INTERVIEW WITH NANDANA SEN - I

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.

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INTERVIEW WITH NANDANAS SEN - II

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)

Y

INTERVIEW WITH NIKITA ANAND - I

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

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 Nikita 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 MEGHNA NAIDU - I

Who : Meghna Naidu
About : Actress, Model in popular remixes like Kaliyon Ka Chaman
Website: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1614895/

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Meghna Naidu
Interview Date: July, 2003
Place: Bahrain
Pics:Interview Pics

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

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

INTERVIEW WITH MEGHNA NAIDU - II

Who : Meghna Naidu
About : Actress, Model in popular remixes like Kaliyon Ka Chaman
Website: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1614895/

How it happened : Interview with Meghna Naidu
Interview Date: July, 2003
Place: Bahrain
Pics:Interview Pics

Nikhil Taneja (NT) : Tell us something about your background and your modeling days
Meghna Naidu (MN) : Basically, I used to be a tennis player. I always wanted to play tennis. I even coached tennis for 4 years in the USA. And other than that, modeling used to be a time pass thing for me… just to earn some extra pocket money. It wasn’t anything much. I never really took it seriously. I did the modeling bit when I was in college. I had never ever thought of taking it up seriously.

NT : Talking about tennis, have you played at the state level or was it just a hobby ?
MN : No. Actually, it was in my family. My dad and my uncle had been playing tennis since they were born, probably (chuckles). They were born holding racquets in their hands(giggles)! That’s why my parents had always been pushing me for it. They wanted somebody in the Naidu family to play tennis. Because no one else wanted to play tennis in our family after them and it was just me they could make a bakra of (laughs). But I personally enjoyed the game. So that’s why I enjoyed learning it and later coaching it.

NT : 2003 has seen some of your South Indian movies receive good reviews. How did they come about?
MN : South Indian films, were quite a shock to my family, not to me. That is because my family always thought that I was one of those shy girls and wouldn’t talk to anybody or do anything confident…something like movies. No one could have thought of me doing movies.

Once I was attending the wedding of my cousin brother. He has a couple of producer and director friends. So they just happened to ask him whether she would be interested in doing a movie. And my parents laughed. That was their first reaction. They were like, ‘Movies ! She ! No way !’ But the producers said that I could just come for an audition. It was in Hyderabad. So I went, I did it and they asked whether I was seriously interested in doing a movie. I thought why not ! Let’s just give it a try. I thought ki agar hit hua to hit hua, otherwise I always have something to fall back on. And that’s how it happened. And my first movie was a hit. So there is no looking back after that (chuckles) !

NT : You came into instant recognition after the music video, Kaliyon Ka Chaman. How did it happen ?
MN : This happened last year, when I was back after shooting for my Telegu film. I had come down to Mumbai to take a break. Universal was looking out for a girl for the Kaliyon ka Chaman video. Now, one of my friends wanted to go and audition for this. So she was like, ‘Oh ! You are doing nothing. So why don’t you just come. We’ll have fun. We’ll see what’s happening.’ And I went with her. She gave the audition, and I got talking to a couple of Universal people. They happened to ask me what I do and where I am from and everything. So I told them that I acted in south Indian films. They asked if I had my pictures with me. I gave them my pictures and they said that if they have any auditions or screen tests for which I could be considered, they would let me know. And it happened after 10 days. They called me up after ten days, saying that they were still looking for a girl to do the music video and asked me if I would be interested in doing a screen test for it. And I just went, without thinking about anything seriously. And it just happened.(giggles) I got selected !

NT : So it came as a surprise to you ?
MN : It was a surprise, yes. Because I hadn’t ever dreamed of doing a music video. That was not what I was focusing on basically. I was pretty happy doing my Telegu and Kannada films. But then again, this is what life is..(chuckles)!

NT : How would you contrast your life before the video and after it ?
MN : Before the video I was a girl who had this very carefree attitude of sorts. I would just walk on roads wearing any kind of clothes, you know(smiles), wouldn’t bother for my looks or anything. But now, after the video, I am a little conscious of my looks. You know how it is in the glamour industry. And of course, the recognition, meeting so many people. It’s so different ! Before the video, my life was very boring. It was limited to going to the tennis courts and coming back and that’s it(giggles). But now it’s quite fun!

