Aamir gets to see Big B's secret new look but Ranbir gets turned away

The Big B had a surprise visitor at Film City on Saturday when Aamir Khan dropped in to meet him while he was shooting for Balki's Pa with Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan.

Visitors are strictly not allowed on the sets of Paa. But who says no to Aamir?

Some awkward moments ensued when Aamir showed up. But he was soon escorted to Mr Bachchan's van where the makeup man (none other than Stephan Dupuis who did Robin Williams' makeup in Mrs Doubtfire) was at it for a good four hours.

And then Aamir certifiably became the first person outside the cast and crew of Pa to see the Big B in his startling prosthetic-induced new look.

However there was a price. Aamir was sworn to secrecy literally, that he wouldn't reveal the details of Mr Bachchan's look in Pa to the outside world.

The film's director Balki is paranoid about his leading man's looks leaking out. "We don't allow a single visitor, not even close relatives or friends of crew members on the set. Phones of course are a complete no-no.

The next thing you know the look will be splashed on the net. Aamir of course couldn't be turned down. But yes, we did swear him to complete secrecy almost like a boy scout's cross-your-heart kind of pledge.

We can't afford to take any risks. If Mr Bachchan's look leaks out the plot is out. In any case Aamir is a man who understands the exigencies of cinema. He will hardly be expected to leak out the look."

While Aamir was lucky enough to get a dekko at the Big B's unique never-before look, Sanjay Dutt and Ranbir Kapoor who dropped in on Sunday were not that lucky.

While Dutt met up with the Big B when the senior actor was not in his makeup and costumes, Ranbir had to be turned away after being appeased by looking at a photograph of the Big B's look!

Bitter divorce, depression and struggle. I've suffered alot: Mahie Gill

Dancing for the mujra track "Ranaji" in Anurag Kashyap's "Gulaal" was a pain for Mahie Gill. Literally! She was in severe pain due to a back injury, but she still shot for the song with a smile on her face and wrapped up the shoot in eight hours flat.

That simply shows her dedication towards the profession she chose to adopt after her divorcee. Yes, Mahie has a bitter past.

She was married and settled in Chandigarh. Although it was a love marriage, it was a turbulent relationship, which ultimately ended in divorce. The separation was anything but amicable.

Mahi went through a very difficult time after which she moved to Mumbai to try her luck in Hindi films but success didn’t come easy. She had to struggle for almost three years before she got her first break in Anurag Kashyap’s Dev D.

Talking a tabloid she confirms, "I decided to move to Mumbai after I went through a low phase due to the separation. My biggest support system was my mother who believed in me and supported me throughout.

Even though she was initially against my decision to shift to Mumbai as she was worried about me, she has always been my pillar especially after my father passed away 10 years ago. After moving to Mumbai I had no work and struggled for three and a half years. I did some theatre when I was a struggler.”

Fortunately, her struggle and hard work paid off and she bagged Paro’s role in Anurag Kashyap’s Dev D followed by Gulaal and Aage Se Right opposite Shreyas Talpade and Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Paan Singh Tomar.

We wish pretty lady all the luck for her future.

I've no plan to enter IPL: Kareena Kapoor

Bollywood beauties Preity Zinta, Juhi Chawla and Shilpa Shetty are trying their luck in the business of cricket through the Indian Premier League (IPL), but Kareena Kapoor says she has no such plan as she doesn't have a business sense.

Asked if she planned to enter IPL like other actresses, Kareena said: "I have no idea about business. I only know how to act. As for business, I will think about it five years later."

Kareena, who was last seen with superstar Shah Rukh Khan in a song in Billu, is busy working for forthcoming films like Kambakth Ishq, Main Aur Mrs. Khanna, Three Idiots and an untitled Renzil D'Silva project.

While Preity co-owns IPL team Kings XI Punjab, Juhi is part owner of Shah Rukh's Kolkata Knight Riders and Shilpa Shetty joined the cricket bandwagon this year with beau Raj Kundra by buying a stake in Rajasthan Royals.

