Meghna Gulzar pens

father’s biography

MUMBAI: Filmmaker Meghna Gulzar has penned an intimate, pictorially expressive biography on her father, celebrated lyricist and writer Gulzar. Entitled Because He Is..., the 182-page jottings record a seamless poet’s journey from a motor workshop to filmmaking.

Meghna moves from moments before her birth and then joins her father on his fascinating journey through a labyrinth of creative connections and convictions.

Meghna, who’s now busy casting for her second feature film Mehfooz, said she wrote her father’s biography and her script in tandem.

What about a similar rumination on her mother, actress Raakhee? “No. not possible. My mother doesn’t want her life to be recorded in a book, and I respect her wishes. However, since I intend to continue writing, I’ll certainly bring her into my prose in one way or another.”

Bips loves being sex symbol

MUMBAI: Bollywood star Bipasha Basu says she loves being portrayed as a sex symbol. “I love the image,” Bipasha told when asked if she liked being typecast as the sex siren of Hindi film industry. She added: “If you see in all my movies I’m playing the lead protagonist, which means a big thing for me. I’m trying my best to be different in each film within the limitations of being in a Bollywood film.”

As a child Bipasha wanted to be a doctor, but realised in high school that the sight of blood was revolting. She promptly switched over to commerce to secure a business management degree and become a chartered accountant.

But before she knew it, she had become a Ford supermodel. A plunge into movies followed, and the rest is history.

Sush back to school

NEW DELHI: Actress Sushmita Sen launched a book here that aims at encouraging children deprived of education to go to school. “Going to school is about finding your own identity, it’s a completing process which goes beyond theoretical knowledge and gives practical knowledge,” said Sushmita as she interacted with the children who were present at the book launch. Also present was her adopted daughter Renee.

British-American Lisa Heydlauff’s book Going to school in India is about the hopes and dreams of children going to school.

The book features 25 stories from across India. It will be translated into 10 regional languages and 10 mini books that will be provided free to one million children in government schools and NGO.

Preity hates bubbly label

MUMBAI: Say bubbly and chirpy, and you think of Preity Zinta. But here’s a secret: she hates being called that! “I’m sick and tired of being described as bubbly and chirpy,” Preity told. “If you have seen Kal Ho Naa Ho, I don’t have a bubbly or a chirpy character, instead I’m a quiet girl. The only movies where you could call me bubbly were Soldier and Dil Se,” she says.

Her dream role remains that of Nargis in Mother India. Preity is also trying her hand at writing a monthly column on life and cinema for BBC.com. In her kitty at the moment are four to five films, including Farhan Akhtar’s Lakshya where she plays a small but significant role and an untitled Yash Chopra film. She is also working with Shekar Kapur on Mantra. Preity will also do a guest appearance in Dil Ne Jisse Apna Kaha, which stars Salman Khan and Bhoomika Chawla.

Amisha Patel’s Rising

MUMBAI: The BBC unintentionally played a role in getting Amisha Patel a part in The Rising. Film lead star Aamir Khan rooted for the actress after he saw her in a BBC programme and was impressed by her IQ level. Amisha had done a segment of ‘Question Time India’ on

the channel.

She is thrilled at having bagged the role. “You know I was nearly finalised for Lagaan. But finally they took Gracy because I was found to be too glamorous.” There is a rumour about Vikram Bhatt casting Amisha and her brother Ashmit together in a film about reincarnation. To which Amisha diplomatically responds: “I hope someday a smart director will cash in on our combination. We’re the only brother-sister combo in films.”