India Masala

Dhoni gets hitched; celebrities tweet best wishes

As one of India’s most eligible bachelors tied the knot late on Sunday night, you could almost hear the sound of a million hearts breaking.

But along with that, you could also hear the sound of a million fingers typing furiously on their phones, so that they could tweet their best wishes to Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his bride.

Everyone from Bollywood’s Shilpa Shetty to Bipasha Basu, to teammate Yuvraj Singh “tweeted” their best wishes to the captain. (Congratulate Dhoni here)

“Got to know mahi is getting married! Congratulations dhoni and sakshi hope u have a great life together,” Yuvraj Singh tweeted.

Yuvraj and most of Dhoni’s team-mates did not make it to the wedding but actor John Abraham is said to have attended the hush-hush affair.

Media reports also suggest that Abraham and girlfriend Bipasha Basu were to host a reception-cum-party in Mumbai for the newlyweds, but Basu denied the news.

“I have kept no reception for Dhoni on the 7th. It’s semi-finals (FIFA World Cup) on that day so we are just watching football and there is no Mahi (nickname for Dhoni) coming pls (sic),” she said in a text message.

Saif Ali Khan: A true professional in Bollywood?

When I think of a Bollywood media interview, what pops into my mind are — long waits, filthy sets, stars with a lot more attitude than they should have and clichéd answers I could have predicted long before I met them…

But Saif Ali Khan proved me wrong on all counts. He turned out to be a thorough professional.

Khan was very ‘corporate’ in his demeanour, taking us in for the interview as soon as we got there, giving us candid answers about his experiences as a first-time producer with “Love Aaj Kal”, being open about his relationship with Kareena Kapoor and making no bones about us appearing unannounced with a camera.

Perhaps Khan’s most interesting response was when we asked him about working with other production houses after he has worked on his own.

Khan compared it to a ‘dinner party’.

Working in your own production is like hosting a dinner, he said, while working in other films is like being a guest at somebody else’s party where you pick up tips (or not) for your next do…

Jana Gana Mana ‘Rann’: new-age anthem?

Nearly 60 years after Rabindranath Tagore’s composition was adopted as India’s national anthem, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma’s interpretation of it is raising conservative eyebrows.

Varma uses the tune of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and adds to the lyrics, making it a full-fledged song for his film about India’s media industry — “Rann”.

The 47-year-old filmmaker has maintained he meant no disrespect but only wanted to use the anthem as a vehicle to “draw attention” to the country’s problems.

“For any right-thinking person, I do not believe that he can take offence to the way it’s been done and in what context it’s been shown,” Varma said at a news conference during the unveiling of “Rann” in New Delhi.

Unfortunately for Varma, his adaptation of “Jana Gana Mana” has proved to be more controversial than the film itself. The Censor Board refused certification to the song promo on grounds of it violating the National Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act 1950. And the song is no longer being aired on television.

But that hasn’t stopped curious netizens from checking it out on video-sharing web site YouTube.

“The National anthem is not meant to be Remixed. End of Discussion,” YouTube user ‘orionrage’ wrote in response.

Get well soon Shah Rukh Khan

We all knew Shah Rukh Khan had surgery 24 hours ago and yet there he was before us — dressed in T-shirt and jeans, only the sling over his left arm revealing he was in hospital till this morning.

He looked tired, almost as if he would rather sleep it out in bed than face the media. But Khan answered every question with no sign of impatience.

If I were him, I wouldn’t like to talk to anyone, let alone face a hundred television cameras and photographers screaming, “Shah Rukh bhai, ek shot please!”

The actor said he was feeling fine, but admitted there was some pain. Khan would not be able to work for a month or two.

“I plan to spend the time developing some stories and scripts that we are looking at,” he said.

Tracking the Big B through thick and thin

A perfect Saturday afternoon beckoned me. An early lunch was had, the house was quiet and the prospect of dropping off into an uninterrupted sleep was enough to make me smile.

One phone call changed all that. Amitabh Bachchan is on his way to the hospital, a source said and he is sick. The first thing that registered in my mind was “I hope he is ok” and then the journalistic instinct kicked in.

Frantic calls to his office, the hospital and his doctor followed. Details became clearer, the situation calmed down a bit and everyone heaved a collective sigh of relief. Many of us couldn’t help but go back in time to 2005 when Bachchan was recuperating in the same hospital. The focus on him then was immense.

There were hourly updates on news channels, reporters stationed outside the hospital 24×7 and thousands thronged to Lilavati Hospital, as if their presence might have made a difference. Prayer meetings were held and the entire film industry held its breath.

