'Sonam has chosen a tough path'
Bollywood is a tough industry and nobody knows that better than Anil Kapoor — which is why it's so surprising that he allowed his daughters, Sonam and Rhea, to try their hand at different aspects of film-making. There are many 'safer' careers his children could have followed, but Anil maintains that he has always encouraged them to do whatever they wanted to and will continue to back them in their endeavours.
"This is a tough industry. You feel that it's better if your kids choose something else, which is safer, less speculative and less in-the-face. Here, both success and failure are for public scrutiny. In other professions, even if you can't make it or you change your profession, no one will get to know," says Anil. "This is a very, very challenging profession. And they (Sonam and Rhea) have decided to be in it — so, I have encouraged them," he adds.
While Sonam, 27, has made her mark in Bollywood as an actor, Rhea, 25, prefers to stay behind the camera. Apart from being a fashion designer, Rhea worked as an assistant director in 'Wake Up Sid' and went on to produce her first film, 'Aisha' in 2010. She is now working on a new film titled Herogiri.
Though Sonam and Rhea started working at a young age, they still have fun like other young girls, says Anil, who also has a son, named Harshvardhan. "Instead of wasting time or doing something else, they started working. It is not that they don't have fun. They have fun the way all young girls should have. But they became conscious of work, work ethics and respected work at a very young age — which is very good and that I am very proud of," says the 53-year-old. Sonam made her Bollywood debut opposite Ranbir Kapoor with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya, which failed in the box-office, but Anil is unfazed. "When your first film becomes a blockbuster, it is very dangerous. You stop growing as a person because then you've got everything easily.
Her film not doing well is also a very good thing, according to me. Both Ranbir and Sonam are working and are doing films which they believe in, which they like, with good directors and good producers," he explains. Sonam may praise her father for being instrumental in shaping her career, but Anil refuses to take the credit. "It is her upbringing which makes her say that she is privileged to be my daughter. But I can say very proudly that whatever she is today is completely because of her.
The way she became an assistant and started working was not easy. She has come up the hard way," he says. Anil feels Sonam has chosen a tough path, but is confident that her hard work will pay off. "She works in different projects, which shows her inner confidence. She has chosen a very tough path. But trust me, it will be very solid," sums up the actor.
All praises for his wife
Akshay Kumar is one dedicated husband — recently, on his wife Twinkle's 38th birthday, he went out of his way to ensure that she had a great time and felt special.
He called her the woman of his dreams, adding that she turned his life into a celebration in every way.
"Today is a very special day because it is the birthday of the person who has made my life a celebration. Happy Birthday Tina (Twinkle), my wife, my friend, mother of my children... in short the woman of my dream (sic)," the 45-year-old tweets.
Akshay and Twinkle tied the knot in 2001. They have two kids — Aarav, 10 and daughter Nitara, who was born in September this year.
Twinkle shares her birthday with her father, late superstar Rajesh Khanna, who passed away earlier this year. The actor would have turned 70.
Holiday fun for Madhuri
Madhuri Dixit is having a blast with her entire family, on a vacation abroad. The actress experienced a 'different world', recently, when she went snorkeling.
"Snorkeling is great fun... great to see corals and fish... a different world," Madhuri tweets of her experience. She is on a holiday with husband Sriram Nene and her two children — Arin and Ryan.
Without revealing her location, she had earlier written: "Enjoying some holiday time abroad. Weather is amazing... Nice and sunny, ideal sea side weather; great to be with family. The sea does have a very calming effect on me (sic)."
Time spent with a legend
Composer Salim Merchant — one half of the famous Salim-Suleiman duo — cherishes the time he recently spent with veteran Pyarelal, who directed music with his partner Laxmikant.
"With the legend Pyarelalji at Mehboob Studio. Had a very emotional time with him this evening. Spoke about his time with Laxmiji," Salim posts on his Facebook page.
Laxmikant and Pyarelal together composed hit numbers like Chahunga Main Tujhe, Sawan Ka Mahina, Yeh Jeevan Hai, Bindiya Chamkegi and Parda Hai Parda in the
past. Laxmikant passed away in 1998.