Hush, not hiss

So who makes A.R. Rahman (in pic) nervous? His old — and current — partner, Mani Ratnam. Though their relationship goes back many years — ever since they worked together for Roja in 1992 — the composer-singer says he is still “nervous” about Mani’s reaction to his music. Recently, when the two appeared on stage at a trailer release function in Chennai to talk about their new venture Kadal (Sea), which incidentally is creating waves in the south, Rahman said he was crushed when he played Mani a track that he had just composed, and the filmmaker didn’t utter a word. But Rahman says he later realised that silence was Mani’s way of showing approval. All those in favour, nod.

New ball game

That guy had it all wrong. Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach, the wag said all those years ago. He should have met cricketers Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath. The two have been there and done that — and are now ready to tutor. The former bowlers have offered to be part of a team of Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) coaches who will conduct camps in residential and neighbourhood parks across 40 districts of Karnataka this summer to pick and groom potential talent. The handpicked newbies will get to attend a year-long academy run by the KSCA. Howzzat?

Fit feat

Clearly, this is the season for giving. Now we hear that Yuvraj Singh is also getting ready to do his bit for budding cricketers — and for fitness freaks. The ace sportsman recently launched in Delhi the Indian edition of a global interactive portal GoodChime! — which seeks to help people cope with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Founded by health expert Sreedhar Potarazu, the site will also be lending its support to Yuvraj Singh Centre of Excellence, a training programme recently launched by the cricketer for budding players. Be fit — and then hit.

Please miss

Marriage has its downside, as Kareena Kapoor may have realised after she tied the knot with the handsome Nawab of Pataudi. Bebo, we are told, was being considered for the lead role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gujarati movie Ram Leela — based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. But Bhansali thought a married woman wouldn’t wield the same charm as a single siren — so he opted for Deepika Padukone instead. And Dippy, we are told, is really excited about the role of Juliet-ben and is getting ready for the act. When she cavorts with Romeo-bhai, we’ll all say: Su chhey!

 

Classic act

First she danced. And now she’s ready to sing. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Vidya Balan. After wowing audiences with her performances in Paa, The Dirty Picture and Kahaani, Balan is now ready to shed her “silk” image and perhaps train her vocal chords for a biopic on legendary Carnatic classical singer M.S. Subbulakshmi. The lavish musical will be directed by Rajiv Menon, known best for directing such critically acclaimed Tamil films as Minsara Kanavu and Kandukondain Kandukondain. That sounds like a duet worth tuning in to.