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Model work
The model makes no bones about it — she may have injured her shoulder but she is going to make the most of being forced into a hospital. Not for nothing has the beautiful Calcutta-born model Konkanaa Bakshe become the queen of the ramp: the lady knows how to fight adversity. The New York Film Academy alumna was getting ready for Prashanth’s sequel to the Kannada hit film Loveguru when she hurt her shoulder. But while recuperating at a Mumbai hospital, she has been rehearsing her lines with her diction tutor. It will be a while before Bollywood gets to see her pretty face, but Bakshe is not complaining. This is one pretty lass with a good head on her shoulders.
Music mélange
The band Indian Ocean was on a flight some days ago when it found that seated next to them were musicians Ehsaan and Loy. They discussed music through the flight — with the Bollywood composers talking about collaborating with the fusion group — and weren’t really upset when the plane got diverted to Hyderabad on its way to Goa. They reached the airport lounge, and who should they find there but composer-guitarist John McLaughlin. McLaughlin, table maestro Zakir Hussain and other band members of Remembering Shakti were on their way to Goa for a concert. So the musicians took pictures and jammed musically and spiritually. “It was one great music day,” exults Indian Ocean bassist Rahul Ram.
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Mama Mia
Model, dancer, producer and now activist — that’s Shivani Wazir Pasrich for you. We are told that for quite a while, she has been promoting safe motherhood. Which is why she is off on a Europe tour with her play I am the Tiger (through which Pasrich, who is an environmentalist to boot, takes up the cause of the besieged beast). The tour was flagged off with suitable fanfare earlier this week. Artist Anjolie Ela Menon did the honours, while French American musician Ariane Gray Hubert sang the signature tune. Now Wazir Pasrich is getting ready to talk about safe motherhood at WOW — the Women of the World festival in London on March 8. To all this, we can only say: Wow.
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Hide tide
Actress Dia Mirza tells us there is leather — and there is leather. She appears as the new poster girl for Peta — that’s People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to those who like their steaks rare — wearing a fake snakeskin. But don’t worry: Mirza says she’s not a leather hater. Though she grew up around animals and was taught to be compassionate to them, the former beauty queen tells The Telegraph that she does use leather. “ The campaign is to stop exotic animal skin use. Snake and crocodile skin used by high-end labels for bags, shoes and belts is what I am against. The animals are skinned using the most cruel methods,” she says. So use leather if you must, but spare the endangered critters. Did someone hiss?
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Iron lady
Some would be happy to qualify as the youngest Indian golfer to make it to the Ladies European Tour. But Sharmila Nicollet, 21, has quite a few dreams. Nicollet, as tall as she is stunning, wants to win a medal for India at the Olympics now that golf is to figure in the world games from 2016. And she wants to start her own golf line. “It’ll consist of T-shirts, trousers and other golf-related stuff,” says the six-footer. But before that happens, she wants to emerge as one of the top women golfers. “I am concentrating on that alone. But once I have enough money, I will pursue my other dream,” she says. Clearly, the young lady is not just making her mark on the green, but is seeking to touch the blue of the sky as well.