Celeb Talk

Welcome!

2022-12-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!
Welcome to Celeb Talk! I am a journalist and this is the blog where I keep an archive of the interviews I take and describe how exactly they happened, how they went and informal details about how the celebrity is to talk to, and other interesting oversights. I started this blog only in December 2007, by when I had around 7 years of interviews to archive! So I am going to keep adding interviews to the blog as and when I have time.

The first page of my blog(this very page) will always show the same 5 entries with a few updates..
1. Welcome! (That's the one you are reading now)
2. Background Details (More about me and how I ended up being a journalist..)
3. Recently taken/added interviews (A list of the 5 most recently taken, added and popular interviews with their links).
4. Interview Index By Category (List of interviews I have taken grouped into the profession of the celebrity, like Sports, Music, Movies, etc. The lists are in alphabetical order, so it is easier to find a particular celebrity.)
5. Interview Index (An exhaustive index of the interviews I have taken. The name of each celebrity whose interview I have added to the site is converted to a hyperlink, so you can reach their interview by clicking on the name)

Each interview is divided into two parts :
One where I write about how the interviews actually happened and informal insights into the celebrity I interviewed (how he was to talk to, etc.). The other is of course, the actual interview in itself. To browse through the interviews, you can check out the interview index by category or just go through the older posts.

Thank You, and enjoy reading the interviews! (Okay, I may have sounded awfully boring so far, but trust me, my informal interview descriptions are going to be fun filled! Umm.. that's when I START writing them!)

Note :

(1) If you have a fan site and want to use any of the interviews, please contact me at nikhiltaneja@gmail.com before using it. No interviews should be used without permission, since these are exclusively taken and are copyrighted (not by me, but by my magazine! I can't sue you, but they can for sure!).

(2) The site is under construction so some of the interviews/descriptions may be incomplete or incorrect. Please bear with me until I completely finish uploading all the interviews and descriptions..

Background Details

2020-10-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

It was my brother who inspired me to write. My brother, Sagar, is a brilliant artist. When we were both kids, my father was posted in Dubai by Bank Of Baroda. In Dubai, we came across our very first youth, Young Times, which had a lot of sections which bode well with us children.

There was a column 'Canvas' which invited children to send in their drawings, paintings, etc. that would be printed in Young Times. Sagar, being the brilliant artist he was, sent in a few of his drawings to the mag, which in fact got published. Following suit, I tried my hand at drawing as well and sent in my contributions to the mag. But mine were never published. I would invest a lot of sweat in what I thought were BLOODY AWESOME drawings, but the mag would never publish them.

It was time for me to leave Dubai. As a last desperate attempt at seeing my name in print, I dashed across a letter to YT asking them why they never published my drawings and sent another drawing. They still didn't publish any drawing, but they instead published my letter! I felt vindicated!

Months later, my dad found a job in Bahrain and we were back in the Gulf. I came across Young Times again. This time though, I didn't try and get any of my drawings published(I still have a grudge against them for not publishing them because my drawings were good!!! I still think so at least!!!). Instead, I started sending them letters. Thoughtful letters, thought provoking letters. I started taking part in YT contests, tried sending my stuff to every column which invited reader contributions. And got to see my name in print quite a few times. I was a happy teenager.

The turning point of my life came in the summer of 2001. I was 13 that time. There was a celebrity cricket match organized in Bahrain and to my dismay, I didn't find any mention of it in my favourite magazine, Young Times. So I wrote an article on the event and sent it across to YT with an email in which I asked them why they never covered events in Bahrain. After all, it was an integral part of the Middle East. I ended the letter by taking my chances and asking them if I could cover it for them, if they didn't have any correspondents in Bahrain.

They said yes.

It was a long shot, but hey, it worked! And with that, started my tryst with journalism. On October 1, 2000, I got a letter signed by Mr. B. Surender, the then-editor of Young Times, who accredited me as a correspondent of Young Times. I was in the 9th standard at Indian School, Bahrain at that time. I am not sure what Mr. Surender meant when he said I, a 14 year old school going kid, would be the Bahrain correspondent of Young Times but I had my own interpretation of it. So when a celebrity event took place in Bahrain during October, 2001, in which Sajid Khan, Shankar Mahadeven and Hema Sardesai had come to perform, I got the phone no. of the organizers from the local newspaper and called them up and requested for their interviews.

What followed was my first press conference at age 14, and my first interview with Sajid Khan, which Young Times was ever so happy to publish.

It's been 7 and a half years since. I am 21 now, have just finished off my last year at National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, where I had been studying Computer engineering since the past 4 years. In the meanwhile, though, what started off as a hobby has turned into a passion and now I have 100 odd interviews of Indian and international celebrities to my credit, including the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Aiswharya Rai, Michael Schumacher, Viswanathan Anand, etc. I am still free lancing for Young Times and am having a kick ass time.

I don't know where my life or career is headed. Journalism is in my blood now and I am feverishly looking for a job in the media field! I have two jobs in the IT sector and I am all set to forgo them to follow my dream.... Wish me luck!

So well, happy reading :) ! And do come again!

Recently Taken/Added Interviews

2019-10-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

Most Popular Interviews :

1. Shahrukh Khan
2. Michael Schumacher
3. Viswanathan Anand
4. Ranbir Kapoor
5. Sonam Kapoor

Most recently Taken Interviews:

1. Kajol (March 2008)
2. Hrithik Roshan (January 2008)
3. Aishwarya Rai (January 2008)
4. Ashutosh Gowarikar (January 2008)
5. Imtiaz Ali (Director of Jab We Met - Dec 2007)

Most recently Added interviews:

1. Imtiaz Ali
2. Nandana Sen
3. Ranbir Kapoor
4. Sonam Kapoor
5. Nikita Anand

Most recently Added Interview Descriptions:

---To be Updated---

Most Popular Interview Descriptions:

---To be Updated---

Interview Index by Category

2019-10-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

List of interviews I have taken by category (In alphabetical order):
MOVIE CELEBS

Actors
1. Akshay Kumar ('07)
2. Akshaye Khanna ('07)
3. Aman Varma ('03)
4. Hrithik Roshan ('08)
5. Hussain Kujarewala ('07)
6. Jaaved Jafferi ('07)
7. Jimmy Shergill ('07)
8. Mohanlal ('03)
9. Om Puri ('01)
10. Rahul Bose ('06)
11. Ranbir Kapoor ('07)
12. Ranvir Shorey ('07)
13. Riteish Deshmukh ('07)
14. Sanjay Suri ('05)
15. SHAH RUKH KHAN ('07)
16. Shahid Kapur ('07)
17. Vinay Pathak ('07)

Actresses
1. Aishwarya Rai ('08)
2. Dia Mirza ('07)
3. Diana Hayden ('01)
4. Juhi Babbar('01)
5. Kajol ('08)
6. Nandana Sen ('07)
7. Mona Singh ('05)
8. Meghna Naidu ('03)
9. Musumeh ('07)
10. Nadira Babbar ('01)
11. Nikita Anand ('01)
12. Sayali Bhagat ('04)
13.Soha Ali Khan ('07)
14. Sonam Kapoor ('07)
15. Tanushree Dutta ('04)
16. Tanushree Dutta ('07)
17. Urvashi Sharma ('07)
18. Vidya Balan ('07)

Art Director
1. Omung Kumar (Saawariya Art Director) ('07)

Director
1. Ashutosh Gowarikar ('08)
2. Imtiaz Ali ('07)
2. Sajid Khan ('07)

MUSIC CELEBS

Bands
1. A1 Band('01)
2. Junoon Band ('00)

Composers
1. Annu Malik ('07)
2. Harry Anand ('03)
3. Monty (Saawariya Music Director) ('07)
4. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy ('07)
5. Vishal Shekhar ('07)

Singers
1. Devang Patel ('01)
2. Hema Sardesai ('00)
3. Jagjit Singh ('01)

4. Jyolsna ('04)
5. Mehnaz ('01)
6. Shaan ('01)
7. Shankar Mahadevan ('00)
8. Shail Hada ('07)
9. Sunidhi Chauhan ('07)
10. Sunitha Sarathy ('04)
11. Udit Narayan ('07)
12. Vasundhara Das

MISCELLANEOUS CELEBS

Authors
1. Rana Dasgupta ('06)
2. Shashi Tharoor ('06)

Entrepreneurs
1. Ashish Kaul, Executive Vice President, ICL ('07)

Quizmasters
1. Siddhartha Basu ('07)

VJs
1. Cyrus Broacha ('01)
2. Cyrus Broacha ('05)
3. Gaurav Kapoor ('05)
4. Mini Mahur ('07)
5. Nikhil Chinappa ('03)
6. Purab Kohli ('05)
7. Sajid Khan ('00)

SPORTS CELEBS

Chess Player
1. Viswanathan Anand ('07)

Cricketers
1. Ajit Wadekar ('07)
2. Ambati Rayudu ('07)
3. Andrew Hall ('07)
4. Chris Cairns ('07)
5. Chris Read ('07)
6. Daryll Tuffey ('07)
7. Ian Harvey ('07)
8. Madan Lal ('07)
9. Michael Bevan ('07)
10. Navjot Singh Siddhu ('07)
11. Nicky Boje ('07)
12. Paul Nixon ('07)
13. Russel Arnold ('07)
14. Shabbir Ahmed ('07)
15. Stuart Law ('07)
16. Taufeeq Umar ('07)
17. Thiru Kumaran('07)

Formula One Drivers
1. Anthony Davidson ('04)
2. Christian Klien ('04)
3. Cristiano Da Matta ('04)
4. Felipe Massa ('04)
5. FERNANDO ALONSO ('04)
6. Giancarlo Fisichella ('04)
7. Gianmaria Bruni ('04)
8. Jarno Trulli ('04)
9. Jenson Button ('04)
10. Juan Pablo Montoya ('04)
11. Mark Webber ('04)
12. MICHAEL SCHUMACHER ('04)
13. Olivier Panis ('04)
14. Ralf Schumacher ('04)
15. Reuben Barichello
16. Takuma Sato ('04)
17. Zsolt Baumgartener ('04)

Note:

(1) The date of interview is given in brackets next to the name of the celebrity. The name of each celebrity whose interview I have added to the site is converted to a hyperlink, so you can reach their interview by clicking on the name.

(2) The site is under construction so some of the interviews/descriptions may be incomplete or incorrect. Please bear with me until I completely finish uploading all the interviews and descriptions.

Exhaustive Interview Index

2019-10-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

List of interviews I have taken in the exact order they happened (From most recent to first):

Kajol
Hrithik Roshan
Aishwarya Rai
Ashutosh Gowarikar
Andrew Hall
Stuart Law
Chris Cairns
Thiru Kumaran
Daryll Tuffey
Imtiaz Ali
Ian Harvey
Chris Read
Taufeeq Umar
Paul Nixon
Ambati Rayudu
Madan Lal
Nicky Boje
Jimmy Shergill
Dia Mirza
Musumeh
Ashish Kaul, Executive Vice President, ICL
Ajit Wadekar
Shabbir Ahmed
Michael Bevan
Russel Arnold
Shahid Kapur
Nandana Sen
Shail Hada
Monty (Saawariya Music Director)
Omung Kumar (Saawariya Art Director)
Sonam Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor
Viswanathan Anand
Nikita Anand
Jaaved Jafferi
Tanushree Dutta
Akshay Kumar
Vidya Balan
Riteish Deshmukh
Urvashi Sharma
Akshaye Khanna
Ranvir Shorey
Vishal Shekhar
Soha Ali Khan
Sunidhi Chauhan
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Sajid Khan
Navjot Singh Siddhu
Udit Narayan
Annu Malik
Hussain Kujarewala
Mini Mahur
Vinay Pathak
SHAH RUKH KHAN
Siddhartha Basu
Rana Dasgupta
Rahul Bose
Shashi Tharoor
Cyrus Broacha
Gaurav Kapoor
Purab Kohli
Sanjay Suri
Mona Singh
Jyolsna
Sunitha Sarathy
Tanushree Dutta
Sayali Bhagat
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER
FERNANDO ALONSO
Felipe Massa
Juan Pablo Montoya
Reuben Barichello
Ralf Schumacher
Giancarlo Fisichella
Jarno Trulli
Christian Klien
Mark Webber
Jenson Button
Takuma Sato
Olivier Panis
Cristiano Da Matta
Gianmaria Bruni
Zsolt Baumgartener
Anthony Davidson
Aman Varma
Nikhil Chinappa
Vasundhara Das
Harry Anand
Meghna Naidu
Mohanlal
Juhi Babbar
Nadira Babbar
A1 Band
Cyrus Broacha
Om Puri
Shaan
Jagjit Singh
Devang Patel
Diana Hayden
Mehnaz
Junoon Band
Shankar Mahadevan
Hema Sardesai
Sajid Khan

Note:
(1)The name of each celebrity whose interview I have added to the site is converted to a hyperlink, so you can reach their interview by clicking on the name.
(2)The site is under construction so some of the interviews/descriptions may be incomplete or incorrect. Please bear with me until I completely finish uploading all the interviews and descriptions.

Interview with SHAH RUKH KHAN - I

2019-10-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

Who : Shahrukh Khan
About : The God of Bollywood
Website: http://www.shahrukhkhan.org/ (Fan site -- features my interview as well)

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Shahrukh Khan
Interview Date: March 27, 2007
Place: KBC Set, Film City (Goregaon) , Mumbai
Pics: Shahrukh Khan and the KBC Experience

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Shahrukh Khan happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

Interview with SHAH RUKH KHAN - II

2019-10-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

Who : Shahrukh Khan
About : The God of Bollywood
Website: http://www.shahrukhkhan.org/ (Fan site -- features my interview as well)

How it happened : Interview with Shahrukh Khan
Interview Date: March 27, 2007
Place: KBC Set, Film City (Goregaon) , Mumbai
Pics: Shahrukh Khan and the KBC Experience

Nikhil Taneja (NT) : So how does it feel making a foray back into television after a gap of more than a decade?

Shahrukh Khan (SRK): Well, actually its really not about coming back to TV. For me now, over the years, its just become just performing in any kind of media. And television is obviously not at all the way it used to be when I used to act on television and the formats I acted in were completely different from the ones I’m doing now. So there is no comparison in mind, I mean I cant do any wrong kind of comparison. But just working for the television industry has been very fine. I think it’s a lot more organized because I think it is time bound – episodes have to go on time and its very professionally handled and this set of team from Synergy and Star is really nice. So its great fun! It can be a very hectic show but its not because its organized so.

NT : Knowing the legacy left by Amitabh Bachchan, what was your very first reaction when Star offered you KBC 3?

SRK : See I don’t want to deride or undermine the status of anybody. But see I am an actor in my own right and I do my job and if I was to give a thought about what has been done before then the job becomes that much tougher. I have to do my job as I do. So I have never thought of it, really. I mean, as a job, I get a role, and Im called upon to play it. I HAVE done roles in films which other actors have not done. So it was another role some other anchor or person was not willing to continue with. Once I was told that Mr. Bachchan was not doing it, for me its like just going ahead and continuing on the way I would do it. I don’t know if I’d do better or worse, but it’s a job and I have to do it and I’ll do it to the very best of my ability.

NT : In the initial few episodes of the show, you seemed nervous, perhaps even a little edgy. But then of course, you eased into the role of the anchor and have left your inimitable stamp on it. Was it the feedback that made you more comfortable or just the fact that adapting to the small screen is a slow process?

SRK : I don’t know, I mean everyone says that. I have been doing the show in exactly the same way. I think, initially, because, you know, it’s a new thing everyone gets more into details and looks into it that way. And I think the initial response was that the show is not good enough. So that could not have made me feel better! I don’t know what it is, I think its just maybe finally it is as natural as the more often you do it, the easier you get with it. So that could be the case. But as far as I am concerned, really, I mean, when I have seen the first few episodes, I have found them as good or bad as the ones Im doing right now.I really find no difference in the way I am conducting them, what I sense when I am doing it. But obviously the viewers point of view is important and if somebody felt that it was not so good I am happy its happened now. But it wasn’t because of the response. Im just like I said, I just go out there and try and do my best every show. And if the initial response is anything to go by, I thought everyone thought it wasn’t so good. I didn’t go by that. I just did what I thought – I believed it. And I think my belief was that I will try to reach out to as many people as I can and I think that I can and I think that finally is happening and that’s why it looks easy and nice.

NT : Perhaps the one major difference in the previous format and the present one is that while it seemed that one was an invited guest at a elite gathering with Mr. AB, you give the feeling of being at home, the one-amongst-friends feeling. Was this a ploy of Star or is this a flavour you brought about yourself?

SRK : I think I have said this before, its because of the way I am. I am of a different generation and I conduct myself like that. I have a different personality and that personality comes through and I think it goes to the team of star and synergy. They were very clear. They brought me on to bring in a personality which is different. And anyway Mr.Bachchan’s personality is a unique personality – you cant have it. So its not like a ploy. It’s the way I am. And that’s what makes the program the way it is. And now has been a long time so I don’t even remember how I have done MY first few episodes let alone how the older one was done really to tell you… the fact. So it wasn’t like a concerted effort to change it. Because the show is the same, the format is exactly the same, there is no change in that.

NT : You practiced pretty hard with the mock Hot Seat at your place. Were the pukka-pukka, kachcha-kachcha, the hugs, the freeze its, the naming of the computer a result of the suggestions during these interactions? Who gave what suggestions and what was the work of your genius?

SRK : No, no, I am not a genius at all, I am just an actor who does what I am told to do. I think Siddharth and they’ve got a good team of Tanya, Sharmishta, Aditi and all the guys who work backstage and you know they’ve been giving inputs. I would say something and they’d pick on words and say ok, we can use it, let’s try. They would make a list and give it a shot. And then we tried it through the music video. We tried some of the terms in the music video. And it felt that kk-pp would work. And it felt that there was another word called ‘Kaboosh’, which I have not used… I mean, I have not used it at all. So let’s see if that works, I may try it in the last episode. So I think it’s a collective team effort. It’s not really I came up with any idea. I don’t think I have come up with any idea! KBC does not need any more ideas, its already got such wonderful ideas!

NT : The most interesting suggestion that you could have got – which probably you followed or didn’t follow?

SRK : I don’t want to sound pompous but I don’t follow suggestions. I don’t follow suggestions because see, I am a professional actor. And I’ve been doing the job for 20 years. I am not trying to shoot down anybody’s suggestions. But there are a lot of things that happen while you are performing that need to be considered. And some of the suggestions, even if they are good, they are practically impossible. But like, some of the suggestions, initially that my wife gave – That at the stand up position, I speak too loud, maybe I should tone it down and things like that, you know. Where one doesn’t need to enact out a few bits – because the screen is very close and small and it would make it seem closer. But those are bits and pieces which happen anyways once you see a few episodes of yourself. But Otherwise, the suggestions I have taken are only from the creative seats involved, who know how to make KBC. And of course, feedback keeps coming in. People would say please give a goodbye kiss to every kid when you do it, talk to your wife, you know those bits. Whenever they come naturally, we do it. It’s not forced into the program ever.

NT : So who would you say has contributed the most to your style of presenting KBC 3? Is it yourself or is it the environment?

SRK : I think no one can present the program until the environment is completely in control like it is in the control of Synergy team and Star team. To be really honest, I don’t want to even lessen the importance of anchoring a show but I think, anybody can do this show. The ease with which the team helps you, I think anyone can do the show. It’s no big deal really. It seems like a big deal when you start, but to be really honest, I think the team makes you so easy and so comfortable that you don’t really need to do anything but follow instructions which are given to you. Yes, it is highly skillful, the whole job. It has to be kept edited properly. But I think the set of people who work on the show from its inception –writing to its editing and final presentation – takes care of 80% of things. So whatever happens on the show, really, I think, it cannot be given credit to one person – ever – not to the producer, not to the director, not to the cameraman, not to the anchor, not to the contestants; it has to be given to the whole team. And that’s what everyone in the team will tell you.

