Posts Tagged ‘malad’
It’s a love story that’s been brewing for a while now, though both Dev Patel and his Slumdog Millionaire co-star Freida Pinto have carefully avoided either confirming or denying it in public. But after Dev’s mother confirmed that they are seeing each other, another little development seems to underline that the relationship may be headed towards more official territory.
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| Freida Pinto and Dev Patel |
In a hush-hush visit, Frieda came to visit her parents in Mumbai over Christmas — and guess who accompanied her?
“Freida and Dev were in Mumbai last week for a couple of days. Dev visited her home in Malad where Freida introduced him to her parents and family,” reveals a source. “Dev was down here with a couple of his friends from London and they also partied in Mumbai. Freida took them around and in fact, both of them were seen at Hawaiian Shack. But they wanted to keep this visit low profile and made sure that their itinerary was kept under wraps.”
When contacted, actor Mridul Singhvi (who also manages the Bandra nightspot), confirmed, “Yes, Dev and Freida were here with a couple of friends on Wednesday night. We dedicated the song ‘Paper Planes’ from Slumdog Millionaire to them. We all were very excited to see them but they were extremely hesitant about their pictures being clicked. They came in at about 11.30 in the night and were there till the time the club closed at around 1.30am. However they weren’t very social and stuck to a corner on the 3rd floor.”
Producer Ahmed Khan and lead actor Shahid Kapoor have donated school utilities used for their film to three schools that needed them
Although choreographer-turned-producer Ahmed Khan’s Paathshala’s shooting is over, the props used for the film’s shooting are still in use. Ahmed and Shahid Kapoor, the film’s lead actor, donated the props used for the film – school bags, notebooks, benches and stationery to three needy schools teaching underprivileged children. The film is directed by Milind Ukey.
Paathshala deals with contemporary and socially relevant issues regarding children’s education. Ahmed had erected a massive set of a school at Film City where classrooms, dormitories, the principal’s cabin, staff rooms, huge corridors, a basket ball court, garden, assembly hall, music room and canteen were recreated.
Ahmed says, “We had several benches, school uniforms, school bags, notebooks and stationery that we used for the film. After the shooting, we decided to donate all these basic school utility items to the underprivileged kids studying in schools.”
The items have been donated to two schools in Mumbai, one in Malad and the other in Malvani and a third school (a nursery), on the outskirts of Pune.
“We had several children acting in our film. Some were child actors who auditioned for the part, while others were underprivileged kids from the slums. It was because of the latter that we decided to help the needy schools. Apart from the benches that we made for the film, we made some more benches at our cost and donated them as well. Why not help them out in our small way by providing basic infrastructure?” adds Ahmed. The film also stars Ayesha Takia and Nana Patekar.
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| Paathshala |
Anushka Sharma, who made her Bollywood splash in YRF’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi opposite Shah Rukh Khan last year, has bought a three-bedroom apartment at Yari Road in Andheri.
Although she bought the flat a month ago and has already shifted there, she was hardly at home, owing to her extensive travels for film shootings.
A source says, “Anushka has been on a house hunting spree for a while now. Last month, she finally bought a three-bedroom apartment at Yari Road in Mumbai. Anushka shifted base to Mumbai a couple of years ago from Bangalore. Earlier, she stayed at the army colony in Malad. This is the first time that the actress has bought a house on her own and is very excited about it.”
Confirming the news, Anushka says, “I feel good about being able to buy a house at the age of 21. However, I am dying to be at home as I have had no time to actually enjoy it. First, I was away in the US for 40 days and now I am in Bangkok for a month.”
Katrina’s stalker strikes back
Posted on: November 10, 2009
Katrina Kaif, who thought she’d shrugged off her stalker in May, was shocked to see that he had followed her again to a multiplex recently
| Katrina never seems to escape the random fans that stalk her. After two guys on a bike caused a spot of bother last month, a youngster who has been stalking Katrina since May landed up at the multiplex in Malad on Sunday where she was scheduled to promote her film.Had it not been for the alert security staff at the multiplex, Katrina might have been in trouble.
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On Sunday evening, Katrina’s driver drove her to the multiplex’s service yard, where the authorities had advised her to alight, to avoid any unwanted mobbing. Only a few members of her staff were present with her. However, as soon as Katrina stepped out of her car, the stalker sprung out of nowhere and started hollering her name. Katrina froze in her tracks, but the multiplex’s guard who was escorting her thought that he was a part of her entourage.
Katrina however, was quick to identify the stalker. He had showed up at her residence twice in May. “She quickly alerted the security about him. She told them he was the same guy who had showed up at her house,” a witness said.
A pale Katrina was soon whisked away to safety by the officials. “The security soon swung into action and handled the stalker well. They kicked him off the premises,” the witness added.
When the officials asked Katrina if she wished to file a legal complaint, Katrina refused. The witness said, “She said that she stays alone and doesn’t want any complications. After all, the guy has been arrested before for a similar offence. She chose to let it pass.”
Shunali Shroff, Head of Corporate Communications of the multiplex, confirmed the unpleasant incident and said, “Yes, there was a guy who was stalking Katrina. Our security made sure that he did not get near her. She was our guest and it was the least we could do.”
Katrina said, “Yes, he was the same guy who had come to my house. He keeps following me and reached the multiplex this time. The police have warned him to stay away from me, but he does not understand. I don’t know what he wants. It’s terribly disturbing.”
The background
The stalker is apparently in his late 20s. In May 2009, he was seen hanging outside Katrina’s building for some time, but initially nobody cared much about this. However, the situation got out of control when one morning he went inside the building and told Katrina’s domestic help that Katrina had called him to meet her. But Katrina was fast asleep. The stalker again visited Katrina’s house in the evening, but realising that the man needed medical help as he was behaving and talking in a strange manner, the actress’ manager called the cops. Later, the stalker was freed after a strict warning. Reportedly, this stalker’s nuisance also led Katrina to talk to the building authorities and increase the security of her apartment with immediate effect. After the police freed him, the stalker again reached Katrina’s building and was seen hanging around.
