Stepmom Kareena tones it down

Manish Malhotra is having a hard time trying to bring down Kareena’s glamour-quotient in Stepmom to look like the ordinary working

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woman.

Kareena is leaving nothing to chance this time. In her determination to make sure she can match strides with the formidable scene-stealer Kajol in the desi Stepmom she has been quietly attending acting workshops with the film’s director Siddharth Malhotra. To make time for this, Kareena has been stealing time out of the rehearsals for the song that she began shooting with Aamir in 3 Idiots this week. Playing Kajol’s soutan in the Indian Stepmom won’t be a cakewalk for Kareena Kapoor. The two actresses start shooting together from the end of this month.

Says Kareena, “The last time I rehearsed for a part it was for Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara. But that was a more unconventional film and role where I had to get into a milieu and character I knew nothing about. But Stepmom is urban and very contemporary. I play a very normal metro-centric working girl. It should’ve been easier.” Through the workshops Kareena is discovering how difficult it is to play a normal girl. “I walk, talk, dress like an ordinary working girl. I’ll be using no makeup.”

The clothes by Manish Malhotra will on this occasion be far less glamorous than what Kareena generally gets to wear. “I couldn’t cut my hair as planned because of continuity clashes. And I didn’t want to cut my long hair. But I’m going for a new hairstyle.”

The biggest challenge is to face the camera with the indomitable Kajol. Says Kareena, “She’s always been one of my favourite actresses. We worked together in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. But this is something else.” Kareena says there are a lot of dramatic scenes between the two women. “The desi version of Stepmom is very different from the original. My role is also a big departure from what Julia Roberts played in Stepmom.”

Shilpa's scared for Shamita!

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty "caught up on good old times" with her former "Celebrity Big Brother" housemate Jermaine Jackson, late pop

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legend Michael Jackson's brother, at her house here.

"I met Jermaine Jackson and his wife Halima after nearly three years...caught up on old times, got nostalgic over our experiences in the 'Big Brother' house. It had been so long but we picked up from where we left, one thing being constant - our friendship, so was happy on that front," Shilpa, who won "Celebrity Big Brother" in 2007, posted on her blog www.shilpashettylive.com/blog.

Jermaine landed in India Friday for 10 days to collaborate with singer Adnan Sami on an album being produced by T-Series. During his stay here, he will also shoot for a concept video for the same song.

Shilpa says their meeting Sunday night was "a strange co-incidence" as her younger sister Shamita was heading for "Bigg Boss", the Indian version of "Celebrity Big Brother".

Shilpa is apprehensive about how Shamita will fair in "Bigg Boss".

"I scurried to spend the last two days before she left, tried to dissuade her considering she'll be away for three months if she lasts. (I) can't describe how difficult our last goodbye was. Now I know what she went through when I left three years ago to be a part of 'Big Brother'. We are very close so it was heartbreaking.
But I'll get to see her everyday if that's any consolation."

Paris to play monster on small screen

American socialite Paris Hilton is all set to play a monster in the U.S. TV series ‘Supernatural’.

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Show creator Eric Kripke said that 28-year-old Hilton would be playing the part of a monster who takes the form of Paris Hilton. Kripke also admitted that he was surprised when Hilton agreed to the odd cameo. “We never expected in a million years that she would do it, but I spoke to her and she got the joke immediately and signed on quickly... I give her a lot of credit for being a hell of a good sport,” Contact Music quoted him as having told website Perez Hilton.

Rakhi's mom on Bigg Boss

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan launched the third season of the reality TV show "Bigg Boss" here Sunday night and welcomed 13 participants

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- including item girl Rakhi Sawant's mother Jaya.

Jaya, who used to work as nurse to bring up her kids, was quite an unexpected participant on the show considering her strained ties with daughter Rakhi, who was a part of the show in the first season in 2006.

While Rakhi didn't care to invite her mother to the finale of her recent "Swayamvar" show, the latter was upset that she (Rakhi) was taking the decision about her life partner without her family's consent.

"I thank the general public for understanding me. I am confident that I will be able to handle everyone on the show," Jaya told Bachchan before entering the "Bigg Boss" house.

