Shyam Benegal Interview

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Showbiz SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2008

I`m the worst Bond: Roger Moore LONDON: Former Bond actor Roger Moore has confessed that he never took the role of the super spy seriously and that is why audiences found him so funny. Mirror.co.uk reports him as saying: “I’m the worst Bond according to all the polls. I’m generally hated on the Internet. I was too funny,too light.Didn’t take the role seriously enough.” He added:“But I mean,James is supposed to be a spy.And yet, he turns up in hotels and bars around the world, and everyone says.‘Ah Mr Bond...We’ve been expecting you.’ The important thing was: Did I get the cheque?” The 80-year-old Moore also said he could play the role now with a stunt double. He added: “The wonderful thing about age is that your knees don’t work as well, you can’t run down steps quite as easily and you can’t lift heavy weights. But your mind doesn’t feel any different - I could still play Bond.” –SHOWBIZ DESK

Dancing helps Kardashian ‘stay fit’ without losing her fab butt! NEW YORK: Kim Kardashian says she wants to use reality show ‘Dancing with the Stars’ to shape up and slim down – but keep her sexy curves. According to reports by OK! Magazine, the 27-year-old star is hell bent to keep her size 2 body toned by busting moves on the dance floor. But, the lady in question isn’t trying to lose her curves,instead she just wants to keep that famously fab butt in shape. However, Kim claims that dancing is different than hitting the gym. “You use different muscles. I definitely feel my legs toning up. It’s really good to mix it up and do something different,” The New York Daily News quoted her, as saying. In fact, American stylist cum actress has already lost a few pounds. “Nothing too crazy yet, but I heard that you really start to lose weight when the show starts,” said Kardashian. She has claimed that just

Sad, wacky Winehouse an agent of destruction? LOS ANGELES: Amy Winehouse may not seem like much of a career counselor,but apparently she's taken on that role for her 12-year old goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield. This week, she had Dionne sing in her place at a gig in London, according to U.K. tab the Mirror, and the experience proved to be less stressful for Dionne than Winehouse, who sobbed to reporters backstage: "When I look at Dionne she reminds me of myself. I used to be this little girl who liked Celine Dion and singing, this beautiful sweet girl with innocent dreams. "Look where I am now.Look what happened to my dreams. This isn't a life-I'm a mess,Dionne had earlier wowed the audience at the Prince's Trust charity bash in Mayfair, performing a string of Motown hits with a "foul-mouthed" Winehouse singing backup. But even recalling the show, Winehouse swerved through mood swings. "This beautiful happy girl, she is so much like I used to be. I don't want to leave her –SHOWBIZ DESK

Saif Ali Khan hops on the ‘Racy’ sequel bandwagon

MUMBAI: Want to be considered a superstar? A Then you must add a sequel to your list of achievements. From blogs, to world tours and fragrances, sequels are the latest must-haves for B-town celebrities. And joining the ‘follow up’ bandwagon is the uber-hot Saif Ali Khan, who will soon be seen sporting that raunchy masculine look in the sequel of his hit flick ‘Race’. The film that has been touted as one of the biggest hits of this year, will be followed up by a sequel, to be directed by the extremely talented duo Abbas-Mastan. According to our sources, the duo has already finalised the script and is now on a look out for the cast except for the lead actor. Apparently the filmmakers are too impressed by Chhote Nawab’s royal panache to consider any other actor for the protagonist character. As of now, Saif has confirmed to be on board with the project. But quite interestingly,Akshaye Khanna, who is a loyalist of the Abbas-Mastan camp, has not been approached for the project as yet. –SHOWBIZ DESK

Paul Newman dies at age 83 preparing for dancing can be a workout in itself. In fact, the reality star works out heavily in the gym, before heading to dance practice. “My boyfriend (NFL star

Reggie Bush) taught me lots of weight training exercises that I didn’t do before.I really want to be toned.You want to look good when you’re on vacation in a swimsuit,” she said. –ANI

Paris Hilton’s touchy feely pose with boyfriend Benji Madden

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LONDON: Hotel heiress Paris Hilton was seen being very touchy feely with her boyfriend and Good Charlotte frontman Benji Madden, as they posed on the red carpet. Hilton, who has been dating Madden for almost a year, was seen wearing a pair of rubber trousers, transparent top and knee-high boots that showed off her body.

The two were at the launch of a new club in New York, and while posing for pictures, Hilton just could not help but look smitten with Madden. “Paris was particularly touchfeely all night and was spotted cheering and clapping Benji during his DJ set,” the Sun quoted a source as saying. “They looked very close,” the source added. –ANI

John boasts about his ‘gay’ connection with Abhishek!

