Saturday, January 8, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Whirlwind week
First Published: 18:01 IST(25/8/2010)
Last Updated: 01:13 IST(26/8/2010)
Last Updated: 01:13 IST(26/8/2010)
The past week has disappeared in a flurry of meetings, rehearsals, shoots and interviews. What was supposed to be a much-needed break from shooting turned out to be everything but a break! I have no memory of a second that was spent in doing something utterly wasteful and utterly meaningless (which
was my plan when I decided on absconding from my film sets for a week!). Every second was accounted for something that will hopefully go on to make a beautiful bigger picture.
Sometimes I wish there were two of me. I could just as easily send across my clone to the stuff that bores the living daylights out of me and I could very well go on to the fun, more interesting tasks. Now that we are on the subject of clones, I wouldn’t actually mind a bunch of them. One of ‘me’ could scoot out in the rain to play touch football, the other one could go shopping for me, one of ‘me’ could stay home and gorge on what Mommy dearest dishes up each day and the other one could practically live in a movie theatre and watch just about everything that plays on the screens. Imagine the number of Genelias that you guys would find scurrying around. Have I just trashed the entire idea of ‘celebrity’? Hahaha!
But seriously, the past week made me wonder how much it is that we actors have to be available for. It’s not just about playing your part right under the eyes of your director and a hundred other people, it’s about managing and micro-managing every single day of your life and breaking it up into parts to give out to people.
So, let me enlighten you about last week, which was supposed to be my ‘holiday week’, and turned out to be something like this:
Monday: Script narration, show rehearsals, event appearance.
Tuesday: Shoot for brands, read through scripts, attend ‘unmissable’ party thrown by actor friend.
Wednesday: Write column, attend meetings, attend workshops for films signed.
Thursday: Shoot for a magazine (takes a whole day), squeeze time out for a salon, read through scripts till the wee hours.
Friday: Interviews, meetings, fittings for a show, attack scripts again and try and finish them!
Saturday: Shoot for another magazine, hit the gym, try really hard to make it for a movie with friends but can’t, attend a meeting with regards to work instead!
Sunday: Want to crash and burn but the day has been committed to a brand, so shoot all day and finally make it in time for dinner and a movie with friends — the crash and burn! :-)
Phew! Where is the time, you ask, for myself? For family, for friends? Well guys, this is MY LIFE and it’s beautiful. The camera brings me to life and anything to do with it makes me push myself to the limit and I enjoy the thrill, anxiety, appreciation and exhaustion that comes with being an actor, a celebrity. Being photographed in clothes that I would otherwise never have access to, being able to enact several different characters, being able to connect with my fans through a column, being able to reach out to my audiences on a live platform at events— all these are opportunities that I thrive on. I can never take them for granted.
While my family and friends give me wings, the fact that I’m an actor and a celebrity is the very sky in which I fly and show off my plumes. So what’s my pick then — whirlwind holidays or whirlwind weeks? I say, bring them both on! They’re all the same for me and don’t think I can do without either.
Sometimes I wish there were two of me. I could just as easily send across my clone to the stuff that bores the living daylights out of me and I could very well go on to the fun, more interesting tasks. Now that we are on the subject of clones, I wouldn’t actually mind a bunch of them. One of ‘me’ could scoot out in the rain to play touch football, the other one could go shopping for me, one of ‘me’ could stay home and gorge on what Mommy dearest dishes up each day and the other one could practically live in a movie theatre and watch just about everything that plays on the screens. Imagine the number of Genelias that you guys would find scurrying around. Have I just trashed the entire idea of ‘celebrity’? Hahaha!
But seriously, the past week made me wonder how much it is that we actors have to be available for. It’s not just about playing your part right under the eyes of your director and a hundred other people, it’s about managing and micro-managing every single day of your life and breaking it up into parts to give out to people.So, let me enlighten you about last week, which was supposed to be my ‘holiday week’, and turned out to be something like this:
Monday: Script narration, show rehearsals, event appearance.
Tuesday: Shoot for brands, read through scripts, attend ‘unmissable’ party thrown by actor friend.
Wednesday: Write column, attend meetings, attend workshops for films signed.
Thursday: Shoot for a magazine (takes a whole day), squeeze time out for a salon, read through scripts till the wee hours.
Friday: Interviews, meetings, fittings for a show, attack scripts again and try and finish them!
Saturday: Shoot for another magazine, hit the gym, try really hard to make it for a movie with friends but can’t, attend a meeting with regards to work instead!
