Singer soars

Bonnie Chakraborty’s on a song. Literally, that is. Though always a name to reckon with in Calcutta, he is now seriously being wooed by Mumbai. Chakraborty, the lead vocalist for Krosswindz and Kashti before he started a band called Oikyotaan along with Kartick Das Baul, is rocking the music industry in Bollywood. Everybody wants the man who sang Emotional atyachaar in the film Dev-D. “I am now singing for quite a few films, including three of Ram Gopal Varma’s,” says Chakraborty. He has already recorded four folk-based songs for music directors Bapi and Tutul for the film Agyaat. He is also singing for a UTV production 99. But those who love his band needn’t worry. “I may be a little busy in Mumbai, but my association with Oikyotaan is too precious and we will continue to entertain the world with our music,” he says. Did we hear a sigh of relief from some quarters?

Pulse of the people

When he is not treating hearts, cardiac surgeon-cum musician Tapas Ray Chowdhury is breaking them. His band, Byatikromi is indeed a Bangla band with a difference. Ray Chowdhury and his band members don’t sport bizarre hairdos and torn jeans. They are all leading Calcutta doctors, and play the kind of music that appeals to a large section of people. Their albums of Rabindrasangeet have been well received, and now the band is ready with an album of composer Salil Choudhury’s evergreen songs. “We are all extremely busy doctors. But music is our passion. And we do want to encourage other professionals — be it lawyers or teachers — to come up with their own albums,” says Ray Chowdhury. For Byatikromi, music is certainly the best medicine.

Bald and bold

All those who like Neil Nitin Mukesh’s mop of hair are going to be a little disappointed. In Madhur Bhandarkar’s film Jail Neil is almost bald — with a haircut that’s even shorter than the crew cut that Saif sported in Omkara. Neil and Manoj Bajpai play the role of prisoners, hence the severe hair cut. Bhandarkar says he asked his leading man to crop off his hair because he couldn’t have a jail inmate look like a handsome hero. Has Bhandarkar heard of a man called Charles Sobhraj?

Selling Celina

Celina Jaitley wants more. Not a cola, but a perspective of the dark side of life. After Run Bhola Run, Celina has been signed on to play the lead in Accident on Hill Road, where she dons the real-life role of a drug-abusing psychopath. The film is said to be a remake of a Hollywood film, in which Jaitley’s role was played by the critically acclaimed actress Mena Suvari. And now Jaitley is all ready to wow audiences with her performance. Darkness, clearly, has its lighter moments.

Food, glorious food

Somnath Chatterjee should be licking his chops — in anticipation. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has organised a farewell lunch for him later this month, and restaurateur Anjan Chatterjee has been asked to lay the table with the best of Bengali food. Chatterjee, who runs 48 restaurants, became a big hit in 7 Race Course Road after his chefs cooked up a great meal for West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee last year. That was when the Left was making loud noises, and Singh wanted as many allies in the Left as he could muster up. The Left parted ways with Singh, but the PM and Bhattacharjee continue to vibe well. And of course Chatterjee, who has been banished by the Marxists, is someone the Congress looks at with a benevolent eye. The paturi, no doubt, will do its bit to cement the ties.