NT : I am going to ask you one question a contestant had asked you once, for the sake of our readers. You have been on the hot seat as well on the other side. How different are the two experiences?

SRK : I think the more scary one is being on the hot seat and answering questions, for anyone. That is one of the reasons I think in a certain sense I try and make the program easier and easy going, because it’s a very difficult situation. You are first time perhaps coming in front of millions of people. There is a huge viewership, you have never put on make up, you have never spoken in a mike, there are 16 cameras aimed at you, you are sitting in front of a movie star and then there are going to be 15 questions and one wrong move and your life can completely change in the negative direction. So there a lot of unknowns and undone things that you come on the seat with – the atmosphere, the audience live and you are very scared that you don’t make a fool of yourself. So it is very difficult to sit on the contestant’s seat. I think the hot seat - the host part of it is an easier job to do. I prefer doing that. I mean, maybe if I am ever called upon to sit on the contestant’s seat, I will. But, I would do it. If I’ll change tomorrow and somebody else wants to invite me as a guest I would be most happy to come because of my old-now association with KBC. But the less strenuous job is being the host.

NT : How does the live interaction with your fan base enrich you?

SRK : Oh it’s wonderful to meet people who are coming from scheme of things which are not you know, like ours, which is a world which is a bit unreal. We sell dreams, so we live in that atmosphere on the sets. I hardly get to meet people unless I am doing a live shoot and here I am doing a live shoot every 7-8 days a month and that’s great fun! And, you know, Getting to know people, finding out their problems, getting to understand simple things in life mean so much to so many. And perhaps one has lost touch with that. So it brings you in touch with reality and I think that can only improve me as an actor also in my upcoming films.

NT : You recently had a show especially for kids from the Cancer Association. How was that experience?

SRK : It wasn’t especially for them. We had some guests from the Cancer Assoiciation. And, I love children. I would not like to talk about a disease really. But it’s not out of any kind of, you know, goodness that I do this, but they are children and I pray for their long life that they grow up to be healthy adults and do our country proud and the world proud. And I just love them. And it’s a little unfortunate that they are suffering at this point of time. And whenever, whether its KBC or any other shoot, whenever anyone comes to meet me who is a little unhealthy, I like to spend time with them and pray for them.

NT : What prompts you to give your watch away to certain contestants?

SRK : Sometimes I feel very bad that you know a person is playing well , has prepared well and sometimes you get an unlucky break in a question. Sometimes you get a question which is just not a part of your – everybody cant be knowledgeable about everything. And sometimes the youngsters especially, I feel need to be encouraged. You know, the fact that they havemade it here amongst lacs and lacs of people. They have come in on the hot seat, they are going great guns and one question can suddenly change things around. So this whole trip of one question can change your life – it can change it either ways. You could be winning 1 crore and suddenly you go down to 6 lacs 40 thousands. So I just feel bad for some people. When I say bad, I don’t mean it in a sympathetic way. I just feel that, you know, maybe they deserve to know that losing is not the end of it all. It means you can get up and do something more in life. And, you know, if somebody encourages you and says that okay, so you didn’t win today but here is an encouragement, that you know, you can do better in life again. And I think to youngsters that is important.

NT : Tell us something interesting about KBC 3 that we don’t already know.

SRK : I think the most interesting part of KBC 1, 2 and 3 is the behind the scenes how it is done. I think it is a great organizational and well oiled machine kind of a system and one needs to do a kind of a write up on that more than anything else. What goes behind making KBC – not the host part, but every other part. How the machine works, the music comes online, the editing he lighting is done, how it is preprogrammed and how everyone is running around to get it as well oiled as possible. I think that’s the most interesting part of KBC.

NT : So far your favourite memory of KBC 3.

SRK : It’s just meeting about 100 people. You know, each one of them has been really special. Some have been more special than the others just because they’ve been funny or charming or rude. I have really enjoyed. I have really enjoyed being in touch with people. I think the memory would remain that every moment I have to think of something to say which falls into place and makes the show look a little seamless and easy. And that as an actor is a big challenge.

NT : The one contestant you had the best time interacting with

SRK : Well, there was Googila because he was amongst the first few. Then there were two ladies, two teachers, who were wonderful. One of them was really nice with lovely eyes. And I forget, I am bad with names so unfortunately I don’t remember their names. Then There was another lady recently, well mannered. Young boys. There was this boy who won, I think 12 n a half lakh rs. And Two days ago there was another boy. These youngsters, who won I think 25 lakh rs. I mean These are really good people. I like them well mannered, well informed and you know ready to smile and laugh at life attitude. And There are some others also. But it’s been good, I think I can now remember 10-15 of them quite vividly.

NT : I believe since your home production Om Shanti Om and KBC 3’s sets are both in Film City you are having to spend almost the entire day shooting. And yet you are fresh, witty and full of energy when interacting with the contestants. Is this an extension of your personality or do you have to don various masks each day to manage?

SRK : No on KBC actually its how I am normally except that I am better dressed than I am in real life. I have to wear a suit etc. because it’s a formal evening shoot. But beyond that its how I am. And people anyway blame me that even in my films I am like how I am. So Theres not much I do as an actor. I just come and do my, you know, say my lines and go back home. That’s not like a big deal. There have been days, not too many, but maybe 3-4 days, where I’ve had to extend myself but that’s a part of my job and I really enjoy it actually.

NT : So between being Shahrukh Khan the superstar or Shahrukh Khan the talk show host or Shahrukh Khan the producer, do you find Shahrukh Khan the person getting lost?

SRK : I don’t think there is any such thing as Shahrukh Khan the person. Shahrukh Khan the person himself is Shahrukh Khan the actor or the anchor. Whatever I do, I think it’s an extension of me. I am just being me and there are times when I do feel bogged down by the work but I have never come close to being ‘lost’. Shahrukh Khan the person is what his wife sees him as, what his kids see him as, what the film industry sees him as and what the country sees him as.

NT : Madame Tussauds is all set to honour you. Did you feel it was always in the offing or has it come as a pleasant surprise?

SRK : One can keep on thinking whether one deserves or doesn’t deserve but when it happens, it’s always a surprise and a big honour as well. I’m just happy that it’s a recognition of a part of the film industry because I am an integral part of the film industry. I’m also happy my kids haven’t seen Madame Tussauds and it would be nice to take them there and show them and they might think that their father has done some good work in life! So I am very thrilled, I think it’s quite a surprise and I am very happy to be a part of Madame Tussauds.

NT : And how is your autobiography coming along? When can we expect to see it in print?

SRK : I think I’ll have to take some time off and I am not seeing time off for the next two months. But I think close to the summer holidays I think I can work a bit on it. That’s when I’ll get time to work on it. There’s another book coming on me by Anu Chopra which is anyway quite detailed. So I don’t know if people would be interested in a third book which is written by me about my life. It’s not like I am a good writer. Let’s see, there is no hurry. I still have a lot of life to live

NT : Finally, tell us a little bit about your two releases this year – Om Shanti Om and Chak De India.

SRK : Om Shanti Om is my home production and it is directed by Farah Khan. It spans across three decades. It’s any interesting concept, so I’m looking forward to it materializing on screen. There is a new lead actress in the movie, Deepika Padukone, who is doing a really good job. So let’s see how it comes across.

In Chak De India by Shimit Amin I play the coach of a women’s hockey team. So there are 11 newcomers playing members of the hockey team and the movie is about how I coach them to victory. With 11 newcomers here and Deepika being a newcomer too, so I am, you know, working with 12 of them this year so it makes me look young on screen!

INTERVIEW WITH IMTIAZ ALI - I

2007-12-19T05:24:00.000-08:00

Who : Imtiaz Ali
About : Director of Jab We Met, Socha Na Tha
Website: www.imdb.com/name/nm1665004/

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Imtiaz Ali
Interview Date: Dec 8, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Imtiaz Ali happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH IMTIAZ ALI - II

2007-12-19T05:19:00.000-08:00

Who : Imtiaz Ali
About : Director of Jab We Met, Socha Na Tha
Website: www.imdb.com/name/nm1665004/

How it happened : Interview with Imtiaz Ali
Interview Date: Dec 8, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)
Pics : None

Nikhil Taneja(NT): You had been working on Rockstar after Socha Na Tha. So how did Jab We Met Happen?
Imtiaz Ali(IA): See there were some hassles in Rockstar, things were not coming together. Actually after Socha Na Tha, I started working on a few films but for one or the other reasons, they were not coming together. Rockstar was one of them. We were planning to shoot it sometime back but there some technical problems so we decided to put that on a backburner and that’s when Jab We Met happened.

NT: Before the movie started, rumours were doing the rounds that Bobby Deol and Ayesha Takia were the leads in the movie and the movie was called Geet? Was that true and if yes, what made you change to Kareena and Shahid?
IA: It is true. Actually nothing was really decided or confirmed but they were part of the movie but again, the same thing, because of various issues, we couldn’t settle down on a time schedule and the dates weren’t matching so we decided to not work on this right now and we put that on a backburner and that’s when we started working on Rockstar and when that didn’t work out either, we started working on Jab We Met. The situations were different in all three cases and when I started working on Jab We Met, everything just fell into place.

NT: It’s been said that you took only 2 days to write the story of JWM.
IA: Yes, it’s true. The first draft took just two days but then after that, you polish it many times before the movie and during the movie, improvise and stuff.

NT: How would you describe the JWM journey and experience
IA: I think since the movie was about a journey, it was a travel movie and so it was the same journey that the whole unit had undergone. It is a blessing that the movie has become a success and it’s such a big high for all of us considering that its pre production took 22 days and it always seemed to me like Jab We Met was almost like an individual which was in a hurry. It wanted everything to happen in a rapid fashion so we just went along and we actually felt like a circus caravan traveling from place to place.

The experience that the characters in the film have is also approximately like the experience we had because we were also traveling to those places and meeting new people, many of whom we used in the movie as actors as well. And we were seeing new places on the way on which we shot. So the experience or journey is what happened to all of us while in the shooting of the movie, which I guess lent some kind of a juice, something which made the movie interesting. Because we were also out there, where the movie was supposed to be, just like Geet and Aditya. So, that’s what I feel about the journey.

NT: How did you manage to keep the movie so real?
IA: See, I guess that movies are a reflection of the world that I see around me, which is very real. I don’t know anything else. I am not a cinema student, I don’t get inspired by other films. So I guess the way I see people and the way I see situations is the way I have represented them in the movie. And I was not trying to make it real or unreal or anything of that sort. This is how the understand the world and that’s how I have shown it.

NT: Did you expect the movie to be such a big success? It even replaced Saawariya in many theatres on its second week.
IA: While making this film, I didn’t have much time to think. It was all done in such a big hurry. We started with 22 days of pre production, and we shot the film in three months all over the place, so I didn’t have time to actually think about what the outcome of the film in the market is going to be. I did not have any expectations, or I did not know if it’s going to topple other movies in cinema halls. I had the feeling though that the subject matter is such that it would appeal to people actually, so yeah, I had no expectations which were bettered.

NT: So what are the best compliments you have got after the movie released?
IA: There have been many actually, but one guy actually told me very recently, I was on a holiday for a month and when I come back, someone told me that a couple which was going to divorce had gone to see Jab We Met and they came together after watching the movie! And they said that it’s because of the movie that they relived the time when they had together when they first met and that saved their marriage.

Actually, it’s a very humbling kind of a statement. Because when you make a movie you don’t think to do anything more than entertain anybody, but when someone’s marriage is affected in a way as big as this, it’s actually quite gratifying and humbling. It was a movie that everyone could relate to, which made people identify with it.

NT: You have mentioned how missing the trains is actually inspired from your own experiences. Tell us a little more about it.
IA: I am from a small town called Jamshedpur, which is connected by train to most places. So I have traveled to college in Delhi first, then to Bombay, it’s always been on train. So from my early childhood, I have been traveling on trains a lot and I love doing that, I think that’s a creative Indian experience you can get, which is very rare.

I think what’s always fascinated me about train travel is that you get to spend some time with people who you do not know, at very very close quarters. You know, somebody’s aunty is actually sleeping three feet away from you. You would never be able to get into her bedroom otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to see this woman asleep. But you can do that in a train. But it has always been very fascinating to me to see how people live that very short lifetime on a train. And also the possibility of meeting interesting people is always there on a train journey. In a flight it’s too short. In the train the best thing is that you don’t have anything to do, so you have to interact, you have to pass your time, so you don a personality.

And also, the other thing is that when you are traveling on a train and you are looking out, you kind of get quite fascinated by the fact that there is so much vastness around you but you always come and go in that very narrow track that the train is traveling on. So your experience is very limited in comparison to the experience or the range of experience that exists around you. Because you are always going on that one track and in some way is also symbolic of life. So the option of having to go off the track has always been very attractive to me. Of course, no body leaves the track of his life unless they are thrown of or they may have to, which is what happens in the film. It gives an opportunity to the film and it’s characters to travel outside the places they were planning to.

NT: That’s quite a lot of deep philosophy going into such a simple movie!
IA: That usually happens. I mean, I do not want to both anyone in a movie theatre about philosophy at all. But obviously, behind every simple aspect of life, there is a deep philosophy rooted to it.

NT: So how did the character of Geet come about?
IA: I have met a lot of girls who are very extroverted and who do not hesitate to talk with anybody about anything at all, who mix around a lot, and they get irritating sometimes. So it’s always very fascinating to meet somebody like this, you know. And most of these girls have been Punjabis. I have lived in Delhi for many years and have met quite a lot of girls who are like this in Delhi. And they somehow happen to be Sikhnis or Punjabis, mostly. I am sure everybody would be fascinated by people like this. And also, in some sort of a way, there is an unassuming quality about a girl who is otherwise good looking but does not waste he time trying to tell herself that she is good looking. She mixes with everybody and has a lot of positive energy about herself and about life. This is the kind of girl who would be an ideal companion in a train journey would influence someone to become like her.

NT: Did you get the idea of casting Kareena and Shahid also because they were together or only because they fit the bill?
IA: Shahid was not my first choice initially because I did not know him. But when I met him I realized that he would actually be the best person to play this role because I was looking at somebody young who could come across someone who had seen life. I had never met Shahid before so I thought he would be some immature, you know, young thing, but when I did meet him, he surprised me because he has a lot of experience of life and he has got a very mature head on his shoulders. So the moment I met him I realized that he was the right guy to play this part.

You are talking about a guy who has seen life enough to be disillusioned with it. He has lost his feeling of youth, so to speak. Since his teens, his mother has been involved with somebody else which has affected him very badly. And he is not a very old man, he is not a 40 year old man, he is a young man, he is a 25 year old man. But he has seen more life than a 25 year old man. So Shahid became the ideal choice for me when I met him.

As for Kareena, she was my first choice, because I knew that the girl who would act in this movie will not wear much make up. And she should look very attractive in the very casual, almost discrepant clothes that she is going to be wearing. Also, she should be able to look attractive while talking too much; she should not look irritating when talking. And the greatest thing was that Kareena has played this part before. She has not played a simple person on a train, who is just a part of a middle class family, and is also a Punjabi, talks too much and does not have a bad attitude problem. So I knew she would be attractive in this role.

NT: Why did you go in for an audience poll for the movie’s name? Was Jab We Met your first preference as well or would you have liked it to be called Punjab Mail or Ishq via Bhatinda?
IA: Initially, I would have liked the movie to be called Punjab Mail and not Jab We Met. But I was not very clear about which title to go with actually which is why we had the poll. I was thinking that unfortunately we had a few films called Calutta Mail and Bhopal Express and there’s Train to Pakistan too, which are all heavy films you know. I would have gone with Panjab Mail, but I thought the audience might think it’s a serious or heavy film or something.

NT: The music of the film is a film is a super success. What was your brief to Pritam?
IA: See, there was no time, there was no time at all to make this film. I have always believed that Pritam’s music has got a big heart. And I have known him since before I was a director and he was a music director. And I always used to say that it’s very sad that he hasn’t got the opportunity to make music from the heart. He’s always been approached for item numbers and stuff. But I believe he is perhaps one of the most talented musicians in the country and he’s never got the opportunity of showing a very strong side of his, which is the very romantic Bengali side. So in JWM, his songs were very Indian but at the same time, from the heart. So that was the general brief. Also the brief was that it should be unique. I had given him a very detailed brief of each of the songs and each of the situations in the movie.

He composed the movie in the process of his marriage actually. He was thinking that since he was getting married, he won’t be able to make the songs in time. But he realized that in the process of marriage there are lots of times when he has to do absolutely nothing and just sit. And while he was sitting and mantra shantra was happening around him, he was actually thinking up the songs of Jab We Met in his mind and recording it whenever he got the chance. And he was in touch with me over the phone even on the day he was getting married. So his marriage became a blessing for me.

NT: So Jab We Met is going to be a part of his life forever..
IA: (laughs) Yeah, it has the blessing of his marriage.

NT: What was your favourite bit about the music?
IA: My favourite song is Tum Se Hi and I like the way it was made. There was a lot of stress on both me and Pritam during the making of the movie and we were not getting the song. We tried a number of things for the song but it just wasn’t working out. And around 3 o clock one day, we finally cracked it and that’s how Tum Se Hi came into being. I really liked the music and the lyrics of the song. So the song is very special to me in the film.

NT: Saroj Khan did the choreography for Yeh Ishq. How was the experience of working with her on the song?
IA: Well my idea for the song was that it would be in a mountain space which would picturise people from all over Himachal Pradesh in it. So Saroj Khan was the best choice for it because she is the one person who could have given it that look and could have made so many different Himachali dancers dance to it. So what we had done was got people from various local folk dance troupes from various parts of Himachal, and there was a huge Tibetan group also. So all these people were brought to one place and screened. There were around 60 people and Saroj Khan screened them for 4 days and on the 5^th day she started shooting for the film. And it was a huge experience and a wonderful experience for me. I don’t think any other choreographer apart from her could have managed the feel of the song so well and all credit to her. I am really grateful to her.

NT: Where did you get the idea of using Walking on Sunshine as Kareena’s introduction in the promos?
IA: That came from the guy who made the promos. We have not thanked him enough for the kind of promos that he made for the movie. So he is the one who told me that the moment I narrated the story to him, Walking on Sunshine was always the song going on his mind. So he used it for Kareena’s entry in the promos. And it became such a huge hit.

NT: Is it true that you were planning to put it in the OST but couldn’t trace Katrina and the Waves to resolve copyright issues?
IA: Yeah that’s true. It wasn’t our property so we just used it in the promos so we could use it for a very short period of time. Some people told me that Walking on Sunshine has been heard on the radio too recently. So now people associate both Jab We Met with Walking on Sunshine and Walking on Sunshine with Jab We Met.

NT: Your favourite Jab We Met moment in the movie
IA: In the movie, it is the scene where Kareena calls and abuses her boyfriend.

NT: What are your favourite memories of working with Shahid and Kareena?
IA: With Kareena, When we had landed up in Rajasthan to shoot, it was very hot. And the place where we were shooting was far away from any five star hotel. And everybody was saying that we would stay in Jaipur and travel all the way to where we want to shoot but she said that no, if Imtiaz has decided the location and it’s three hours from any civilized place, I don’t mind, I am going to stay in the make up van but I’ll still shoot where he wants to shoot.

With Shahid, what I remember was that one location where we were shooting was Rohtang Pass. The weather had turned bad and people were like running helter skelter and we had to abandon shoot. And actually I remember Shahid and I were on the street trying to put everybody in vehicles and move. Because we knew that if anybody was on the street with the weather actually something might happen and somebody was going to die. And two people had already been declared dead in the area. And I remember the fiasco and frenzy with which Shahid and I were trying to get people back into their cars before us so everybody is safe and so nobody gets left behind. That’s what I remember about Shahid

NT: What was the best thing and worst thing about directing JWM?
IA: What was the best thing and worst thing about directing JWM?
Well, the bets and the worst thing, both, were that everything happened in a hurry. I never had any options, the first thought that would come in my mind was exactly what I had to do and carry on with. That was the worst thing because there was no time and that was also the best thing because it kind of encouraged me to be just instinctive.