Sunday: Want to crash and burn but the day has been committed to a brand, so shoot all day and finally make it in time for dinner and a movie with friends — the crash and burn! :-)
Phew! Where is the time, you ask, for myself? For family, for friends? Well guys, this is MY LIFE and it’s beautiful. The camera brings me to life and anything to do with it makes me push myself to the limit and I enjoy the thrill, anxiety, appreciation and exhaustion that comes with being an actor, a celebrity. Being photographed in clothes that I would otherwise never have access to, being able to enact several different characters, being able to connect with my fans through a column, being able to reach out to my audiences on a live platform at events— all these are opportunities that I thrive on. I can never take them for granted.
While my family and friends give me wings, the fact that I’m an actor and a celebrity is the very sky in which I fly and show off my plumes. So what’s my pick then — whirlwind holidays or whirlwind weeks? I say, bring them both on! They’re all the same for me and don’t think I can do without either.
Teaching the lessons of life
First Published: 19:08 IST(1/9/2010)
Last Updated: 01:30 IST(2/9/2010)
Last Updated: 01:30 IST(2/9/2010)
On a rickety wooden bench, we all once sat paying rapt attention to (or at least pretending to pay attention to) a person whose sole mission in life appeared to be imparting some crucial wisdom to the likes of us boisterous children. Yes, for the better part of our lives, we have been subjected to this very
unique breed of humans we like to call ‘teachers’. Now, these teachers are almost alien in their ability to hold down and control a huge group of raucous, easily excitable kids. Since I have two aunts who are teachers, I have had the opportunity to observe these almost other-worldly creatures at close quarters and I’ve discovered that they have certain qualities in humongous proportions — patience, compassion and respect.A teacher’s influence over our lives is barely understood, grossly under-appreciated. At the age of 10, the wisdom of teachers seems very rigorous and boring. “Honesty is the best policy” and “Pride comes before a fall” — such lessons seem like a waste of time and are willfully ignored. At the age of 25, with relationships turning sour and career ambitions taking the forefront, we silently think back to the days of yore and the simple, proverbial wisdom of teachers.
A teacher’s influence over our lives is barely understood, grossly under-appreciated. At the age of 10, the wisdom of teachers seems very rigorous and boring. “Honesty is the best policy” and “Pride comes before a fall” — such lessons seem like a waste of time and are willfully ignored. At the age of 25, with relationships turning sour and career ambitions taking the forefront, we silently think back to the days of yore and the simple, proverbial wisdom of teachers.At 10 years, we took them for granted. A decade later, we realised how much they nurtured our confidence and inner self. Two decades later, we begin to understand that it was our teachers who taught us life’s golden lessons or at least prepared us for them; and hopefully by then they are still around for us to be able to thank them.
The beauty of a teacher is that such a person is not relegated to the classroom. Mentors, guiding force, life coach, guru — call them whatever you like. Your father, professor, first boss, neighbour, janitor — anybody and everybody can be a teacher. That’s the beauty of it all. We can be influenced by people whose experiences have made them stronger and wiser. We can choose to be touched by their knowledge or wallow in ignorance.
I wish a happy Teacher’s Day to all those guiding lights who shined for me — Sister Muriel Rita from school, Aunts Margaret and Una, my first director Vijay Bhaskar, Lady Gaga and Carrie Bradshaw! :-) And this is just the tip of the list. After all, everybody has a lesson to share!
I wish a happy Teacher’s Day to all those guiding lights who shined for me — Sister Muriel Rita from school, Aunts Margaret and Una, my first director Vijay Bhaskar, Lady Gaga and Carrie Bradshaw! :-) And this is just the tip of the list. After all, everybody has a lesson to share!
My moment of 'shoes'
First Published: 18:33 IST(29/9/2010)
Last Updated: 00:53 IST(30/9/2010)
Last Updated: 00:53 IST(30/9/2010)
There are a few things that a girl can never have enough of: diamonds, love and shoes (especially in that order, hahaha)! Diamonds are a bit hard to come by and we are oblivious to love even when it’s right under our noses. But, the third item on this list of ‘absolutes’ gets my heart racing and pulse soaring. I
could virtually stare at a pair of patent leather five-inch killer heels for hours before I sink my feet into their immeasurably painful surface!Slender legs, stubby legs, short legs or even tall legs for that matter — placed firmly in a pair of killer heels, they are always a sight to behold. Not only does the height give us women towering confidence, it makes her gait graceful and you can’t deny the feeling of looking down on the world — like a queen surveying her kingdom. Stilettos, wedges, heels — call them what you like. They have that easy knack of instantly transforming you into a sexy, alluring, confident girl. I’m not lying when I say that they get you noticed — there’s a subtle eroticism attached to heels that flat shoes can never compete with.