NT : So now tennis has been put to the backseat ?
MN : Exactly. Yeah. Actually, there is no backseat...there is no seat at all for tennis(laughs)! But definitely, my future again sees me playing tennis.

NT : How is it that you haven’t done any more music videos after Kaliyon Ka Chaman ?
MN : See, after Kaliyon ka Chaman, people started expecting a lot from me. I mean, I did a music video after Kaliyon ka chaman, one with Hans Raj Hans, but see, no one knows about it. And once I did that, everyone was like, ‘Arre! Why did you do this ?’ And I was scared. I was like, no, I should not take up random offers. I should wait a while, wait for a right song, the right people to work with and then do a video. And that’s what has helped me, you know. I haven’t taken any risk as such. Since Kaliyon Ka Chaman has come to such a height, if I do one wrong song, it’s gonna go down. People are again gonna pull it down ! Because, for every 10 goods, one bad is enough to spoil the image ! So that’s why I didn’t do any video as such after that. But of course, if in future, I get some music video, which has a great song, which I thing is going to create a sensation, then yeah, I am going to do it(chuckles).

NT : You are now ready to hit Bollywood with your debut movie, Shock, co starring some of the hottest models on the block. How did the movie take place ?
MN : After Kaliyon ka chaman, I got a lot of offers for Hindi movies. I still have a lot of scripts at home, which I am going through. But Mr.Karan Razdan happened to meet me once through a common friend. And he told me that he was planning to do a movie. He just gave me a brief overview of the story. And I was like, ‘Wow! That would be the kind of movie I would like to do!’. And he was like, ‘I am anyway looking for a girl like you. I didn’t ask you because I had read in your earlier interviews that you didn’t want to do films and everything’. That’s why he was hesitant to ask me. But I said that it was the kind of role I would want to play any day.

The role I play in this movie is that of a married woman. It’s a very bold movie, taking on reality issues in a bold kind of way. It might fall into a lot of controversy. But it’s a very big risk that we have taken. There are Tarun Tahiliani and Aryan Vaid in this movie as the heroes. We got three guys and this one girl in this movie(giggles).

NT : So what kind of a movie is it ?
MN : It’s about this married couple. It’s about an upper class and a middle class family. It’s not even families. It’s basically about the upper class attitude and the middle class thinking. This girl is from a middle class family. She basically gets wooed by him. He sends her flowers, he sends her gifts and everything. And she thinks she loves him. But that’s not the case. And he happens to one of the Tata’s or Birla’s in the movie. And then there are clashes. What happens when these two classes meet. It’s about how the middle class is the middle class, no matter how rich she gets or he gets by the end of the day. That’s what we have tried to portray. Now this is where the controversy can be about. The upper class might hammer this movie, for all we know(laughs). Basically, we have said quite a few things openly about classes.

NT : You have been refusing numbers in Bollywood movies before this. Didn’t you think they would have boosted your prospects in Bollywood, citing an example of Isha Koppikar ?
MN : I think Isha Koppikar is quite talented in herself. But I never looked at song that way. I basically got into the industry, thinking nothing about acting. But when I got into the industry, that would be the south Indian industry and movies, that’s when I started taking acting seriously. And today, I am at a point where I want to do some serious acting, you know. Songs will come, songs will go. Of course, if there is a very good song down the lane, I don’t mind doing it. But I have never concentrated on that.

NT : You even refused E.Niwas for Dum, and it zoomed Yana Gupta into the limelight..
MN : Yeah. In fact, even today when I meet E. Niwas, he goes like, ‘Bahut galat kiya gana nahin karke. Look at Yana Gupta now.’ But then again, I am quite happy for her. It was probably written in her fate. Because E. Niwas did ask me at least 4 times to do ‘Babuji zara dheere chalo’. He pestered me continuously but I always said no. So he said okay fine. But he still wants me to do a song in one of his movies. So he was like ‘We’ll see in the next movie now’(laughs). So let’s see. It basically depends on when I feel it’s the right time. I mean, when I want to do it, I would just go out and do it. I would rather lose out on 10 things than regret.