- In: Interviews
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By Sunandan Lele (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 28, 2009)
Lata Mangeshkar, who turns 80 today, tells Subhash K Jha about her journey • How do you define the journey?
I feel God has sent me to earth to sing. I started singing when I was five, but I don’t think I’ve worked as hard as many other people. • Why do you say you that? After 1947 when I started playback singing, the work never stopped. Before that it wasn’t easy. I used to travel by train from Grant Road to Malad and then save money by walking instead of taking a tonga to the recording studios. I thereby saved 50 paise to Re 1 which I used to buy vegetables for my family. I was the sole bread-earner after our father passed away. • That must have been really tough on an adolescent girl. I missed out on my childhood. I had to work hard, but I was immediately given a place in playback. One of the earliest composers to support me was Master Ghulam Haider. When he was told that my voice wouldn’t suit the heroine in a Dilip Kumar saab starrer Shaheed, he gave me songs in Majboor. Then other composers like Anil Biswasji, Khemchand Prakashji and Naushad saab came forward to sign me. From 1947 onwards there was no looking back. • There has never been a rough patch in your 65-year-long career? I’m blessed. Nowadays I’ve almost stopped singing film songs but I enjoy singing and I continue to do the work I’m comfortable with like the recent Hamuman Chalisa and my forthcoming project with my brother. When I look back I see nothing I’d like to change. • What about your infamous rift with Mohd Rafi? I’ll tell you what happened. We had a Musicians’ Association in the 1960s . Mukesh bhaiyya, Talat Mehmood saab had started a campaign for artistes to get royalty so that they would have a comfortable old age. Main to leti thi royalty but I also wanted other artistes to get it. Rafi saab was instigated into opposing my campaign. In a meeting among musicians he said, ‘We get money for what we sing from producers and that’s the end of what we get.’ When he was asked his opinion Rafi saab turned to Mukesh bhaiyya and said, ‘I guess this Maharani here will say whatever has to be said.’ • He meant you? Yes. I said, ‘Of course I am a Maharani. But why are you calling me that?’ He said in front of everyone at the meeting that he won’t sing with me. I turned around and said, ‘Yeh kasht aap kyon kar rahe hain? Main hi nahin gaaongi aapke saath.’ I stormed out of the meeting and called up every music director to inform them that I would thereafter not sing with Rafi saab. We didn’t sing together for almost three years. • What about the alleged differences between you and your sister Asha Bhosle? We’re sisters. The fights were because of her husband who was against me. • Composers gave all the heroines’ songs to you and all the supporting actresses’ songs to Ashaji… • That’s because you and SD Burman had a fight. • Who was your favourite composer? I liked singing for Salilda (Salil Chowdhury) because his compositions were very challenging. I also loved singing for Sajjad Husain saab, then definitely SD Burman dada and RD. But in my opinion the biggest achievement was by Shankar-Jaikishan. With Raj Kapoor’s Barsaat they changed the way we looked at playback singing. • At one time you were accused of indulging in a melodious monopoly? Once I was even asked if I tampered with the equipment during other singers’ recordings. Bataiye main kyon aisa karun? I never bothered with what other singers were doing. When Runa Laila came to India for the first time, I went to her first recording and everybody said I was just indulging in dikhawa, that in fact I had gone to see how she sang. Runa Laila met me with lots of affection. Later she too was poisoned against me. Even some male singers accused me of trying to stop them from singing. • Which heroines did you enjoy singing for? Nargis, Meena Kumari, Madhubala, Nutan. I’d modulate my voice according to their personality. • Among today’s actresses for whom do you enjoy singing for? I like Rani Mukerji and Kajol but I miss the camaraderie that I shared with the earlier heroines. I miss that mahaul. I really miss Kishore Kumar, also Rafi saab, Mukesh bhaiyya, Shankar-Jaikishan and Madan bhaiyya who fought with me when I couldn’t be with him for raksha bandhan. That sense of apnapan is gone. • Any unfulfilled dreams? • Do you miss having your own children? Sunil Gavaskar on Lata Mangeshkar
Sunil relates another anecdote. “In 1982, at the end of our Pakistan tour, our team manager Maharaja Fateh Singh Gaekwad decided to organise a thanksgiving party in Lahore. Maharaj and yours truly were there at the gate to welcome guests and dignitaries. When Lataji walked in, Maharaj introduced me to Lataji by saying, “Aayiye… aayiye inko to aap jante hoge, ye hamare kaptan saab hai…’ To that Lataji replied in jest, ‘Nahi jee hum to sirf Imran Khan aur Zaheer Abbas ko jante hai…’ Then I was formally introduced to Lataji as the Indian team captain. Then Maharaj turned to me and said, ‘I hope there is no need to introduce Malika-e-Tarannum Noorjahan to you’, that’s when I immediately retorted, ‘Nahi jee… hum to sirf Lata Mangeshkar ko jante hai’,” recalls Sunil with a chuckle. |
Sunil Gavaskar says, “All of us know that Lata didi is a cricket fan. In the same way cricketers adore Lata Mangeshkar. That is why when a major cricket tournament is happening here in South Africa I would like to wish her happy birthday. I have had many opportunities to meet her. I admire her so much that once I told her, ‘Lata didi, we as a batsman go through a bad patch. We get out on zero too. But in your case you are so perfect that you always score a century and double century in each and every song. You never face a bad patch like us. That is why we respect you so much’. And she was embarrassed to hear that.”