Yes, like all true and eternal loves, the love of shoes and for shoes comes with pain, pinches, soreness and bruises. But, the returns on this love is a pleasure, a high and a feeling of such immense satisfaction that the pain just washes away and is replaced by a feeling of ’completion’ instead. Suffice to say that if Raymonds suitings make for ‘a complete man’, owning a pair of Ferragamos, Zanottis or Jimmy Choos maketh the ‘complete woman’. Alright guys, you can probably tune out from this point on as I profess my undying obsession with shoes... but think about it as well — knowing what gets girls excited could work in your favour, too! *Wink Wink*
Slender legs, stubby legs, short legs or even tall legs for that matter — placed firmly in a pair of killer heels, they are always a sight to behold. Not only does the height give us women towering confidence, it makes her gait graceful and you can’t deny the feeling of looking down on the world — like a queen surveying her kingdom. Stilettos, wedges, heels — call them what you like. They have that easy knack of instantly transforming you into a sexy, alluring, confident girl. I’m not lying when I say that they get you noticed — there’s a subtle eroticism attached to heels that flat shoes can never compete with.Soon after I exchanged my sports shoes for my first pair of classic six-inch black heels, I experienced a kind of weird deja-vu. This was years back, but that ‘moment of shoes... oops.... truth’ is quite fresh in my mind. It was an exciting, heady rush, the beginning of a torrid love affair. I’d met my soul-mate and the shoe fetish had begun.
The film that I’m shooting for currently — Urumi — requires me to play a warrior-princess and I’ve been doing all my stunts either barefoot or in flat, jute shoes. DUH! They didn’t really have killer heels in the 15th century. The action and sword-fighting sequences have made me accept and learn grace the flat-footed way. But, I’m missing the painful comfort of my Jimmy Choos every single day!
Fashion Through The Ages
First Published: 17:10 IST(20/10/2010)
Last Updated: 14:14 IST(21/10/2010)
Last Updated: 14:14 IST(21/10/2010)
What is the one thing that is enough to put any woman in a tizzy — the one thing that can drive her mad with rage, insane with passion and blindingly in love? Nope, it’s not the perfect man – there’s no such thing as that! *Wicked laughter* It’s FASHION. Fashion has the capacity to incapacitate a woman with a
single faux pas or the ability to make a woman rise with a single accessory. I have never been obsessed with fashion and its demands, but I have to admit: the lure of being fashionable is inescapable.
I have spent hours pondering about the fashion rules for this season and how I can make a statement. It’s true that trends keep changing all the time, but it’s also true that trends come a full circle, and what was passé then, will most definitely be the next IT thing this season. Think about it!
The 60s — the Hippy Decade — was all about breaking tradition and bringing together a lot of trends. The 60s were the decade of the classic hippy uniform — bell bottoms and batik prints. Bikinis, mini-skirts, polka dots, skinny jeans and the French manicure all belong to the 60s, and they are still in fashion. So are ‘peace’, ‘love’ and ‘freedom’ – the three monikers of the Hippy Decade.
The 70s — the Disco Decade — brought platform shoes, halter necks, zippered jumpsuits and spaghetti straps on the style radar and these are very much the flavour of 2010, too. Jumpsuits have saved me from many a casual event and platform shoes can jazz up even the simplest summer dress.
The 80s — the Cheerleader Decade — is my self-confessed favourite. Despite being born much later, I’ve been hooked on to this phase in fashion for a long time. Headbands, leg warmers, lace and leggings — pure fashion magic! The 80s also brought about the short, bolero-styled jackets that end up covering our sexy tubed dresses even now. The era of ‘casual’ began in the 80s and is definitely here to stay.
The 90s was MY TIME! I ripped my jeans (blame teenage angst!) or cut up faded jeans to make them into shorts. I was a monster when you’d put me in a room with a cutter and denims. It was all about expressing yourself through your clothes and making sure you alter what was a factory product just so you could stand out. That’s why an oversized sweatshirt was cropped unevenly or a loose tee was knotted and then tied to the side.
2010 is for the confused souls! Jeggings — are they jeans or are they denims? Dresses are getting shorter and tee-shirts are getting longer. Skirts flare out at the hips and shorts have lace on the edges. For me, my skinny jeans, gladiator shoes and shades save my life, day after day. Whew! Peace out!
I have spent hours pondering about the fashion rules for this season and how I can make a statement. It’s true that trends keep changing all the time, but it’s also true that trends come a full circle, and what was passé then, will most definitely be the next IT thing this season. Think about it!
