Posts Tagged ‘attitude’
By Bollywood Hungama News Network, January 1, 2010 – 00:01 IST
She is the epitome of ‘V’ulnerability, ‘I’ndian-ness, ‘D’earness, ‘Y’outh, and ‘A’ttitude. For those in the know, will surely know whom we are referring to. But for the uninitiated, she is the one and only Vidya Balan, who celebrates her birthday today. Not many know that this Gen-Next’s Dream Girl started her affair with the camera with the Malyalam movie ‘Chakram‘, a film in which she was paired opposite the southern superstar Mohanlal. And as far as the ad world is concerned, it was the Surf Excel commercial that paved the way for the ‘Excel-lent’ actress into the silver screen. And the resultant of this was the Pradeep Sarkar directed Parineeta, a film that gave Bollywood its very own Superstar in Vidya Balan.
Vidya repeated the success of Parineeta with films like Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Guru, Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Heyy Babyy and the more recent smash hit Paa. Vidya has everything that is required of a Diva. In other words, it becomes totally needless, to say that Vidya is definitely a Diva in the making.
Friends, please join Bollywood Hungama as we wish this Diva named Vidya Balan, a very happy Birthday!
Do post your wishes below!
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; December 24, 2009)
meena.iyer@timesgroup.com
| If you thought Farah Khan will make Akshay Kumar play an unsophisticated street smart conman in her next directorial venture Tees Maar Khan think again. Contrary to popular belief, Akshay plays a sexy and stylised international conman in the film. No prizes for guessing that Akshay’s new best friend Farah Khan is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that he has women swooning right from his first scene in the film. |
While well-known designer Aki Narula is working on Akshay’s costumes in Tees Maar Khan, Farah is also getting some international make-up artists and hairdressers for her lead actor. Farah’s first choice is that Akshay should sport long hair in the film. “I will take a look test with him wearing extensions, but if that doesn’t work, then he’ll have short hair throughout the film. But one thing is sure that I will show him as a pucca hero. He is a gorgeous looking man. He plays a Muslim and wears very trendy clothes, mostly ganjis. He has loads of attitude in Tees Maar Khan because of which I have also planned a grand entry scene for him,” said an excited Farah.
“Akshay will also be wearing jewelry in the film, maybe a bracelet or an amulet with TMK embossed on it,” added Farah.
And who will be the lucky girl who will rub shoulders with Akshay? “Well, I am doing a nationwide hunt for a new girl but if I don’t find the right one, I will go in for an established actress. The heroine’s name in the film is Anya, which is actually my daughter’s name. She will go by the name Anya Khan,” revealed Farah.
Farah further said that Tees Maar Khan happened when her husband Shirish Kunder showed her one of his scripts. “It was too funny. When I told him that, he said he would love to produce it if he gets a good director. I immediately offered to direct it and things quickly fell into place. The film is very close to Shirish’s heart. He had registered the title three years ago,” said Farah.
Commenting on who suggested Akshay’s name for the title role, Farah said, “Shirish suggested it.”
Goes without saying, Tees Maar Khan will be a typical racy entertainer, which is Farah’s style. “Yes, it will be my kind of film,” Farah laughed and said.
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| Akshay Kumar | Farah Khan |
Vidhu Vinod Chopra-3 idiots saves lives (ER… that’s the producer in him hard selling his film)
Posted on: December 5, 2009
• You don’t have too many friends? Why?
I value friendship. For me friendship is not a loose word. If I call myself a friend, I am ready to give my life and if need be the friend should do the same.That Bambaiya friendship where people call you a friend on your face and as soon as you turn around they call you a bi*** or a swine is not friendship. I told Karan Johar, ‘I want friends like you; I want to throw a party.’ He said, ‘I can make you social,’ he tried and then he gave up.
He told me nicely, ‘You are happy where you are.’ I have only four friends now, I started with two. Rakesh Maria, Rajesh Parekh (and Firoza Parekh) and slowly I acquired the third friend, Amitabh Jhunjhunwala, but now, I am not sure, I am perhaps acquiring a fourth, which is Aamir. So my house is full now. I mean if I have four friends in this city, I am the luckiest. I now get invited to social dos. We get wedding invitations, we get party invitations. We are invited to places we have never been invited to before.