NT : You have been doing quite a few stage shows, like the one at the Indian Telly Awards show. How have you taken to getting used to the audience’s terrific reception ?
MN : The first time I did a stage show, I forgot all my steps on stage. So I ended up doing just the opposite of what my dancers were doing behind. But still, the audience’s reaction hit me! I mean, I was doing rubbish on stage and still, the audience reacted so very well. So I said, this is the best thing. Direct eye contact with the audience, the direct appreciation feels pretty good. You know, you basically get to know right then and there whether they like you or not. Now, I have completed 68 shows(!!!) in a span of one year. I really like doing stage shows. I love performing in front of a live audience. I just finished a tour with Asha Bhosle and Adnan Sami for two months in UK, USA, Canada and the West Indies.

NT : That must have been fun for sure. Sharing the stage with two great artistes..
MN : I basically would never even would have dreamed of sharing the stage with Asha Bhosleji and Adnan Sami. And till the last moment I was like, ‘Wow! Are you serious I am going ?!’. I had the passport and the ticket in my hand and I still couldn’t believe it. My dad would be like, ‘See the tickets have come. The visa has come.’ And I would be like, ‘Dad, don’t joke !’ (laughs). At my first show in the US, I goofed up a lot(giggles). I was compering the show as well. The tension I had on my head was way too much for me. I was thinking all the time of what Ashaji and Adnan Sami would say (laughs). But of course, I had the best time ever. I think no other model from a music video has got such a great chance till date. And I do hope everyone does get a chance like that !

NT : Are you now looking for only an acting career or do you have other plans in mind ?
MN : Right now, for the time being, I am looking for an acting career. Movies are in the pipeline. But, as you know, this is just a temporary thing. Acting or modeling. They are there temporarily. They can be continued for 5 years, 10 years or 15 years at the maximum. But of course I have my other plans also. I wanna study further.

NT : So are you going to be concentrating more up north or down south ?
MN : Both, I should say so. I like the south because we finish shooting for the heroine’s part in about a month’s time, which is not very long. And of course, they pay very well(giggles). In the north, in Bollywood, I would continue too, because of the fame, you know. I mean, there, people are recognized. So to balance both money and name and fame, I would do both (laughs).

NT : As an actress, which kind of director would you like to work with and what kind of movies would you like to be doing ?
MN : As an actress, I would like to work with any kind of director. Because an actress is going to do what he wants you to do. So any director is fine. But definitely, I would like to work with Madhur Bhandarkar or Nagesh Kukunoor. They are those kind of directors who make small but good movies.

NT: So you wouldn’t like to work with any of those Bollywood bigwigs in their mushy love stories ?
MN : See, everybody does those kind of films. But, I don’t know. I have never seen myself doing such roles. I can only see myself doing roles like a Tabu might do in Chandni Bar, or like a Hyderabad Blues or one of these kind of movies.

NT : Funnily, any Bollywood wannabe would love to do a movie with Yash Chopra or Madhur Bhandarkar. But if you listen to her talking about doing movies with Madhur Bhandarkar or Nagesh Kukunoor, it comes pretty much as a surprise !
MN : Yeah, see, that’s what I am saying. Anyone would like to do a movie with Yash Chopra or Subhash Ghai. But basically, Madhur Bhandarkar has won so many national awards for one movie of his. I like the way he treats the film. I like the way he portrays a woman in his films. I like the way he handles a situation in the film. I loved the way Tabu dressed in a sari with no make up on. That’s how I would like to act in a movie. These movies are those which portray the truth. That’s what’s happening. That’s what happens in any part of the world. But films like K3G, though they are 100% very very good films, no doubts, that’s what happens in any other film. It happens in any other film. But these kind of movies show everything very naturally. Some mannerisms, or something which happens in everyday life, which people don’t really shown on screen, are what these people show. Like Raveena’s Tondon’s role in Satta is something which hit me. I would like to do something on those lines. Of course, if I get a chance to work in a Yash Chopra movie, then why not (chuckles)? But, this is what I am aiming for.

NT : Between acting, modeling or performing, which form of entertainment interests you the most and why, at this point of stage ?
MN : At this point of stage, it would be acting and performing. Modeling was always a secondary thing for me. But acting is one thing which I really love. And as for performing, I love it too. I am basically a performer.

YT : Lastly, How would you like to see yourself 10 years from now?
MN : Married, with probably a kid (laughs). Just joking ! Of course, I might be married(laughs) but I don’t know about the kid part. I might still be in the industry and if I am not in the industry, I am not going to be crying about it. I am probably going to be doing something related to sports or related to my house maybe ! I could just be a housewife(giggles). I don’t know what I am gonna be doing in the next 10 minutes ! So I definitely don’t know what I am gonna be doing in the next 10 years ! But whatever it is, I am going to be happy (giggles) !