No kidding, Katrina Kaif is looking to win a national award

After a slew of out and out comedies like "Namastey London", "Partner" and "Singh Is Kinng", Katrina Kaif is now working on two "difficult" films - Prakash Jha's political drama "Rajneeti" and Rajkumar Santoshi's romantic comedy "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani"- and the actress wants to devote extra time and thought to the projects.

"This year I would like to allocate time to big films. The kind of films I am doing - 'Rajneeti' and 'Ajab Prem...' are a little more difficult. They need time and also a little more thought process, " Katrina told. The films are slated for release this year.

In "Ajab Prem..." Katrina shares screen space with Ranbir Kapoor and Upen Patel, while in "Rajneeti" she stars alongside a bevy of actors including Ranbir, Ajay Devgan, Arjun Rampal, Nana Patekar and Manoj Bajpai.

Katrina says that Santoshi's dedication and "knack for making his actors win national awards" is something that makes her want to work hard for his film.

"'Ajab Prem...' is a very different film. Raj-ji is a taskmaster on the sets and the results of that are visible. I need to dedicate enough time and attention to this film because I think the movie is going to be very special and very important for me. It's nothing like I have done before, " said the 24-year-old actress.

Katrina shares similar sentiments for Jha, who has helmed films like "Gangaajal" and "Apaharan" in the past.

"Prakash Jha is highly intelligent and highly interested in his project. A film like 'Rajneeti' is not something where I can just jump and say - 'Sir, my hair is done, my costume is done and I'm ready', something I can do in most films that are comic capers.

"For films like his, one has to research clothes. I can't decide on my own what I want to wear or what I would prefer. I have to follow the character I am playing. 'Rajneeti' is a very grounded, a very rooted film, and so I am going to be dedicating a little more time as the project requires it, " she said.

In "Rajneeti" Katrina sports a simple and de-glamourized look in a crisp cotton sari and with her hair neatly tied in a ponytail. Though the look bears a resemblance to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, the director has denied that her role has anything to do with the senior leader.

Though Katrina has mostly starred in comedies like "Namastey London" and "Singh Is Kinng" (Vipul Shah), "Partner" (David Dhawan) and "Welcome" (Anees Bazmee) in her over five-year-old career, she says she "might not be doing another comedy, fun, masti film very dedicatedly any time soon".

Apart from "Rajneeti" and "Ajab Prem...", Katrina has Yash Raj Film's "New York", Anthony D'Souza's "Blue" and also a two-film deal with production house UTV in her kitty.

I have managed to survive and make a place for myself: Aftab Shivdasani

Aloo Chaat is your first release this year and is also a solo lead for you after a while. How do you feel?
I am obviously very excited. It's been sometime since I've had a solo release, so it is special. I am very happy with the end product because it is a consistently well made film.

Aloo Chaat is quite a funky title. Whose idea was it and what significance does it hold?
Aloo Chaat is something which is quite symbolic to the film. The film has a Punjabi flavour and Aloo Chaat is one of the most popular North Indian delicacies.

In keeping with the theme of the film, you also have an Aloo Chaat wala who appears at 3 -4 crucial junctures of the film and summarizes the proceedings. However, I feel that Aloo Chaat is an apt title for the film because the film is spicy, chatpata and complete fun just like the dish.

The film seems like a romantic comedy. Could you elaborate?
The film is about a middle class Punjabi family based in Delhi. I play a person who has come back from the US to get married.

He has a pre-conceived notion of how he wants to get married as opposed to how his parents think he should get married. His whole family is a very simple, conservative and typical North Indian family. This clash of thoughts between them leads to some hilarious situations.

How has it been working with a newcomer like Aamna? From the promos, one gets an impression that the two of you share great chemistry.
It's been great. Aamna is someone who is very confident about what she does. She is a hardworking girl. We couldn't have asked for anyone better for this particular role than Aamna. We share a great working relationship. She is someone who I cherish working with again.

Robby Grewal's last two films as director Samay and MP3 were B.O. duds. Did that ever bother you?
No not really…when I met him something clicked between us. Robby is someone who is young and raring to go. He is more script driven rather than success driven. We are almost of the same age so the bonding was always there.