• What do you expect the audience will take away from 3 Idiots?
I could be wrong, but I personally believe that 3 Idiots is a step ahead of Lage Raho Munna Bhai. The other day there was a story in the paper of a kid who had jumped off the 19th floor when her mother was in another room and I told my wife that if this kid had seen 3 Idiots, she wouldn’t have jumped. I genuinely feel that if I had released this film a month ago, I could have saved that one life. I think 3 Idiots will save lives.
• Between Aamir Khan, you and Raju Hirani, if there is a clash of opinion, who wins?
We are very clear about this. Raju is head of creatives. At the moment, Aamir is head of marketing. There is no clash. But as head of the family I believe I have a veto and if I really want to use it, I can. I think the three of us are really the perfect 3 Idiots. I had heard horror stories about Aamir and he had heard the same about me but Aamir is the most unbelievable guy I have met in my life unless I am a fool, and he is performing all the time. I have only nice things to say about Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Dutt and Saif Ali Khan but Aamir is something else. His level of commitment, his level of dedication, his level of affection, his level of seeking excellence is exceptional.
• Have you forgiven Shah Rukh Khan for trying to woo away Raju Hirani?
Oh totally. I called him yesterday to invite him for my premiere and we chatted for half an hour. Life is too short for all this s**t! Khalil Gibran has said, ‘I use hate as a weapon to defend myself.’ To me hate and love are both very strong emotions. I love my wife and if I have the same degree of negative feeling for anybody, then I am giving that person the same importance as I am giving to the woman I love the most in my life. How ridiculous is that?
• You famously said your films reflect the mood you are in. Given the comedies your production house is bringing out like the Munnabhai series, do we conclude you are in a good mood?
Yes, I am in a very happy mood. I sing songs all the time. I think life is really kind to me and I am just very grateful. My little daughter writes poetry which I don’t understand and my son plays cricket with Sachin Tendulkar’s son. God has given me a movie like 3 Idiots, friends and two families, one in cinema and the other at home. I came to this city to make one Hindi movie. If I had died after making one feature film after coming from the village that I came from, I would have died happily.
• Are there any actors you can’t conceive of working with for any reason?
The list is long but to tell you honestly it isn’t about individual actors. It is about attitude. I will not work with actors who have the wrong attitude at this given moment. On the other hand if there is an attitude change, I would willingly work with them.
• What is delaying Munna Bhai Chale Amrika?
If after Lage Raho Munna Bhai we had churned out a Munna Bhai film a year, it would have made Rs 200-250 crores and even if they had been s**t, people would go and see them. But we didn’t and won’t till we are happy with the script. Now we are happy with what we have written and so hopefully we will do it next year.
• Is it tougher to write an original screenplay or adapt a book?
To tell you the truth, I haven’t read Five Point Someone on which 3 Idiots is based. The only person in the team who read it was Raju. But I believe our film is very different. Having said that, the starting point was Raju reading the book.
• If you were given the choice to remake a film with the intention of improving it, which film would that be?
Ram Aur Shyam with Aamir Khan. I love that film and now that I am an admirer of Aamir, I would love to make that film with him. I don’t think he can do it better than Dilip Kumar, who was absolutely superb, but it would be a challenge for Aamir and me.
Katrina fights loneliness pangs
Posted on: December 3, 2009
After a spate of hits, Katrina Kaif may be riding high on her career front but that is in no way a compensation for leading a lonely life without family in Mumbai. Considering that the Mumbai film industry can get awfully cold for an out-of-town girl and the constant work-related travel in recent times, Katrina had begun to feel the absence of a strong support system in Mumbai.
Living alone also took its toll on her health when last month the actress was diagnosed with jaundice and a low hemoglobin count.
A close friend of the actress said, “To be alone in Mumbai where no one asks about your health seriously and neighbours don’t even know your name, is bad enough. But for a celebrity like Katrina it’s even worse. People around her presumed she wanted to be left alone when in fact she needed comfort and company during her illness.”
