Everyone has an opinion on films, it takes nothing. So, Rakhi Sawant’s review of Akbar Khan’s Taj Mahal ? “Who’s going to go and watch that film...Everyone’s wearing clothes from head to toe.” Rakhi is the girl who takes great care of her body as she may have to put it under the scanner for some producer/director, as she admitted she had to, for examiner Arjun Sablok during the making of Na Tum Jaano Na Hum in her ‘struggling’ days!

 

Riya Sen

Sen slap and splash

Hey, she is fast! And tough, too. That’s Riya Sen for you. She recently scared the guts out of a man who tried to act fresh with her. Instead of getting all shaky and weepy and looking around for a knight in shining armour, she taught the man a lesson herself. It all happened in Zayed’s exclusive pre-wedding party. On the dance floor, someone got fresh with her and she reacted instantly. First, she landed a tight slap across his face, whoever exclusive he may have been. Then she snatched a glass from a friend’s hand and splashed the drink on his face. Well, the guy simply fled from the scene and was not heard of after that! We’ve heard about how Esha tackled a fellow who tried some hanky-panky in a crowd with a mukka-laat, but you do expect that from Garam Dharam’s beti, don’t you? But when it comes from a tiny packet of dynamite, you go, Oh!

Amisha Patel

National boost

If you have to vote for the ‘Best Boyfriend of the Year’ it’s got to be Vikram Bhatt. Vikky Boy is working at breakneck speed to finish his current film, Ankahee, which was earlier called Aakhir. The film stars Amisha, but of course, along with Esha and Aftab. The reason for his tearing hurry? The National Awards. Yes, that’s right! Vikky of Hollywood-ripoff fame, wants it finished before the deadline so that it’s not left out in the run for the awards. To give Amisha’s sagging career (and his?) a National boost, of course.

Aamir did it again?

You might get ambitious and might think up a great casting coup but when you think of Aamir Khan you better think deep and serious. Vishal Bhardwaj knows that now. Or else why did he suddenly abandon his Mr Mehta and Mrs Singh ? the Kareena-Aamir starrer, a coup, no doubt. And why after getting everything in place, even flying some US technicians to finalise their looks which will see them age from 25 to 55 did he suddenly abandon it for Othello? Interference, anyone?

SPOTLIGHT

Koena Mitra

Haseena Koena too husky?

Sections of the film industry are already comparing the two Bengali bombshells. “Well, Bipasha Basu and I are both dusky and Bengali,” concedes Koena. “And perhaps the comparisons were aggravated by the fact that she was offered Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena. I stepped in when Bipasha couldn’t do it.”

But now there’s more room for comparison between the two ladies. If the captivating Koena sounds less than her usual husky self in Suparn Verma’s Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena, it’s with reason. Her voice has been dubbed by a professional dubbing artiste. And it’s the voice of Mona Ghosh, who also dubbed for Bipasha’s Jism.

Says producer Pritish Nandy, “Initially when an actress gets her first big break her voice is frequently dubbed for better voice modulation and pronunciation. Even Amisha Patel’s voice was dubbed in Kaho Na?Pyar Hai. As actors mature in voice they do their own dubbing. It’s no big deal. We at PNC are very confident of Koena. We’re going to work with her in one more film which is being written right now. Koena has her own personality. I like that.”

Koena in turn is completely comfortable with her two performances in Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena?her physical presence and her voice. “The director Suparn Verma thought my voice was too husky for this character. I had no issues with someone else doing my voice, as long as it matched my intonations. Now for my next film Money Money Money I don’t think the director Sangeeth Sivan would have any problems with my dubbing.”