Kaizad Gustad?s luck seems to be mucked from the time his Boom went bust. That was followed by the unfortunate death of his assistant on the rail track and he was pulled up for criminal negligence. More recently, on his way to Guwahati to make a documentary, he was robbed of his money and mobile phone, at gunpoint. He was travelling with expensive equipment and funds for the documentary when they were held up by some masked men and asked to, well, show them the money. How much more filmy can this get?

Koi hai?

What is Esha Deol thinking. Yes, Dhoom did fare well at the BO, but can she take all the credit for its success? She has been on a na-na spree for quite sometime. First, she said ?Impossible? to Rajiv Rai?s Asambhav. Then she declined Boney Kapoor?s No Entry. Ram Gopal Varma, a great fan of Hema Malini, came forward to revive Esha?s career with a solid role in Vaastu Shastra but that didn?t satisfy her upturned nose, either. Reportedly, Dhoom has hit her head and she feels (like her mom) that she is being offered much less than she deserves. Amma did get her Mani Ratnam?s Yuva, but that wasn?t a commercial success nor did people remember her in the film. Though Hema has been trying to make it sound like a ?date problem?, producers accept that with a grin. Esha is demanding a huge sum (she thinks she?s her best friend, Bebo) but no one seems to be interested in the first place. The only person willing to do a film with her is Hema Malini.

The Aamir Impact

Looks like Ashutosh Gowariker is suffering from the Aamir impact. We all know how our Mr Perfect goes about interfering in every aspect of filmmaking when he is in the film. While shooting for Swades with Shah Rukh Khan, Gowariker did the same. As a director he has the right to oversee every department, true, but he seems to be upsetting his other heads. Hope it was not just to prove to the other Khan that Lagaan was not ghost-directed by Aamir. But even after the film is made he?s acting very possessive about it. He is demanding unblinking attention for his film and it is only under that condition that he?s allowing a sneak peek. He isn?t even allowing anyone to take a sip at their coffee while watching the film! That, to him, means a break in attention (actually, he is right, considering today?s multiplex ?crowds?). But his wife is amused; she can?t figure out how ?on earth is he going to stop someone in the theatre from stepping out for a cigarette or pulling on his Pepsi while his three-hour drama unspools,? she laughs. Now, how hyper can you get about your movie, yaar...kya bolta tu, Aamir?

Hello! Is that Bebo?

Kareena seems to have matured a lot. Though it took 12 flops and some more, but whatever, she has now become still more mellow and is no more the agnimukh that she was a few years back. Now she has learnt to hold her tongue, be polite and what?s more also praise some other heroines. She was recently heard saying, ?Priyanka?s really very good in Aitraaz. I was tempted to do the negative role.? But don?t drop off your chair right now. Because those who had the fortune of watching Koffee with Karan last week would know how generous this Bebo babe can be. (And how often can that be?) When Preity complained that Kareena never says ?hello? even when they are in the same social do, Bebo readily agreed, and said she hadn?t realised how bad that looked. And promised to rectify things.

SPOTLIGHT

Neha Dhupia

After the ?bare? act in Julie, Neha Dhupia has done it again: a ?dare? act for her latest film. While shooting for Sheeshaa, the production debut of the trio Sunil Saini, Guddu Dhanoa and distributor Deepak Sharma, in Bangkok on a 52-day start-to-finish schedule, Neha had a real close call. She and her costar, Sonu Sood (of Bhagat Singh fame), were supposed to roll down the road together in one particular scene. While the shot was in progress, a large trailer suddenly appeared from nowhere and much to everyone?s horror rolled right over the two! While the unit members were anticipating the worst, Neha and Sonu miraculously emerged from under the trailer unharmed. And since the camera kept rolling, it caught every bit of the scene. The director, Ashu Trikha, has decided to keep the entire scene in the movie and possibly hype it as Neha?s stint with stunts. Neha sure is going from bold to bolder acts onscreen. Hope she doesn?t stop at that!