That’s when Katrina made up her mind to call her mother Suzanne Turquotte to Mumbai to be with her. “It wasn’t an overnight decision. She didn’t want to pull her mother away from her social work in Chennai, but being alone was getting to Katrina. Being successful is fine but unlike other actresses her age, she had no one to return home to,” added the friend.
Earlier this week, Katrina’s mom joined the actress in Mumbai. The change in her mood, attitude and lifestyle was almost immediate. She’s now eating well and runs off to work every morning knowing someone is waiting for her back home. “Yeah, my mom is with me,” said Katrina happily from the Mumbai airport yesterday morning before she headed to Dubai for a brief appearance at a live performance. “If I feel strong enough to make this trip, it’s because my mother is at home. I know I have her to go back to. I admit it can get terribly lonely in Mumbai.”
Aamir Khan may be the most powerful man in Bollywood today giving successive hits as actor, producer and director but his eyes still gleam with unexpected animation as he sits down to do an interview. Here he is, candid and uncut
• In 3 Idiots you play a guy from 20 to 24 years, while you are actually 44. How old are you in your head?
I still imagine myself to be 18 or 22. The other day I was at the birthday of someone who I had always thought of as older than me in my head, an uncle type person. I asked him, how old he was that day and he said 30 and I got a shock because suddenly I realised that I was 14 years older than him. I am, of course, 44, which is middle-aged, but somewhere in my head I am lost in the 18-20 age group.
• Did that help you play this character?
No. But given that it is necessary to get into the head of a character when you are jumping age lines, it gets more challenging. Jumping age lines, jumping accents, or jumping sexes like my playing a woman is always tough. I had actually told Raju to take someone younger but he insisted he could see me in the role. He said, “In real life, you are so close to Rancho, (the character that I am playing) I feel if you are saying what Rancho is saying people will believe it. What Rancho says is the philosophy of the film and I need someone who people will believe in.”
• You exude a lot of confidence on screen. Are you really a very confident person inside?
I think I am average, in the sense that most people are confident to a certain degree, people go through self doubt. I too go through self doubt. I am given to thinking, “Am I doing the right thing?” I only do things that I enjoy, that’s my first rule. I must be happy in what I am doing. If I am not happy doing an ad, I won’t do it. I don’t do it for commercial reasons. Yes of course I am earning money while I am doing it, but that’s not the core reason for doing it. This ultimately shows in my work, otherwise I am as confident or diffident as the next man. I also need reassurance like everyone else. I also need people to say “I liked your film”.
• When you were directing yourself in Taare Zameen Par was there anything about you as an actor that disturbed you as a director?
I have to say no. The actor and director in me saw eye to eye. Yes, when I see the film today, there are moments where I feel the scene could have been pitched differently. But that is in retrospect. That’s the corrective process in me when I am watching any of my work.
• In hindsight which of your successful films needed the most correction?
One of them would be Fanaa, the other would be Ishq, both highly successful films. In the first half of Fanaa, the character was pitched too filmy. I would have pitched him slightly different. In fact, Kunal (Kohli) and I had a long discussion about it. I would have made the character more real and more layered because as human beings we don’t have a singular emotion. When I am playing a character my attempt is that it should not be single dimensional, it should be layered. Ishq again had a lot of broad strokes and it’s also a very successful film.
• As a director do you have an actor wish list?
I am not sure whether I am thinking as a director right now. I think at heart I am still an actor. Of course now that I have taken the first step and directed one film, I am more open to listening to stories. Actually I have a very strange answer. While I am not in the mood of a director just now the opposite is also true. I think like a filmmaker. Coming back to your question, my wish list would really depend upon what the script is. So my casting would really be based on who can best play a certain part and who will suit the role. Each and every person connected to the film should feel that he is in love with it.
• Does success isolate you?
Success can be extremely isolating. And often, for multiple reasons. When you are successful, a celebrity, especially an actor, your stardom is like a magnet. It’s like the sun. (In fact, I wonder who coined this term ‘star’. Because every star is actually a sun). Because you are a star, every one is attracted to you for different reasons, some valid, some invalid. Some honourable, some not so honourable. But, as a human being our bandwidth is limited. So often what happens is that we need to shut off. It is humanly impossible to deal with so many things.