The 60s — the Hippy Decade — was all about breaking tradition and bringing together a lot of trends. The 60s were the decade of the classic hippy uniform — bell bottoms and batik prints. Bikinis, mini-skirts, polka dots, skinny jeans and the French manicure all belong to the 60s, and they are still in fashion. So are ‘peace’, ‘love’ and ‘freedom’ – the three monikers of the Hippy Decade.
The 70s — the Disco Decade — brought platform shoes, halter necks, zippered jumpsuits and spaghetti straps on the style radar and these are very much the flavour of 2010, too. Jumpsuits have saved me from many a casual event and platform shoes can jazz up even the simplest summer dress.The 80s — the Cheerleader Decade — is my self-confessed favourite. Despite being born much later, I’ve been hooked on to this phase in fashion for a long time. Headbands, leg warmers, lace and leggings — pure fashion magic! The 80s also brought about the short, bolero-styled jackets that end up covering our sexy tubed dresses even now. The era of ‘casual’ began in the 80s and is definitely here to stay.
The 90s was MY TIME! I ripped my jeans (blame teenage angst!) or cut up faded jeans to make them into shorts. I was a monster when you’d put me in a room with a cutter and denims. It was all about expressing yourself through your clothes and making sure you alter what was a factory product just so you could stand out. That’s why an oversized sweatshirt was cropped unevenly or a loose tee was knotted and then tied to the side.
2010 is for the confused souls! Jeggings — are they jeans or are they denims? Dresses are getting shorter and tee-shirts are getting longer. Skirts flare out at the hips and shorts have lace on the edges. For me, my skinny jeans, gladiator shoes and shades save my life, day after day. Whew! Peace out!
Death of the magic words
First Published: 15:52 IST(28/10/2010)
Last Updated: 17:23 IST(3/11/2010)
Last Updated: 17:23 IST(3/11/2010)
Gone are the days of kindergarten rules where our world was splattered with words such as ‘Please’, ‘Thank-you’ and ‘Sorry’. I remember being scolded as a kid for forgetting the use of a ‘magic word’ whilst asking for something or when I was giving something. A ‘Please’ before every request and a 'Thank-you'.
for every wish fulfiled. But aaj kal.... That’s not how it works. As Amitabh Bachchan once said in Namak Halal — ‘English is a very funny language’ and funny it sure is!
I’ve been shooting in Australia for quite some time now and you can’t help but absorb some of the local lingo during such extended trips.
So, the other day, when I was back in the city for a shoot, I was confronted with how drastic and hilarious words can be when you change their geographical coordinates. In Australia, the way of the land is to say ‘Cheers, mate’ instead of a ‘Thank-you’. Everybody is ‘cheering’ away, day in and day out. Its a ‘cheers, mate’ for holding the door open for someone or to pick up a dropped pen... And a ‘cheers, mate’ for being served lunch or given your change back. Now if I were to use ‘Cheers’ here, people would either wonder:
a) where’s my glass? or b) feel that I’m craving for a drink!
Lingo terminology, I believe, can actually be made a science! The usage of ‘What’s up with you?’ and ‘What’s cracking?’ has never failed to confuse parents, especially mine. They get a very glazed look on their faces and I can actually sense their eyeballs dying to look up to the ceiling everytime I spout a ‘What’s up?’!! Come to think of it, there is a certain way of saying ‘Dude’ that not a lot of people can get right. ‘Dude’ is a word that reeks of attitude and god forbid anyone from pronouncing it as ‘Due-ude’ which has been known to happen. I may have slight difficulty in controlling my laughter in that case.
But, I’ve come to realise that I’m not the authority on cool lingo anymore! My younger cousins have left me far behind in lingo-ism and some of the slang they use makes my eyes pop! For instance, what in blazes is ‘Psycho Sh*t’?? I’ve heard them use this phrase in situations of distress, excitement, anger and happiness. Like - ‘Dude, I’ve just got some new games for the PS3, man! They are such psycho sh*t!’ Ummm.... Does this mean the games suck, are expensive or are plain awesome?
Or ‘Did you see what he did at the party last night? That was some psycho sh*t happening!’ Which means (and I’m clearly grasping at straws here!) that something untoward happened at the party...someone behaved funnily. Clearly, English has crossed some crazy frontiers when it comes to being the ‘funny language’. Clearly, we don’t know the right ‘magic words’ anymore. Whatever happened to plain old ‘sorry’ and ‘please’? Guess they died the proverbial slow death. Now that’s some psycho sh*t, dude! Hahaha!
