'I am wearing many hats'
Sushmita Sen seems to have done it all — she's a single mother to Renee and Alisah, an actress and runs a film production company. And while she appears to handle all this effortlessly, the former beauty queen doesn't balk at admitting that it's been a 'daunting task' to juggle between her roles as mother and business woman.
"Right now I am wearing many hats — from being a mother to running 'I Am She' and putting my film production company together. It has been a daunting task," Sushmita says. Sushmita is also the founder of 'I Am She', a national beauty pageant started in 2010, which sends its winner to Miss Universe and Miss Asia Pacific pageants.
Indore-based girl Himangini Singh Yadu, who represented India at the Miss Asia Pacific 2012, won the international title, leaving the actress extremely proud.
In the meantime, however, her production plans are on hold. "My film Jhansi Ki Rani has been put on hold. I can make that film only when I get the right kind of budget. It is a film that has been storyboarded and locked," adds the 36-year-old.
New offering
Jeena Hai Toh Thok Daal, a film directed by Manish Vatsalya, is scheduled to hit the big screen on September 7.
The film marks the powerful return of Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishan.
The film also has Manish Vatsalya playing a key character along with Hazel Crowney, Pooja Welling, Rahul Kumar, Yashpal Sharma, Murli Sharma, Govind Namdeo, Ashwini Kalsekar, Sharat Saxena, Shubha Khote and Mukesh Bhatt.
The director of photography of the film is Neelabh Kaul, while the music of the film has been done by Siddhant Madhav and Shadab Abhik. Ganesh Acharya has choreographed all the songs in the film.
Dance with a tinsel-town twist
Madhuri Dixit, who has always been known for her grace on the dance floor, surprisingly believes that Bollywood doesn't have any particular dancing style that can be associated with it.
While there are plenty of people who talk about the 'song-and-dance' routines of tinsel town, Madhuri feels that the industry is actually devoid of a distinctive style of dance — rather, it is a melting pot of all forms of art.
"I think Bollywood is an amalgam of all dance styles. Bollywood has no style of its own — the style is a cliche. There are so many dance styles all over the world and we get to see them all in one song itself.
So this is Bollywood's speciality," Madhuri says, adding, "As soon as new styles come in — like hip-hop, which is becoming popular now — you see dancers amalgamating it into our own dancing.
The dance forms get a Bollywood twist and it becomes a new style. So Bollywood is always incorporating not just Indian and folk, but western dances too."
Madhuri, is credited with dance hits like Humko Aaj Kal Hai, Dhak Dhak, Ek Do Teen' Que Sera Sera, Kaahe Chhed Mohe and Aaja Nachle. In each of these numbers, she has showcased the variety in terms of dance that she is capable of.
Sameera's weighty issues
Actress Sameera Reddy has a word of advice for all showbiz aspirants — be fit, not fat! The 34-year-old is no stranger to being overweight, since she's had a fairly serious problem with keeping off the fat before.
Now, however, Sameera is known for her toned and athletic body. Recently, she appeared as a celebrity guest on UTV Stars' 'The Chosen One', and she spoke up about the difficulties she faced while trying to shed the kilos.
She advised the show contestants on how to enhance their on screen presence. She spoke to them about what she went through when she was new to the industry and weighed as much as 105 kilograms.
She even shared how she suffered from water retention problems. But she worked hard on it and started inching towards a fit and fabulous body. She advised the young girls that being fat is not wise in the glamour world.
Set to drive Aamir
Actress Kainaz Motivala, of Ragini MMS fame, is set to play a chauffeur
in her new film, Challo Driver. Ask the actress if she would ever take a Bollywood star on a drive and she admits that she would love to have Aamir Khan in the passenger seat. Apparently, Kainaz happened to catch the episode of Aamir's popular television show, Satyamev Jayate, in which a female chauffeur made an appearance.
Aamir had commented that he would hire her whenever he visited her city next.
This excited Kainaz plenty and now, she wants to take him around Delhi since she's familiar with the roads of the city.
Challo Driver is a romantic comedy that also features Prem Chopra and Manoj Pahwa. The film is slated to release on July 20.