© Nikhil Taneja (nikhiltaneja@gmail.com)

INTERVIEW WITH VASUNDHARA DAS - I

Who : Vasundhara Das
About : Singer and Actress
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasundhara_Das

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Vasundhara Das
Interview Date: Summer, 2003
Place: Bahrain


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

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

INTERVIEW WITH VASUNDHARA DAS - II

Who : Vasundhara Das
About : Singer and Actress
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasundhara_Das

How it happened : Interview with Vasundhara Das
Interview Date: Summer, 2003
Place: Bahrain
Pics: None

Nikhil Taneja (NT) :You started learning music at a very tender age of 10, when your grandmother encouraged you to take it up. At that time, were you interestered in it yourself or were you forced to learn it ?
Vasundhara Das(VD) : When I was 10, it I had really no understanding of music as such, and it was just that the family was so oriented to music, so we had been hearing a lot of music right from a really young age and so it was almost like it was natural. I don’t know, I can’t really explain it, but at that time, I would be very playful about it and wouldn’t take my lessons very seriously and you know how it is…when there is somebody at home, trying to teach you something…for some reason, you don’t happen to take it seriously! So, my grandma eventually got fed up and put me under somebody else, thinking that I might actually learn something there.

NT : When you actually started showing interest in the music field, what was your family reaction ? Apparently, your mother didn’t find it a safe career option.
VD : Well, its true in every sense…I mean when you see the number of people that are there in this business and the ratio in comparison to the number of people who actually make a living of a business like this…it is generally considered not very feasible. My mom was from a scientific background and everything and she said that you should have a definite option open for you, if you opt out…which is what she urged me to get a degree. But beyond that she never discouraged me from learning music because it wasn’t a feasible career option

NT : Is that the only reason you got yourself a qualified degree in Maths and Statistics ? If given an option, would you have considered something otherwise ?
VD : Umm…well I did seriously consider going full time into music, which is why my mom had to make these suggestions for me. You never know that tomorrow you might want be doing a marketing job, for which you need to get an MBA(giggles). You never know how things go…so at least the door is open. And then, quite by …I don’t know…elimination …I decided to do Maths and Statistics (laughs), because you know… I didn’t want biology, because I didn’t want to dissect(giggles). I didn’t want chemistry because there are too many formulae for me to learn. But fortunately I really loved maths, and I had some wonderful teachers along the way…so that was really great. And the college where I was studying…had a wonderful statistics department. So I actually ended up learning something out of it (laughs) !

NT : Tell us a little more about Freedom Jam, which you joined to get exposure to the Banglore music circle before you got your first break as a singer.
VD: Freedom jam was really sort of a get together for musicians…it was by musicians, for musicians…that kind of a thing…a democratic music process, if there is any sense to that (giggles) ! The concept being free music, because Banglore was going through a very bad patch, as far as music was concerned...because the police had shut down bands playing in bars, as they considered anything that is played along alcohol, under A category, called cabaret, which really didn’t make any sense… because not everything, not every performance is a cabaret. So, in any case, you can’t reason with them and they just decided, no, we are not going to have any music where alcohol is served. So a lot of the restaurants, which earlier used to have…say a little band set up or things like that, where musicians could actually perform, closed down. So musicians started to leave Banglore and stuff like that. So at this point some of us got together and said, okay, let’s do somethings...lets play somewhere. But there was nowhere to play! So then the consensus was, to make some place where people can play and people can come and look. So that’s where it all began…and the first freedom jam was actually of the 15th of august…on the independence day of the 50th year of indian independence. And we all kicked off…a lot of people came and you know, I was performing with River at that time(one of the two bands she had once been a part of)...and it was great. It was just a sort of place where people could come together and play music. And we actually met a lot of musicians and got to explore a lot… the different styles of music that you might not have otherwise considered.

