'I received plenty of offers'
Debutante Aishwarya Arjun, daughter of Tamil actor Arjun, says she did not take a conscious decision to enter the film industry. "I never told myself that I wanted to become an actress. The thought of becoming an actress was a subconscious decision.
I received plenty of offers over the years but for some reason, I was waiting for the right time," Aishwarya says. A fashion design graduate from London, Aishwarya is debuting opposite Vishal Krishna in the upcoming Tamil action-drama Pattatthu Yaanai, directed by Boopathy Pandian. Now that she has taken the plunge, the newcomer wants to be a part of the film business for a while.
"I want to enjoy my time as an actress and try my best to live up to the expectations of my father. I know there will be a lot of pressure, but I hope to counter that with hard work and sincerity," she says.
Kangana's back on board
The 'Mumbai Heroes', the Bollywood team of the Celebrity Cricket League, has decided to retain actor Kangana Ranaut as the face of their group this year as well.
"She wasn't around in the first season; as a result we didn't win any matches. But she was with us in the second season and we won a few. I hope she continues to remain our lucky charm," says Vikas Kapoor, who owns the team along with actor Sohail Khan. He adds, "She discusses the game regularly and encourages the players, inducing a positive vibe. That's the kind of people we want."
However, this year Kangana might not be the only star representing the 'Mumbai Heroes'.
The owners are planning to rope in two more Bollywood leading ladies as brand ambassadors because some of them have expressed their interest in being associated with the team. "We will be announcing a couple of names in the future. We may have two more ladies, as there are some who want to come on board," adds Vikas.
Meanwhile, Sohail, who was reportedly not playing this season, seems to have changed his mind. He has started practising for the league. The team includes Bobby Deol, Aftab Shivdasani, Sonu Sood, Apoorva Lakhia, Shabbir Ahluvalia, Kabir Sadanand, Ashish Chowdhary, Angad Bedi, Varun Badola, Raja Bherwani, Sunny Dulgach and Sachin Joshi among others.
With the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) set to begin on February 9, the team has started their practice sessions to take on their rivals — 'Chennai Rhinos', 'Kerala Strikers', 'Telugu Warriors', Veer Marathi, Bhojpuri Dabanggs, 'Karnataka Bulldozers' and 'Bengal Tigers'. Suniel Shetty, the captain of the team, says, "The team didn't fare well last year, but we hope a more regimented training schedule will be a catalyst for success."
Well prepared for her role
Shriya Saran, who will soon be seen as a witch in Deepa Mehta's 'Midnight's Children', recently described the intensity of the workshop that the actors attended before the movie. A month before the shooting began, Deepa Mehta arranged a workshop in Mumbai for the actors.
Talking about the potency of the workshop, Shriya says, "Deepa had arranged a workshop for all the actors before they faced the camera. The intensity of the workshop made me feel like I'd be dead by the end of it. But it was only after the workshop that I discovered the character in me, which I was doubtful about. In fact, when Deepa offered me the role, I said, 'Are you sure?'"
Recalling the workshop, Shriya further adds, "During the workshop, Seema Biswas fractured her rib. But what amazed me was that she didn't discontinue attending the workshop."
More screen time for Sanjay
Sanjay Dutt is one of Bollywood's most popular villains. His look in Apoorva Lakhia's Zanjeer, in fact, had got such a positive response that the makers of the film have actually decided to increase the length of his role.
The role has been re-worked and the team is quite happy with how the movie is shaping up.
Sanjay plays the character of Sher Khan, which was made famous by Pran in the original film. A source close to the film reveals that after Dutt's negative character as Kaancha Cheena in Agneepath, his new look as Sher Khan has attracted a lot of interest.
Therefore, a song around the character as well as a few more action sequences have been added to the film.Confirming this, Apoorva Lakhia says, "Yes — he has given us extended dates and we are going to shoot in February. We are very excited about the film. I am really happy to work with Sanju sir again after 'Shootout in Lokhandwala'."