NT: Anything about the movie that you think could have been better now that you look back to it?
IA: You know, there are details I am sure that every director when he sees his film would after sometime like to change a lot of things but all of that is not a subject of worry. You can always keep polishing but the decisions you take while you are working are the real decisions.

NT: Overall, though, you must be satisfied with Jab We Met?
IA: Satisfaction is something that no one really achieves, honestly, but I was okay with things when I was filming it, so I am okay with it.

NT: Finally, where do you go from here?
IA: I don’t know! Lots of ideas and stories are floating around in my mind but I am not sure which I want to make a movie on. I need to pick one idea and start working on that for my next movie, but I am not sure which one it would be.

© Nikhil Taneja (nikhiltaneja@gmail.com)

INTERVIEW WITH VISWANATHAN ANAND - I

2007-12-19T05:18:00.003-08:00

Who : Viswanathan Anand
About : World Chess champion, 2007
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viswanathan_Anand

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Viswanathan Anand
Interview Date: October, 2007
Place: IIT Delhi Campus, New Delhi

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Viswanathan Anand happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH VISWANATHAN ANAND - II

2007-12-19T05:18:00.002-08:00

Who : Viswanathan Anand
About : World Chess champion, 2007
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viswanathan_Anand

How it happened : Interview with Viswanathan Anand
Interview Date: October, 2007
Place: IIT Delhi Campus, New Delhi
Pics: None

His humility and his unassuming demeanor, for a man of his stature, end up surprising you. His subtle, though terrific, sense of humour is even more unexpected. And when you are with him, you can’t help but feel you are with a great, great man. Not to mention, perhaps, one of the greatest sportspersons our country has ever produced. Viswanathan Anand, who recently became the undisputed World Chess Champion was recently in Delhi and he took out some type exclusively for us, to talk about chess, victory, Gary Kasparov and much, much more. Nikhil Taneja has the exclusive interview.

Nikhil Taneja (NT): After your victory, you had wondered as to how your reception would turn out to be when you came to India. Are you contended with the adulation so far or do you still feel the Indian media is prejudiced towards cricket?
Viswanathan Anand (VA) : Well, let me put it this way. My words were probably slightly misconstrued. The reporter asked me about what kind of reception I am expecting and I simply said We’ll see what happens. It wasn’t really a sort of challenge to the Indian people (laughs) or something like that. And the reception has been fantastic, both today(at the NIIT Mind Championship Press Conference) and at the airport a couple of days ago but I think it’s time to move on. The last two days have been fantastic and I have no complaints at all.

NT: You had said once that after you became a Grandmaster, you lost the next few games simply because you didn’t know what to aim for next. Now that you are World No. 1, how are you going to view the games you play now?
VA: I think this time it wont be a problem. The Grandmaster title is somewhat different in the sense that your goals are there and it doesn’t matter what the rest of the field does. So the moment you are aiming for a GM title, you go to a tournament and see what a GM norm is and that’s the only thing you are aiming for. You don’t care if somebody goes 2 points above or somebody finishes behind you. Whereas, I hope at least, winning the World Championship wont change my way of thinking that much at least. Also because, now I am thinking that I want to finish first in the next tournament as well, not that I want to score so many points, irrelevant of what the rest of the field does. But of course, complacency is always a danger but I think I am experienced enough to stop it once in a while and recognize it when it’s happening.

NT: What would you say is the difference between your previous world title and the current one?
VA: I don’t really distinguish between the two personally, but of course, I can’t ignore the fact that the status of the World Championship in the Chess World has changed. In 2000, there were two parallel cycles. Thankfully, since last year, that is no longer the case. So, while I personally know what I did in Delhi and what I did here, I think the Mexico event, the Undisputed World Title, is an added element.

If you’ve missed something for 5 years, then you really want it back. And having missed it also in 2005, in between at least, I had the excuse that there were no events. But in 2005, it started very promisingly and then I kind of fizzled out. So this time I was determined not to let that happen.

NT: What would you say ranks higher, beating Gary Kasparov or winning the world championship?
VA: With the faces he made in that video, I’d say, pretty close!(laughs) But no, honestly, beating Kasporav. (chuckles) Because he always made some great expressions!(laughs again)

NT: Would you like to defend your title against Gary Kasparov if he comes out of politics?
VA: If he’s interested, I am definitely open to it. And you know, if he changes his mind about chess, he’s got a match waiting. I think it would be very interesting if he returned and for me, it would be a nice challenge. I can promise him it will be less physically dangerous to him than his current occupation (laughs).

NT: At this stage of your career, what do you think are the mistakes you are yet to overcome?
VA: First of all, I still make a lot of mistakes. On a good day, you will get away with it. Perhaps, you have hit upon something your opponent can’t exploit and so on. But it’s only at tournaments you see this. At home, it’s very difficult to get into the tournament tension and analyse. But at Mexico, I made a note of some of the mistakes that happened and I’ll definitely be working on it. But this is a continuous process. Even in the most successful tournaments and it’s usually while you are playing a game, and it might even be a really good game, you’ll know that I brought something wrong, I did this wrong and I did that wrong and you have to mentally note it down. After the game finishes, you usually make a list. If I get a week or two where I can concentrate on it, I’ll definitely work on it.

NT: You had mentioned that when you were younger, a lot of senior players like Karpov and Kasparov used to find it very difficult to cope up with defeat to you. Now that you are one of the senior players in the game, with what frame of mind do you play a game with a younger player?
VA: I think Karpov and Kasparov knew this probably instinctively but John None once told me that when you are playing these young prodigies, it is very important that you beat them the first few times. Because they remember all their lives (laughs). I sort of know what he means. Because there are still some guys I’ve lost to, that I have remembered for many many years (chuckles). But what he was also saying is that as they get stronger, if they don’t remember that you beat them once or twice, they start to beat you very easily. So once I play someone young, I make a big effort in the first few games (chuckles). I think Kasparov and Karpov did this instinctively. Though they themselves are separated by each other by 12 years. Kasparov and me are separated only by 5. In fact, I would say, Karpov made the same effort with Kasparov!

NT: So what do you thing is your wife’s biggest role in your victories?
VA: It’s difficult to reduce your wife’s role to one thing but I think she basically just about cover’s everything else that’s not related to chess preparation. And she’s almost started including that as well (chuck). But generally, during a tournament, she blocks everything else off. So she cuts off anybody in the outside world, and you get into this situation when you are just able to concentrate on the game and think about nothing else and that’s a very nice situation to be in. Because when you are 100% in something and there are no distractions, and these could be 100s of little things, like she’ll plan the ticket itinerary herself, take care of all the arrangements so that I don’t have to think about 100 little details.

And second thing is I think she has gotten good at figuring out my mood during tournaments. So she also knows when to say something, when not to say something, when saying something is useless anyway, all those sorts of things. Like couple of times I lose the games and she tries to give me advice and I say, well, I am in no mood for advice, advice is useless, I knew it before the game that if I knew how to do it, I would have done it. And she says, you are going to get angry even if I keep quiet, so I might as well say it! But then we can laugh about it afterwards. But I think by now she is also used to some of these defeats (laughs). Thankfully, they are happening less.

I remember one time, she told me don’t rush anything. Because when you are tense, you tense sometime you make a movie immediately because you can’t wait to find out what the opponent has. And it’s difficult and she had seen me do it a couple of times. And she told me this knowing it’s a crucial game. It was of no use! (laughs) Every time there was a critical moment, I’d think for a while and then I couldn’t take it anymore and I’d make a move. After move 40, I remembered what she told me. It was too late actually! So it didn’t really help in that game but this was a problem I managed to avoid for the rest of the tournament. So that helped a lot!

NT: Russia has always produced a great amount of world class chess players. What is it about the Russian system that propels all chess players to such a level?
VA: I think as important as the Russian system is, I mean, they have an organized system of coaches, the very fact that if you are born in a Russian city, the chances are that there will be a Grandmaster in your city whom you can go for advice. It’s sort of this proximity to strong chess players that breeds more chess players. But I think in India, we need to start developing conditions for that. Clearly, we are way behind the Russians but essentially, the same sort of critical mass is coming here as well.

NT: Who would you say was your most difficult opponent in terms of intimidating tactics?
VA: Umm.. Generally, the computer, because it just sits there and it’s so calm and it doesn’t do anything and it annoys! With most players, at least you can read their minds and it’s a two way thing. With the computer you don’t have that option.

NT: What’s the difference between a computer opponent and a human opponent?
VA: Well, first of all, a human is dynamic. If you do something, he can adjust his strategy accordingly and so on. And we are both trying to trick each other. Okay, the no. of things a human can do is generally greater, but a computer calculates pretty brutally and you get no feedback from it. It’s an alien opponent; you can’t gauge anything from it. So it’s a totally different experience playing the two.

NT: How have computers changed the face of chess as it was?
VA: I think, not only in chess, but in general in the world, computers are changing the face of the world. And the second thing is that computers make you enormously productive. I mean, I am able to work on chess in a way that I couldn’t work on before. Instead of finding one new idea a day and spending all day on it checking all its variations, I am able to find 15 ideas a day and check them faster. And I think you have to learn to work with these tools.

NT: What do you think is the future of chess in India?
VA: I think it’s very bright. If you see the numbers we have in 2007 NIIT Mind Champions, we are already looking at 150,000 and hopefully we can build up. And we have crossed 5000 schools. The future is very bright.

In fact, that’s one of the things we are trying to do it. Incidentally, since chess is very good for academics, it helps you in problem solving and trains your mind in many ways. I think the NIIT Mind Champions Academy is the perfect way to do this.

NT: What do you think should be done to promote chess in India?
VA: I think things like we are doing in NIIT Mind Championship should be done by more organizations. You know, this year we are going to reach potentially a million and a half students. Now, once you have done something like that, your growth in the future is also assured. So, I would attach a lot of importance to such an initiative.

NT: Don’t you think it’s high time the government takes some steps to promote chess?
VA: Definitely. But I think the government has to do that for every sport it thinks is promising, it has to allocate some resources for that. But I hope they will see the results we have in chess and allocate resources accordingly.

NT: So who are the best players we have right now?
VA: At the men side, there are 5 players who are going to play in the world cup. I think that’s a very important milestone. On the women’s side, you have Humpy, who is doing miracles and she is progressing very well. I’d say, overall I am quite content with the way Indian chess is going. After Turkey, she is breaking 2600 now. And she is coming along very well. And the thing I like about her is that she keeps working hard. She doesn’t get contended. I mean, already 2600 seperates her from a lot of other women. But she is still working very hard. Harika is also doing well.

NT: What advice would you like to give to the young chess players?
VA: I would say, just take it easy. Play chess for fun and enjoy yourself. Do the things you like in chess and the rest will take care of itself.

NT: At the end of your career, what would you like your record to read as?
VA: I don’t know. I think this is for other people to judge. Things will always come along. The first thing I can think of is simply to retain my title as long as I can. That would be one thing. But the main thing is I hope I continue enjoying it. It’s not only the world championship. I enjoy a lot of the rapid events I play. There are many events I look forward to , as long as I can keep that, I’ll keep going.

INTERVIEW WITH NANDANA SEN - I

2007-12-19T05:18:00.001-08:00

Who : Nandana Sen
About : Indian Actress, Daughter of Amartya Sen
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandana_Sen

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Nandana Sen
Interview Date: November 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over email)
Pics: None

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Nandana Sen happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH NANDANAS SEN - II

2007-12-19T05:17:00.002-08:00

Who : Nandana Sen
About : Indian Actress, Daughter of Amartya Sen
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandana_Sen

How it happened : Interview with Nandana Sen
Interview Date: November 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over email)
Pics: None

With typically Bengali good looks and a talent to match, Nandana Sen is no “stranger” to the Hindi Film Industry. After creating waves in International cinema with a number of critically acclaimed films, she moved to mainstream Bollywood with Tango Charlie. Nandana, who also happens to be the daughter of Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, talks exclusively about her latest commercial venture, the thriller Strangers.

Nikhil Taneja (NT): Tell us something about your upcoming release, "Strangers".
Nandana Sen(NS):"Strangers' is a beautiful but strange movie. The story is about two strangers who meet together, about two people falling in love in a strange land. It has lot of complexity, it has suspense, it's a thriller but not a complete thriller, and it's a combination of different genre above all it's a deeply emotional film.

NT: What character you

are playing in "Strangers"?
NS: I am playing a character called Priety who is from London, she is looking for love. She is very successful, passionate and a royal girl, who falls deeply in love. There are certain ups and downs in her relationship. The character is very much real. Actually you can't categorize her; she has elements of different personality traits. She is consistent, somewhere she is really tough to handle sometimes she is beautiful. In short Priety is confident, carefree, successful and sarcastic character; she is not a typical doll like character. There is enough warmth in the character.

NT: It’s been said that the movie “Strangers” is inspired by the classic Hollywood movie, “Strangers on a Train”?
NS: Whenever I choose a film I always look at how original the script is. Though everyone would feel it is 'Strangers on a train', far from it, it is different in the real sense of the word. Though in a way, It's a tribute to "Strangers in the Train", as the story takes off in the train, STRANGERS is different as cha

lk is to cheese in the overall concept. It's an extraordinary script.

NT: You have acted alongside Jimmy Shergill and Kay Kay Menon for the first time in this movie. How was the experience?
NS: It was a wonderful experience working with them. Jimmy is a great guy, sharing screen with him was great and was very easy to work with him. He has a given a wonderful performance in the film. Kay Kay is a wonderful, disciplined actor and a very nice guy. Kay Kay is extremely talented. I adore Jimmy because he is really sweet; he is very friendly and generous. One thing I have noticed about Jimmy that is he is a great singer, he sings beautifully.

NT: And how was it working with debutant director Anand L Rai ?
NS: Anand L Rai is a fantastic director and a great guy and has given me the chance to do improvisation in my character. He is very talented, sensitive, emotional and a nice man. He has a generous vision of world and human nature. One hand he is great director and the other hand he has a great vision of cinema. He has done many television serials so he is very comfortable with actors. Before the film Anand was a stranger to me now that I have done the film he has become a family to me.

NT: Tell us something about the music of “Strangers”
NS: Music of the film is melodious. Sometimes music can be obstacle if it is not used in the right manner but the music of our films play a critical part. Music of "Strangers" evokes emotions .

NT: Could you tell us about your other upcoming projects, besides “Strangers”?
NS: Besides "Strangers" I have "Forest" and right now I am doing "Colours Of Passion"----- it's a film based on the love story of painter Raja Ravi Sharma. I am playing the character of Shantabai. It's a historical character where I may be looked upon as Shakuntala, Sita, Laxmi and

Draupadi. I have done many research on the film, read books on his paintings "Forest" is an international film, it's a love triangle where I am playing a character called "Radha" who is a very tough girl. It was great playing that role. It's a story of one night stand in the forest.

NT: So what strategy do you follow in your career that makes you choose a particular film?

NS: I don't have a specific strategy about my career that I have to do 'this' film or 'that' film. I just go by what seems interesting. I enjoy every bit of the film I do.

My only strategy is not to get typecast. For me it is important to do a different type of a movie every time. This will help me to learn more things as an actor. I don't think about the film I always go by my gut feelings.

NT: Apart from acting, we’ve heard you keep yourself quite busy with lots of hobbies?
NS: I love to read and write poems. I write a lot. I also love to listen to Rabindra sangeet that is Tagore's songs. I also love listening to old Hindi film songs and jazz music. I love collecting old Hindi film cds. I do yoga three times in a week. I love dancing so I have learnt Ballet, Manipuri dance and modern dancing.

NT: Finally how would you define "Strangers" in one line?
NS: If I would have to describe the film in one line, I would say "Strangers" beautifully walks in between the good and the bad lines.

Courtesy: Raindrop Media

© Nikhil Taneja (nikhiltaneja@gmail.com)

INTERVIEW WITH MONTY (SAAWARIYA MUSIC DIRECTOR) - I

2007-12-19T05:17:00.001-08:00

Who : Monty
About : Music Composer of Saawariya
Website: None

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Monty
Interview Date: November, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Monty happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH MONTY (SAAWARIYA MUSIC DIRECTOR) - II

2007-12-19T05:16:00.006-08:00

Who : Monty
About : Music Composer of Saawariya
Website: None

How it happened : Interview with Monty
Interview Date: November, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)
Pics: None

INTERVIEW WITH OMUNG KUMAR - I

2007-12-19T05:16:00.005-08:00

Who : Omung Kumar
About : TV Anchor and Art Director of films like Black, Saawariya, Ishq Vishq, etc.
Website: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1293225/

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Omung Kumar
Interview Date: November, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Omung Kumar happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH OMUNG KUMAR - II

2007-12-19T05:16:00.003-08:00

Who : Omung Kumar
About : TV Anchor and Art Director of films like Black, Saawariya, Ishq Vishq, etc.
Website: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1293225/

How it happened : Interview with Omung Kumar
Interview Date: November, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)
Pics: None

INTERVIEW WITH RANBIR KAPOOR - I

2007-12-19T05:15:00.006-08:00

Who : Ranbir Kapoor
About : Hottest new actor on the block, Son of Rishi and Neetu Kapoor
Website: http://www.ranbirkapoor.net/(Fan site)

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Ranbir Kapoor
Interview Date: October, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Ranbir Kapoor happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH RANBIR KAPOOR - II

2007-12-19T05:15:00.005-08:00

Nikhil Taneja (NT) : First things first. Tell us in your own words about Saawariya the movie and about your role of Ranvir Raj in it.
Ranbir Kapoor(RK): Well, Saawariya primarily is a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film. It’s a really simple, beautiful love story. And I play the character of Ranvir Raj who is a dreamer. He is a loner and a dreamer.

NT: What did you go through the very first time you had to face the camera and Mr. Bhansali said Action!
RK: Well, the thing is, Mr. Bhansali involved me at a very early process in Saawariya. We there from the pre production stages, we were a part of the scripting and the music and the set design. And I think that really helps us get into the film and get into our characters. We spoke a lot about our characters and by the time we were about to shoot, I think we were really well prepared.

And also yeah, you do feel nervous for the initial 10 seconds before he says action. And you know after that, after you pass your first shot, then it becomes easy at the top, a bit more glamorous I guess!

NT: You perhaps couldn’t have been launched by a better director. Even though you had assisted Mr. Bhansali during black, how was he to work under as a director?
RK: Well, it was always a dream to work with him. I have learnt so much from him when I was assisting him for Black. I learnt all about the film industry, I learnt about cinema, about acting, everything from him. So just working under him was a dream and I credit everything I know today about acting to him. I am proud to say that I am a graduate of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali school of cinema.

NT: The movie also stars two of the biggest stars in Bollywood, Rani Mukherjee and Salman Khan. Coming from a film family, you would have known them before but how exactly was the experience of sharing the same scene with them?
RK: Well I didn’t have the privilege to share any screen space with Salman sir, but he’s been really supportive of me. He treats me like a younger brother, advises me and guides me a lot. But I did have the privilege of working of working with Miss Rani Mukherjee and well, what can I say? She is such a fantastic actress, everybody knows that. And just working with her and just observing her on the set and going and doing a scene with her, when we both are in the same scene, it is so exhilarating. You especially have to keep up with her and that just makes your performance much better.

NT: What are your favourite memories of working with Rani and Sanjay Leela Bhansali?
RK: With Rani, I was part of the song called Chabeela which is on the soundtrack. Rani sings that song to me and all you have to do is look at her while she was doing the song. And it was so amazing. Because it was actually like she was the character of Gulab. It was actually like Gulab came to life, you know. She dances in front of me and her expressions in that song, I’ll always cherish that.

About Sanjay Sir, I remember, in our first schedule, I had this huge monologue. I had this two page monologue and I had to do it in one shot. I was really nervous and Mr. Bhansali spoke me through it. And then I just went and did the shot and the shot was okayed in two takes and you know, the whole set clapped. And during lunch break, he came to my room and said that, today I feel that an actor has arrived and I would want to have lunch with you in your room. I think that was a very nice moment for me.