She recalled how Amitabh had given her a Rs.200,000 cheque for her mother's well-being in the 1990s. She said: "For the world you may be a superstar, but for me you are god. You had helped my mother when she was ill and she gave you a lot of blessings."

Dressed in a flashy, red, green and gold sari, she seemed ready to give her famous daughter a run for her money with her melodrama.

The third season of "Bigg Boss" is quite high on glamour with celebrities like Poonam Dhillon, Shamita Shetty, Aditi Govitrikar, Sherlyn Chopra, Tanaaz Currim Irani and Claudia Ciesla featuring in it.

However, with other contestants like music composer Ismail Darbar, actor-director Kamaal R. Khan, actors Vindu Dara Singh, Bakhtiyaar Irani, fashion desinger Rohit Varma and stand-up comedian Raju Srivastava, the list of men on the show failed to impress.

The first episode of the show saw Bachchan ushering in the 13 celebrities into the specially designed house in this hill station.

While all the participants will be closeted in the house for three months under 24-hour surveillance with no access to telephones or television, Bachchan will host the show on the Colors channel.

The show will air in a prime-time slot Monday-Friday but Big B will appear only in the elimination episodes every Saturday and Sunday, communicating with the contestants through a TV screen. Each week, one contestant will be voted out.

The winner will walk away with the grand prize of Rs.1 crore.

Salman is chilled out: Asin

Southern spice girl Asin spills the beans on her B-town moves

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and grooves.

The word Chennai seems to be lucky for Asin. In her hit Telugu film Amma Nana O Tamil Ammayi she was called Chennai and in her forthcoming film (London Dreams) Salman calls her Chennai Express.

“Whenever Salman would call me Chennai, my thoughts would go back to my shooting stints in Hyderabad. Puri Jagannath was such an amazing director, he made me so comfortable. Doing the film was a joy,” chirps Asin as she zips down memory lane with TOI. Excerpts from an interview...

After your much reported ‘turbulent’ working relationship with Aamir Khan, what was working with Salman Khan like?
I’m surprised when I hear stories about my supposed tough time with Aamir. Basically, I’m a hassle-free person. As for Salman, he’s totally chilled out. Working with him was like a party. We would bring lunch from home and eat together.

We’ve heard that Ajay Devgn and you get along well too?
Ajay and Salman get on like a house on fire and those good vibes spread to the rest of us. I used to spend most of the time on the sets with them. In fact, Ajay was a surprise. I’d always seen him as an actor who plays intense characters on screen. In real life, he’s a prankster. Working with him is fun.

You seem to have made a lot of friends in Bollywood...
Yeah, I am a friendly person. I loved doing Farah Khan’s show because Deepika Padukone is a friend. We first met at an awards function and got chatting backstage. I’m also friends with Anushka Sharma. Sonam Kapoor and I keep in touch. Sri Devi ma’am is my neighbour — she stays on the first floor and I’m on the sixth of the same building.

How has it been settling down in Mumbai and living independently?
I have taken to Mumbai like fish to water. I do have an independent flat for myself, but my parents live nearby in an adjacent flat. I’ve tried as far as possible to take off the burden of managing my work from my father. I now have a company managing my work.

Are you doing a film with Abhishek Bachchan? We hear you’ve been roped in to do a film directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, based on the Chittagong uprising?
I wouldn’t like to confirm anything at this juncture. I prefer it when this kind of information comes from the production houses.

Your future projects...
I’ll be doing a southern film in 2010. Then there’s 19 Steps that might take a while to release.

You’ve learnt Kalaripayattu, the ancient martial art of Kerala for 19 steps. What’s your fitness regime and diet like?
Whenever I have time I follow a regime that includes cardio and lightweights.

There’s buzz that you turned down a promotional act for an animal rights organisation because you are non-vegetarian.
I’m clueless about how these stories spread about me having turned down a promotional act for a good cause! I’m not Countess Dracula! I might be non-vegetarian, but there are days when I haven’t eaten meat. When I eat non-vegetarian, it’s mostly fish and chicken.

Is there any particular Bollywood hero you want to work with?
It’s already two Khans down for me. I’d love to act with all the Khans and every hero in Bollywood!