Have you noticed that stars, never make eye-contact when they are out in public. The moment you make eye-contact, you have to engage. And it’s not that we don’t like engaging. I love engaging with people. But I get tired. How many people can I engage with? That’s the nature of the beast. That’s the nature of my profession.
• You have been reportedly meeting people you met on social networking sites. Does engaging with them help you perform in some way?
Now people know that it’s me on the blog, but there was a time when they didn’t. The idea behind it was to interact with strangers. Because the minute a person knows who I am, he reacts to me in a particular way. He may or may not share certain ideas with me. Or the attitude of sharing will change. The fiber of the communication will change. But if the person doesn’t know who I am, which the Internet allows, then he’s freer. That was the kind of interaction I valued a lot. There were a few people who I found to be particularly engaging. Or unusual. And those were the few people to whom I revealed who I am.
If I felt that I had a certain rapport with someone, then I no longer felt comfortable hiding, or lying about who I am. If I have reached a level of engagement of this kind, I need to tell the person who I am. So then it happened that I took three-four people into confidence.
• Since you have just completed 3 Idiots with Raju Hirani, the director of the Munnabhai series, tell me an instant recall of a Munnabhai moment?
I would say jaadu ki jhappi. That’s my big recall moment from Munnabhai. Both, Munnabhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munnabhai are my favourite films in the last five-seven odd years. They are great wholesome entertainment, which connect with you on a human level. Really connect with you on a human level.
Going back to one of your earlier questions, one of the key reasons for me doing this film, despite the fact that I am double the age of the character is Raju. I was so keen to work with Raju and I could see that Raju was excited about casting me in the film. Iske saath mereko film karne hain yaar. Agar isko lagta hain main bees saal ka ho jaata hoon toh main ho jaata hoon. Kyunki ye itna kamaal ka director hai, iske saath mereko kaam karna hain yaar.
Over the years all my professional decisions have been absurd. Its absolutely right for someone to tell me – ke tu 42 ka hain aur tu 22 ka character play kar raha hain. It may be an idiotic decision but all my decisions are idiotic. 3 idiots ka idiotic decision.
When I told anyone that I was making a film on dyslexia, they said I was mad.
When I signed Rang De Basanti, usse pehle Bhagat Singh aur Azad Singh par char filmey aa chuki thi. It was a crazy decision. My sister called me up in the evening and asked, “What are you doing?” I told her I signed a film, it’s the fifth remake of Bhagat Singh.She started laughing. She said abhi flop hui hain chauthi, aur tum paanchvi karoge. It was a bizarre decision.
Lagaan is another example. Today it is known as successful film but at that time it was a disastrous decision. None of my decisions have been practical.
• How easy or difficult it is to forgive past mistakes?
Earlier, I was much more unforgiving as a person; not only towards others but also towards myself. I was extremely unforgiving of my own mistakes. In the past four or five years, I have undergone a change as a human being. I have become more forgiving of myself and others. I see it as a very positive change in myself. One of the powerful things in the world is the power of forgiveness. Its what Jesus Christ and other great philosophers have said.
Also, forgiveness comes with the genuineness of the person’s intentions. If someone has done something to hurt me and then comes and says, “Sorry Aamir”, but does not feel it, then forgiveness does not come into the picture. But if a person genuinely feels ki usse galti hui hai, then you should forgive him. It’s the same for yourself, if you realise that you’ve done some wrong, you should forgive yourself. It’s one of the most healing things.
Today we have become very unforgiving people. It may be an ethnic problem, or a community’s problem or a country’s, or in your relationships, with your wife, children, parents, we get very very unforgiving and we hold that against them. We wear it as a badge which says ‘main tujhe kabhi maaf nahi karoonga’.
I used to be like this.
Like two peas in a pod
Sometime ago we had asked Imran Khan to rate himself and Aamir on a scale of 1 to 10, according to a few parameters…
Aamir rates Imran according to the same parameters…
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• Good looks
Aamir – I won’t rate myself as I don’t like it. Imran is exceedingly good looking. I’d give him a 9.
