VIVEK OBEROI
On his rapport with kids (a younger sibling of one of the participants refuses to leave his lap through the chat): I have a fantastic relationship with kids. It has been 12 years that I am working with children for One Foundation. I spend my birthdays (September 3) with cancer-affected kids. We started a school eight years back in Mathura from the foundation for exploited children. We give free food and education to 3,000 students. This year our first batch of 44 kids are going to college. We have adopted a village called Devanampatnam in Tamil Nadu. It started off when we went for relief work post-Aila.... I have got many awards in my career. But the love I get from those villagers is bigger than all of that.
On son Vivaan: He is two-and-a-half. He sits me down and lectures me. If by mistake, I throw anything on the floor, he will tell me: ‘Dada, uthao’. And Riaan, Riteish (Deshmukh) and Genelia’s son, comes to our shoot. He is my buddy.
On being a dramebaaz as a child: I was proud of being the first boy in class. In Standard VII, when I was not ready for a unit test, I tried to put it off by calling up the school, muffling my voice with a hanky, that there was a bomb in the school. Itni pitai huyi! Then I was sent off to boarding school — Mayo (College, Ajmer) — to be disciplined! I went on to get a gold medal as an NCC cadet. My commanding officer wanted me to join the defence services.
On upcoming projects: I am doing Bank Chor from Yash Raj Films with Riteish. Kapil (Sharma) was supposed to do Riteish’s role earlier. I just completed Great Grand Masti, a children’s film (winks). A big project will be announced soon. I have produced a children’s film called Dekh Indian Circus, with Nawazuddin (Siddiqui). It got an award at the Busan Film Festival. I want to launch it in a big way.
On memories of shooting in Calcutta for Yuva: Don’t remind me, yaar. I broke my leg there! It’s great that so much shooting is happening in Calcutta. It’s a beautiful city. Ek time pe it was difficult to shoot in Calcutta. Permissions were tough, working with local talent was tough, specially those working on the ground, handling lights, etc. They had the longest lunch break, they had to sleep for so many hours after lunch... how do we shoot?! At one time Calcutta was the most advanced city in India. Somehow it needs to get back in the top rung. I was recently there and I loved how there is Rabindrasangeet at each traffic signal. It’s such a great idea. Instead of hearing all the honking, screaming, you hear such beautiful music!
Sonali Bendre
On being back for Season 2 of India’s Best Dramebaaz: The kids who got eliminated last time have come back prepared. The best part of a children’s show is their purity and innocence. You can’t control kids. You can’t make them say what you want them to say. Their energy is so infectious that the one day of the week that I go for the shoot of IBD, I come back rejuvenated.
On judging children in a reality show: I don’t like the word ‘judge’. It’s tough to judge kids. Kids take anything on their chin. In the audition, when we asked kids to do more homework and come, woh khushi khushi chale gaye, saying: ‘Okay, I will come again next season’. Only those kids cry whose parents put pressure on them. Thankfully, this season we have a lot of parents saying they are just happy that their children have got a chance.
On son Ranveer: He loves watching the show, but so far has not asked to be a part of it. He wants to be an astronaut one day, toh kal F1 driver, aaj cricketer toh kal musician.
On joining social media: My husband (Goldie Behl) is amazing with technology. I am not. I am a private person. He kept telling me: ‘Don’t ban it, join it’. I finally joined Twitter (@iamsonalibendre) and it’s really not bad. It has its positives and negatives, like anything else in life.
Vivek on Sonali
Being a progressive, conscious mother, Sonali has done a great job by making it a point to talk to the mothers. She makes a point to tell parents: ‘If you get stressed it will tell on the kids’.
SB