NT: The music of the movie is beautiful and has a very serene and earthy feeling to it. What did you think the first time you heard the songs of Saawariya? Lyrics?
RK: Well I am too much in love with every aspect of Saawariya’s music. I was a part of the music from the music sittings to the composed compositions to actually recording the music. I have been part of the entire process. So everything was really special, all the songs are really special. All of them are my favourites.

The lyrics are really simple and beautiful. They are nothing that the people won’t understand. They are simple lyrics and that’s what works best, simple poetry which people can understand. They are very hummable songs. They are not songs which you cannot sing, so that’s really important.

NT: Which is the first song you shot? How did it feel accustomizing with the Bollywood song and dance routine?
RK: The first song song I shot was Mashallah. I was really nervous I remember I had messaged my dad. I messaged him saying I am really nervous, I need to go shoot the song and all. And he messaged me back saying you don’t have anything to be nervous about. You are a Kapoor and you have to just sing loudly and have fun and don’t have to act like you are singing but have to actually sing the song. Do it passionately. So I think it boosted my confidence and it went smooth after that.

NT: One of the highlights of the movie are the sets. Were you awed the first time you came to the sets?
RK: No, not at all. I was dying, you know. It was a lifelong dream for me to be a part of cinema and be an actor. The first day I was on the sets I was just waiting for him to call Action and it was a really exciting time for me.

NT: You had assisted Mr. Bhansali on Black and the sets that time were quite dark and suddenly you come to the Saawariya sets, you see a completely different thing. So what went through your mind when you first saw the sets?
RK: Black was supposed to be that way. That was the look of the film. That was the palette that was used for the making of that film and it suited the story. This was a completely new story and a completely new outlook to a film. And like I said, I was a part of the process of designing the sets so I was aware of it and I knew like it’s going to turn out to be stunning when you see it on the screen. And then, when the movie releases, you will realize yourself what magic has been created just by the sets. And the credit really goes to Mr. Omung Kumar, who is a fantastic production designer.

NT: Which is your favourite song of the movie?
RK: Well, I would say, Pari.

NT: What would you say is your favourite Saawariya moment?
RK: I would say the climax which was really challenging and was really hard. I am really proud of myself when I sit back and see the climax of the film. During the shooting of the movie, I cannot pinpoint one moment which was special to me, the entire process was very special. Working under Mr. Bhansali, working with Zohra Sehgal who worked with my great grand father Mr. Prithvi Raj Kapoor; she was his first leading lady. To work with her, everything has been really special. Every moment.

NT: Any memorable or funny incidents from the shooting that you'd like to recall for our readers?
RK: Well, I think I am a big klutz so there were a lot of funny moments. I don’t get embarrassed easily but there are a lot of times I keep falling down and things keep falling on me, so there were a lot of funny moments like that.

NT: What were your parents reactions when you first broke the news to your parents that Mr. Bhansali has signed you on? Did they know that you were hoping for it?
RK: Mr. Bhansali had actually called and told my parents and they were very happy for me because my father had always wanted me to work with Mr. Bhansali and so did my mom. I mean you don’t get bigger than this. So I think they were really proud and were really happy because I couldn’t have been a part of a better film and couldn’t have been under a better director.

NT: What advice did they give you individually?
RK: Like I said you know, they have always, subsconsciously told me all my life a few things about cinema and filmmaking. They haven’t really sat me down and said that okay now that you are becoming an actor these are the things you should do and these are the things you should not do. They’ve always been telling me small small things which have really stayed with me. So nothing in general that you know, these are the pointers you have to follow.

Both of them said that you really have to work hard and to not lose hope even if things don’t work out and then you should have the strength to work even harder, be passionate about it and be hard working. I think they wanted me to learn from their mistakes too.

NT: Growing up and seeing your sister sticking to a completely different path than Bollywood, were you ever in two minds about what you wanted to do in life or were you always sure you wanted to be an actor?
RK: No, I was always sure that wanted to be a part of films. I didn’t know what aspect of films I wanted to be a part of, whether it was acting or direction or production, but I always knew that I wanted to be a part of films.

NT: You assisted your father on Aa Ab Chalen. Was that the turning point of your life - the moment you decided that this is it, I want to be an actor and nothing else? Or was it something else?
RK: Actually, I had worked before on Prem Granth, a film that was directed by my Chacha, Mr. Rajiv Kapoor. I gave the clap on that and I guess, from there onwards, I became really passionate about filmmaking and being a part of the set, watching actors, creating life in cinema, that itself really attracted me to the process of filmmaking.

NT: You assisted Mr. Bhansali in Black hoping that he'd cast you one day. You were anyway getting a lot of offers. What was your plan B?
RK: Well I didn’t have a plan B. Because I didn’t think that it wouldn’t happen. I went there with a positive outlook to it, and I was really optimistic and I couldn’t think otherwise. I knew if this was my destiny and this was written for me, I knew I’d achieve it.

NT: You knew Sonam since quite a long time. Did that make it easier working opposite her or difficult?
RK: Absolutely easier. Because we are such good friends and we understand each other so well and that’s really important between two actors, the trust and understanding. There were no attitudes between us, there were no ego hassles, we were constantly supporting each other, encouraging each other, trying to make each other’s performance better, so I think it was really healthy and a really wonderful experience I shared with her.

NT: But didn’t it ever feel awkward even when you had to mouth romantic lines to her?
RK: Not at all, not at all. Sonam is such a beautiful girl, she is so beautiful that it made saying those romantic lines so much easier. In fact, I am so proud of her that she has come so far and she’s such a talented actress, she is so pretty, she is hard working, she is so passionate about her work. I am so proud of her.

NT: Though people say that star kids have it easy, isnt it particularly difficult for you considering your family's legacy and the expectations that are attached to you?
RK: Well there is a good side and the bad side. The good side is that you get your first break, there is a curiosity about you, people go and see you, they recognize you and they know you. The bad side is that there is so much expectations, there is so much pressure, there is comparison. People are going to criticize everything about you, they’d probably get into personal criticism about you. I mean there are good sides and bad sides to everything but I completely understand that it comes with the territory and I am prepared for it. And I signed up for it and I have no qualms about it all.

NT: So, how did your first autograph feel?
RK: Well it felt great. Like I said, there are a few things in life that you always dream of, your first autograph, your first trailer, your first banner, and everything was really special. My first autograph was in Poona when I had gone there on some work and that’s where I signed it. It felt really special.

NT: Finally, tell us why you think Saawariya as a movie and not as your launch, is a must see for the audience?
RK: Well I wouldn’t want to say that it’s a different film. I wouldn’t want to profess anything. It’s a beautiful, simple love story. Give it a watch. It’s a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, you cannot get bigger than that!

© Nikhil Taneja (nikhiltaneja@gmail.com)

INTERVIEW WITH SONAM KAPOOR - I

2007-12-19T05:15:00.004-08:00

Who : Sonam Kapoor
About : Hottest new actress on the block, Daughter of Anil Kapoor
Website: http://www.sonam-kapoor.net/ (Fan Site)

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Sonam Kapoor
Interview Date: October, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Sonam Kapoor happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH SONAM KAPOOR - II

2007-12-19T05:15:00.003-08:00

Who : Sonam Kapoor
About : Hottest new actress on the block, Daughter of Anil Kapoor
Website: http://www.sonam-kapoor.net/ (Fan Site)

How it happened : Interview with Sonam Kapoor
Interview Date: October, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)
Pics: None

Nikhil Taneja (NT): First things first. Tell us in your own words about Saawariya the movie and about your role in it.
Sonam Kapoor (SK): Umm.. Saawariya is a love story. A very simple, beautiful, heart warming love story. It’s about love that goes beyond all boundaries and it’s about two souls who, alone in the world, want love to fulfill their lives and to make them whole.

I play Sakina in the film and she’s a very simple girl and she believes in eternal love

NT: What did you go through the very first time you had to face the camera and Mr. Bhansali said Action!
SK: The thing is, that the first time I faced the camera, it was Ranbir’s shot and I was walking in the background. That was my first shot. And when I heard action, even though I was in the background and I had my whole make up on and you can’t actually see me, I just felt this thrill and I felt a sense of belonging, you know, like I had come to my place. And when I faced the camera, everything just washed away, you know. All The nervousness, all the excitement. I just became Sakina and from that moment onwards I knew I had to be an actor.

NT: You perhaps couldn’t have been launched by a better director. Even though you had assisted Mr. Bhansali during black, how was he to work under as a director?
SK: You know, as an Assistant Director, he was my teacher. And he is still my teacher. So it’s just a subject change. So it’s the same thing. There is no difference now, except that he is teaching me another subject. Now I was wearing pretty clothes and I was wearing make up and I was in front of the camera and before I was behind the camera and I wasn’t wearing pretty clothes or make up, that’s it!

NT: The movie also stars two of the biggest stars in Bollywood, Rani Mukherjee and Salman Khan. Coming from a film family, you would have known them before but how exactly was the experience of sharing the same scene with them?
SK: They are both my favourites, can you believe it? Rani is like my favourite actor. After Sridevi and Madhuri, she is my favourite. Sridevi is my all time favourite because she can do comedy, drama, dance, everything at the same time. And this was much before she became my chachi. Now I don’t look at her as an actor, now she is family. I’ve seen all her films, Sadma, Chalbaaz, etc before she became family. She’s always been my favourite. But now I don’t look at her like an actor anymore. Now she’s like my father. My father is never an actor for me, he’s my father. In the same way, now Sridevi is my chachi, she’s my surrogate mom. She takes care of me a lot and gives me too much advice!

Rani Mukherjee is on her way to become a legend. Isn’t that an obvious thing? I mean, who is a better actor than her right now? Tell me. Give me one actor who is a better actor right now? Whether it’s an actor or an actress, Nobody is a better actor right now, according to me. Nobody can do her variety of roles and even though I have known her like, really really well, it was like an unreal experience working with her because she is the most amazing actor ever, she is so spontaneous!

And Salman, Oh my God! He’s a rockstar. He’s the hottest thing to walk this earth! He’s so hot! And I was totally in awe of him and everybody’s got a wrong impression of him. He is such a hardworking person and he knows exactly what he is doing. He is not at all careless. He is completely on mark, on time, his continuity is perfect. He is the most professional actor I’ve ever met! He’s not Salman Khan for no reason!

NT: What did you get to learn from them? What advice did they give you?
SK: Basically, Salman told me that if you don’t have fun while acting, there is no point acting so just relax, chill out and don’t take yourself so seriously. Acting is the easiest thing and the hardest thing in the world, you just have to decide which one is it for you at that moment, is it hard or is it easy. It’s like everything else in life.

Rani just taught me to be spontaneous, professional, honest and to always listen to elders and be respectful.

NT: What are your favourite memories of working with Rani, Salman and Sanjay Leela Bhansali?
SK: With Mr.Bhansali, every minute has been an amazing experience. And he has given me a lot. I think you cannot have a better teacher. Every moment has been amazing. Whether it’s like going for music sessions with him or costume trials, he’s looked after me so well. I’m like his own daughter.

With Rani, I had one scene with her but I worked as an Assistant Director (AD) on Black. Basically we had this climax scene going on and we had a continuinty jerk, which was an AD’s fault. And she took it on herself because she knew the AD would get into trouble and she knew, being the star on the film, she won’t get into trouble. So she just took it on herself and said it was her fault and she should have realized it. That just showed me what a big person she is. That was amazing.

And with Salman, it’s like he treats everybody as an equal. Nobody is above or below him, everybody is the same. And I love that about him.

NT: The music of the movie is beautiful and has a very serene and earthy feeling to it. What did you think the first time you heard the songs of Saawariya? Lyrics?
SK:You know, I have heard the songs of Saawariya since Monty used to come and play it on his keyboard in Mr. Bhansali’s house when he was singing it, the scratch record. So I’ve grown with the music and the music is a part of my soul right now and it is beautiful. I think Saawariya is going to be an album which is going to last like for the next 100 years, the songs are that beautiful

I really love the lyrics. I really liked Thode Badmash, written by Nusrat Badr. I think it’s one of the most simple and beautiful songs. I like Pari, written by Sameer Bhai. I think the songs are very simple and at the same time, they have a lot of layers.

NT: Which is the first song you shot? How did it feel accustomizing with the Bollywood song and dance routine?
SK: See, we shot Mashallah first. I was a little nervous first, when shooting the song because Mr. Bhansali is known for his songs, but at the same time, I got into it quite easily because I really love dancing and I love music. I’ve been a big nautanki since I was small!

It wasn’t easy though, nothing is easy but it was just that Mr. Bhansali guided me. He made it easy for me. Otherwise, if it was any other director, I’d be falling flat on my face. It’s just because of Mr. Bhansali that I’ve been able to do it!

NT: Which is your favourite song of the movie?
SK: I don’t know, I don’t have a favourite song. I love all of them! But if you ask me to choose, I love Tere Naina and Yun Shabnami.

NT: One of the highlights of the movie are the sets. Were you awed the first time you came to the sets?
SK: The first time Sir brought me to the sets and I went around it, I just felt at home. I was awed and I was like, Oh My God, I am a part of this beautiful, unreal, surreal world and I thanked God. I went home and I prayed and I thanked God! Because I love being a part of beauty. Who doesn’t want to be a part of beauty?

NT: What would you say is your favourite Saawariya moment.
SK: Umm.. Ranbir and I have been best friends since a really really long time. He’s one of my best friends. And he had to do this one scene where he lifted me up and I slide down. And I think that was a culmination of what Saawariya means where he swings me around and I slide down and in every Saawariya trailer there is this moment in the snow, have you seen it?

NT: Yeah I have
SK: Yeah well, at that point, everybody was at their brilliant best. That was Mr. Bhansali’s moment. That was Ravi Chandran’s brilliant work. You could see Omung’s beautiful sets. And the chemistry between Ranbir and I was completely apparent at that moment. And that’s what makes Saawariya. It’s a relationship between two people. And the culmination between Ravi Chandran, Omung Kumar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s brilliance is shown in that moment. It’s Mr. Bhansali’s moment and he has brought out the chemistry between Ranbir and I in that. I think that is the it moment in Saawariya.

NT: Any memorable or funny incidents from the shooting that you'd like to recall for our readers?
SK: Okay, yeah, Ranbir, like, fell off a boat (laughs). He is the most klutzy person in the world. He is constantly falling all over the place. (Still laughing). I think that’s very funny! He’s too funny.

As for me, the thing is, I had drapes all over me and I had the heaviest clothes, right? And there were scenes in which there was rain and there is this huge dress I was wearing which was already like 40m long and when the rain comes, it becomes heavier! So from being 5 kgs, it became 10 kgs. And I had to take a chakkar and I did a chakkar and I reached the other side of the set! (laughs again)

NT: Your mother was always on the sets with you. Did that make things awkward at any point of time or did it make them easier for you?
SK: Oh it was easier, any day.

NT: What were your parents reactions when you first broke the news to your parents that Mr. Bhansali has signed you on? Did they know that you were hoping for it?
SK: I didn’t break the news to them. Mr. Bhansali broke the news to them. I didn’t have the guts to do that! I am a Punjabi girl from a Punjabi family. We don’t become actresses you know! We father was okay with it but my was a little iffy about it. My father treats me like a son. He’s like, I’ve had the best time in the industry, how can I deny my daughter that? And my mom was like, study! But it’s okay now. My dad was chilled about it. They were amazing actually, they were very supportive about it. They just want me to be happy.

NT: Were they expecting it?
SK: No, they were not. They were like, completely shocked.

NT: Ranbir has confessed that he went to assist Mr. Bhansali on Black with the intention of being launched by him. What was on your mind?
SK: I didn’t have any such intention (giggles). I was like 90 kilos okay! 86 kilos actually.(hyper) And I used to wear chashmas and kurtas and walk around. If I had wanted to be an actress, I’d have lost some weight and gone to Mr. Bhansali and told him please cast me! I wouldn’t have gone like that, trust me! (laughs)

The thing is, the first day I went to him, he said, you should be an actress. I want you to act in my film. And I was like, Sir, I can’t act. I had gone there to learn filmmaking and writing from him. But while I was assisting him, I realized that I was more interested in what was happening in front of the camera than behind the camera.

NT: What advice did they give you individually?
SK: My mom wanted me to become a writer. My dad was just like be honest, work hard and be a good daughter, and that’s it.

NT: What do you write?
SK: I write for myself. I write stories or I write in my diary.

NT: So you are good at it?
SK: I am okay. I don’t think I am that good. I really don’t think I am really good. I am not a very good writer. I am all over the place all the time. I don’t have the confidence to publish my work so I don’t think I’ll ever do that! I think you can either be a writer or you can’t and I just don’t have the confidence to be one.

NT: You knew Ranbir since quite a long time. Did that make it easier working opposite her or difficult?
SK: Easier, definitely easier. I thanked God and I thanked my stars it was Ranbir and not anybody else who was my first co star and nobody else who was my first co star because I can make a complete fool of myself and I’d know he’d still be myself (giggles uncontrollably ).

NT: Though people say that star kids have it easy, isnt it particularly difficult for you considering the perfectionist your father is and the expectations that are attached to you?
SK: See, I’ll be honest with you. If I wasn’t Anil Kapoor’s daughter, I wouldn’t be assisting Sanjay Leela Bhansali and I wouldn’t have got a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film because he wouldn’t have noticed me otherwise. So yeah, the entry is always easier. I get all the attention from the reporters, media and the publicity people because I happen to be Anil Kapoor’s daughter. So there are pros and cons to being a star kid. And there are pros and cons to not being a star kid. And if you realize right now, nobody in the industry who is on top comes from the film industry. Whether it’s Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Rani Mukherjee’s father was a small actor but she is the best right now. Anybody, who is on the top right now, has not been from a film family. And I think it’s a completely wrong notion that nepotism has a hold on the film industry. I think it’s like any other industry in the world. Whether you are Anil Ambani or Mukesh Ambani, you happen to be Dhirubai Ambani’s son, it’s still about the industry. Whether you are a politician’s son, whether you are an industry person’s son or daughter or whether you are a film industry person’s son or daughter, it’s like any other industry. It’s all about your destiny and your luck.

NT: So how did your first autograph feel?
SK: Well, I was awkward about it but I was very happy. I don’t really remember who took it. It happened outside the sets of Saawariya. I was shooting with Salman and I think they had actually come to take Salman’s autograph, this whole group of people, and they just happened to see me. They didn’t know who I was and they were like, Oh! She’s shooting with Salman! Let’s take her autograph, maybe she’ll become an actress one day.

NT: How did it feel the first time you saw yourself on screen?
SK: Whenever I see myself on video or TV and stuff like that, it’s literally unreal and I can’t see myself. I cannot watch myself on screen ! I just close my eyes during my scenes!

NT: Finally, tell us why you think Saawariya as a movie and not as your launch, is a must see for the audience?
SK: Because if you want to fall in love and if you believe in love, then Saawariya is the film for you.

© Nikhil Taneja (nikhiltaneja@gmail.com)

INTERVIEW WITH NIKITA ANAND - I

2007-12-19T05:15:00.001-08:00

Who : Nikita Anand
About : Actress, Model, TV Anchor, Miss India World 2003
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_anand

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Nikita Anand
Interview Date: October, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Nikita Anand happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH NIKITA ANAND - II

2007-12-19T05:14:00.002-08:00

Who : Nikita Anand
About : Actress, Model, TV Anchor, Miss India World 2003
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_anand

How it happened : Interview with N ikita Anand
Interview Date: October, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)
Pics: None

Nikhil Taneja (NT): The response to Dil Dosti etc has garnered unanimous praise for you and the movie is picking up as well. How do you look back at your performance and the movie as a whole?
Nikita Anand (NA): Well, you know, when you look back, of course I feel there is a scope for improvement When you see yourself on screen you always feel that I could have done better here, I could have done better there. So you know in retrospect all of us felt we could have done slightly better in a number of scenes. There is always scope for improvement, but as such, when we finally did see the film, when we did see the final cut, because we had seen an earlier version, we liked it. And we have also had people coming up to us telling us that they liked the film, so it’s great overall.