MUMBAI:The reel life lovers,Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham are the latest fad of Tinsel Town.And John is simply loving the chemistry the duo share onscreen. Now, that’s some love interest he has for Abhishek. The two stars who share a romantic connection in Karan Johar’s ‘Kless’ upcoming flick ‘Dostana’ have shadowed even the presence of Bollywood seductress Priyanka Chopra. The lady who’s been sidelined even after

posing in those perfect curves and sexy bikini is desperate to talk about her unnoticed role in the movie. “If you’ve seen the promos,you will know that it’s a really different film.I mean I don’t think that I have seen a film,which has central characters playing a gay couple. It’s a different film. A romantic comedy that is a really funny film.We all had very good vibes with each other while working on the film. The film is based in Miami which is a place which has never been touched in Indian films and it’s basically a film about friendship of these three characters,”a news daily quoted Priyanka Chopra as saying. However the aficionado John Abraham had a lot more to add,“Great songs, great location and great music. There is amazing chemistry between the three of us and more specifically between me and Abhishek and that’s what people have to look out for.” “It’s a laugh riot. It’s one of the funniest films I have ever been associated with. It’s unique, it has a wonderful hook to it, and I really hope the audience goes back being very entertained,” adds an elated Abhishek Bachchan. The euphoria is already at its peak and the excitement a inexhaustible. Karan Johar’s first ever ‘K-less’ movie is certainly a bigger challenge for him as a Director of a strong K-faith.

“ ‘Dostana’ is a romance. It’s more about the chemistry between Abhishek and John more than their chemistry with Priyanka. Of course Priyanka has a huge part to play. It’s a romantic comedy with a big edge.The edge is the gay angle which I believe we have pulled off with a certain amount of dignity and humour,” says Karan Johar. Well,we certainly hope that all the excitement doesn’t go in vain! –SHOWBIZ DESK

Akshay, Katrina, Lara to sizzle in first ever underwater song MUMBAI: Hotties Akshay, Katrina, Zayed, Lara are ready to set the sea on fire. Yes, the hot-bods are going under the sea to shoot for the first ever underwater song in Bollywood. The popular star cast, working in the film ‘Blue’, is on top of the world because they will be creating history in Indian cinema. Yesteryears stars Jumping Jack Jeetendra and Babita also shot for a similar song sequence in ‘Anmol Moti’, but that was shot in a swimming pool. Excited about the song, Zayed Khan,who is in Bangkok and Phuket for the past month, said to a news daily,“It’s never been done before. On the concept level itself, it sounds too outrageous... The entire cast singing in the deep-sea. That’s unique-man!” But bad weather in Bangkok is playing havoc with the schedules of the film.“We knew it was going to rain in Bangkok and Phuket. But not like this! Apparently, this area has never

had so much rain. Everyday we’re losing precious time. Today again, we’re stuck indoors while it pours outside. The producers are losing Rs25 lakhs per day.And moreover we can’t extend the shooting because we-Sanju Sir, Akshay and I can’t give combined dates

for a long time,” said Zayed. Ashtavinayak Cinevision’s ‘Blue’, one of the most expensive movies of Bollywood, is being directed by a new director Tony and includes a glittering star cast of Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Suniel Shetty, Lara Dutta and

Amitabh set to launch fragrance, yet again!

aul Newman, the Academy-Award winning superstar who personified cool as an activist, race car driver, popcorn impresario and the anti-hero of such films as "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Color of Money," has died. He was 83. Newman died Friday after a long battle with cancer at his farmhouse near Westport,publicist Jeff Sanderson said. He was surrounded by his family and close friends. In May, Newman he had dropped plans to direct a fall production of "Of Mice and Men," citing unspecified health issues. He got his start in theater and on television during the 1950s, and went on to become one of the world's most enduring and popular film stars, a legend held in awe by his peers.He was nominated for Oscars 10 times, winning one regular award and two honorary ones, and had major roles in more than 50 motion pictures, including "Exodus," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Verdict," "The Sting" and "Absence of Malice."– SHOWBIZ DESK

MUMBAI: Suave Amitabh Bachchan is set to spread his fragrance, literally. The superstar is currently in Paris finalising a perfume deal that would be named after him. Earlier, in September 2002, French perfume brand Lomani had launched a floral-spicy blend after him called Amitabh B Pour Homme (for men) and Amitabh B Pour Femme (for women).And,the star will again have another perfume label to his credit – a distinction few stars deserve and get. Big B is known for his immaculate dress sense and distinctive style, so, the perfume is bound to be high-class. In spite of being priced at Rs795, Lomani’s Bachchan perfume went on to be very popular. Talking about the launch of his second perfume, he says, “I do not know what name it will go by;that is still under discussion, but yes the fragrance will be a different one.” “In the initial talks I’ve had with the manufacturers, I have desired a stronger fragrance. India is a warm country and subtle fragrances tend to evaporate very fast.I have been given

Zayed Khan. The promise of a sizzling underwater song featuring the hot stars is a reason in itself to watch ‘Blue’. For more spicy gossip, lifestyle news, latest pics & videos and more entertainment stories, log on to Spicezee.com. –SHOW BIZ DESK

