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| Yana Gupta: Hot as ever |
Aishwarya Rai is here, there, everywhere in London, putting her best smile forward to every pair of eyes looking her way. Friday evening saw one such appearance, this time it was at Royal Albert Hall. Flanked by her constant companion these days, director Gurinder Chadha, she seated herself in the front row of the largely NRI audience at the Sahara Sangeet Awards. Surrounding Rai, the Bride of the moment, were many of her Bollywood brethren. Shabana Azmi was there, flanked by lyricist-husband Javed Akhtar, as were Fardeen Khan, father Feroze and Malaika Arora.
In another salute to Sholay, which opened Sahara?s first Indian Film Festival held in London recently, its maker Ramesh Sippy was flown in along with his wife. The musical fraternity was there in sizeable strength for what a Sahara spokesperson says is the ?first award ceremony exclusively for musicians? (with an award even for the best arranger). Anandji, of the Kalyanji-Anandji duo, received a lifetime achievement award, with melody-makers Jatin-Lalit and Nadeem-Shravan applauding him. Babul Supriyo and Swapna Mukherjee dropped in, along with Britain?s hottest name in the Asian music circuit Rishie Rich.
If Aishwarya was content gracing the front row, there was Hrithik Roshan showing the cheering crowd a few special moves to a medley of songs from his own films. Babuji babe Yana Gupta and Sameera Reddy performed as well, steaming up the October evening. Shiamak Davar had also flown in with his troupe.
Any doubt about the difference in reception of Bollywood stars in oh-so-propah British heartland, were put to rest by the whistles, the ultimate gesture of admiration by our front-benchers, which were very much audible at Royal Albert Hall. No wonder the Sahara authorities have decided to make this an annual affair.
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| Neha Dhupia: Mirror, mirror... |
After the likes of Brande Roderick and Sophie Dahl, it will be the turn of comparatively lesser-known foreign actress Eilidh Macqueen to go berserk to the Bolly beat. But not before she has an on-screen match-up with our very own bold babe Neha Dhupia. The film in question is Guddu Dhanoa?s Sheesha, directed by Ashu Trikha, who last wielded the megaphone for the disastrous Arjun Rampal-Dia Mirza-starrer Deewanapan.
The male quotient in the film is provided by actor Sonu Sood who was last seen in Ravi Chopra?s Baghban. And the whole Sheesha team has been shooting on a start-to-finish schedule in Bangkok and Pattaya from end-August. ?I have been shooting for the last one-and-a-half months here in Thailand and will return some time in October,? Neha told Metro.
Julie, who has been behind famous quotes like ?Only sex and Shah Rukh sell in Bollywood? and ?I am happy that the Indian audience has finally become more open to sex? is sure to set more screens on fire with Sheesha.
A local flavour: she is the same lady who threw the doors open for our happening Camac Street hookah-bar haunt Shisha. All in the name, you see?
Award shows are dime a dozen these days, but it was a first for a Bengali channel in recognising in-house excellence. Alpha Bangla, which turned five this year, extended celebrations to the Alpha Gourab awards. Held at Science City auditorium on Sunday, the event saw a large turnout of celebrities, including the special guest for the evening, actor Rahul Bose.
Prize categories included best actor, actress, character roles and serials, all selected from Alpha Bangla programmes. Winners were chosen through viewer votes, followed by a panel of judges comprising authors, actors and journalists. Those walking away with the prizes included Chaiti Ghoshal (Sreshtho Nari), Krishnakishore Mukhopadhyay (Sreshtho Purush) and even Sreshtho Baba and Sreshtho Maa (Arijeet Guha and Lily Chakraborty). Sreshtho Dharabahik went to Ek Aakasher Niche, while Chhotoder Priyo Onushthan was bagged by Thakumar Jhulie.
The channel also paid tribute to stalwarts in the industry with its Sarbottam Sambhardhana award, felicitating Ruma Guha Thakurta, Amala Shankar, Geeta De, Shirshendu Mukherjee and Tapas Sen.
The glittering award ceremony featured a dance performance by Indrani Halder and her troupe, as well as one by Konineeca Banerjee (going Dhoom dhoom no less).
Music flowed from Usha Uthup, Abhijit and folk band Bhoomi, which brought the show to an end.
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| Daler Mehndi: Back to good times |
The nightmare?s over for the man who?s known as Dollar in the West for his incredible skills of raking in the moolah with his live concerts. Yes, we are talking about Bhangra king Daler Mehndi who is back with new album Sha Ra Ra Ra after his extended scuffle with the cops over human trafficking charges.
But now Daler?s back to what he does best, sing. What?s more, his comeback tale has been featured in the latest issue of Time magazine. Calling him ?Asia?s biggest ever pop export?, the article traces his journey from a cabbie in Berkeley to his return to stardom with Sha Ra Ra Ra.
Also, not only is the new album doing quite well, the video, directed by Ahmed Khan and featuring Popcorn babe Rashmi Nigam is a big hit on the telly. But it is the rack sales of Sha Ra Ra Ra which must be truly heartening for Daler.
The album, which released on September 18, has already crossed the one-lakh figure. And that is excluding the institutional sales, which is another 1.5 lakh.
It?s bolo ta ra ra again for Daler paaji!