NT : You are a person of diverse tastes. Had you taken up Spanish and Flamenco lessons calculatingly or was it because you had been influenced by them after interaction with a few columbian musicians ?
VD : Well, my exposure into Spanish music came through that entire Latin-American friends phase, after which I joined up Spanish class to learn the Spanish language, because I was so interested in their style of music. And that’s where I met this other friend of mine, who was a Spaniard, a teacher, who used to teach my Spanish, and it so turned out that she was a big fan of Flamenco...and she really loves music…and when she got to know that I was really learning Spanish because I wanted to sing and she started to get people to send me music…her friends sending me music from spain - that was so cool !

NT : You seem to be an opportunist. You made the first move to approach Magnasound for playback singing, where you met Praveen Mani. Had you thought it would work out ?
VD : I actually went to magnasound earlier on, and I met him through them and he was down from Canada, doing a few albums for them and that’s how I met him. And we got on really well together and we started to try out demos. When they were out, we tried out a few English demos and stuff like that. So my whole point was that, if in 3 days, I had 3 songs…so in 8 days, I would have had an album…but well it doesn’t go that way(giggles) ! We used to hang out a lot because we were trying to do these demos together, and through him I met Rahman, and through him Mani Rathnam and through him…the entire industry!

NT : Similarly, you had gone for the screen testing of Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding. Did your intutions tell you that the movie would come to be acknowledged in such a big way ?
VD : Well, when we were making it, it was really about making it. We never really thought beyond it. We were in the moment….because we were really trying so hard to be, so really, at that point nobody was focusing on anything but doing the movie...about actually making it. And I could tell you that much that even Mira really didn’t expect it to go off so well...you know, because she kept saying throughout that I don’t know…I think my next film is really going to be my crossover breakthrough. She had never really thought that Monsoon Wedding was going to be that crossover breakthrough (giggles). She kept saying this is my sort of a feasibility into my crossover breakthrough !

NT : Moving on to movies, an interesting fact is that when you approached AR Rahman for playback, he referred you to Mani Ratnam for the screen test of his upcoming movie. Why do you think that didn’t work out ?
VD : Well, it was quite simple. They had found somebody and she didn’t give them dates and that’s why they were looking for somebody else. That’s when I happened to meet Rahman, and that’s when this entire thing happened and then I went and tested for that. It was great, becase we all got down so well and Mani Sir is this really lovely person. He was looking at this girl, who comes into his office and looks completely sceptical, saying why have you called me here (laughs). Actually, he had been seeing these hoards of people coming to his office, saying please give me a role and there I was, asking what am I doing here (giggles) ! So it got strange for him and for me as well, because I just found myself in these outfits…and trying out different things ! So I really wasn’t adjusted to the idea...that would be one reason. Two, Shalini came back and gave him the dates, so in all fairness, the role was hers anyway.

NT : When you were referred to him by Mrs. Anita Rathnam, did Kamal Hassan sign you without a hitch or did he make you vie for the lead actress role ?
VD : I don’t know how she heard about what (giggles)…I was just in Mani RatHnam’s office for about 5 days, then these various tests. Anita Rathnam told Kamal about me…I think she had heard about the test with Mani Ratnam. Usually that’s what happens - it starts from Mani Rathnam and goes around to 10 other guys. Then again, he had also heard PC Sriram, because PC Sriram is one of the better cinematographers…who Mani Rathnam, as well as Kamal Hassan, work with, a lot. So, what happened was, that PC Sir is also a friend of Kamal’s...so he also referred me to him. So then, he didn’t need to know more credibility. So that’s how I got called for that test and I just went in one morning and the evening I was chosen for this role.

NT : You have said in some of your interviews that you had refused the Abhishek Bachchan starrer, Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya because you didn’t like the script whereas in some others you have refused saying anything as such. Can you clarify the matter ?
VD : Well really, there was nothing in the role of the girl that they wanted me play…and that really doesn’t excite me, does it ?

NT : After Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya, haven’t you given a thought to acting inmainstream Bollywood movies ?
VD : Well, I have… in fact Monsoon Wedding, I would say, is quite a mainstream Bollywood movie. Its just been made differently, but I think it is quite a commercial movie. Its not, in any way, an art film. I am not averse to acting in sort of a film, I just have a few requisites for the roles that I play… and one of them, definitely, is strength of character. Two, is a sort of strength in the story. Three, is probably a character that’s one I can identify with, that’s what I want…and if I am not able to find that, I don’t think I will be able to do justice to the character.