I’ve been told it was the same when Bachchan met with an accident on the sets of his film “Coolie” in 1982. I was three years old then and don’t remember the incident so I only have the 2005 illness to go by.

It hasn’t been as bad this time around but I do know of fellow reporters who have kept vigil outside Lilavati Hospital since Saturday. Television channels and newspapers have been full of news, filmographies, reactions from fan clubs and detailed discussions with doctors on intestinal diseases.

Over the weekend, we have been subjected to all kinds of details about the sickness — how Jaya Bachchan kept vigil by her husband’s bed all night, TV channels replaying the shot from “Coolie” where Bachchan got injured and discussions with astrologers on the actor‘s future.

Aamir and the media — the 180 degree turn

The transformation is amazing. Aamir Khan was known as one of the most reclusive stars in Bollywood – he shunned film magazines, rarely gave interviews and was generally unavailable.This year, he appeared on the cover of a film magazine, granted interviews to all and sundry for a film that didn’t even star him (nephew Imran Khan’s debut film “Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na”),  and is now one of the most media savvy stars in the country.Take Monday, for example. A day after his directorial venture “Taare Zameen Par” was chosen as India’s entry to the Oscars, Aamir addressed a press conference, seeking suggestions from the media on how to promote the film to the Academy. He asked for their support and talked about everything from SRK to Raj Thackeray. All of it, with a smile on his face and twinkle in his eyes.When he was referred to as the “King of Bollywood” by a gushing journo, he laughed and said, “Don’t say that, you will upset Shah Rukh Khan.”That was not all. He had a go at Ashutosh Gowariker, saying he preferred ”Mumbai Meri Jaan” over the “Lagaan” director’s epic “Jodha Akbar”.Raj Thackeray wasn’t spared either. “Politicians who divide us are not speaking for the country, they are speaking for themselves. We should vote for those who unite us,” Aamir said, referring to the politician’s campaign against the Bachchans.He was even sporting enough to answer a question about whether Saif and Kareena had gotten married over the weekend, saying “didn’t you find anyone else to ask this question”.The one question he didn’t answer was about younger brother Faisal, telling a reporter firmly that it was a personal matter and he didn’t want to answer it.At the end of it, I came away smiling and impressed. Here is a star who can utilise the media to his advantage (I don’t want to get into what that says about us in the media), and one who is not afraid to speak his mind. Yet, he does know where he wants to draw the line. He has my grudging admiration.

Of dogs, lizards and Shah Rukh

A few years ago, my brother Jose met a girl at an acting workshop in Delhi. He was surprised to learn of her name and couldn’t stop himself from revealing that our neighbour’s dog was also called Sheena.

But Sheena wasn’t amused. Having the same name as a cocker spaniel was obviously no honour. She glared at my brother and declared – “The lizard on my wall is named Jose”.

I was reminded of the incident last week when a blog post by actor Aamir Khan revealed that his “smelly” dog had the same name as Bollywood rival Shah Rukh Khan.

“Shahrukh is licking my feet and I am feeding him biscuits every now and then,” Aamir wrote on his blog, before clarifying that he was talking of the dog and not the actor.

Understandably, the post did not go down well with the media and the so-called war between Bollywood’s best known Khans hit the headlines.

Shah Rukh refused to take the bait, choosing instead to accept the remarks with his “sense of humour spirit”.

But several Aamir fans didn’t quite forgive their idol.

Big B turns blogger

Amitabh Bachchan started a blog on April 17. And has posted almost daily since, generating hundreds of comments from fans around the world.

His blog is ostensibly about his life and films, but also a platform where the 65-year-old Indian superstar gets even with the “rumor laced spicy barbs” of the media.

In a recent post, the actor elaborates on his hectic schedule of 43 interviews while promoting the film ‘Bhootnath’.

“And I wait for the dynamic headlines announcing the interview. Some thing that will draw attention, keep the audience unmoved from their channel. Phone ins may get constructed around comments of mine… call in a semi intellectual, preferably from the film industry and certainly not ‘Bachchan Camp’…repeat the questions asked in interview, expand them, cover half hour or else the adverts will not fructify. Culminate the proceedings on a note where the channel looks good and unbiased, yet signals its last cynical or sarcastic ending…”

“Back to condescending anchor, male, in a fetching suit and tie, a tinge of sarcasm and one-upmanship, a wry smile and the closing before the signature tune takes over – ‘Far cry from the Amitabh Bachchan that had boycotted the media not so long ago’”

The Bollywood star — wait, you shouldn’t call him that because he hates the Indian film industry being described that way.