Mrs Bachchan’s compliment for Shah Rukh

MUMBAI: In a recently held film award ceremony Jaya Bachchan referred to Shah Rukh Khan as the Humphrey Bogart of Bollywood.

It was an emotional moment when Amitabh Bachchan, wife Jaya and yesteryear star Dharmendra got together on stage. Also present on the stage were ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ stars Shah Rukh, Preity Zinta and filmmaker Karan Johar.

While Amitabh spoke impressively as usual, Dharmendra made the atmosphere a little emotional with his recollection of early days with Amitabh.

But when the microphone was passed to Jaya Bachchan, she had many things to say. She recalled how scared she was while facing the camera with Dharmendra for the first time in the movie ‘Guddi’.

Then she called SRK, Preity and Karan as her children. But she had a special compliment reserved for SRK.

“He is Humphrey Bogart of India,” said the actress. She then added that the onus to carry the legacy of old-age veterans lies on the shoulders of young people like Shah Rukh.

Salman with Saawan Kumar MUMBAI: After making two films with Salman Khan — ‘Sanam Bewafa’ and ‘Chaand Ka Tukdaa’ — Saawan Kumar is all set to start his third film with the actor. After making ‘Chaand Ka Tukdaa’, the veteran film-maker tried his hand at a number of films, including ‘Dil Pardesi Ho Gayaa’, which was released a few months ago.

The director and actor have decided to join hands yet again. “Salman has been gracious enough to agree to work in my new project,” Saawan says, “However, we’ve yet to work out the modalities, which includes the dates and the other formalities.” Will it be a Muslim social, like Saawan and Salman’s smash hit ‘Sanam Bewafa’? “No, it’s not,” Saawan is quick to clarify, “It’s a present-day love story. It tells the story of a man who can go to extremes to win the love of his beloved.”

Smriti in drug controversy

MUMBAI: Television actress Smriti Irani seems to be in a controversy again. This time it is an ayurvedic medicine called Diabacure that she endorses. The medicine, manufactured by Balchandra Chemical Laboratories, claims to cure diabetes.

The Bombay high court has issued notices to the Union government and the manufacturer, following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against the ‘false claims’ made by the product.

The medicine is advertised on the World Wide Skyshop and is telecast on different television

channels. The PIL has been filed by Mumbai resident Shafi Shaikh. Shaikh’s advocate,

R A Shaikh says, “Diabetes is a disease that can only be controlled with balanced doses of

insulin or hypoglycemic drugs, but cannot be totally cured.”Shaikh disputes the manufacturer’s claim that Diabacure is a pure ayurvedic drug.

Bips to play mom

MUMBAI: The sultry actress has come a long way. Today she is all set to appear as a mother of an eight-year-old boy in Popcorn Entertainment’s ‘Rakht’, directed by Mahesh Manjrekar.

Basu is shooting for the film with Sanjay Dutt and Amrita Arora at Royal Palms. Choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant is busy showing Arora her dance steps. Bips looks mighty excited about the whole thing.

She says: “For the first time I am playing the role of a mother. It’s something completely

different from what I have played before.”Bipasha plays the young widow Drishti in ‘Rakht’. Wasn’t it tough for the sex bombshell to play a mother? “Not really,” she husks, “I have always had this motherly instinct as a child. In all my interviews I have said that I have wanted to have babies since the age of 12. I used to baby-sit all my friends children.” And for Bips that’s quite a lot since she’s only 25 and isn’t a mom yet in real life.

So who is Drishti? “A Tarot card reader who is also gifted with visions of what’s going to happen.” And what did she like about her character? “The fact that Drishti

is a very serene woman. It’s a woman who knows her husband’s passed away but she has not given up in life. She’s not the brooding widow.” And does she look hot and sexy in ‘Rakht’ too? Basu rolls out her sexy laugh, “Why not? A mother could be sexy also in real life. But they can’t be blamed for their looks or way their personality is.