NT : After working with stalwarts like Naseeruddin Shah, Kamal Hassan, Mohan Lal, Ajith, etc, has acting been easy for you or has it been all the more difficult to keep up with their standards ?
VD : Well….nice question (giggles). …Working with Kamal was a huge challenge…because, it was my first ever experience in acting and I was competing with probably the best actor in India at present, and I really don’t know how good or bad I was in that film. I remember Kamal actually laughing at me in the interviews because I used to say I really don’t know how this is going to work out…I am just doing this because it was just an experience! And he would laugh at me in public and would say she really doesn’t know what she has done in this film (laughs). And she really doesn’t know that she doesn’t look like a beginner in the film. And when I saw it, I realised what he was saying ! I don’t know how he got it out of me, I really don’t… but I do know that I identify with this character a lot…even though it was more sub consciously than very consciously and there was so much in this character that you got excited about and you wanted to be in it, rather than try to act it, you know. So that’s what it was with Kamal.

Then subsequently, with Naseer, it was more of a teacher-student relationship that I shared, because he was pretty much the father figure of the set of Monsoon Wedding. And we learnt a hell of a lot from him…about methods of stimulating your acting buds and things like that, which I, as a complete outsider to this industry, wasn’t aware of at all. So, that was great.

Umm...then, Citizen (with Ajith) was a completely different experience, because that was commercial mainstream cinema. And there is a hell of a lot that one has to deal with there…you have to be really strong and you have to pretty much close your eyes and do that. And so, that was again a learning experience, I would say. Then with Mohanlal, it was someone to look up to, in the sense that a great actor, who would be the same offset and onset, and you would just watch this guy (giggles)…he just sleepwalks into dialogues, without any effort whatsoever. He was just reeling them off(giggles).. It was just an incredible thing to watch…I mean how these guys...how well they do it! Again, I can’t compare Ajith in any sense with the other people that we have spoken about, for example, Naseer or Kamal or Mohanlal, but he was a really nice guy.

NT : Your debut song won you a filmfare. Did that ever force you to re consider your acting assignments and concentrate only on your music career ?
VD : No… because I thought, as I said, acting and singing are two different expressions of the same emotion… and if I can do both, there is nothing like it, because by then I had caught they acting bug, as they say it (giggles).

NT : From Rabba Mere Rabba to Gustakhiyan, Bollywood composers also seem to want to get hold of you. Can you tell us about your future music assignments in Bollywood ?
VD : I am doing a lot of playback singing…in Hindi, Tamil, Telegu, Kannada(giggles)…but otherwise, I am also working with another album of my own after Meri Jaan. So I am also completely going on my own track, as far as solo album or music is concerned…and I am still continuing that. So I do plan to get out an album sometime soon…in fact I am working on it right now...but I don’t know when or how that’s going to come out (laughs).

NT : Your debut music album had a bit of everything. What do you think went wrong with it ?
VD : (spontaneously) The marketing (giggles).

NT : What new are you coming up with in your next album and how long would your fans have to wait for it ?
VD :You just have to wait (laughs) !

NT : Finally, what are your future plans and which are your upcoming movies ?
VD : My future plans are to remain the singer and the actress and to accept these challenges and live upto them and my future movies. I don’t really know when they are going to be coming out, so I don’t really want to say anything about them (laughs).

© Nikhil Taneja (nikhiltaneja@gmail.com)

INTERVIEW WITH JUHI BABBAR - I

Who : Juhi Babbar
About : Theatre Actress, daughter of Raj and Nadira Babbar
Website: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1318320/

You can check out the interview HERE : Interview with Juhi Babbar
Interview Date: October, 2001
Place: Bahrain


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

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

INTERVIEW WITH JUHI BABBAR - II

Who : Juhi Babbar
About : Theatre Actress, daughter of Raj and Nadira Babbar
Website: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1318320/

How it happened : Interview with Juhi Babbar
Interview Date: October, 2001
Place: Bahrain
Pics: None

She is sweet, charming and a lovable personality, and aims to make her parents proud. Astonishingly good looking, a fashion designer, a theatre actress, and now all set to hit Bollywood with her debut movie, Kaash Aap Hamaare Hote, Juhi Babbar willingly and smilingly gives an interview

Nikhil Taneja(NT) :You started getting film offers at an early age of 17. But you are hitting the big screen only now. What made you refuse the offers in between this period.
Juhi Babbar(JB) : Yes I did start getting offers at a very early age. But I wanted to finish my studies. There’s no way that I wanted to come in as a 10^th pass or a 12^th pass. I didn’t want anyone to look at me and say...‘These heroines ! Don’t believe in studying and they are just there to look good and to run around trees.’ I just wanted to complete my studies, have a degree for myself, and then to whatever else I want.

