Mumbai:

We’ve all got an idea what our favourite Bollywood celeb-rities are like, based on their persona and public image projected by tabloids.

Here a glimpse of their lesser-seen lives.

Biryani king

Arshad Warsi: Terrific entertainer on screen. But did you know Arshad and his wife love to entertain guests in their home? The man who makes the world laugh also makes the best biryani in Bollywood. Friends swear by Arshad’s culinary skills. But he isn’t doing that much cooking any longer. Free time goes into changing recently-born son Zeke’s nappies.

Tennis freak

Gulzar: You know him as the poet, author and filmmaker. But did you know Gulzar the tennis player? For as long as one can remember, the poet wakes up at 4.30 am, gets into his tennis togs and leaves home for an invigorating two-hour game. Gulzarsaab’s tennis habit remains unbroken, unless he’s travelling out of Mumbai. “I think the secret of my good health is tennis,” confesses this avid sports fan who also loves cricket, but only as a spectator.

Aging pangs

Hema Malini: She’s stunningly beautiful and incredibly outspoken. But she’s also very very lonely at heart. Although she doesn’t show it, this woman of substance truly misses a man’s presence in her life. “Though I love Dharamji very much, it’s my misfortune that he hasn’t been with me to watch our daughters grow up, and to give me company. So yes, I do miss a man by my side,” Hema once revealed during an unguarded moment. “But then, I’ve so much to keep me occupied. There’s hardly ever any time to feel lonely,” she cheered up the very next moment. But it’s a sobering thought: the dream girl of millions getting nightmares about aging all alone.

Cool cat

Rekha: She doesn’t feel the heat, nor the cold. That’s right! Rekha doesn not use the air-conditioner at all. She believes that heat and cold are a state of the mind.

Foodie mimic

Urmila Matondkar: I know it’s hard to believe but the most svelte actress in Bollywood with a perfect hour-glass figure is a diehard foodie! Yup, Urmila just loves to eat. Her meals are elaborate, and she can go on and on eating without pausing for breath. Strangely none of it ever shows on her. Even more strangely, Urmila claims she has never done a day’s exercise! “I know you don’t believe me. But it’s the truth. I don’t exercise. I guess things just ‘work out’ for me!” she laughs. Oh, and Urmila is the third best mimic in the film industry (after Simi Garewal and Rekha). Her takeoff on Lataji (Mangeshkar) and Ashaji (Bhosle) would leave the two divas gasping for breath. Who else does Urmila impersonate? Ah, now that would be telling too much!