The Oscarhosting job goes to... Ricky Gervais

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a few samples to test and shall indicate my preference at a later stage,” he further added. Bachchan has been visiting Paris to select the right perfume. He says,“Yes I have visited several factories both on

private visits and on professional ones too.” For more spicy gossip, lifestyle news, latest pics & videos and more entertainment stories, log on to Spicezee.com –SHOWBIZ DESK

o doubt the Extras funnyman knows how to crack us up, but reports of him already being a leading contender for hosting duties have been greatly-well, hugely-exaggerated. "We haven't gotten that far yet," said Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. "We're just not there yet." Ganis knows they'll never please everyone no matter who they pick for the top job. "If you toss up all the opinions on last year's shows and they all came down,50 percent of them will say, 'It was a sensational show' and fifty percent of them say,'Uck,it's the worst thing I have ever seen on television,' " he said. "It's hard. Everyone has an opinion." Unfortunately,last year's Oscar telecast with Jon Stewart as host hit an all-time ratings low with just 32 million U.S.viewers,down about 8 million from 2007. This will be Mark and Condon's first time producing the Oscars.The show telecasts live from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on ABC Feb. 22. –SHOWBIZ DESK

`l will make political satire before ‘Chamki’: Shyam Benegal MUMBAI: Basking in the success of his first comedy, “Welcome To Sajjanpur”, veteran director Shyam Benegal says he plans to make a political satire before reviving his long pending project “Chamki”. “‘Chamki’ has been pending for a while. We couldn’t put the project together earlier when it was in other hands (Sanjay Gupta). Now ‘Chamki’ is with Reliance and we’re going ahead with it,” Benegal said in an interview.It is the Hindi adaptation of “Carmen”. “But because that requires a longer and deeper preparation and also it can only be shot in winter in the Rajashthan deserts, it can’t be done this winter. So I’ll make a little political satire again with Reliance before ‘Chamki’,” added the director who is nearly 73. However, he refused to reveal more on the political satire saying: “I won’t tell you the subject at the moment.It’d be the easiest thing for

anyone to start copying. I want it to be funnier and sharper than ‘Sajjanpur’.” Constantly searching for a language that combines intellect with the grassroots, Benegal’s “Welcome To Sajjanpur” has surprised trade pundits with its impressive opening. “I should imagine “Sajjanpur” is the funniest film I’ve done,”he said. Excerpts from the interview: Q: You are almost 73. And you’ve made your youngest film to date, “Welcome To Sajjanpur”? A: Today issue-based films are an immediate no-no with urbane audiences. Multiplex audiences don’t want to see social issues or films set in villages. Even ‘Lagaan’ was accidentally set in a village. It was more historical than contemporary. Villages seem to have fallen off our sightlines, gone off the map. If I wanted an audience to come for a film like this, I needed to change my language.

Q: Please elaborate? A: It’s like the third world in the eyes of the United States. Urban India reacts in a similar way to rural India. Cities see villages as no-good places. They feel there’s nothing of value in the villages. That’s not the truth. In cinema, we can look at the truth in so many ways. I decided to look at a village in a light-hearted but compassionate way. “Welcome To Sajjanpur” is a satire and a romantic comedy. In a way, this is a film about abuse of power.We also have all kinds of horrific traditions and customs swamping the satire. Q: Did you feel humour was the right tool for such serious issues? A: Oh absolutely. It’s what Charlie Chaplin used to do. He made you laugh. But at the end of his films you realised the frailty of human life.I don’t think there can be any serious comedy without an underlying reference to Chaplin.I should imagine“Sajjanpur” is the funniest film I’ve done. Q: Some critics have found the

dialogues risqué. A: Tell me, at the grassroots level, where is the conversation not risqué? Anywhere in rural or urban India you just have to stand on the road and hear people talking to hear risqué words. I didn’t flinch from colloquialisms even if they were risqué. No one in our country puts dialogues in Awadhi or Maithili in the Hindi-Urdu literary works. But in English you’ve regional dialects like Scottish or Irish creeping in. The same is true of Indian cinema. We shied away from colloquialism and regionalism. Q: Not in your cinema. A: I suppose I can take credit for bringing in spoken colloquialism and regionalism in our cinema starting with “Ankur” where the Hyderabadi dialect was used in a non-caricatural form for the first time. Q: When you made “Ankur”, you were the only one doing this kind of cinema. Today, a lot of your follow-

ers are doing it. A: I wouldn’t call them followers. I’d call them like-minded people. Companies like UTV are making films like “Mumbai Meri Jaan” and “Sajjanpur” possible. They’re very astute.They know how to make and market movies. Q: You had a great deal of problem getting a star into “Zubeidaa”. Has that changed today? A: No, that hasn’t changed. There’s a direct connection between stars and the budget of a film. “Sajjanpur”didn’t require stars or a lavish budget. If I’m doing a much larger film, I need a much stronger audience magnet to attract audience. And that magnet can only be stars. The stars bring the audience automatically. Naturally, the people in the business of cinema would be worried about their investment.You can’t turn a blind eye to it. That would be silly.Today,you either need sound technology or stars to attract large audience. –IANS