NT : Your father is launching you in Kaash Aap Hamaare Hote, opposite Sonu Nigam. Tell Us something about this movie.
JB : Oh I am very excited ! Very nervous, at the same time, because it’s my debut. I have worked very hard, and I just hope that people like my work…the story is very nice and the role is quite challenging. It’s just up to the audiences now.

NT : Even your brother is entering movies now. Do you think this is the right time for him to enter movies, considering he is younger than you ?
JB : I think that this is the very apt time for newcomers to come, because the audience and the people are just waiting for new faces and new talents and are really welcoming them. So I think that it is the very right time for Arya also to come in. He is young, yes. In fact, he is two years younger than me, which makes him 20. He is a very hard working boy, and he has done some amount of theatre also, side by side with his college. And he is very talented, and I am not saying this because he is my brother, but because he deserves it. So I hope the best for him and hope the audiences will accept him, and the same goes for me too !

NT : Your half-brother, Prateek, seems more interested in Cricket..
JB : Ah yes(Smiling), Prateek is interested in Cricket, you are right. But you never know ! Because, ek kahavat hai, acting ka keeda hota hai (Laughs)! (There is a phrase, that acting is a germ). And plus, his parents are from this field, so you never know !

NT : Tell us something about your days at the NIFT, after which you even started doing your fashion shows.
JB : They were my most memorable days. I think no one can ever have such days at college. I loved my days at the NIFT. I made the most wonderful friends ever, and I am very lucky. And it has been a very educative process of learning for me, even in my personal life, I mean clothes and textures and fabrics and colours, something everyone should understand. And since I have done this, it is something that has helped me in films and theatre too, and I have done a few fashion shows of mine too.

NT : Yours was the first badge it seems..
JB : Yes, I was from the first badge of NIFT, Bombay, and it was very exciting. We, kind of, became very possessive about the building. You know. I mean, when the juniors came in, it was like, who are these invaders walking in ! I mean, when we were there, it was just us 30 people and the staff. So from the peons to the teachers to the registrars to us students, it was like one big whole family.

NT :You have been designing costumes for your mother’s play all along. How easy or how difficult is it to match the costumes according to the play’s needs ?
JB : The difference between fashion designing and costume designing is that costume designing is much more difficult, because in fashion designing, you are designing for the masses, you are designing according to the whole cast. For costume designing, you have to understand the mood of the play, the characters and you have to design according to the story. So it’s just a little bit of understanding one has to have, and since I have had a theatrical background, and my family has given me the theatrical awareness, it was not very difficult for me…very challenging, yes, but I have enjoyed it, and I have done costumes for over six plays now.

NT : Your first play was Yahudi Ki Ladki, among experienced and established actors. Did you feel uncomfortable ? How have you changed since then ?
JB : Uhh…yes ! Obviously yes(smiles)…because it was the first time I was acting. But in my mother’s group, Ekjut theatre group, we have very very talented actors, from the National School of Drama, and there are very experienced, since they have been working in theatre for more that 10-15 years. With most of them, I was like, I used to kid around, I used to bug around, I used to be around with them, I mean, they made it so comfortable for me and so encouraging for me that after a point, I was really relaxed. I was so happy, that just in one play, in my first play, I got to work with so many talented people, because Yahudi Ki Ladki has a very big cast. And my role was very difficult. It was a wonderful experience. Of course, now I have become much more confident, not too nervous, and I have learnt quite a lot.

NT : How has life been as the daughter of the likes of Raj Babbar and Nadira Babbar ?
JB : (Laughs) I think I have got the best parents that anyone could have. They are my inspirations, and I wish I can live up to their expectations, I can make them proud.

NT : You are already doing that I think..
JB : (Laughs) I hope so, I don’t know… I am working towards it. It’s a long way, as they have very big names, and a lot of respect in their respective fields. I hope I can be a good actress, I hope I can be a good human being like them…and it has been wonderful being their daughter (Laughs) ! From every way !