He is somebody who knows what he wants and is extremely passionate about his work. Being a Punjabi who is born and raised in Delhi, Robby knew how to bring in the right flavour for this film.

Tell us something about the music of the film.
Music has a Punjabi flavour keeping in mind the premise of the film. It's got an assortment of songs.

It's got a Punjabi hip-hop number given by RDB, a romantic number called 'Dhadke Jiya' by Xulfi, and two versions of the Aloo Chaat title track one by a new guy called Mehfuz and the other one by Vipin Mishra. So you have an interesting mix that has something for everyone.

The promos give an impression that the film has a heavy Punjabi flavor. Do you feel it will appeal to people across India?
Yes…more than the Punjabi flavour, the film talks about marriage that is universal in nature regardless of cast, creed and race. I am pretty sure that the people in the North would really love the film. However, I don't think that it would be restricted only to a particular region. I think it will find an audience across the country because of the characters.

While shooting in Delhi, did you taste the yummy chaats and are you a chaat person?
Oh yes I love chaats. I would have chaats even in Mumbai whenever I get a chance. While shooting in Delhi we had a complete blast and gorged on some delicious stuff.

Coming back to your career, of late a lot of media attention has been towards your personal life rather than your career. Do you think this has affected the B.O. performance of some of your recent films?
What the media writes or the gossip magazines write is part and parcel of every actor's career. Nobody really takes it so seriously after a point of time.

I don't think anything personal written about me could have hampered my professional career. Yes but my films not doing well, is something which is unfortunate. Some of my recent films many not have done well but I am happy that the common man still loves and respects me.

I have managed to survive and make a place for myself. Even people from within the industry have shown a lot of faith in me and I hope to live up their expectations

A lot of people feel your forte is comedy. Are you going to be only doing comedy or are you planning to get out of your so-called comfort zone?
I love doing comedy but to be honest I don't only want to stick to doing comedy. However that doesn't mean I will not do comedy because besides being an entertaining genre, comedy films are an enjoyable experience even for me as an actor. So while I keep trying out different stuff I will be sticking to doing one or two comedy films every year.

Post Aloo Chaat what's next in the pipeline?
There is Indra Kumar's Daddy Cool which is a mad-cap comedy, then there is Sajid Nadiadwala's Kambakkht Ishq which has all he trappings of a big commercial entertainer and finally there is Sanjay Gupta's Acid Factory an action thriller where you will see me in an intense role.

You also turned producer recently. What's happening on that front?
Yes I have started my production house. It's called Rising Sun Entertainment. It's too early to talk about it but there is lots happening on that front too.

Finally why should audiences saunter in to watch Aloo Chaat. Won't they rather have a blast eating it?
(Smiles) No I don't think so. When you eat it and when you watch it are two different things altogether. Both are very tasty but Aloo Chaat the film is tastier (laughs).

I adopted Boman as my father: Minissha

Once she was the petite and a cute girl next door. Not any more though. Looking lean, luscious and rosy cheeked is Minissha Lamba these days. Lean because that's how many of the abba ki 'daughters' look now-a-days, right?

Luscious because each time you see her photo-shoots, you go o-lala and rosy cheeked because she has just wrapped up her latest flick Abba Ka Kuan in Hyderabad directed by one of Indian cinema's finest film makers, Shyam Benegal, not to forget, she had a blast out there too.

Being smart, well-read and occasionally outspoken, she can switch to humour from high drama in a split second, and doesn't she remind us of the sexy Heather Graham?

Not that we are playing the comparison game here but this Indian siren has the same combination of freshness, intelligence and a great body like her Hollywood compatriot.

Speaking exclusively over the phone, the actress shares her unforgettable Hyderabadi connection.

"Mostly we were restricted to Ramoji Film City where we were shooting and even though it was an outdoor schedule, this has been one of my most relaxed schedules I've been on.

The place we were put up was completely secluded from the city and was very beautiful. There were no cars around and suddenly when you're so cut off from the world around you, you've achieved nirvana", exclaims Mini.