NT : You play an aspiring model in the movie. Considering your background, how much did you identify with the character when you signed the movie? And how much of yourself did you put in it as the shooting progressed?
NA : Well yeah, I do play Prerna who wants to become a model. But what we show of Prerna is not here career days, it’s not here modeling days, what we show is her college life. And therefore, Prerna as a character is quite different than me as an individual because of her way of thinking and maybe yes, there are some similarities, but there are a lot of dissimilarities as well.

Every individual has a lot of shades, I mean there could be very distinctive characteristics in a person including grey shades. But when you are dealing with a fictional character, the scope for identifying with a particular character trait is huge. So you are always constantly trying to think what your character would try and do. Will it try to behave this way or that day. For you as a person, it is very easy. You either do something or you don’t do something. But to try and figure out what the character does takes a lot more. Because there is no reference point. There is nothing you can fall back on. So, we put a lot in the character as we were moving along as well.

NT : The director of the movie Manish Tiwary had said how he was inspired by the Apu trilogy for Imaad Shah’s character Apurv. So what do you think sets Dil, Dosti etc apart from the various other campus flicks that adorn our movies these days?
NA : You know, if you talk about other campus flicks, I don’t think there has been another movie like this simply because of the kind of subject we were dealing with and the kind of script we are dealing with. I mean, no one has come and told me that ‘Oh I saw your film and it was similar to so and so film’. No one came and said that and nor do I think that. Simply because, we are trying to show today’s views. We are trying to show today’s youngsters and how they think and how they talk and how they interact with others. What their take on life is, what their outlook is, how they actually behave. You know what’s happening in colleges today. How the youth is divided, there’s one lot which is totally confused and there is another lot which is very focused and very driven. Then there are others who are very grounded in ethics and then there those who are very frivolous as well. So we are talking about a film which reflects today’s views and is a very real film. I don’t think there’s been any other campus film that has been made so far on the lines of Dil, Dosti, etc.

NT : What would you say would be your favourite Dil Dosti etc moment.
NA : Favourite moment, I think it would be when we were shooting for one of the songs, Lamha Yeh Jaayega Kahan. And we had a fabulous time because we were shooting at a fort! The timings were really strenuous on all of us actors because we had to wake up at 4 in the morning or at 3 or at 5 30 in the morning. and then we were then shooting till sunset, till about 6 30-7 in the evening. But we had a fabulous time because it’s a really old fort and we were always made to climb up on these really high arches we were always on the edge of something or the other. So, we had a great time when we were shooting for this song. I would say that was quite a favourite moment.

NT : Was there a lot of camaradrie on the sets?
NA : Absolutely, there was a lot of camaraderie. Simply because, other than the fact that we all were newcomers, we were doing a college film, and we were all playing characters who were more or less the same age, so there wasn’t like a big age gap or a big age difference. So we all gelled very well. It was like we were hanging out with our own group of friends.

NT : Not many know that you sing quite well too. There was a very interesting incident at your acting workshop with Anamika Haksar where you were asked to sing and dance. Could you recollect it for the readers please?
NA : Yes, you know we were doing an exercise with Anamika. I didn’t know anyone in the cast when I signed the film and this exercise was for all of us to open up and get to know everyone and it was also a workshop which would help you open up as a person and it would help you as an actor, to express yourself in a better way. So that was the aim of the workshop. And I have a passion for singing and I have trained in Western classical. Somehow Manish got to know of it and so did Anamika. So Anamika suddenly said that okay, we want you to sing something for us. And I did that. And apparently, everyone was awed and I got this very nice applause. For me, just the fact that those people knew about my passion was great and then everyone liked it made it even better. And it did help me open up!

NT : Any interesting moments or incidents during the shooting that you’d like to recollect for the readers?
NA : There was this little prank which Prakash Jha had played on me which is something I’d definitely remember for a long time. I know him as a very serious filmmaker but when I did interact with him, I realized he had a great sense of humour. And he is always, sort of, playing pranks on someone of the other. And then he did this love letter thing where we were having lunch one day and he suddenly hands me a sheet and asks me to read it. And I had no idea what it is. And I open it and I see this love letter addressed to me. And it really shook me because it was this really long, long letter and Mr. Jha asked me to read it out aloud and I felt very embarrassed so I didn’t do that. But he took it from me and started reading it out aloud. And you know, we started you know, what the hell is going on, who is this writing a love letter. And apparently, then he called one of the assistant directors. And apparently, that fellow liked me and everything. And he was like, you know ma’am, I have been trying to tell all this to you since so long (laughs) and I really like you and stuff like that. And when all of this was happening, everyone was pulling my leg.

And later, at the end of the rehearsal, wherever I’d go, this fellow would always be behind me, and was always following me wherever I’d go. At the end of it all, I was just wondering what the hell is happening. And later I realized this love letter was a big prank played on me by Prakash Jha himself! And everyone knew of it! Everyone knew of it, but just that no one told me! That was really something I’ll remember for a long time to come.

NT : You have made a very atypical debut considering most debutantes would rather do a tried and tested love story rather than an in your face campus drama. Didn’t you think it would be a risk before you signed the dotted line?
NA : You know, there are a couple of things you would consider before you sign a film. Either it’s the banner, or the script, or who you are working with or the director, or maybe all four of them. For me, you know, initially, I didn’t want to get into films. And I did take my time and I was doing a lot of modeling and a lot of television anchoring in the meanwhile. And then I took training in kathak as well and I had also done a lot of workshops. Simultaneously, I was meeting a lot of people in the film industry and I had met Prakash Jha as well. And I think he is one person who had made some very hard hitting films. And when he decided to produce this film and it happened to be a film which is a little different from his usual films, simply because of the script and the kind of subject, he approached me with it. I liked the script a lot. And then the banner associated with it was great as well. So I went ahead. I didn't think to myself whether it was a typical debut film or not. I don’t like to think about other irrelevant things. If I like something, you know, I just go ahead with that and I just think about that from there on. That’s how I normally take things.

NT : Unlike your contemporaries, you didn’t show any inclinations for Bollywood in the three years since you won the title. What finally lured you to the silver screen?
NA : Well, it’s very simple for me. If I want to do something, then I think I have to be prepared for it. And when I won Miss India, quite frankly, I hadn’t thought that I’d become an actor. I mean, it might happen that people might get into movies as a natural progression of Miss India. But I didn’t think I should do what others have done in the past just because, you know, they have done it. And therefore, I took my time. I met people and you know, sometimes, people change your mind. When you try and meet people related to the same field, they tell you a lot of things that change the way you think. And then I was learning kathak as well and I had also done a lot of workshops. And then I felt that you know, now, I am prepared and now, I can do it. And that’s how I went ahead with it.

NT : It was a surprise to see you in a brief role in Life Mein Kabhi Kabhi before you did a full fledged one in Dil, Dosti, etc. What made you do that role?
NA : Yeah but that was not my debut film and I had signed it much later. You know, I had signed Dil, Dosti, etc. in February 2006.And Life mein kabhi kabhi, I had signed later, I think sometime in October. And it just happened that Dil Dosti released later than that. And when people see a film, they don’t see what happened behind the scenes, what scenes were there, what footage you got and what got chopped off, no one sees that. Now this film was made into a four hour long film, so they had to chop off one and a half hours. In which, quite a lot of my footage also went. But there’s no point talking about that now!

NT : While most beauty queens say it for the sake of it, you have gone ahead and done quite a bit of social work with HelpAge, Sahayta, etc. What drives you to take up these causes?
NA : Well, you know, it’s very simple. My father’s in the army and he is a doctor. And therefore, I always get a reality check thanks to my father. I am always grounded because of my father. And you know, I have learnt to count my blessings. I have realized that the simple fact of being born with healthy limbs is always taken for granted. There is so much we take for granted. My father is a doctor so there is a lot of stuff I see when I go to hospitals. You don’t realize how lucky you are. But I’ve seen so many people suffering and that has always been such a reality check. And that’s why I try to help as much as much as I can.

And you know, also the fact that HelpAge India had approached me after Miss India because Mahesh Bhupathi had asked a question on social causes. And I had said that I’d like to take up the cause of elders and that’s how HelpAge India got in touch with me and I’ve been their brand ambassadors for three years and even now, if they have some function or they want some help, I always help. Whether it’s HelpAge whether it’s Cancer Patient Association or whether it’s Sahayta, I do a lot of campaign work for them. Even very recently, I went for the Cancer Society event in collaboration with the Rajiv Gandhi Institute to help. So I always feel if there is anyway as an individual I can help, I do my best. If there is a small little way in which when I am speaking and there is some amount of media which will, sort of carry my word forward to others and if that’s going to help in any which way, I do that.

NT : There was a time when you used to sing with Joe Periera at a Mumbai club, Not Just Jazz and were very passionate about coming out with a music album. Is that dream likely to materialize anytime soon?
NA : Well, I don’t know. I don’t know where films and music albums meet or if they meet, though I love singing. But I probably get a chance or an opportunity to sing a song in my own film, I’d love to do that.

NT : From Kathak classes to piano classes to acting workshops, what do you plan to take up next to hone your resume?
NA : Well, right now it’s films and acting. It’s very exhausting. Because, it’s acting, dance, it’s dubbing, which I think is a very tough part of acting because you have to recreate the same mood and thoughts months later. So I think it requires a lot so I don’t think I have much time to concentrate on anything else right now!

NT : Looking back at your career so far, straight from Miss Ranchi to Dil Dosti etc, how satisfied are you with what you have achieved?
NA : Well, you know, I am satisfied with what I have done though of course, I wanted much, much more as well. But yes, I am satisfied with the way things have gone so far.

NT : You have dabbled in just about everything in such a short span. So where does Nikita Anand go from here?
NA : Well, definitely, high up the ladder (smiles).

© Nikhil Taneja (nikhiltaneja@gmail.com)

INTERVIEW WITH TANUSHREE DUTTA - I

2007-12-19T05:14:00.001-08:00

Who : Tanushree Dutta
About : Actress, former Model, Miss India Universe 2004
Website: http://www.tanushreedutta.org/ (fan site)

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Tanushree Dutta
Interview Date: September, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Tanushree Dutta happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH TANUSHREE DUTTA - II

2007-12-19T05:13:00.002-08:00

Who : Tanushree Dutta
About : Actress, former Model, Miss India Universe 2004

Website: http://www.tanushreedutta.org/ (fan site)

How it happened : Interview with Tanushree Dutta
Interview Date: September, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)
Pics: None

She's an ex beauty queen who is steadily finding her foothold in the industry. Having done a variety of diverse roles including a negative lead in Raqeeb which got her immense praise, Tanushree Dutta has recently come out with two movies, Dhol and Speed, one a laugh a minute comedy by the king of comedies, Priyadarshan and the other an action flick by Vikram Bhatt. In an exclusive interview with Young Times, she talks candidly about both movies among other things..

Nikhil Taneja (NT) : From Ashiq Banaya Apne to Dhol. How has the journey been so far?
Tanushree Dutta (TD) : It has been a fabulous journey. I think I have found my foothold in the industry. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. And I think I have grown as an industry. And the film industry has also been very appreciative of my work, so that’s been really nice.

NT : You play the female lead opposite as many as four guys in your latest, Dhol. Tell us more about the movie and your role of Ritu in it.
TD : Well it’s a fun filled movie. It’s a comedy film. And I play a very simple small town girl but she’s very rich and all the four boys are trying to marry her so that even they can become rich. And because of their attempts to impress her, they do a lot of unintentional comedy because of this. That’s basically the gist of the film.

NT : How easy or difficult was the experience of working opposite 4 prankster guys?
TD : It wasn’t difficult. This is the first time I am doing a full fledged comedy film so it was a fabulous experience working with them and seeing how they work because most of them, Kunal, Sharman, Tusshar, Rajpal Yadav, they have all done comedies before. I was doing it for the first time. So they were very cooperative and very well behaved and very well disciplined and usually very serious and committed to their work. So that made it quite easy and a great experience.

NT : Who was the most fun to work with?
TD : I think all four of them. I got off very well with all four of them. I think they were people who are very serious about their work and they had the sincerity and dedication that makes them great actors and great people to work with.

NT : How different is the experience of working with Priyadarshan as compared to the other directors?
TD : I think it was a really good experience for me because Priyan sir is a maestro at comedy. He has made so many hit and popular comedy films in the past. And I learnt a thing or two about comic timing. He only issues precise instructions to actors for a particular scene so that’s quite a great help.

NT : What sets Dhol apart from Priyadarshan’s other comic capers?
TD : I think the public would see that in this film there is a lot of difference. I don’t want to say anything and just let the public see it for themselves. In fact, it’s got a bit of a suspense angle also to it, so that makes it all the more interesting.

NT : Any interesting moments or incidents during the shooting that you’d like to recollect for the readers?

TD : Uhh.. I remember some of the scenes were not shot on the sets and were shot on location. So it used to be very funny when some of our neighbours used to come out when we were shooting for the film along with on the streets who would stop by and see the scenes and start laughing! I would sometimes go on the sets even when I wasn’t required for a particular scene just to see the guys shooting.

NT : Your favourite Dhol moment.
TD : I think there is one scene in which all four boys start slapping each other. That was quite a spontaneous scene and it made me laugh quite hard!

NT : You have shot quite a few scenes in Pune where you had done your college.Was it nostalgic for you shooting there?
TD : Yes, it was quite nostalgic. I got an opportunity to use my free time to meet a lot of my college friends. I even met a few friends I had lost touch with since my high school days. And it was such a wonderful experience, you know, I had enough time to catch up with them and talk about old times (smiles).

NT : You have also worked in the out and out action film, Speed. Where did you fit in the scheme of things?
TD : It was fun working in an action film but I didn’t get to do any action in it. My role in that film is that of a simple and sweet girlfriend. I play Zayed’s love interest and there is a lot of chemistry and camaraderie between mine and Zayed’s character. I keep scolding him for all the wrong things he keeps doing in the film. That’s how our characters are. Zayed does the action in the film, I didn’t get to do any!

NT : Speed has been delayed quite a lot and the time gap between shoots shows in the scenes. What do you think are the film’s prospects at this stage?
TD : I have no clue really. I have been waiting since quite a long time for the film to release and I have no clue how the prospects will get affected. I am just hoping for the best, you know.

NT : Everyone’s talking about your recent tryst with the gym and you learning kathak and your fitness is being widely appreciated now. What was the point which made you realize you haven’t been giving time to yourself?
TD : Uhh… I think I would say that after I entered movies, I suddenly got so busy that I had very little time on hand to take care of myself and I was always shooting or always traveling or always jet setting. My life became a mad rush. That’s when I decided that I must organize myself and get into a fitness regime as well. So, one day, I decided to put everything in order and I saw the results after that. I have got quite a bit of appreciation for that (smiles).

NT : Has your learning Kathak come in handy for any of your future projects as yet?
TD : Well, I am sure it would. Because any kind of training in any kind of dance form never goes waste. So I don’t think my learning kathak will go waste since there is a lot of energy and stamina required for it. And there is a lot of grace in the movements as well. So I am sure it would definitely come in handy. It was actually more out of personal interest that I wanted to learn Kathak but it is definitely an added bonus and would help me in my future assignments as well.

NT : You have recently signed an action film targeted at children. The concept sounds very interesting. Could you tell us something more about it?
TD : Yeah, I have signed that film. It’s with a new director. But I can’t reveal much about the cast and crew at this stage. You’ll have to wait for the official announcement for that. But as for the movie, I play the role of a kind of wonder woman in the movie. It’s an out and out children’s film. It is not a regular movie, it is something that the children will love and family audiences will love. I do a lot of action in the movie and it is something I have enjoyed a lot. His is one of the movies I will always treasure in my collection of movies. If I talk more about it, the surprise element will go. So I don’t want to talk more about it and spoil that.

NT : You have essayed a variety of different roles very early in your career, even playing a negative character in Raqeeb which not many actresses would have gone for. What kind of roles are you looking forward to now?
TD : I don’t know. Maybe something which has a little bit of action in it. The children’s film I spoke about has that action so I am looking forward to shooting for it. I like action and I think I’ll do pretty good in such a film. I also want to essay another negative role, perhaps something even more negative than that I had essayed in Raqeeb. I could use my experience in Raqeeb to portray such roles. I want to do as diverse roles as possible.

NT : You were also offered to sing a song for Babul Supriyo in his album isn’t it? Not many know that you are a trained singer.
TD : Yes, I was offered the song but I did not finally sing it. I have got a couple of other offers as well to sing in albums because I am a trained classical singer. But I would rather concentrate on my acting career right now. But you never know, I might go in for it in the future.

YT : You’ve become the brand ambassador for Gitanjali group which recently launched the Wimbledon jewelery. How did that happen?
TD : Gitanjali group was looking at signing an actress for endorsing their jewellery and they heard about my fondness for jewelery. I am very fond of jewellery and I love collecting them. I have quite a collection. So they thought that I might be the best person to endorse their jewelery. In fact, they had been keeping a track of my past films and my film career. And after seeing that, they were certain I would be a good choice as their brand ambassador.

NT : So where does Tanushree Dutta go from here?
TD : I don’t really know. But I am hoping all good things(smiles)! Actually I don’t believe in seeing myself 5 years from now or 10 years from now. I see myself only about 3 months from now. And 3 months from now I’ll be shooting abroad. I don’t want to talk about which movie I am shooting for because I am very superstitious, so when the time comes for me to talk about them, I’ll talk about them.

INTERVIEW WITH RITEISH DESHMUKH - I

2007-12-19T05:13:00.001-08:00

Who : Riteish Deshmukh
About : Actor, son of Maharashtra Chief Ministed, Vilasrao Deshmukh
Website: http://www.deshmukhonline.net/ (Fan Site)

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Riteish Deshmukh
Interview Date: August 16, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over email)

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Riteish Deshmukh happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH RITEISH DESHMUKH - II

2007-12-19T05:12:00.002-08:00

Who : Riteish Deshmukh
About : Actor, son of Maharashtra Chief Ministed, Vilasrao Deshmukh
Website: http://www.deshmukhonline.net/ (Fan Site)

How it happened : Interview with Riteish Deshmukh
Interview Date: August 16, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over email)
Pics: None

Nikhil Taneja (NT): Tell us something about your role in 'Heyy Babyy'.
Riteish Deshmukh (RD): 'Heyy Babyy' is a story of three guys who flirts with girls and are characterless with no sense of direction. And how their lives undergoes a drastic change when a baby enters into their lives. I m playing one of the guy. I am playing a Maharashtrian character Tanmay Joglekar, who attends children's birthday parties and entertains them, especially their young moms….. Rest I can't talk now you'll have to watch it on theaters (laughs)

NT: We all know that you are an architect and have your own firm. How did you end up becoming an actor?
RD: It has happened all of a sudden. It was not pre-planned, but I still do designs for projects which comes up. I have always focused on architecture. Things are going good. I have designed few offices and multiplexes one is PVR cinema of Aurangabad.

Besides, I have designed my own house. Wherever I go for outdoor, I try to catch up the interiors of old constructions. It helps me to create my own things but right now I am the part of bollywood industry so I am focusing more on the acting front.

NT: How far does your reel life character match up with your real life?
RD: It is totally different from my real life character. In real life I am basically reserved and shy type of a person. It takes time to open up and I can't flirt with girls. But I have enjoyed myself to portray this kind of role.

NT: Do you ever feel stereotyped? Are you happy with the roles you are doing?
RD: I have never wanted to become an actor. But I got the opportunity and I did it. I enjoy doing comedy films and am happy with that. When someone does comedy and it clicks in the box- office, people want to see him in the same role again. And I got that opportunity is play comedy roles again and again. But I will definitely experiment with different roles soon.

NT: How was your experience working with Akshay Kumar and Fardeen Khan?
RD: Both are very talented people and do their job very honestly. I spent a lot of time with both of them. Their sense of timing is awesome.We were shooting in Australia and had great fun. Both of them very supportive on the sets.

