Big daddies

It seems Kangana Ranaut can’t get by without dropping names. And the names are getting bigger and more powerful by the day. First she talked about her association with Hollywood hunk Gerard Butler. Then we heard rather a lot about her “close relationship” with Salman Khan. And now, the lissom star, who has won plaudits for her role in films like Fashion and Woh Lamhe, is letting it be known that she is the blue-eyed girl of Bollywood heavyweights Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn. The assertion probably stems from the fact that she stars in Rascals, which is co-produced by Dutt and has Devgn in the lead role. But Ranaut had better watch it. Last heard, Kajol and Manyata, wives of Devgn and Dutt, respectively, had their knives out for her.

Politics pull

What’s with actors and politics? The latest to enter the political fray is Kannada actress Ramya. She tweeted that she was joining the Congress. What’s more, she urged her fans to follow suit. “Became a member of the Youth Congress party. Do you want to as well?,” she wrote invitingly on Twitter. But her fans need not fear that Ramya has bid adieu to her acting career. As she clarified, “Right now I don’t have any intention to enter active politics. I have joined the Youth Congress because it is a party of the youth.” Unimpressed by her impeccable logic, some pointed out that she had joined a party of the corrupt. To which the actress replied grandly: “Be the change you want to see. If one thinks there is corruption, he has to be part of the system to change it.” Now we are impressed.

Lofty honour

Kailash Kher has a new feather in his cap. The playback, singer famous for his soulful voice and folksy renditions, has been named Nepal’s honorary goodwill ambassador by the country’s tourism ministry. Apparently, the Nepalese government is banking on Kher’s star power to attract people from the sub-continent to come and holiday in the Himalayan country. It’s a lofty honour, in more senses than one, for the only other person to be named Nepal’s honorary goodwill ambassador was Sir Edmund Hillary, the first to conquer Mount Everest. Kher has said that he hopes to do justice to the title bestowed on him. Well, he certainly has pretty big shoes to fill.

Laugh riot

Lara Dutta, ex-Miss Universe and sultry actress, yes. But Lara Dutta, stand-up comic? Well, what do you know, it appears that the lady has a vein of comic talent that we didn’t have a clue about. Dutta is all set to appear on Star Plus’s Amul Comedy ka Maha Muqabla, a reality show where celebrity contestants vie with one another to be crowned the funniest of them all. Dutta, who is paired with comic actor Vinay Pathak, will be competing with, among others, Raveena Randon, Shreyas Talpade and Arshad Warsi. And guess what? Though most people have to go through several takes to pull off a flawless performance on stage, Dutta’s comic act was so perfect that it was filmed in a single take. Looks like her marriage to tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi has opened the floodgates of laughter in her life!

Wooing Woo

This is one Bollywood director who believes in being vocal about his Hollywood “inspiration”. James John, a former stunt artiste, is making a film called Rocky The Slave. No, his role model is not Sylvester Stallone, as you might think. It’s actually John Woo, known for such action flicks like Face/Off, Hard Target and Broken Arrow. Shooting for his debut film, John says, “I was inspired by Chinese director Woo and have followed him for a long time.” Now if only other directors were as upfront about their “inspirations”.