Imran – I would put us both at a 7 at this point just because of how young and great he is looking
• Patience
Aamir on Imran- 8 or 9
Imran – Aamir is a 10 and I am 9.5. We are both tremendously patient people. Again because I’m younger, I’m that 0.5 percent less patient but I am the supremely patient being that you’ll meet
• Quest for perfection
Aamir on Imran- He is extremely committed so 8
Imran – Aamir is a 10, I’m probably an 8
• Spontaneity
Aamir on Imran- 8
Imran – Aamir is 6, I’m a 7
• Acting talent
Aamir on Imran – 6. He is good but he has a long way to go.
Imran – I put myself at a 6, I put him at a 10. I so honestly think he is the best actor in the country today
• Communication skills
Aamir on Imran – 4
Imran – Mine aren’t too good. I’m not good at all, so 5 for me and him I don’t know, maybe a 7. Yeah he is better than me.
• Charm
Aamir on Imran – 8
Imran – I am more charming than he is definitely; he is not a charming person. He is 5. I’m an 8.
• Tendency to lose temper
Aamir – We lose our temper, but we can handle it. We don’t react. So, I would give him a 2.
Imran – One and one
• Fidelity to spouse or girlfriend
Aamir – He is scoring a 100 on that one right now. So 10.
Imran – That’s a 10 for both. We are both very staid, solid guys.
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| 3 Idiots |
REAGAN GAVIN RASQUINHA Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; November 1, 2009)
Loose at the seams but not quite ready to come apart just yet, the brave and beautiful Sherlyn Chopra is teary and frayed, betrayed. A theme that she first visits. Fresh out of the Bigg Boss house, after having somehow managed a four-week run there. It’s still too soon, the experience too raw for her. Words come haltingly as she recounts, “The inmates would be so awfully judgemental of me. For two weeks I indulged in gossip with Kamal. Then I realised that I cannot be on both sides and that I couldn’t go on doing this. So I went to each person I gossiped and bitched about and apologised to them. People like Poonam Dhillon said that they enjoyed my act, to go forth and come clean. I don’t want to merely read the Bible, but to live the Word. But then there were others who thought that this was all just a facade. How could they be so cruel? Is this the level at which they think? Must they taint me with the same
brush?”
The mixed emotion in her voice is unmistakable as a cocktail of feelings put together by the shoddy treatment that was meted to her. It’s something she wants to wash off her hands and move on. “Yes, I came across as a loner on the show and that came across from Day 1. I’m not a good talker, I’m a good listener. Is there anything wrong with that? They, of course, took the liberty of coming to the conclusion that this was because of my ego or that I had attitude! You know, I love doing chores around the house, the dishes… whatever! In fact, I have obsessive compulsive disorder. I have to see my surroundings clean and tidy. If they aren’t, then I will do it myself. So how can they accuse me of not taking part in household activities,” she demands to know, adding, “And when I would get into these tasks, they’d pass bitchy comments to the effect that I prefer to do domestic chores rather than talk to them.” Gossip certainly seems to be the name of the game in the house. But then all is not woe, with the true natures of the inmates coming increasingly to the fore, it’s all down to who is friend and who is foe. “It was a combination of conspiracy and desperation that got me evicted,” reflects Sherlyn. Well, there is always wisdom in hindsight… Moving on, though, she’s now back in the real world from her short exile. A world where she is appreciated more. She is, of course, wildly popular and one of the most downloaded women, her pictures sizzling up many a PC screen. She digs this, and her spirits immediately perk up when she is reminded of this. So how does she feel? “Yes, the response is awesome, and I get a lot of offers for photoshoots, a lot of people would love to connect with me but I keep reminding them that I have an exclusive agreement with the Times.” Atta girl, Sherlyn! The house may be one less without you, but we for sure, are richer for your return.