We love calling her by that name. But the one name which the actress can't get out of her mind is of the master and mentor, Mr. Shyam Benegal.

"Shyam sir is a veteran. It was a pleasure working for him because even after the end of a grueling one month in Hyderabad, he was still recharged without the exhaustion and the pressures of shooting an entire film in one go under soaring temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius."

Now we don't like to give this out but we have to. Did you guys know that Lamba loves to get her hands on the spicy hot biryani? What's disappointing is the fact that....We'll let the temptress do the talk.

"My God! I tried my level best not to indulge in the mouth watering biryanis. So my staple diet out there was curd and rice, the famous South Indian delicacy. That kept the heat away for a bit".

Minissha is also very sporty, not for her talking to us about her just finished film, but the fact that she got the time to brush up her skills on a sport she loves playing, Squash.

She says, "Playing squash wasn't a deliberate attempt to shed the kilos. I was so glad that they had a court out there because it's been a while that I've improved my game.

One has to keep fit as an actor but at the same time you also need to keep yourself entertained post any shoot. Playing squash was the perfect way to keep my mind and body occupied."

Back to the film, the question remains, is the role going to fetch the actress a lot more than what she expects? The answer was loud and clear.

"What I expect from every film is that you grow as an actor and are proud of the work you've done. Ultimately, the fate of the film is not something which is in your hand. You do what you can and what is under your control. I hope the film fetches a lot more for all of us than just me".

Abba Ka Kuan is a political satire and a light hearted take on certain things we all talk about. The rosy cheeked chic sounds all excited.

"When I read the script, I simply loved it. I hope people like the film because it deserves to be liked. The whole point of you working and making a film is that people like it. You don't make a film so that people hate it. Just because my last film did not work, that doesn't mean I did not believe in the film. I believed in it till the very end from the day one".

We did remind you at the very beginning that the actress is outspoken. She further adds, "Everything is an experience in life. You cannot know the good without knowing what the bad is and the vice versa. That's how life is.

I am a true optimist". And so is her co-actor in the film who plays her father, known as Abba, Boman Irani. Mini shares her new born relationship.

"Literally I adopted Boman as my father while we were off the sets. I would call him Abba all the time and he too would call me by the name of the character I play.

The bond between the father and the daughter would be played out post pack up every evening, so much so that when something had to be done, I would take permission from Abba.

It was one of the most unique relationships I've had with any co-star to date. The moment I wouldn't find Boman around, I'd be looking for him. That's how the rapport was."

So after saying bye-bye to Hyderabad, Minissha Lamba now looks forward to the IIFA 2009, she says, which is going to take place in the beautiful city of Macau, and we hope she enjoys it as much as she enjoyed Hyderabad, except the weather, we guess.

Look who grabbed Manisha's 'Meaty' role

Manisha Koirala is looking for meaty roles at this point of her career. So when the redoubtable Amol Palekar offered her a role in his new film, the prolific director's first in English, Manisha jumped with joy.

Amol has extracted exceptional performances from his female actors including Deepti Naval in Ankahee, Anita Kanwar in Thodasa Roomani Ho Jayen and Rani Mukherjee in Paheli.

Manisha expected the prolific Palekar to offer her yet another opportunity to relive her golden days of Khamoshi The Musical, Bombay and Dil Se.

But to her dismay the role in Palekar's film was just a cameo. "I'd have loved to work with Amolji. It was an interesting character, that of a Buddhist monk.

I'd have given my right arm to play the role, if only I had at least two scenes ...achcha chalo, only one meaty scene. I've never believed in measuring my roles in terms of playing time. Lekin kuch to hona chahiye..."

Manisha had to reluctantly say no. "It broke my heart because I'm heavily into Buddhism. And I want to work with Amolji."

The role has now gone to Antara Mali who after specially-written parts in Ram Gopal Varma's Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon and Naach slips into cameo kingdom and also happily shaves off her tresses to play the monk.

Manisha too had no problem with shaving off her hair. The problem was the scarcity of meat in the part.