NT: How was working with first time director Sajid Khan?
RD: Working with Sajid Khan was a great fun. He is a good friend of mine. Sajid had come to me with 'Heyy Babyy' script and some idea about me. He thinks that I am the one who makes funny faces. He is so talented, he eats, breathe cinema. He will go far.

NT: Any funny incidents on the sets?
RD: Yeah I can remember one such incident of many when Akshay and Vidya made a bark. We were shooting in Sydney so Sajid told me about some tie- ups with Sydney government. I had to say some good things about the city. So one day when I got a call from their side, I spoke to them for long time about the positive attributes of Sydney.One of the girls even mentioned that I had a huge fan following in Sydney, and that she was crazy about me. Later I realized that Akshay and Vidya were the ones who had made the calls.

Interview Courtesy: Raindrop Media
© Nikhil Taneja (nikhiltaneja@gmail.com)

INTERVIEW WITH VIDYA BALAN - I

2007-12-19T05:12:00.001-08:00

Who : Vidya Balan
About : Actress
Website: http://www.vidya-balan.com/ (Fan site)

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Vidya Balan
Interview Date: August , 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Vidya Balan happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH VIDYA BALAN - II

2007-12-19T05:11:00.004-08:00

Who : Vidya Balan
About : Actress
Website: http://www.vidya-balan.com/ (Fan site)

How it happened : Interview with Vidya Balan
Interview Date: August , 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)
Pics: None

Nikhil Taneja (NT): You are said to have undergone an image makeover in Heyy Babyy. Can you tell us something about it?
Vidya Balan (VB): This film will see a new me. The image that Parineeta created was so strong, that in spite of the fact that I have done other films, wherein I didn't play only very Indian characters, people spoke about Parineeta. I think there has never been as much of a departure in my image as it has been in 'Heyy Babyy'. Not because I have worn Western clothes but because I play a well-to-do girl from a business family in Sydney, who shows comfort in these kinds of clothes. I am even wearing my hair differently. I want my character to come through and not Vidya Balan.I can't really thank Manish Malhotra enough.

NT: So tell us more about Heyy Babyy and your role in it.
VB: HEYY BABYY will show me in a different light. It is a film where I could let my hair down. I am a fun loving girl who cracks and laugh at Jokes with equal ease. HEYY BABYY is first of its kind for me, so far I hadn't done an out-and-out commercial comedy film. The whole environment whilst shooting for HEYY BABYY was enjoyable, like we were in College again. It was a mad house with Akshay, Fardeen, Riteish, Sajid. They played so many pranks. I had literally become one of them.

The baby is the real superstar of the film. The baby too was a real bundle of joy and an absolute delight. She had everyone at her beck and call. She had a doctor and a nurse available at all time. And she could shoot whenever she wanted. She is such an 'Angel'

NT: You are simultaneously shooting for Bhool Bhulaiya with Akshay. How would you compare your roles in both the movies?
VB: It was the madness of Sajid Khan's Heyy Babyy and the mystique of priyadarshan Bhool Bhulaiya. Both Akshay and I were in different terrain in HEYY BABYY and BHOOL BHULAIYA and yet we had so much fun doing both films.

NT: So how was it working with Sajid Khan?
VB: I have known Sajid Khan from College. I remember inviting him as a celebrity judge for the college festival MALHAR at St. Xaviers. He is such a livewire and has a spontaneous sense of humour.The shoot was such a party and we all ended up behaving like mad people

NT: How is Sajid Khan as a director?
VB: Though its Sajid Khan debut film, he has a cinematic bent of mind. He gives you total freedom to the actors to give inputs. He has made a fresh looking film and his understanding of technical aspect of film making is awesome. His enthusiasm is so infectious, that work becomes a fun experience.

NT: During the shooting of Heyy Babyy, Akshay Kumar played a prank on you. Could you tell us something more about it?
VB: Whilst shooting for 'Heyy Babyy' in Australia, Akshay called on my cell pretending that he is a Radio Jockey for an Indian radio Station. In a heavy accent, he asked me questions about my career, love life and movies. And since It was a radio station for Indian in Australia, I kept on answering to all his questions for 20 minutes. I was totally unaware that he had put me on the speaker phone and was surrounded by the cast and crew of the movie.

Guess they must have had a ball at my expense. But I should add that the whole shooting environment in HEYY BABYY was so fulfilled. It was like one big party, thanks to Sajid Khan and the producer Sajid Nadiadwala.

NT: What do you have to say about the music of Heyy Babyy?
VB: It's Shankar Ehsaan Loy at their best. Each song is a virtual gem. It's extremely youthful and chirpy. The story is based on people of Indian origin living in Australia, so the music is in tune with the theme. When you watch the movie, you will realize that you can go out of India, but you can't let India go out of you!

NT: Finally, how is it working under NGE productions with Sajid Nadiadwala?
VB: He is one of the best producers to work with. He literally spoils you. Besides he is such a trendsetter, by giving such a huge canvas to new directors. The whole environment was so friendly. It was like a family picnic out there. It was a perfect situation of work and pleasure going together. He is doing wonders to his banner, NGE.

Interview Courtesy: Raindrop Media
© Nikhil Taneja (nikhiltaneja@gmail.com)

INTERVIEW WITH AKSHAY KUMAR - I

2007-12-19T05:11:00.003-08:00

Who : Akshay Kumar
About : One of the biggest actors of India at present
Website: http://www.akshaykumar.org/ (Fan site)

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Akshay Kumar
Interview Date: August, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Akshay Kumar happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH AKSHAY KUMAR - II

2007-12-19T05:11:00.001-08:00

Who : Akshay Kumar
About : One of the biggest actors of India at present
Website: http://www.akshaykumar.org/ (Fan site)

How it happened : Interview with Akshay Kumar
Interview Date: August, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)
Pics: None

© Nikhil Taneja (nikhiltaneja@gmail.com)

INTERVIEW WITH SAJID KHAN - I

2007-12-19T05:10:00.002-08:00

Who : Sajid Khan
About : Actor, TV Anchor, Director of Heyy Babyy, Brother of Bollywood Choreographer, Farah Khan
Website: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2012857/

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Sajid Khan
Interview Date: October, 2000
Place: Bahrain
Pics: None

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Sajid Khan happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH SAJID KHAN - II

2007-12-19T05:10:00.001-08:00

INTERVIEW WITH URVASHI SHARMA - I

2007-12-19T05:08:00.002-08:00

Who : Urvashi Sharma
About : Actress, Model
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urvashi_Sharma

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Urvashi Sharma
Interview Date: August, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over email)

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Urvashi Sharma and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH URVASHI SHARMA - II

2007-12-19T05:08:00.001-08:00

Who : Urvashi Sharma
About : Actress, Model
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urvashi_Sharma

How it happened : Interview with Urvashi Sharma
Interview Date: August, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over email)
Pics: None

Nikhil Taneja (NT) : You wanted to become a doctor in your childhood. So how did you end up in modeling?
Urvashi Sharma (US): I always wanted to be a doctor since I came from a humble background and my family were well qualified, so I was inspired by them. And therefore I joined the science stream to be a doctor. But Bollywood was where I always aspired to be. Its all detiny…

NT: How did Naqaab happen?
US: I was always interested in acting. Modeling helped me start my journey towards it. I had no background or support that would take me to my dreams. I had to work hard towards it. I started off with doing campaigns for Ponds, Garnier, Kit Kat Airtel etc. Since I had no one to back me, I signed on to Elite Modeling Agency, who professionally managed my career. And due to my ad campaigns which were simultaneously splashed across all media, it caught the attention of the producers at TIPS FILM. They then signed me on for an 8 film contract with their talent division at TIPS film. I did a screen test for NAQAAB, & was then signed on for the film.

NT: Most newcomers settle for something tried and tested like a romantic comedy for their debuts. But your movie is a mystery thriller. Do you think that might make a difference?
US: It's a very interesting role. I'm so lucky that in my debut film, I got such a challenging role. And with such a huge set up with Abbas-Mustan, the masters in this genre at the helm, and with Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna. You couldn't ask for more. It's such a dream come true. It revolves on the three protagonists and how the mask is slowly unveiled, that will destroy their future.

NT: How different is Naqaab from the other Abbas Mastaan thrillers? What would you say is the movie?s USP?
US: But, I'm sure you would understand that since NAQAAB is a thriller, I can't specify my role. But the script is fantastic; it's an edge of the seat thriller. The USP is that it will keep you guessing right till the end. It's the most shocking thriller of the year.

NT: Was it intimidating working with huge stars like Akshaye Khanna andBobby Deol in your very first movie? How comfortable did they make you feel?
US: Bobby Deol is such a nice human being and a good actor. He made me so comfortable at the sets, though I was making my debut. He was so patient and also taught me to dance freestyle, when I had to do a dance steps without choreography. And also the fact that I am a Punjabi, added to the comfort level at the sets.

Truly I found Akshaye Khanna very sweet. In fact he used to always help me whenever I used to get stuck in some scenes. He used to enact those scenes with my lines and show it to me. He too made me feel very comfortable and was very patient, being my first film. And he so talented.

NT: You have signed an 8 film contract with TIPS which is a fantastic achievement for a newcomer. How did it happen?
US: It's the best thing to have happened to me. I am very comfortable with the contract and prefer a professionally managed company to manage my career as Elite are managing my modeling assignments. Though I am on contract with TIPS, I can do films with other banners too. NAQAAB is the first film in the 8 film contract in 5 years with TIPS films. It's a first time done in Bollywood for a new comer.

Thankfully I have worked hard and have been rewarded too. I didn't have to struggle though. Mr. Kumar Taurani and Ramesh Taurani are so professional. I am living my dreams. They have launched Preity Zinta, Shahid Kapoor, Amrita Rao and whatever I achieve in future; it's all due to them.

NT: You are a trained Kathak and Western classical dancer. So the Salsa number with Akshaye Khanna in Naqaab must have been quite easy for you?
US: If your basics are right, any dance form would not be difficult….

NT: How difficult was it adjusting to the Mumbai life since you? You just moved in here a few months back from Delhi?
US: Modeling is where I started out, and Bollywood is where I always aspired to be. Modeling was therefore a stepping stone to achieve my dreams. It gave me the confidence & experience in understanding Camera angles etc... I just had dreams in my eyes when I decided to shift to Mumbai. Modeling helped me survive in Mumbai. It helped me realize my dreams.

NT: Even though you became a big face in the modeling world, you didn?t give up your studies and continued through correspondence. But with Naqaab and the 8 film contract, have your studies suffered a setback?
US: Yes because of my busy career in modeling, I had to leave my studies incomplete, but I intend to finish off my BSc..

NT: Have you signed up any other movies as part of the TIPS contract yet? Can you tell us something about them? Finally, what do you think the future holds for you once Naqaab releases?
US: Though I am contracted with TIPS for an 8 film contract in 5 years, I have the freedom to work with outside banners. What can I ask for ? They have charted out my career so well. Right now I am just waiting for NAQAAB to release. TIPS film is charting my career. Though thanks to them, I have already been getting a lot of feelers from other banners too. I will speak about it at the right time.

INTERVIEW WITH AKSHAYE KHANNA - I

2007-12-19T05:05:00.001-08:00

Who : Akshaye Khanna
About : One of the better actors in India
Website: http://allaboutakshaye.blogspot.com/ (Fan Site)

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Akshaye Khanna
Interview Date: June, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Akshaye Khanna happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

Interview with AKSHAYE KHANNA - II

2007-12-19T05:05:00.000-08:00

Who : Akshaye Khanna
About : One of the better actors in India
Website: http://allaboutakshaye.blogspot.com/ (Fan Site)

How it happened : Interview with Akshaye Khanna
Interview Date: June, 2007
Place: N/A (Interview taken over phone)
Pics: None

Akshaye Khanna has a reputation of not being a journalist’s idea of a perfect interview. Media shy and self confessedly reserved, I had imagined a very lackluster and brief interview. But when I finally got to speak to the man who created magic in Dil Chahta Hai, who was the best thing about movies like Salaam-E-Ishq and Taal, it was, in fact, he who put me to ease with his relaxed conversational style. Akshaye Khanna is no doubt, a huge star in the Hindi Film Industry, but when he talks, he is not Akhaye Khanna the celebrity, he is Akshaye Khanna, the person. And that is the best thing about him! Of course, he begs to differ. But with no starry air, no tantrums, not even the mandatory delaying the interview by a couple of hours, Akshaye Khanna was a pleasure to talk to when I chatted with him about his upcoming movies, Naqaab and Gandhi, My father. Exhibiting a rather sweet and childlike enthusiasm when he talks about his movies, here’s Akshaye, straight from the heart…

Nikhil Taneja (NT) : From Himalayaputra to Naqaab. How has the journey been for you?
Akshaye Khanna (AK) : Uhh… Wonderful (smiles)! It’s been a very rewarding experience. I think for me, just to be a working actor is what’s important. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. And just to be given the opportunity to do it, is to me the most gratifying part of the job. And there’ve been ups and downs, of course. But on the whole, it’s been a very, very, very reward

ing and interesting experience.

NT : Tell us something about your character in Naqaab
AK : In Naqaab, I’m playing a struggling actor. Just a city-boy who wants to become an actor, and what he goes through to kind of, achieve that. But what is important to a film like Naqaab is not really characterizations of the various actors, what is more important is really the plot. You see, the film is plot driven, not character driver. This film, being a thriller, is very a much a plot driver film.

So the plot is of more significance; the story is of more importance than all the characters. Bobby is playing a rich, big industrialist. They

are regular, day to day characters. But what happens in their lives and what happens to these characters, is the most interesting thing about the film. If I just tell you about the characters, then the film does not sound that interesting, because they are all very day to day characters, nothing extraordinary about them. But what happens to their lives is what makes the film extraordinary.

NT : Naqaab is your third movie with Abbas Mustaan and you have one more releasing at year end, Race. What is it about Abbas Mustaan as directors that gets you so excited about their movies?
AK : I think primarily I would have to say their work. I really enjoy watching their movies. They are very stylish directors and they are very, uhh, they are very audience friendly directors, if you understand what I’m saying. They’ve got a very good understanding of the pulse of the audience. And I feel, every

movie that they make, they make keeping the audience in mind, which you know, is very important. So that is something I really admire in them. Because they are commercial, you see. They are commercial directors. They are not art house cinema directors. They make films that they feel that the audience will enjoy. They make entertaining films. They mostly make thrillers but at the end of the day, you can’t say that Abbas Mustaan films are not entertaining. They entertain you, which is very important. And for me, as an actor, I kind of, enjoy working with them a lot. They treat their actors with a lot of respect. They treat them like children, you know. They really love them and really take care of them. And you see all Abbas Mustan films, always their actors have very strong roles. They always give their actors things to do. They always give them interesting roles, they give them interesting parts. And they’ve always, I think, with me or with all the other actors, they’ve done this. For the other actors also, you’d hear about doing this. And thirdly, I would say, it’s the relationship that we have as an actor-director and also our personal relationship. We get along very wel

l. And also, we’ve done successful films in the past. So, you know, you kind of, develop a very storng personal bond also, over time. So it’s always fun to work with them. I would hope that they’d keep offering me films as long as I’m an actor (smiles). Yeah, yeah, I would love to do at least one film an year with Abbas Mustaan. (smiles some more).

NT : With what we have heard about the movie, the role of the lead actress in the movie is quite critical and complex. So do you think signing on a newcomer for the role was justified? How much has Urvashi Sharma met up to the expectations of the role?
AK : I think she’s done as good as a job as any actress today in the industry could’ve done. She’s done a really good job. Of course, primarily, because of Abbas Mustaan. They’ve really worked on her and have really moulded her performance to what was required. But the requirement of the script for the leading lady was to

not have a kind of image in the mind of the audience, if you understand what I’m saying. We needed a fresh face. We needed a girl who people have no fixed notions about. That was the requirement of the script. So that is what we went with. And Tips already had this girl, she had done a music video for them. They suggested her to Abbas Mustan, who did a lot of tests on her, you know; make up test, acting test, this test, that test, before they actually took her. So she really suits the role and she’s done a very fine job, I think. In fact, even when I saw the film, I never felt in any scene or in any place in the film that this girl is new or she is raw, or she is trying, you know. I found her performance to be very natural. She’s not raw, she may be new, but she’s not raw. There’s a difference, you know. I think that is a very interesting combination. I think people after this film will quite like her.

NT : What is the most shocki

ng thing about Naqaab that makes it the most shocking thriller of 2007?
AK : Uhh… I would say, the unpredictability of the script. You see, in any good thriller, you should always be guessing what is the next twist. And you know, your guesses should not be right! Because that makes the script unpredictable. So the shock element of the picture is in the twists and turns. And also the characters. You see, the tagline we’ve given is Disguised Intentions. Basically what that means is that we meet so many people in day to day life and we take them for face life. And sometim

es, not always, but sometimes it happens that people are not what they appear to be. So that is what the movie is all about, it’s about people who are not what they a

ppear to be. And our film provides a deeper look into these people. I think that is what is shocking.

NT : You are working with Bobby Deol in Naqaab and Saif Ali Khan in Race. How exciting do you find these collaborations?
AK : I love actors, basically. I love being around actors, I love having camaraderie, which is always more fun for me to work with a lot of people on the sets as opposed to being all alone all the time, you know. And I get along with all my costars, I’ve never had a problem with any of them, quite frankly. And they’re all my friends. So it’s lovely, you know, to have people on the sets. People you enjoy working with, who you respect and admire, and who are also your friends at the end of the day. So it’s really great that way.

It’s been said that Bobby Deol played many pranks on you on the sets of this movie. Would you like to sh

are any interesting moments with the readers?
AK : Not really. It’s been quite a regular on the sets of Naqaab. In fact, there are a very few actors who play pranks on people. Filmmaking is a very serious business. Although there are some actors like Suneil Shetty and these kind of people, who basically like to play pranks on people. I think generally filmmaking, on the sets, on location, You can’t really afford to (chuckles), play pranks on the sets. It’s too serious there.

NT : How easy or difficult was it to cope up with the salsa number in Naqaab considering that Urvashi Sharma is a trained dancer?
AK : See, we dance in every movie! And, sometimes they make you dance in a certain style, sometimes they make you dance in a different style. I mean, I am not a very good dancer, but I’ve always felt that if you could just enjoy it; if you enjoy what you do, even if you are not perfect 100%, you are just 70% or 80% good at it but you are enjoying it, then people also enjoy it with you. So that’s how I approach my dances.

You have always chosen your movies

very carefully. What attracts you to a role?
AK : Actually, my choices are very instinctive. By God’s grace, I’ve got very good scripts. But when I read something, I instinctively say yes or no. It’s really a decision from my heart, I don’t give it too much thought. Whenever I find myself thinking about a script, or thinking whether to do a film or not to do a film, then I never do it. Because if I have to think for a reason to do it, then I shouldn’t be doing it at all. Because it should be clear to me that I have to do this movie.

NT : Your next film after Naqaab, Gandhi My Father is already generating an extremely positive buzz in the film circles. How has experience of your first period movie been?
AK : Achha, you think it’s generating a p

ositive buzz?

NT : Yeah, definitely. In fact, I have read in many places that it’s not only generating a positive buzz, it is in fact generating an Oscar buzz. It is being touted as India’s solution to the Oscar problem.
AK : Is it? Have you seen the promo?

NT : Yeah, I’ve seen them online, on the website. It’s an amazing promo! The movie looks so authentic, at the same time, it’s very classic. I really think the movie has it in it to become a huge success, not only in India, but abroad also.
AK : You really feel that way?

