Surprise B’day for Abhishek

MUMBAI: Poor Abhishek Bachchan! On the day of his birthday, the guy was shooting at Mumbai’s Filmcity. He had no plans to celebrate it. “I will just go home and go to sleep,” he said. But he was in for a surprise. Father Amitabh Bachchan came to pick him up on the sets. Once they reached home, Abhishek was surprised to see Apurva Lakhia, Sonali Bendre and Goldie Behl waiting for him. And they were not the only ones to wish the birthday boy. Sanjay Dutt, Aishwarya Rai, Suniel and Mana Shetty, Amisha, Tabu, Manisha, Preity, Urmila, Tara Sharma, Akshaye Khanna and Rajkumar Santoshi. Bachchan loyalists Amar Singh, Anil and Tina Ambani were also present at the surprise bash. This will definitely be a birthday Abhishek will not forget soon.

Farah, Anu and Panchamda

MUMBAI: If Farah Khan is making ‘Main Hoon Na’, it is thanks to late music director RD Burman who has been her source of inspiration. Music director Anu Malik had been strictly instructed to tune the music in Panchamda style. Of course, being a fan of Burman himself, Anu had no problems at all. So, don’t be surprised to hear wonderful Panchamda tunes in ‘Mani Hoon Na’ starring Shahrukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Zayad Khan and Amrita Rao. Suneil Shetty plays a “special” role in the film.

Maqbool director signs Preity

MUMBAI: Vishal Bharadwaj the director of the recently released film ‘Maqbool’ has already started working on his next project. The film, which is titled ‘Mantra’, will have Preity Zinta playing the lead, as that was also the choice of the producer of the film Shekhar Kapur.

Shekhar Kapur decided to get Vishal to direct the film after watching ‘Maqbool’ at the Marrakech Film Festival in Morocco.

‘Hot’ Lara is a cool girl

MUMBAI: Although former Miss Universe Lara Dutta may have donned skimpy outfits on screen, in real life she is a simple girl with Indian values. Don’t misjudge Lara from her ‘hot’ item number “Aisa Jadoo” in Raj Kumar Santoshi’s ‘Khakee’. Beneath the veneer of the sophistication that Lara conveys, there is a girl with values deeply rooted in Indian tradition.

During an interview Lara said: “Though I’ve been exposed to a lot of influences, I basically come from a traditional Punjabi family. That, I think, gives me an edge. I can be sensuous as well as the girl next door. I may have exposed my bellybutton in films. But in real life I’ve never worn a top that exposes my midriff.”

Lara is quite satisfied that she has been able to make her place in the tinsel town despite not having come from filmy background or without any formal training in acting.

“A lot of hard work has gone into getting here, to prove that I’m not just a flash in the pan,” Lara said.

What ruffled Bachchan?

MUMBAI: The Zee Cinema awards have left a bad taste for Amitabh Bachchan. The superstar will perhaps never forget the day late last month when fans mobbed him at the awards ceremony in Dubai because he had been seated with the public in the 15th row.

“What can I say? If they thought I was suited for the 15th row, so be it. It’s my friend and brother (politician) Amar Singh who took offence on my behalf,” Bachchan said.

Initially, he had refused to attend the event because of his chock-a-block schedule. Singh offered to get the Ambanis’ plane to fly him to Dubai and back to Mumbai within a few hours.

But he was given a seat in the 15th row. At this, Singh blew his top and decided to leave with Bachchan. “We came here at our own cost, defying Bachchan’s impossible schedules, only to be treated like this?” Singh asked in front of scores of spectators.

After the seating fiasco, when Bachchan’s name was called on stage he wasn’t aware whether he was being called to give or receive an award.

Later, when Singh went backstage to give away an award, Shah Rukh Khan approached Singh on behalf of the organisers. But Singh refused to accept their apology. — HNS