Shiney: Home, but not alone

Actor Shiney Ahuja, who was granted bail by the Bombay High Court, and asked to keep out of Mumbai for the time being, landed at the Delhi

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airport yesterday morning.

He was accompanied by his wife Anupam and his parents. They all had boarded an 8 am flight from Mumbai and were scheduled to land in Delhi at 10.05 am. However, the flight got delayed and it finally landed in Delhi at around 10.50 am.

Shiney looked very pale, with a black mark on his left cheek. His wife Anupam, who was holding his hand, looked quite relaxed in a purple salwar kameez. There was a huge rush outside the arrival gate at the airport. Shiney finally came out of the exit at 11.20 am along with his parents and wife, escorted by airport officials and the local police. There were two cars waiting in the parking lot. When we tried talking to Shiney, he just looked down and refused to say anything. Holding his wife’s hand, he walked towards the waiting cars and immediately sat inside one of them, while his parents got into the other one.

His mother too refused to answer any questions and rolled up her car windows. The cars then zoomed out of the airport and went towards Noida. Shiney is supposed to be staying with his parents at their Sector 29 residence.

Shahid’s bums need help!

Shahid Kapoor might have a great physique but he does need a little ‘help’ to look er...

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shapely.


The actor wears bum bags to accentuate his hips. Unlike actors who are more bothered about their arms or abs or chest, Shahid doesn’t underestimate the power of his derriere. One hears that he always wants his hips look nice and round when he faces the camera.

A bum bag is a small fabric pouch secured with a zipper and worn at the waist fastened with a strap around the hips. It has different names like fanny pack (Canada, US), belt pack (US), belly bag (US), buffalo pouch (US), hip sack (US) and hip pack (UK).

A source says, “Shahid has been wearing bum bags ever since his debut film, Ishq Vishk in 2003.”

Although Shahid has worked really hard to have the perfect physique and has also managed to put on some weight in certain parts, his near-flat backside continues to worry him. “He has been unable to put on weight on his hips. Actually, he has a very lean and boyish structure,” adds the source.

Incidentally, Shahid does not wear bum bags at home. “He arrives on the sets very casually. But, once he enters his vanity van, he makes sure that he wears bum bags in every single shot,” says the source.

Must say we are quite impressed with your quest for perfection, Shahid.

All about bum bags

A fashion designer (name withheld on request) spoke to Mumbai Mirror:

MM: What exactly are bum bags?
FD: These are commonly called butt pads. They are like boxer shorts or panties, which one wears to accentuate the hip area. Models and actors usually use them.

FD: How much can it accentuate one’s hips?
MM: At least three inches for sure.

MM: Whare are they available?
FD: These are freely available in the market. One can get good quality butt bags from abroad. We usually buy them from lingerie shops at Lokhandwala Complex, Andheri.

MM: How do you decide which one to buy?

FD: Once we know whom we are buying it for, there is no problem.

MM: Are they comfortable?
FD: Yeah. The stuffing inside is just like you have in padded bras.

MM: Do men as well as women wear butt bags?

FD: Yes. But, there is no ratio or percentage that can determine which gender uses it more.

Aftab mum over relationship status

As Aftab Shivdasani readies to kick some butt in Acid Factory, he tells TOI that it’s the right aptitude that counts

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.

With an intermittent break as a solo lead in Aloo Chat, you have only been seen in multi-starrers...
For me, it doesn’t matter if the film I’m part of is a multi-starrer or otherwise. What matters is whether the role offered is interesting enough. I give a go-ahead only after hearing the script. I go by my instincts.

But aren’t you ever apprehensive about being overshadowed by your co-stars?
I don’t mind doing a minuscule role if the character, as I said, is interesting enough. Excelling in that bit role is what counts most for me. I think one can still create an impact on the viewers’ mind even if he appears in just one scene.

Your forthcoming release, Acid Factory, is an action film, quite unlike what you’ve done so far. How did you prepare for the role?
It’s a totally different kind of a film, an intense, gripping tale that’s also out-and-out commercial. All the characters in the film lose their memory. So, there are two phases — one prior to the memory loss and another, right after. Moving back and forth in time was necessary. That was the most challenging part in the film. Before the camera would start rolling, we used to have regular rehearsals on the sets.