NT : Definitely! The promos are very touching actually. Very endearing.
AK : Yeah, you are right. That is a film that is very close to my heart. (Thinks) It’s basically, essentially, a true story. In the entire film, there’s not even one scene that we’ve thrown in, which did not actually happen. So that is very important for people to know, it’s an absolutely true story. Based on the relationship Mahatma Gandhi had with his eldest son, Harilal Gandhi. It’s an absolutely amazing story, which people don’t know about! You see, honestly, most interesting for me also, was that people know everything about Mahatama Gandhi. They know everything about Kasturba Gandhi! But they know nothing about the children! In fact, most people don’t even know he had any children! He had four sons, and people don’t know that. So, this story, from that point of view, is extremely interesting. And extremely new for people, I feel. And at the same time, it is not about Gandhi, the father of the nation. It’s about a father. It’s a father-son love story, I can say. It’s a l

ove story between a father and a son. And you know, it’s an absolutely amazing story! Very interesting. And very, I think, very contemporary also. You see, the emotions we are talking about here, are not emotions that can ever become outdated. So it’s very contemporary and I think, everybody would be able to relate to it.

As for the period movie, I think, in a pe

riod movie, it’s only the make up and the sets and the costumes that is really different. Otherwise everything else is the same. So that is the only difference. The look of the film is very authentic. So we just worked really hard, everybody in the team, to make sure that every part, every aspect of the film is authentic in every department.

NT : So how did you get into the skin of Harilal Gandhi?
AK : See, because he is an unknown character; no one knows anything about him - No one knows how he looked, how he talked, how he walked. So, for me, I didn’t have to do much research. Because nobody had a reference point, you see. If I was playing Gandhi, then I’d have had to do a hell of a lot of research and a hell of a lot of practice! So I just had to take the material in front of me and deliver it as honestly as possibly as I could. So that was really the effort from me. Of course, the actors who play Gandhi and Kasturba have a much tougher job than me.

NT : I’ve read somewhere that you’ve said that Shefali Shah has given an amazing performance in the movie.
AK : I think it’s one of the best performances by any Indian actress in the history of Indian cinema. And I wouldn’t be saying that lightly, I really believe it. It is a performance that is.. I mean, I cannot even begin to describe it. Both Gandhi and Kasturba. You see, after Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi, it is very difficult to match up to it because a very high standard has already been set. So that was also, you know, a daunting factor for any actor who’d play Gandhi. But, in spite of that, to come up with a performance like what he’s done is something miraculous. It’s unbelievable.

NT : It’s all over the papers that Anil Kapoor had a special screening of the movie for Will Smith and he’s quite liked

it.
AK : Yeah, even I’ve heard of it, but it’s not true. He’s not seen the movie. He’s just seen the trailers of the movie and he was blown away by them!

NT : With Aaja Nachle, you are getting back with Madhuri Dixit for a role after a gap of 8-9 years. How did it feel?
AK : I am just playing a guest appearance in that movie. But it’s wonderful, yaar. She’s like a treat for any actor. You know, like you give a chocolate to a little child or give an ice cream and he gets excited, it’s the same way for us actors (chuckles)! We feel exactly like that. She’s wonderful, she’s in wonderful form, she’s looking great, but there’s still time for that movie.

NT : You got rave reviews in Salaam E Ishq even though the movie did not get as much acclaim as it was expecte

d to. What do you think went wrong?
AK : Uhh, you see, when I saw the picture, I loved it. I think it’s very difficult to analyse, but I personally feel that the length went against the movie. People found it just too long. And And I find it for the first time, people who were exposed to the multiple stories that were going on, from what I hear and from the people who I’ve spoken to, I believe people had difficulty digesting them. They decided there were too many stories going on and there were always a couple of the stories they couldn’t relate to. Different people couldn’t relate to different stories. It was not universal. Maybe if the film was half an hour, 45 mins shorter with a couple less stories, it would have been a blockbuster.

NT : Is it true that you are lending your voice to an animation film which Nikhil Advani is planning?
AK : Nothing is finalized yet. We

are still working on the script, so can’t really say much about it.

NT : Tell us a little about your other future projects Shortcut, Race and Aankhen 2.

AK : Future projects, we’

ll talk about them in the future na! Race is releasing towards the end of the year and for Shortcut, I haven’t even started shooting. So we can have another chat later, when it’s releasing.

NT : Finally, what is the best thing about being Akshaye Khanna?
AK : It’s my work, I think. At this point of my life, my work is everything right now

in my life. It just gives me a lot of satisfaction, it is the greatest high for me in life. As I said in the beginning of the interview, just to be allowed to work as an actor and you know, to do good work with good people that’s the best thing about my life (chuckles).

INTERVIEW WITH VINAY PATHAK - I

2007-12-19T05:04:00.002-08:00

Who : Vinay Pathak
About : Great actor, former channel [V] VJ
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinay_Pathak

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Vinay Pathak
Interview Date: June 10, 2007
Place: Mayor's Bungalow, Mumbai
Pics: Various Celebs, Mumbai '07

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Vinay Pathak happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH VINAY PATHAK - II

2007-12-19T05:04:00.001-08:00

Who : Vinay Pathak
About : Great actor, former channel [V] VJ
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinay_Pathak

How it happened : Interview with Vinay Pathak
Interview Date: June 10, 2007
Place: Mayor's Bungalow, Mumbai
Pics: Various Celebs, Mumbai '07

Nikhil Taneja (NT) : You were amongst the top five in your class at the business school you attended. What made you change your course and take up drama?
Vinay Pathak (VP): I went to see a play called Equs by Peter Sheafer. And I hold that play responsible, because after that I didn’t wanna do anything but theatre. And I joined drama school. I quit business school and ever since I’ve been corrupted.

NT: You and Ranvir Sheroy have changed the way Veejays are perceived, from the “Yo” dudes to cool dudes who are more than just eye candy. How easy or difficult was it for you to make it to Channel [V] and then take it by storm with your own brand of veejaying?
VP: I auditioned. I was auditioning all around, I even auditioned for MTV at that time. Channel [V] liked my audition. They called me. They offered me a show. I did the show for a week without Ranvir and then Ranvir and I got together and they said let’s try this comic duo thing and we did it and we had fun. We were just being ourselves. I don’t think we sat down and said, “Guidelines to change the course of Veejaying”. I don’t think that was in our plans. I don’t think we were even very serious about being a Veejay. Because that’s when this whole “Yo” thing comes in. I don’t think I was a “Yo” and neither was Ranvir. It’s not in the part of our personality and that’s what it was. Very simple. We were just being ourselves.

NT: What do you have to say about the current batch of veejays? Who is your most and least favourite?
VP: Uhh.. please forgive me but I do not watch television anymore, yaar. I seriously don’t. I don’t have any cable at home; for the last one year, I’ve got my cable cut. I’ve got two little daughters, 4 years and 2 years. For them, I cut the cable because, I mean, they don’t know how to control and screen what they are watching!

NT: You conceptualized Hip Hip Hurray, which was quite a hit TV show in its time. Can the viewers expect any more gems from you on TV in the near future?
VP: Any gems? (laughs). I’m writing a film, a friend of mine is directing that. On television we are doing Cricket Crazy and there might be something else coming up soon, something interesting. But yeah, there are a lot of movies happening. And writing wise, I’m writing another film, which would be for myself. I am gonna keep an open audition. You know, in the west, they do an open house. It’s like you have a huge house, and you wanna sell it, ok? So what you do is you do an open house. You do your house up and clean it and make it look blah-blah and you keep the snacks and the drinks and blah blah blah. And you invite all the realtors in the area. And they come and just check the house out and have a glass of wine and listen to the music and have the snacks and then go away. The whole day. They keep it the whole day. What that does is that open house creates a buzz in that area, that that house is for sale and what a fantastic house that is. So what I’m gonna do is I’m gonna keep an open audition for my film.

I can’t tell you anything about the movie because it’s still a work in progress and I think it’s unfair to the story because it’s still being developed. And when you talk about it in the media, somewhere, subconsciously, the subtext is to promote that story, which I wouldn’t want to do right now because the story’s not complete. You know what I mean? This film I’m writing right now, with Ranvir Shorey, is my friend Shashant Shah’s, who has also been directing Comedy Show all this while. We’ve been friends for a long time and we are partners in company as well. And he’ll be directing this film. The one that I want to direct is something that I’ve been working on for quite sometime. That’s something that I can’t talk about as well.

NT: Not many people know you have directed a short film called “Fourplay”. Tell us something more about it.
VP: Yes I have directed Fourplay, any problem? (laughs)Not many people need to know about it! It’s fiction. It’s an eleven minute feature that I wrote, produced and directed. It was great fun. It’s not a comedy, it’s a very poignant story. It’s a film with four actors, and hence Fourplay. And these four actors are playing four different characters in the first segment of the film and in the second segment. So there is a reflective parallel storyline kind of a film.

NT: How far do you think your show, Kahani Poori Filmi Hai helped you in getting recognized in the big league?
VP: I don’t think Kahaani Poori Filmi Hai was a show that was about that, what you just asked. I think that was a show which is very close to my heart, and also very close to my director’s heart, who also conceptualized the show, and who is Shashant Shah, by the way. So my association with him has been for a long time. We’ve been friends since Channel [V] days. When we started working together, we realized that certain aspirations that both of us had cinematically, had lots of similarity, they reflected each other somewhere. That’s why we decided to come together or work together. And that was my first association with Shashant. And I had a great time. So I don’t think that show was about getting recognized, it was more about discovering my love for Hindi Cinema.

It was a very good show. I don’t think it was solely because of me. I think it was also because the concept was huge. The guy who wrote it, you know, he is another very dear friend of mine, he was very good at the research and at the way he created that style and it was directed very well. And, on top of that, we all used to have a great time! Because we were all movie buffs. It used to transfer my back to my childhood when I would watch a movie Don and come out and walk like Amitabh Bachchan. And where am I going? I am going to take a leak! In the bathroom. And then I am just going and I am opening like Amitabh Bachchan, and then I am coming back and then I just look up and I realize that everybody is f***in walking like Amitabh Bachchan. That’s the craziness, that’s the madness and at the same time, that’s the power and fascination of Hindi cinema, which is fantastic. And that’s what we tried to bring in. The curiosity and the fun and the play of the kids, which is very childlike, you know, to fall in love with an actor, with a story and start to idolize. I mean, Graceland is Graceland because people are still crazy about Elvis. And there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s fantastic! So. Kahaani Poori Hai was our Graceland. That’ all I can say.

NT: You auditioned for Khurana’s role in Khosla Ka Ghosla which later went to Boman Irani. But I believe Asif Iqbal’s role was specially coined for you? What’s the story behind this?
VP: The story is very simple. Divakar read me for Khurana and I read Khurana in a specific way. And he was talking to Boman Irani simultaneously as well. And I remember him telling me that he wanted that contrasting body structure as well. Boman and then Anupamji, you know. There is a physical disparity as well. When Boman stands, it’s almost like he wants to eat the timid, shy, middle class Anupam Kher of Khosla. So when I read for Khurana he liked it but as I said there is a vision a director has, and I respect that. And after that he called me and said that I’m really sorry and I was looking at Boman and it works for me BUT I want to meet you again and he met me again and said that when you were doing that, I thought of Asif. And I said great, because it was a great ensemble!

NT: Now let’s talk about Bheja Fry, which has got you rave critical reviews from all over. Did you expect a movie made in 19 days flat would become such a box office success? How do you feel now that it has?
VP: No!! (groans) Let’s not! Everyone talks about Bheja Fry!! (laughs) Okay, let’s. I am still shocked. Such a small film creates such a stir, shocking. I still don’t know how it happened. But there a lot of things that you don’t know how they happen, like there is a guy called Rajiv and he has a friend. And I don’t know how that happens! Because I think the one thing that Bheja Fry proved to me is that you can’t predict. You can’t really know and predict that this is how you make a hit film.

NT: You were also credited with dialogue in the movie. Did you write only for your character or contributed to others as well?
VP: It was all improvisation that Rajat and I had. We had loads of those moments in the film. The bag moment, redial, etc. It’s not that we sat and wrote it, we created them and said them.

NT: You have acted in the Oscar Nominated Water also and I believe you have also done a Canadian film called Partition. How has the experience been working with international cast and crews? Any more international movies in the pipeline?
VP: Very good. They are very meticulous about their work. They are very orderly when it comes to even sneezing. So it’s good to sneeze on the sets. It’s good fun! Water, specially, because I have worked in Deepa’s first film, Fire and Deepa had become a friend. Very talented. She knows what she wants, she is very clear. There is a clarity, they have a different style of working. It was a new and very refreshing experience for me. They really take care of you and they pester you with right emotions and right affection and there’s a warmth and it’s good fun.

In Partition, a guy called Vic Sarin. I did another film called Murder, which was directed by Vic again. And I had a great time because he’s a very wonderful director. You know, the Western way of working is different. I won’t say it’s the best way to do but it’s the right way to do.

NT: Khalid Mohammed talked about you as an unrecognizable actor in his review of Water. Have you ever introduced yourself to him post that?
VP: I don’t know him. I’ve never met him. And one thing I can’t take away from Khalid is that he has a way of saying things. He could be a funny writer. But he can also be very repetitive in the way he reacts to certain things. So it’s okay. It’s his job. I find him deliberately biased, and I am not talking about Bheja Fry. I’m talking about him as a reviewer. He falls in the category of those who has a strong opinion even before he buys his popcorn. But that’s that. I don’t want to be opinionated about someone who’s highly opinionated.

NT: The June Filmfare has named you Man of the Month. Did you ever see yourself being recognized by one of the top commercial bollywood inclined film magazines? How does it feel now that everyone in the film circle is familiar with Vinay Pathak?
VP: I feel good. I feel recognized. But I also don’t want to get into the hogwash. That Oh! Shahrukh Khan knows me, you know what I mean. I mean, I’m sure he is a nice guy. I worked with Madhuri Dixit recently and she’s been sweet. Very sweet and very supportive and she’s been saying such nice things about me BECAUSE she is so wonderful herself. And it’s been an honour working with her. I think she’s the most human star I’ve worked with. She’s fantastic. I think everybody should be like Madhuri Dixit! Oh, what a world would that be! Imagine a world like that!

NT: You have also starred in a few mainstream commercial Bollywood flicks Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karegaand Jism. Why did you stop working in mainstream cinema post that and what prompted you to get back with Aaja Nach Le?
VP: HDDCS was my first mainstream cinema. And after that I was always like heroine ka bhai, heroine ka chacha, hero ka brother, heroine ka doctor friend. And that’s what the supporting cast in mainstream Hindi cinema is very stark and stereotypical. And I remember during HDDCS, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and I had become very good friends and he promised me that I’d work in his next film. And he’d offered me the role of Chunnilal and Devdas. And we met and we talked about costumes and mannerisms and all of that, but then he had the pressure of taking a star so he cast Jackie Shroff in that role. And I don’t hold him against that, and I think he’s still a wonderful director and we still have a camaraderie. And I never complained, I mean of course, I would have loved if I would have got it in Devdas, because it’s such a fantastic role. Motilal played it to such perfection in the original. But it’s his film, it’s his vision, he’s the captain of the ship. I can’t sulk “Oh he can’t take me, he didn’t take me.” He took Jackie Shroff. And Jackie Shroff is a huge star. And I am not.

NT: With Aaja Nach Le you are now a part of Yash Raj Films and are working with Madhuri Dixit. How does it feel?
VP: Attracted? It’s a great story! It’s Jaideep’s script, the same guy who wrote Khosla ka Ghosla. And my dear friend Anil Mehta was directing it. Anil Mehta was the cinematographer of HDDCS, my very first mainstream film. We got along fantastically. And when we was making his first film, he thought I should be an integral part of the ensemble, he called me and told me about that. I readily said yes. It was Jaideep’s script. Anil was directing it. AND! MADHURI DIXIT DUDE! Come on!

NT: So how different is the Yash Raj style of film making and the parallel cinema style that you have been associated with?
VP: Well, if Yash Raj films call me again, I’d love to be a part of it again. Because they are the most professional, the most wonderful setup. And I realized, especially during Aaja Nach Le, they are the ones who actually put their money where their mouth is. And it’s Adi’s vision, and Adi is fantastic. He is a fantastic producer. He knows what he’s doing more than anything, yaar. He goes and watches movies in theatres. Maybe first day first show. That’s what he told me, he went to theatre and saw Bheja Fry. And his reaction is the reaction of a guy who knows his movies, who knows people.

NT: You are working in movies of every genre now. There’s Johnny Gaddar where you are a compulsive gambler, there’s Manorama Six Feet Under where you are a corrupt police officer, then there are the more serious Khoya Khoya Chand and Antar Dwand. Tell us briefly about all of them.
VP: Shriram Raghavan! He is another very dear friend of mine. He had made Ek Hasina Thi. I met him and he told me the script and I just loved it! And yeah, I am playing a compulsive gambler. It’s a great film and the main attraction to me was a) Shriram Raghavan, b) Dharmendra and Zakir Hussain, who is also a great actor.

Manorama Six Feet Under again first time director, Navdeep Singh. The role of a corrupt cop in Rajasthan. It’s a very ball-scratching, gritty, earth guy. And I scratched my balls a lot. They hurt!

Antar Dwand is another first time director, a friend of mine, my senior from boarding school. It’s an issue based film. I play an older man, a bureaucrat, whose son has gotten abducted by some people and he was abducted for a reason and the reason was that they abducted him to get married to their daughter. The subject is dowry and it’s very interesting.

Khoya Khoya Chand, Sudhir Mishra. The film is set in the 50s, the Bombay film industry. And it is the story of the film industry, of that romance, of that era. The characters are also of the film industry. Great characters, great story.

Via Darjeeling is a suspense thriller where I play a detective. It’s a strange kind of storytelling, it’s playing with the structure a bit, it’s not a linear storytelling. And that was what was most interesting.

NT: Finally, where does Vinay Pathak go from here?
VP: Wherever life takes me yaar, I am an actor. I haven’t done direction enough so I would definitely like to do more of that.

INTERVIEW WITH SIDDHARTHA BASU - I

2007-12-19T05:03:00.003-08:00

Who : Siddhartha Basu
About : India's most famous quizmaster, Produced KBC, Mastermind India, etc.
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhartha_Basu

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Siddhartha Basu
Interview Date: March 28, 2007
Place: KBC Set, Film City (Goregaon) , Mumbai
Pics: The KBC Experience

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Siddhartha Basu happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH SIDDHARTHA BASU - II

2007-12-19T05:03:00.001-08:00

Who : Siddhartha Basu

About : India's most famous quizmaster, Produced KBC, Mastermind India, etc.
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhartha_Basu

How it happened : Interview with Siddhartha Basu
Interview Date: March 28, 2007
Place: KBC Set, Film City (Goregaon) , Mumbai
Pics: The KBC Experience

Nikhil Taneja (NT) :From AIR to KBC. How has the journey been for Siddharth Basu?
Siddhartha Basu (SB) :It’s been a long journey. It’s been a number of decades as a matter of fact. I think it was 71 where that was the first exposure to electronic media. AIR had a youth channel called Yuv-Vaani. And that was great first exposure. That was quite an initiative I think, it was taken under the time of Indira Gandhi. A no. of fine talents came out of that, not just in the field of media, but other fields also – Shahi Tharoor, Rajiv Mehrotra who runs Public Service Broadcasting Trust, etc. A whole lot of people actually. And that was useful exposure, but that was a long time back. And it was, of course limited technology and exposure because you know, AIR was the only channel then. But, really, there have been some watersheds in media since then.. television first going colour, then opening up to independent producers. That’s when I did my first quiz program, quite by accident. Because I never was a quizzer in college or otherwise.

So that was really my root to quizzing. It was via theatre, and via being a, sort of Master of Ceremony by default. And so since then, after colour, there was the whole opening up of satellite television. And sponsored programs which feed us up by very strong state restrictions. We’ve seen exposure. And now you are seeing world class programs in India. And you are spoilt for choice. And so you really have to do something very distinctive and of quality to be noticed among the clutter. And, so there’s been a lot of plusses. Viewers have a lot of choice. However, I think, programming is largely determined by commercial considerations, which is a little, sort of limiting.. Public service broadcasting has taken a backseat. Also, certain kinds of programs, which are more challenging, which require you to think, or maybe, look at things differently have had to take a backseat, and that’s sad. So I think you need a balanced public service broadcasting in commercial television. Hopefully, things will happen in due course.

