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The SRK-Pitt jig
Shah Rukh Khan never misses out on an opportunity to tell others that he is the king of Bollywood. Last week, Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt was in India to promote his film War Machine. At one promotional event Brad P told SRK (who was accompanying him) that he couldn’t be a Bollywood actor because he doesn’t know how to dance.
The Raees of Indian cinema responded by saying anyone can dance and become a star in India, giving his own example that even his (trademark) outstretched arms gesture is considered to be a dance move. After that, he actually taught the American actor a couple of dance steps.
SRK is smart. He has taken a step in the right direction.
Big K-Jo bash
On May 25, filmmaker Karan Johar celebrated his 45th birthday at his Mumbai house with a lot of fizz, fun and fanfare. Almost all the hotties and naughties of the Indian film industry were there — from Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, Aalia Bhatt, Kirti Sanon to Ranbir Kapoor, from Arjun Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, Sushant Singh Rajpoot to Farah Khan and Tabu.
Some of them gossiped with their pals endlessly, some quenched their thirst with all kinds of beverages, and some hit the dance floor like there’s no tomorrow.
On the other hand, SRK’s son Aryan was found in a corner chitchatting with the gorgeous Sara Ali Khan (daughter of Saif Ali Khan and his first wife Amrita Singh) for hours. Hmm … the next-gen pair!
SAlma says, Sofia wins
Sexism is not an issue that only Third World countries are trying to grapple with; the glitzy world of Western film is no different. Check out what the super-attractive Salma Hayek had to say on the subject during the 2017 edition of the Cannes Films Festival.
Talking to a pen-pusher, she complained that actresses in Hollywood are not given the respect that they deserve; instead, they’re treated like monkeys, and then easily forgotten. In support of her argument she reasoned that in the 70-year history of the Cannes festival only one woman has ever won the Palme d’Or, and “she had to a share it with a Chinese man.” The moment Salma H’s comments were published, they went crazy viral. And then, just a few days later, Sofia Coppola won the best director award at the festival for her film The Beguiled.
Hmmm. Hopefully it wasn’t Salma H’s comments that tilted the jury in Sofia C’s favour.
Socially responsible?
I don’t get it. What would Kamal Haasan have against Aamir Khan? The critically acclaimed actor from the southern part of India will soon be hosting the Tamil version of the reality TV show Bigg Boss.
When someone pointed out he should have done a programme such as Satyamev Jayate (which Aamir K used to host) it agitated him. “I have been more socially responsible for longer than the person who hosted Satyamev Jayate … The show [Bigg Boss] has a wide reach. I don’t have to don an avatar this time.”
To be honest sir, you have pretty much decided to don the avatar of someone who keeps an eye on a bunch of two-bit actors living in a house indulging in forced brawls and inane arguments. Much like the one you are trying to engage Aamir K in.
Head shot
Now that’s what you call dedication to your work. We all know that Ranveer Singh is full of beans. There is never a dull moment with him, even when he’s not feeling well.
He is currently filming Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati in which he plays the character of Alauddin Khilji. A few days back, while shooting a climactic scene of the film the actor hurt his head badly. But he didn’t let that affect the scene and went on with the shot till the scene ended. It took the crew no time to find out that his head had begun to bleed, so he was taken to a hospital where his injury was treated. Though he was required to have stitches, he came back to the set and completed the rest of the sequence.
Sadly, his co-star Deepika Padukone was not on set that day and couldn’t see what a faithful man (to his job) he is.
The quitter
Pakistani, sorry, Indian musician Adnan Sami Khan is truly a family guy. By his own admission, he shed an enormous amount of weight complying with his father’s request. Then upon his (current) wife’s insistence, he quit drinking alcohol. And now that he’s become a proud father of a baby girl, he claims to have stopped smoking.
Not bad Adnan SK! Be careful though. You have admirers who think singing is not your cup of tea. They might request you to quit that too.
Well done, Ariana!
May 22 was perhaps the most horrendous day of pop star Ariana Grande’s career. She had just finished a show in Manchester, England when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the concert arena, killing 22 innocent people and injuring many others. It saddened the entire world.
In a spirited and gutsy announcement last week, the 23-year-old Ariana G has said that she will soon do a benefit concert in Manchester in memory of the victims of the incident. Well done, girl! No extremist ideology can prove more powerful than love, care and music.
Published in Dawn, ICON, June 4th, 2017