Tell us more about the character you play in the film...
My role in the film is that of an aggressive, edgy and violent guy, who never smiles. Possibly, the only time he smiles in the film is at the end.

In a recent interview, Dia Mirza had said that you used to keep to yourself on the sets of the Acid Factory, while others partied...
It was a hectic schedule for us, which stretched from 9 am to 9 pm. I used to be really tired by the time we wrapped up the shoot everyday. I preferred to relax after the pack-up. Partying after work was a difficult proposition.

Child actors turning into heroes suffer from an acceptability syndrome. Do you think your case is just the same?
Initially, people found it difficult to accept. With time, the problem got resolved. At the end of the day, it’s one’s aptitude that counts.

What do you prefer doing most — comedy, action, romance or thriller?
I prefer doing action films. I feel, action-oriented roles are far more challenging.

Does that mean Aftab is going to cast less of romantic spell onscreen from now on?
I am not saying that I’ll stop doing romance or comedy from now on. It’s just that I like action-oriented roles. I will do anything that’s interesting and challenging.

Last but not the least, what’s your relationship status?
I have stopped discussing my private life in public, long back.

Wake Up Sid works well

Coming of age is never an instant experience. It takes time, a sweet amount at that, before realisation hits. As if on cue, Wake Up Sid [ Images ] follows the tempo of its eponymous hero.

There's not much of a story to tell. It could be related in a five-minute music video -- about a boy who takes everything; family, education, comforts for granted and a slightly older, independent girl. What happens when the twain share the same roof?

And so the first quarter of writer/director Ayan Mukerji's fresh, romantic and feel-good caper about a boy-in-limbo's metamorphosis into a man-in-charge is leisurely paced, as if unapologetically echoing Sid's laidback temperament, an affable yet clueless college lad who snaps at his folks, doodles on his accounts text book to party hard at Ruby Tuesday, gaming arcades, shopping malls and discotheques with his two best friends – a plump Betty-types (an instantly likeable Shikha Talsania) and a bearded sensitive Joe (Namit Das, half-amusing), driving a sleek Honda CRV, with an exceptionally trendy wardrobe of cartoon-themed tees (Joker, Dastardly, Beavis & Butthead, Ghostbusters, Tom & Jerry, Snoopy to name a few), cute 'n' colourful boxers and a room-filled with all sorts of fanboy toys, gadgets and gizmos.

Phew, right? All these cool props to emphasise on Sid's affluent, metropolitan, spoilt character are in excess, in fact to the point of distraction. Even so, most of the aforesaid is swiftly established in a lilting Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy number, Kya karoon.

Immediately after, the momentum tires down into scenes with either one too many ungainly pauses or dialogues (by Niranjan Iyengar) that tend to ramble on. Like Sid's tribute to Mumbai [ Images ] is characteristically a Mumbaikar showing off the awesomeness of his city to a visitor to the extent the other feels sorry he/she hails from anywhere else. But the verbosity with which he is asked to convey Mumbai's magical magnetism, monsoon madness and insomniac charm does not appeal. What does is him quoting Dil Chahta Hai [ Images ]'s legendary punch-line, 'Be a man'.

While it would be daft to dub Wake Up Sid a Dil Chahta Hai clone, it clearly pays tribute to Farhan Akhtar's [ Images ] 2001 breakthrough directorial debut. Ayan's Sid appears to be an amalgamation of all of the three leading men in DCH. His directionless-and-loving-it smugness is derived from Aamir Khan's [ Images ] Aakash. He sports a hip 'n' boyish wardrobe/haircut reminiscent of Saif Ali Khan's [ Images ] Sameer whilst sharing the creative sensibilities of namesake Siddharth aka Sid played by Akshaye Khanna [ Images ].

An urban Peter Pan, Sid celebrates pop culture, frivolity, joblessness and Mumbai, his interpretation of Neverland, with such disarming indifference, it's impossible, even if impractical, not to like the guy. And because Ranbir Kapoor [ Images ] plays him so unbelievably well, you end up falling in love with him.