NT: How adversely had Amitabh Bachchan’s illness and his subsequent opting out of the show affected Synergy Communications and when did you finally think, it is time to bring someone else in?
SB: Well, as they say the show must go on. And to match the standards set by a superstar we had to find another superstar. And of course, the only person who came to mind was Shahrukh. And he is actually well versed with these kinds of things. Because they play such games very often in their circle too, they are all very avid trivia quizzers – Farha, Shahrukh and the rest. Actually when Shahrukh had come for KBC as a guest and we had seen his enthusiasm, since then, we had, sort of, had him in mind. That if there was need for a replacement, Shahrukh would be the most obvious choice. We didn’t have anyone else in mind. You can’t have a lesser known person to host KBC after Mr. Bachchan. And change on KBC has happen in over a 100 countries, it is sort of inevitable. But there was no question of having anyone else. We hadn’t thought of an alternative beyond Shahrukh.

NT: What did you expect from Shah Rukh Khan when you first roped him in?
SB: Shahrukh has been very professional, there was not much we needed to tell him. Lots of things were brought in by him, lots of ideas like freeze, the title song idea, the thinking cap – they were all his ideas. He always makes sure that he is professionally sound,so there isn’t too much to tell him. We just give him the script and he adds his own touch to it. He interacts with everyone on the set, he sits down with the script writers so the script can be adapted to something he is more likely to say. He is not anxious about hosting. He’s very smart and he keeps the energy at the sets high. So he has brought in his distinct restless energy to the show and I think that has worked in the show’s favour.

NT: Apart from the introduction of Mr. SRK, from the point of view of the perception as well as the production of the show, what changes did you want to introduce in KBC 3, and how far have they been successful?
SB: There weren’t many changes as such that we wanted to introduce… it was just that the biggest change was the man himself… thats why rather than calling it KBC 3, we preferred to call it KBC with Shahrukh Khan. Andthe response since the first show has been overwhelming.

Shahrukh is very charming. He has added a very young zing to the show. The viewership today is very young. Young girls especially are crazy about him. Having said that, it’s the format of the show – the drama combined with the cheekiness and charm of Shahrukh that makes the show such a big hit. Even in his second innings the ratings were higher than the first innings. And now the viewership is far more in numbers than it was before. The TRP’s have steadily been rising and in all, it has been good going.

NT: Please elaborate on the design of the questions asked on KBC - what makes a question a 1000 rs question and what makes a question worth 2 crores?
SB: We have stacks of questions. Questions are divided into the 1 – 20,000 questions, the 20- 6 lakh 40 thousand and the ones above them. The easy questions are put into the first one, the middle level into the second and the tough ones into the last level. They are all put into random computer generated stacks. The computer then creates a 1 – 15 questions stack on its own. It’s a very interesting process.

See there are people coming here from various backgrounds, so depending on that we pose the questions to them. The 2 crore question is also not totally arcane. It is always something you may have read of somewhere, in some newspaper or magazine or may have heard of sometime. It definitely won’t come to you in a jiffy but it isn’t something we pick that is so remote and so abstruse and arcane than no one would know it’s answer. It just depends on the extent to which the individual is informed. For example, take the question, what is the name of the first Chinese space shuttle into space? Now that was in news not too much time back. So people must have come across it sometime in newspapers. It’s a question of how much you observe around you. We want people to win 2 crores. So we won’t give them something that they would have never heard of.

We find out what an average Indian would know and come up with questions on those topics. For example, Mythology is more pan-Indian than cinema. The biggest responses on the phone questions are Mythology based more than anything else. This knowledge helps us in making the questions. We try to make questions accessible and not textbookish. You can't do well on the show by just cramming. At the same time, you should know your basic geography or history. What we ask is based on what you are likely to have studied in school. Everyone has studied about elements in chemistry, but it’s a question about whether you are able to recollect this or not.

We, sort of, capitalize more on the anxiousness of the contestant than anything else. Like there was a contestant yesterday, you would have seen. Even though she knew the answer to the 50 lakh question, she didn’t take the risk. Once you get something like 25 lakhs or around, you try not to take risk 25 lakhs in itself is a very big amount, and one wrong move may make you end up losing 18 lakhs. So even though the contestants would know the answer, they are unsure of themselves. That’s what makes the questions more difficult than the level in itself. The contestant needs to have a good head to win on the show. He should be able to make connections and stay calm.

NT: How did the idea of the promotional song for KBC 3 featuring SRK come?
SB: That, as I said earlier, was totally Shahrukh’s idea. We wanted to start off with a bang. And this was the best way in which we could have started off. Shahrukh gave the idea, we found it intriguing. Then Vishal Shekhar came in, then Ganesh came in, and the rest, and we had the song. The song is very Shahrukh, so people have enjoyed it a lot.

NT: Tell us something interesting about KBC 3 that we don’t already know
SB: We will definitely come back in sometime. Synergy has signed a contract with Star for another few years and hopefully we should be back with Shahrukh in the next series also.

NT: You have been hosting Young Times’ quizzes in Dubai and you have another one scheduled in the near future. How has the experience been so far?
SB: I was very pleased to see the response from many students who were present.. Students that went India, South East Asian and the rest, the response was really overwhelming It was a stiff competition. The competition got the whole crowd jumping. Students were very knowledgeable I am really looking forward to it this time around too.

NT: So far your favourite memory of KBC 3 - perhaps a funny/emotional/over the top incident that will forever stay in your memory?
SB: The best moments in a quiz show are always when a contestant has a good run or cracks a challenging question. That apart, KBC with SRK was an entertainer , and there were many memorable moments of impromptu exchanges and performances. An extraordinary incident happened off the sets, in fact at ShahRukh's home office, at Mannat, where the computer system had been set up for rehearsal. There was this 17 year old girl from Holland, I think, of Iranian origin, who was confined to a wheelchair, and had flown down with her family , TV crew, et al for an unusual encounter with SRK. At some live show where he'd performed, he'd asked her to dance, and she's actually stood up, and shown some progress in her physical condition, but wanted to take her first faltering steps only in front of SRK. So they'd all flown down for that. And it happened, amidst tears and hugs. What people project onto public person can be so amazing.

NT: What kind of relationship do you share with Mr Shah Rukh Khan? How different is it from the one you shared with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan?
SB: Its been a fun, friendly, easy working relationship with SRK. He's smart and talented, very conscientious in his preparation, and enjoys the creative process. He's a typical good student and sportsman, who is a fast learner and delights in excelling. He brings a lot on to the table, contributes freely to the process, and is always in an innovative, imaginative mode. He thinks on his feet, is a people's person, and this, together with a ready wit, charm, and a gift of the gab, makes him a natural anchor. His theatre background has given him an orientation to the process of rehearsal and systematic preparation, as well as collaborative teamwork and creativity. He's been most appreciative of our team and in turn we've had a terrific time working with him, and hold him in great affection.

The attitude of the team to the Big B is inevitably more respectful and somewhat formal, given his seniority, stature, and reserve. He's an awesome talent, who's pitch pefect, yet never takes performance for granted. . He's very diligent and serious in his preparation. He too has been generous in his appreciation of our teamwork and support in production. Our relationship remains warm and cordial. Its been a privilege working with him.

NT: You have tasted success with almost every gameshow of yours. Perhaps your weakest link was Kamzor Kadi Kaun. My question to you is, on what basis do you choose which show to bring to the Indian viewers? What makes you believe that this particular show will work whereas another may not?
SB: If its a tried and tested format, all concerned are bolstered in their confidence. But in the end you have to go with experience and a gut reaction. I thoroghly enjoyed the drama of the politics of competition and the politics of coalition of The Weakest Link, but the format hasn't found favour in societies used to indirection in expression, which found its bluntness offensive. Similarly , there are those hooked on to the adrenaline pumping tension of Mastermind, or Heartbeat, but the shows have niche appeal.

NT: How different is the quizzing environment in the Gulf than from that in India?
SB: An obvious difference is the range and volume of activity, and degree of exposure. Having said that, the standards of quizzing that I've experienced in the Gulf are impressive .

NT: Tell us something more about the recent Adlabs-Synergy Communications merger. How do you see the future of SC now? And where does Siddhartha Basu go from here?
SB: Synergy Adlabs is venturing into multi-production mode in different genres of television programming, and is looking to extend into emerging medias. The viewer deserves the best of original programming and what the world has to offer, and thats what we hope to do more actively. The resources and gains from the association with a dynamic player like Adlabs will strenghthen our hands to do precisely that. I sincerely believe in synergy - that the wholeis greater than the sum of the parts, and look forward keenly to producing super shows and content with super talent.

NT: What advice would you like to give to potential quizzers about how to improve their quizzing skills?
SB: Keep your eyes and ears and mind open, read widely and well and sharpen your recollection through practice.

INTERVIEW WITH RANA DASGUPTA - I

2007-12-19T05:02:00.000-08:00

Who : Rana Dasgupta
About : Writer, Author of Tokyo Cancelled
Website: http://www.ranadasgupta.com/

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Rana Dasgupta
Interview Date: April, 2006
Place: Kitab Fest, New Delhi
Pics: Rana Dasgupta Interview

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Rana Dasgupta happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

-------- To Be Updated --------

INTERVIEW WITH RANA DASGUPTA - II

2007-12-19T05:01:00.004-08:00

Who : Rana Dasgupta
About : Writer, Author of Tokyo Cancelled
Website: http://www.ranadasgupta.com/

How it happened : Interview with Rana Dasgupta
Interview Date: April, 2006
Place: Kitab Fest, New Delhi
Pics: Rana Dasgupta Interview

Rana Dasgupta is one of the torch bearers of what we call the new-age contemporary writers of South Asian writing in English. Based between India and the UK, his debut novel, Tokyo Cancelled, a thirteen-part story cycle, which has been translated into eight languages, was published in 2005 and has won critical acclaim from the world over.

Tokyo Cancelled was shortlisted for India’s leading literary award, the Hutch Crossword Book Award, and one of the stories, "The Flyover," is shortlisted for the BBC’s National Short Story Prize. Another of the stories, "The Billionaire's Sleep", is currently being adapted for film by Australia-based film writer and director, Robert Hutchinson.

Young, suave, good looking and strikingly intelligent, Rana Dasgupta, takes out time for an exclusive chat.

Nikhil Taneja (NT): You’ve termed your novel a ‘story cycle’. Why is that so ?
Rana Dasgupta (RD): I think that we know in our lives of cycles of stories, which could be things like bodies of myth like Greek myths or Indian myths. They are not one story, they are clearly different works. But they seem to form a whole of some sort, and together they represent a certain reality – the world, the cosmos. So, umm… by using the phrase ‘story cycle’, I was trying to invoke these earlier forms of writing, where there are separate entities, which form a coherent vision.

NT: Since you have told 13 different short stories in your novel, you could also have presented them in a book of short stories rather than in a novel format. Why did you choose the latter?
RD: Because it’s very important in my book that these stories are being told. The book is not only the stories; the book is a reflection on story telling. Now I think that story telling is rather rare in our culture – it’s disappearing. We don’t meet people who tell stories anymore. We feel a lot of that. We feel that there is something good when we sit around our grandmothers and listen to their stories, (pauses) because there is wisdom in them. So I wanted to say, okay, here are 13 middle class modern travelers, who decide to tell stories, and they can. How does this make us feel? Does it remind us that we lost something? Does it aspire us to being more creative? It’s a reflection on that.

NT: What made you decide upon the airport as the place where the various stories are being told?
RD: The airport is a.. (pause).. a non space. It’s a space where people only come to go, to leave. It’s therefore, quite neutral. And it’s important to the book that the reason that the people are able to find these stories in themselves, is because time has stopped for them. They don’t have places to go or people to see. Therefore, they are able to enter different poetic space themselves. And I didn’t want it to be in a house, or even a bar, or a city space. I wanted it to be somewhere, where they are completely unfamiliar with the surroundings, and they have to fill those surroundings with new stories.

NT: Also was the airport perhaps chosen so that people from different nationalities can come together and tell their tales? Because it is a distinct feature of your novel, that all the stories belong to different countries.
RD: Obviously, that’s one of the things. One of the things is that you can have different people from different places coming together. And its important that, umm.. if we think about things like globalization, we think about how do people from different places talk. It’s one of the essential features of a global culture. That people do not only speak to people like themselves, but they can also speak to people who are not like themselves. I would only say that the book does not tell you who these people are. There is a Japanese man, but the other people could be from anywhere. Now, it is natural to assume that the person who tells the Paris story is French. But, I want to leave it open that the person who is telling the Paris story is, let’s say, Mexican. And the Mexican person in an airport, has the ability to let his imagination to travel. Because that’s another key aspect of the story.

NT: An interesting feature of your novel is that the stories have fairtytales embedded in them. There is a distinct touch of folklore in them. Was it something intentional?
RD: Very intentional. It was a key part of the project – trying to write contemporary folklore. Like I said before, we all know that we have a traditional folk tales which we consume sometimes as kids, or we consume in other formats. But it’s also not a living part of our culture. And, I wanted to try and resurrect it and put those fairytales in the middle of contemporary lives and see what happens – and see what a contemporary folktale would look like.

NT: You have presented so many different stories through so many different perspectives. What kind of research did you have to put in your book?
RD: Lot of research. Lot of research. I traveled a lot. And I was on the internet a lot, and I read books a lot. I was writing a lot about places in which I had not lived – I was not familiar. So I read a lot of local newspapers, traveled and spoke to people etc etc.

NT: One of your stories, the ‘Flyover’ has been shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Prize, which is equivalent to the booker for short stories. What do you fancy your chances as ?
RD: I suppose my chances are not very good(chuckles), because.. (pauses). I mean, I don’t know actually. I really don’t know. I don’t know how the judging process works. But I am shortlisted with extremely eminent authors.

NT: Have you read their books?
RD: I have not read all of their books. But I have read some of the books of some of those writers. And I have a great deal of respect for those writers. So, for me, at the very beginning of my writing career, it’s a little awe inspiring to be short listed with people I have read and grown up with. So, for that reason alone, it’s difficult to imagine if I could win. But who knows? (Smiles)

NT: You have an undergraduate degree in French literature. Is there an influence in your writing that stems from French literature or have you tried to instill your own sense of writing?
RD: Well, I don’t think there is anything particularly French about the book. But (pauses), certainly, obviously, during the course of my undergraduate degree, I read lots of lots of French books, which have stayed with me. And (pauses), I think, two things, I would say have influenced my style of writing.

One thing is that I have read a lot of medieval French literature. And medieval French writers, for instance, gave us many of the stories of King Arthur…many of the stories that eventually turned into fairytales, you know. I’ve always had a deep interest in that kind of writing – magic and the likes.

And another thing is that great 19^th century French novelists were fascinated by what’s written in newspapers, by everyday reality. And they wanted to transform into literature that is not just recording stuff, it really has a much bigger agenda. That’s why I have been through a lot of newspapers. Newspapers have been a big inspiration.

NT: You have lived abroad all your life. But when you came down to Delhi some years ago, that’s when your debut novel happened. Does India, or Delhi in particular, inspire you in some way?
RD: Yeah, I mean when I gave up my job in US to come and live here, it was specifically to write a book. And I didn’t expect to stay in India but I’ve been living here for six years now. (Pauses) So, yeah, I have been very inspired by Delhi. It’s the first acknowledgements of my books – the city of Delhi. And, that’s very real. I could not have written it without being here.

NT: One of your stories, The Billionaire’s sleep, is set to be transformed on the celluloid screen by an Australian director. Can you tell us more about it?
RD: Yeah, this is a director from Australia, who called me up when he read the book and said that he wanted to make a film. Initially, he wanted to make a film on the whole book but then he, sort of, decided to narrow it down. He wanted to make it the Indian – the Delhi story. So he came down here for a month and we, sort of, collaborated on the form that the film would take. So now he’s gone back to Australia to raise money and he’ll be back, hopefully by the end of the year to shoot it. So he’ll be back at some point to cast it and look at locations. He’ll obviously be looking at Indian actors. He’ll be shooting it here with Indian actors. But, no, I can’t say who would it be in it. He would like Kajol to play the daughter and…

NT: Amitabh Bachchan ?
RD: Yes, (chuckles), and Amitabh Bachchan to play the father. But, you know, I think it’s gonna be an art house, independent film, probably without known actors. I don’t know, really!

NT: You have been on quite a few panels in the Kitab Festival. What do you think is the scope and the reach of the festival?
RD: I think it’s a good beginning and I think some of the conversations that we’ve been having are important conversations. I think it is important to remember that the importance of fiction writing in English is massively over stated by the media. It’s important to, (pauses).. I think writers like other kinds of creative people have other things to say about what happens in society and what kinds of stories can be told and everything. But frankly, the no. of people that read any of the books that any of these people have written is very small in comparison to the population. A bestseller in India is 5000 copies. 5000 is hardly a fraction of a Delhi colony. And that’s nationwide over, maybe, 2-3-4 years. So, I think it’s very, very important for writers to question how they tell stories in India. Because we have many, many, very serious questions to ask ourselves. But, let’s remember that most people are not reading their books, and most people are consuming completely different kinds of things. And if this kind of things is not packed out, it is for that very reason.

NT: One of the important issues that was addressed in the discussions was the fact that regional authors are not present in the festival. What are your views on this subject?
RD: I think, it is a genuine crisis. I think the crisis will only be resolved by us realizing that all these authors inhabit the same space and are part of the same culture and need to be, as you say, part of the same forum. Now, one of the key things that needs to happen in that regard, is translation. There needs to be more translation into and out of regional languages, so that people can sit down speaking and reading only one language, but reading literature that’s written in English, that’s written in Bengali, in Hindi, whatever, which no one can do right now, very easily. English readers do not have access to a lot of these things.

If you are a Hindi reader, you probably are in the best position because there is decent amount of literature translated into Hindi from a lot of other languages. But if your reading language is Oriya, you probably don’t know any of this stuff. And I think that’s a massive tragedy. And if it leads to all kinds of resentments about money and deep misunderstandings, its very obvious why. Yes, there needs to be a situation where people need to sit down in the same forum and speak. And if that would mean interpreters, it shouldn’t be a big deal. That’s what happens in Europe. I am going to literary conventions which are in Germany where most people don’t speak German or in France where most people don’t speak French, and they arrange for translators. And that means a writer from India, a writer from France and a writer from Australia can actually sit down and have a literary discussion about what it means to inhabit the same world and write.

NT: Can you briefly overview the festival in your own words for us?
RD: I really think that this festival shows that it is the first one that’s been done, with people not necessarily knowing whether they wanted to be involved. All these things are natural in the first event. Some of the panels have been weaker than the others but I really think it has been a very bold attempt. We have had serious subjects addressed. I’ve met many, many significant writers here that I have never met before and I’ve heard them speak and understand something of their universe. I think in the future we do need festivals like this in India and what we need in the future is better communication between people from different backgrounds, not only within India but also in the UK.

I think some of the panels that have been the weakest are the ones that have been very India dominated or very UK dominated, where there has not been a lot of dialogue between the two. And I think we probably want to broaden things out, so if there is a panel discussion going on in which you are not at all interest, you have the choice to go to maybe a literary reading at the same time. So you have a no of things going on at the same time.

NT: Finally, can you tell us what next can we expect from you? Is it going to be a conventional novel this time round?
RD: Yeah, I am writing a novel. And yeah, this time it is a one sustained narrative, yeah. It’s about a 100 year old man, who is reminiscing about his life. So it is the history of the 20^th century really, through the life of this man. It should be out hopefully next year, by early 2007.

INTERVIEW WITH SHASHI THAROOR - I

2007-12-19T05:01:00.003-08:00

Who : Shashi Tharoor
About : Famous Author, Former UN Under Secretary General to Kofi Annan, International Diplomat
Website: http://www.shashitharoor.com/

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Shashi Tharoor
Interview Date: April, 2006
Place: Kitab Fest, New Delhi

Here I'm going to recollect how the interview with Shashi Tharoor happened and describe the entire experience of the interview.

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