NT :Begum Jaan is based on the life of Begum Jaan. Where does Zarina come in between?
JB : Zarina, the character, is Begum Jaan’s grand daughter. And it is a beautiful character. In fact, it is not like Yahudi Ki Ladki, where I played the second lead…and not the main lead. My mother is very strict. The moment you come into the group, you don’t get main roles ! You start with small, so first I have to do costumes, then I have to make one little entry, then another little entry, and then you will be given a big play. So Yahudi Ki Ladki was a big play. Then I have done another play called Ballakhpur Ki Roop Katha, which is again a comedy and a light play. Then again, one play I have done a role in the crowd. So Zarina’s role was one role, which had lot of shades. For the first time I was doing a role with lot of shades to the charcter. And it was a learning experience, as an actress, and it was wonderful sharing the stage with my mother. At one point of time, in fact, she wanted to do the play, and I was going to America for a short course in acting, and she wanted to do it, and I was like, ‘No ! Please don’t do it with anyone else ! Because I didn’t know when I would get this opportunity of working as an actress, or as a co-actress with you. Direction to aap mujhe aage bhi kar sakti hain, bahut plays mein!!’ (Smiles) (You can direct me in plays in the future too).

NT : In fact, she’s just wished to direct you in a movie…
JB : Yeah ? She has ? (Laughs uproariously) I didn’t know that ! I hope she does…soon !

NT : Apart from acting, what other qualities have you inherited from your parents ?
JB : Well I don’t know ! One can’t realty talk about my qualities…at least I can’t really sit and talk about my qualities(Laughs). But I want to inherit their qualities of being a talented actor, a good human being, a good citizen, a good parent. I hope I can have these qualities. I don’t know how much of these I already have, but I am working towards it..

NT : What are your future plans ?
JB : My future isn’t a lot to talk about, right now, because of the kind of stage I am, my theatre is there, my first film is 75% complete. So very soon I would be jumping in the film industry also. I want to try and do good work, theatres and film, if I could manage to do both simultaneously, nothing like it, I would love to do it. A lot of people tell me that ‘Oh! Once you enter films, you leave theatre’. I know it gets difficult, because you get busy with films. But even if I do one play a year, I would be very very happy. Because stage is from where I come, which has made me an actress and given me the confidence to express myself. So I am just hoping to do theatres and films together, and do good work, make my parents proud, and that’s it.

NT : What is your aim in life now ?
JB : Aiim (sounding bored) ?? I really don’t have an aim-aim, or an ambition-ambition, as such(Smiles). Right now, if you ask me, I just want to be a good actress, a good daughter, a good sister and I want people to love me, love me as a person and love me as an actress, and appreciate me as an actress..

NT : You will definitely do that, I am sure..
JB : Thank You Nikhil. I hope so too ! So let’s see…

*********************************************************************

More about Juhi…(filled up by her, in the same words)

You are identified as : Juhi Babbar

Loved ones call you : Oh! My loved ones have given me various names! LOTS !

Your birthday : Guess !

Your sum sign : Cancer

The most memorable moment of your life : When I gave my mahurat shot…I was crying, laughing, crying, laughing….and on and on and on..

Movies you don’t mind, seeing a hundred times : Mother India, The Sound of Music, Pyaar Kiye Jaa, etc…lots; I am a movie buff !

Your heart beats faster for : My heart beats anyways, but I am an admirer of

Actors : Balraj Sahani, Sanjeev Kumar, Rex Harrison, Keanu Reeves, etc.

Actresses : Madhubala, Suchitra Sen, Rekha, etc.

You would love to tame : My dog, ‘Badshah’. He is so ill mannered !

You love to surf the sites : I hardly get the time to. If I do get the time, I surf entertainment and fashion related sites.

Music that sets your feet tapping : Any good music !

Your mouth watering delights : Se(a)(e) ‘Food’. Anything I see ! I am a good eater !

Colours you simple love to dress in : White, Yellow and Blue.

Your favourite Pastime : Watching movies and being with my friends.

The day when you didn’t know where to hide your face : I haven’t done anything like that and I never will !

The one and only wish you want, fulfilled : To make my parents proud…very proud !

A line about yourself : Love me ! I am lovable !!

© Nikhil Taneja (nikhiltaneja@gmail.com)