer, Censor Board, confirmed and said, “We have asked them to tone down the domestic violence scenes by 50 per cent. And we had one more objection. The film has used expletives too, which will have to be either beeped or deleted.”

“We will review the film once again after they make the cuts which we have asked for,” Azad added.
Incidentally, Preity received the Silver Hugo Award for best actress in the Feature Film Competition section at the 44th Chicago International Film Festival, for Videsh.

Preity was quite disturbed after she shot for the scenes in which she was beaten up and humiliated by Vansh. Talking about the experience of working in Videsh, Preity had said in an interview, “I remember asking a woman, who was a victim of domestic violence and had left her husband, what the turning point in her relationship was and she said, ‘I told my husband if you want to beat me, beat me in the bedroom, don’t beat me in front of the family.’ I could never understand that. It’s terrible. I really didn’t know what it was to be in a situation like this till I actually did the film.”

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Bipasha wants some action

Kudos to Bipasha Basu.

She’s trying to be different, ok? What with her taking on roles like the one in Bachna Ae Haseeno, the soon to be releasing Aa Dekhen Zara or even her forthcoming Pankh. But if variety is the spice of life, Basu wants hers to be spicier. She wants to kill some ‘Bills’ now. Nah, this has nothing to do with recession, instead it has everything to do with daredevil acts in the movies. The girl wants to do an action flick ala Kill Bill, and is desperately looking out for an action-packed flick that’s going to give her scope to flex those lovely legs of hers. Bring it on, Bips.

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Deepika sizzles on ramp

It’s a model arrangement – with so many models making the jump to films, the Bollywood showstopper at designers’ shows already knows the ropes.

And Deepika Padukone, who walked the ramp for Tarun Tahiliani at the Delhi Fashion Week, was in her element. The looker was a natural on the ramp, and she felt at home on it, too. “Delhi is the hub of fashion and where I started modelling,” she said.

So, has a lot changed since her days as a model? “The scene backstage was almost the same. The only new thing was the many international faces, which is encouraging,” she says.

Deepika is now based in Mumbai, but she’s all for Delhi designers. “The clothes that they make are wearable and very creative,” she says. Maybe that’s why she’s coming back to walk the ramp again this week – at the Wills Lifestyle India fashion Week, for Ranna Gill and Rina Dhaka, and she says she’s going to catch up with friends in Delhi.

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'Slumdog' kids turn models at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week

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Directors pick Rani's best

Rani Mukerji turns 31 today. As she celebrates her birthday, we spoke to some of the directors she has worked with and they are well, (almost) unanimous in their decision that Black is her best performance so far. Read on to find out.

Vikram Bhatt, Director, Ghulam: Black would be my favourite performance of Rani Mukerji. It takes a lot of courage for an actress to de-glamorize herself and makes faces. It is very important for actresses to look pretty all the time and for an actress to sell all that for a performance that it noticed in mainstream Bollywood is commendable

Goldie Behl, Director, Bas Itna sa Khwaab Hai: I think everyone’s favourite performance if Rani would have to be Black and there are no two ways about it. I was awestruck by the way she carried herself and communicated without saying a single word. It was a sensational performance right from the first frame where she walks towards the Church.

Tarun Mansukhani, Assistant Director on Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Paheli and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna: I loved Rani in Black. My favourite scene in the movie is when she calls her mother to tell her she has failed. It is am amazing piece of work to say so much without speaking a word. She makes you cry and feel your own failures and then realize that we are all the same and go through the same emotions in life.

Aziz Mirza, Director, Chalte Chalte: Rani is a very fine, natural actress. No matter what the roles, she shines in all her performances. I can’t pick a favourite performance. She was brilliant in Black and very good in Chalte Chalte.

Ravi Chopra, Director, Baabul: Black has to be Rani’s best performance. She was terrific, she made me believe she was the character she was playing and not anyone else. You felt for her character. My favourite scene was the last scene in which she gets her degree.

Kunal Kohli, Director, Hum Tum, Mujhse Dosti Karoge and Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic: My favourite Rani film and performance would have to be Hum Tum. It was the first film with which I got success and she got her first best actress awards at all the functions. More importantly, she was a big support to me during the making of the film and I will always remember her very warmly for that.

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Preity Zinta: I am in a content and happy space now

Preity Zinta is a Bollywood icon but when it comes to numbers, she is not part of the top three. Younger actresses like Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra have taken her place. She gives us her take on competition.

“When I entered the industry ten years ago, I said that there will always be someone younger and hungrier standing behind you to take your place. At that time, I was the younger and hungrier person. Today, I want different things. What I wanted ten years ago, I don’t want that now. There are bigger mountains for me to climb. If I start comparing myself to the younger, newer heroines, or compare what I am now to what I was ten years ago, it would be a very sad situation for me. Competition is healthy but if it depresses and worries you, you must be a very insecure person with low self esteem. I am a very secure person from within”, asserts the vivacious Miss Zinta.

Preity explains she wants different things in life now. “I want a lot of growth in other areas of my life. Even film wise, the films I want to do now are not the ones the younger girls are doing. I don’t want to sound presumptuous but I turned down a lot of these roles and other people went ahead and did them. I don’t talk about it because I don’t think it is cool. So I think as an individual who is secure within oneself, every day is a new day and once you achieve what you have aspired to achieve, you go for a higher goal, you go for a different dream. The dream and success that you have realised isn’t that sweet if you keep sticking onto it. You have to go for higher ground, to a newer dream and ambition. I am in a very happy and content space today. The films that I am doing today are very different from what I did earlier because even the actor within me has grown up. Two years ago, I was frustrated because I didn’t feel I was growing as an actor. Five years from now, I will want to achieve something else and totally different from what I want now.”

And Preity has already garnered praise for her stellar performance in the independent film Videsh: Heaven on Earth. “The film has made a lot of money abroad. Foreigners have understood the message of the film completely. I was even nominated for the Genie Awards, which is the Canadian equivalent of the Oscars, alongside Susan Sarandon, so that felt amazing. I remember at the first screening in Toronto, a famous American actress from the 70s grabbed my arm and said, “Where have you been hiding? You are such a talent!” It feels great that I have done something different and I am being appreciated for that. Now I just want people in India to like the film,” signs off the actress.

Videsh: Heaven on Earth hits Indian theatres on March 27.

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Lara Dutta’s modest avatar!

Lara Dutta’s oomphalicious looks in her forthcoming film Blue are already becoming the talk of tinselville. And with good reason.

Those who’ve seen the promos swear by her sizzling hot avatar. And director Anthony D’Souza credits it completely to the Bollywood actress. “Once we explained the required look to Lara, she just gave it her 100 per cent. She was really determined and regular with her work outs and diets,” he revealed. However, Lara on her part prefers to be modest about it. “Well, the role required me to be really fit and I just concentrated on that,” added Lara. Well, it’s not surprising then that the compliments flowing your way too seem to ‘fit’ you completely.

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