reagan.gavin@timesgroup.com
Farhan has no time for Rahman
Posted on: August 18, 2009
By Subhash K Jha (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 18, 2009)
Shooting for Kartik Calling Kartik and hunting for exotic locales for Don 2 is keeping Farhan Akhtar so busy that he is unable to find time to record a song for Blue with AR Rahman. The song will be filmed on Zayed Khan. Rahman, who is scheduled to return to India from the US next week, has the option of scrapping the song or recording it with a different singer. But the composer is willing to wait as he is keen to work with Farhan. He says, “It’s not just his voice. It’s the attitude that he extends to his vocals. I thought Farhan sounded terrific in Rock On!!. But the song I have in mind is totally different. I am against talking about something which is uncertain. What if the time factor plays villain? No point in jumping the gun.” |
| If Shah Rukh can be discriminated against (on the basis of religion), who else is left? This is a man who was listed by Time magazine as one of the 50 most influential people in the world. Doing this to him springs not only from discrimination but also a lack of knowledge —Farah Khan | DIRECTOR |  |
| I have been detained thrice at American airports. The immigration officers have a lot of attitude and are very arrogant. They don’t care who you are. Besides, they don’t like you speaking unless spoken to, and something similar must have happened with Shah Rukh. The officers’ standard reason is that your name is suspect, which is very arbitrary. And if a person has been cleared once, shouldn’t their system register it? Also, how much time does it take to find out who Shah Rukh Khan is? A google search would give more hits than Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise put together. They took two hours to find who he was? This clearly means that it was a case of harassment. I feel their security system is based on paranoia, and this incident with SRK, who has millions of fans in America, is going to spread ill-will against their country —Kabir Khan | DIRECTOR |
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| I have faced a similar situation thrice, and it is because of my name. This country doesn’t care about a head of state like APJ Abdul Kalam, so why would they care about a celebrity? They work like machines. The reason for their attitude towards us is a blend of their arrogance and their paranoia about a certain religion. When they issue us a visa, can’t they differentiate between a suspect and a well-known person? —Irrfan Khan | ACTOR |
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| It’s shocking, disturbing and downright disgraceful. It is such behaviour that fuels hatred and racism. SRK’s a world figure for God’s sake. Get real! —Priyanka Chopra | ACTOR |
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End of the road for this ‘Gangster’
Posted on: June 16, 2009
When Shiney Ahuja, who was playing lead roles, went against the norm and accepted a small role in Kunal Kohli’s Fanaa, he famously explained that his reason for doing so was that the character was called Major Suraj Ahuja, which was also his father’s name in real life. Evidently the young man was proud of being his father’s son. Unfortunately today, the same son has brought much shame to his father and his family, having been accused of raping his maid servant while his wife and daughter were away. The film industry and all those who worked with him are incredulous. Mahesh Bhatt, for whom Shiney did Gangster and Woh Lamhe, put the shock in perspective when he said, “I am not an entertaining man and do not generally invite people home, but Shiney is one of the few who has not only come home with his wife but who charmed my entire family. He was courteous, dignified and proper. Even my Pakistani friends from The Dawn, who met him, thought the same.” Professionally though, Shiney and Mahesh had their differences which Mahesh easily quelled. On the sets of Woh Lamhe when Shiney continuously acted snooty with Mohit Suri, the director, and reports of this misbehaviour reached Mahesh’s ears he summoned Shiney and told him off. “We will throw you out, we don’t work with people who give us attitude,” he said and thereafter work progressed smoothly. Stories of Shiney’s arrogance and mood swings on sets abound. Kangna Ranaut who worked with him in three films, Gangster, Woh Lamhe and Life In A Metro recalls that though they didn’t speak to each other all through their second film, he never made her feel uncomfortable as a girl, did not pile onto any of the many girls on the sets and never revealed a cheesy/sleazy side. “I cannot associate the Shiney I know with the sick monster a rapist is,” she said aghast. Not an easy man to work with and one who irritated most of his co-stars and directors with his suggestions of how they should do a scene, Shiney was a man in a hurry. “In his mind, he had achieved a lot,” said Vinod Pande who recently shot with him for a few days for his film Chalu Movie, after having given Shiney his first release Sins. “And people who achieve a lot, sometimes develop a self-destructive streak.” Shiney’s career, despite his rush, was slowly grinding to a halt which explains his recent attempts at rapprochement with directors with whom he had done his best work. Sudhir Mishra (Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi, Kal) and Mahesh Bhatt were both willing to give him another chance to resurrect his career. He should have seized the chance with both hands. Instead, one wrong choice, and Shiney Ahuja now finds himself on the fast track to nowhere. |
Fenil and Bollywood 