Frequently in the movie, Ranbir rises well above the scene making the latter look utterly mediocre in its capacity. Such is his impact. There are scenes which portray him indulging in supreme cheesiness like dishing out last-minute bread 'n' jam cakes with a matchstick doing a candle's job or slipping into his ladylove's kurta as an expression of intimacy. Any other actor would have looked ridiculous doing these antics. Not Ranbir, a complete natural, he makes it all seem cute. Also, the camera just adores this guy. Shoot him from any angle or length, he rocks.

Wake Up Sid is as much about Aisha (Konkona Sen Sharma [ Images ]) as it is about Sid. As the level-headed beauty looking to soar in the field of writing and nursing a crush on her debonair boss (Rahul Khanna in a spiffy cameo), Konkona treads familiar territory. There are occasions when she evokes a strong sense of déjà vu but the actress still finds ways to make her Aisha unique with a mix of patience, warmth, effortless sensuality and wide-eyed romanticism. The unlikely duo share a sublime, comfortable chemistry, which flowers from plausibly awkward to an endearing bonhomie to something truly special in a span of two and a half hours.

The film, like Sid's life chart, gathers momentum, meaning and melodrama post-interval. But for all its sparkling sweetness and truckloads of eye-candy, the film isn't above flaws.

You cannot fathom how Aisha on the strength of a job interview shifts into a new flat which is quickly transformed into a designer suite. The chanderi-fabric drapes alone must have cost 750 bucks per piece. It's all very visually attractive though. Considering Sid's dreamy imagination and penchant for photography, cinematographer Anil Mehta and production designer Amrita Mahal Nakai whip a tasteful theme of exuberance and youth in every single picture-perfect frame of this man-boy's world.

Digressions apart, notice that while the bond between the (an understated Anupam Kher [ Images ]) father-son is unexaggerated and genuine (one of the most powerful scenes involve a confrontation between the two -- the tension and frustration is almost palpable bolstered with the use of a hand held camera), the moments between Sid and his mom (Supriya Pathak's otherwise effective maternal instincts wasted in spewing silly lines) veer into forced sentimentality. Say what's the logic behind the ideology of connecting to one's brood by jabbering in broken English despite the rude response?

Nevertheless for a first attempt, (barring the end credits video featuring Ranbir rework Zac Efron's High School Musical moves) which is a considerable departure from producer Karan Johar's [ Images ] school of screenplay or style, Ayan Mukherji exudes promise and confidence, skillfully extracting impressive performances from his cast ranging of seasoned veterans as well as rank newcomers.

Wake Up Sid has its heart in place, but it still doesn't have much of a plot or novelty to rely upon. That's why the dialogues could have done with a little more quirk and nifty humour. Having said that, a superlative Ranbir makes it too darn hard to notice.

Do Knot Disturb yourself with this film

If David Dhawan and Govinda [ Images ] come together in a film, you can be sure of some non-stop entertainment. After all, they have rained down hits like Coolie No 1 [ Images ], Hero No 1, Deewana Mastana and Partner.

Unfortunately, Do Knot Disturb falls way short of expectations and you start wondering if the director has lost his magic touch.

The trouble with the film is its story. It's so weak that one cannot expect the actors to do their comic act and keep the audiences entertained.

Govinda plays a rich businessman, whose interest is only to take care of his mistress Dolly (Lara Dutta [ Images ]) rather than do any work. He runs his wife's (played by Sushmita Sen [ Images ]) business, who guesses that her husband is cheating on her. She hires a detective (Ranvir Shorey [ Images ]) to catch her husband in the act.

Govinda outsmarts her by getting Ritesh Deshmukh [ Images ] to act as Lara's boyfriend, so that his wife rests her fears.

The problem arises when Govinda starts doubting Ritesh's intentions. Much else unfolds on screen but you're bored stiff by now.

Rajpal Yadav [ Images ] and Sohail Khan [ Images ] try to make the plot interesting but they fail as the story goes nowhere. The dialogues are loud and repetitive.

Lara Dutta fails to impress and Sushmita Sen has put on oodles of weight. Hello, just because you're playing a housewife doesn't mean you have to put on so much weight!

Govinda and Ritesh do well but the script fails them.

Music director Nadeem-Shravan return after a long time but they have come up with only one good song called Bebo.

The film has some good one-liners but that is not what you expect from a David Dhawan film. Do Knot Disturb yourself this weekend on this film.