Debutante Aishwarya Arjun, daughter of Tamil actor Arjun, says she did not take a conscious decision to enter the film industry. "I never told myself that I wanted to become an actress. The thought of becoming an actress was a subconscious decision.
I received plenty of offers over the years but for some reason, I was waiting for the right time," Aishwarya says. A fashion design graduate from London, Aishwarya is debuting opposite Vishal Krishna in the upcoming Tamil action-drama Pattatthu Yaanai, directed by Boopathy Pandian. Now that she has taken the plunge, the newcomer wants to be a part of the film business for a while.
"I want to enjoy my time as an actress and try my best to live up to the expectations of my father. I know there will be a lot of pressure, but I hope to counter that with hard work and sincerity," she says.
Kangana's back on board
The 'Mumbai Heroes', the Bollywood team of the Celebrity Cricket League, has decided to retain actor Kangana Ranaut as the face of their group this year as well.
"She wasn't around in the first season; as a result we didn't win any matches. But she was with us in the second season and we won a few. I hope she continues to remain our lucky charm," says Vikas Kapoor, who owns the team along with actor Sohail Khan. He adds, "She discusses the game regularly and encourages the players, inducing a positive vibe. That's the kind of people we want."
However, this year Kangana might not be the only star representing the 'Mumbai Heroes'.
The owners are planning to rope in two more Bollywood leading ladies as brand ambassadors because some of them have expressed their interest in being associated with the team. "We will be announcing a couple of names in the future. We may have two more ladies, as there are some who want to come on board," adds Vikas.
Meanwhile, Sohail, who was reportedly not playing this season, seems to have changed his mind. He has started practising for the league. The team includes Bobby Deol, Aftab Shivdasani, Sonu Sood, Apoorva Lakhia, Shabbir Ahluvalia, Kabir Sadanand, Ashish Chowdhary, Angad Bedi, Varun Badola, Raja Bherwani, Sunny Dulgach and Sachin Joshi among others.
With the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) set to begin on February 9, the team has started their practice sessions to take on their rivals — 'Chennai Rhinos', 'Kerala Strikers', 'Telugu Warriors', Veer Marathi, Bhojpuri Dabanggs, 'Karnataka Bulldozers' and 'Bengal Tigers'. Suniel Shetty, the captain of the team, says, "The team didn't fare well last year, but we hope a more regimented training schedule will be a catalyst for success."
Well prepared for her role
Shriya Saran, who will soon be seen as a witch in Deepa Mehta's 'Midnight's Children', recently described the intensity of the workshop that the actors attended before the movie. A month before the shooting began, Deepa Mehta arranged a workshop in Mumbai for the actors.
Talking about the potency of the workshop, Shriya says, "Deepa had arranged a workshop for all the actors before they faced the camera. The intensity of the workshop made me feel like I'd be dead by the end of it. But it was only after the workshop that I discovered the character in me, which I was doubtful about. In fact, when Deepa offered me the role, I said, 'Are you sure?'"
Recalling the workshop, Shriya further adds, "During the workshop, Seema Biswas fractured her rib. But what amazed me was that she didn't discontinue attending the workshop."
More screen time for Sanjay
Sanjay Dutt is one of Bollywood's most popular villains. His look in Apoorva Lakhia's Zanjeer, in fact, had got such a positive response that the makers of the film have actually decided to increase the length of his role.
The role has been re-worked and the team is quite happy with how the movie is shaping up.
Sanjay plays the character of Sher Khan, which was made famous by Pran in the original film. A source close to the film reveals that after Dutt's negative character as Kaancha Cheena in Agneepath, his new look as Sher Khan has attracted a lot of interest.
Therefore, a song around the character as well as a few more action sequences have been added to the film.Confirming this, Apoorva Lakhia says, "Yes — he has given us extended dates and we are going to shoot in February. We are very excited about the film. I am really happy to work with Sanju sir again after 'Shootout in Lokhandwala'."