I’ve been shooting in Australia for quite some time now and you can’t help but absorb some of the local lingo during such extended trips.
So, the other day, when I was back in the city for a shoot, I was confronted with how drastic and hilarious words can be when you change their geographical coordinates. In Australia, the way of the land is to say ‘Cheers, mate’ instead of a ‘Thank-you’. Everybody is ‘cheering’ away, day in and day out. Its a ‘cheers, mate’ for holding the door open for someone or to pick up a dropped pen... And a ‘cheers, mate’ for being served lunch or given your change back. Now if I were to use ‘Cheers’ here, people would either wonder:a) where’s my glass? or b) feel that I’m craving for a drink!
Lingo terminology, I believe, can actually be made a science! The usage of ‘What’s up with you?’ and ‘What’s cracking?’ has never failed to confuse parents, especially mine. They get a very glazed look on their faces and I can actually sense their eyeballs dying to look up to the ceiling everytime I spout a ‘What’s up?’!! Come to think of it, there is a certain way of saying ‘Dude’ that not a lot of people can get right. ‘Dude’ is a word that reeks of attitude and god forbid anyone from pronouncing it as ‘Due-ude’ which has been known to happen. I may have slight difficulty in controlling my laughter in that case.
But, I’ve come to realise that I’m not the authority on cool lingo anymore! My younger cousins have left me far behind in lingo-ism and some of the slang they use makes my eyes pop! For instance, what in blazes is ‘Psycho Sh*t’?? I’ve heard them use this phrase in situations of distress, excitement, anger and happiness. Like - ‘Dude, I’ve just got some new games for the PS3, man! They are such psycho sh*t!’ Ummm.... Does this mean the games suck, are expensive or are plain awesome?
Or ‘Did you see what he did at the party last night? That was some psycho sh*t happening!’ Which means (and I’m clearly grasping at straws here!) that something untoward happened at the party...someone behaved funnily. Clearly, English has crossed some crazy frontiers when it comes to being the ‘funny language’. Clearly, we don’t know the right ‘magic words’ anymore. Whatever happened to plain old ‘sorry’ and ‘please’? Guess they died the proverbial slow death. Now that’s some psycho sh*t, dude! Hahaha!
Get Adventures !
First Published: 17:18 IST(3/11/2010)
Last Updated: 12:58 IST(4/11/2010)
Last Updated: 12:58 IST(4/11/2010)
Constant adventure — that’s what my life has become. I feel like I’ve taken a few pages out of some action-thriller novel and actually living it out. For the past couple of months, I’ve been to locations that have spellbound me, met people along the way that have moved on to occupy special places in my heart
and succumbed to experiences that have shaken me, excited me and thrilled me to bits. Take the horse-riding for example! Basha is a friend I’ve made for life and horse-riding is now a hobby that has become a part of my personality.
My days in Australia have been absolutely mind-boggling. I’ve had so much fun shooting Orange that not only did the land of the Oz begin to feel like home, I kinda actually miss it now! :-( Oh well, I’m gonna take you guys down memory lane today. Starting with one of the crazier shoots I’ve done right here in Bombay to a thrill-filled Oz run, this column is all about adventure baby! So get ready for the ride of your life!
I’m guessing it all started with Dabboo Ratnani putting me up on a real, live elephant for his calendar shoot. I’ve always loved animals but to be confronted with the mammoth herself left me in total awe. Lakshmi turned out to be a real sweetheart and within moments she had lifted me onto her trunk and we flashed our pearlies and there you have it — the perfect shot! What you don’t know is that tiny moment of fear and uncertainty, when you’re unsure whether she’d fling you on the ground or lift you up in the air! Well, all’s well that ends well!
Australia was another adventure escape altogether. From spending a night in a haunted hotel that actually advertised itself as the perfect place to bump into spooks, ghouls and spirits to sky-diving in Sydney, I have made memories that will never fade. The haunted hotel, nestled in its sinister beauty in the Blue Mountains, was fantastic but awfully scary. We actually heard noises of all sorts — clinks and clangs, footsteps and the loud thuds and it was impossible for us to even spend a night there. Gimmick or not, the hotel is riddled in history and its whole aura is especially spooky. It’s unbelievable that people actually spend a fortune to stay in this hotel. Worth a visit! As for sky-diving, well what can I say? It is by far the best kick I have ever had in my whole life. This simple 3 minute dive has made me an adrenalin junkie for life! The one minute that I spent in absolute free-fall, that cascade towards the earth before the parachute opened, is excitement delivered directly from God. But it wasn’t just once. Within half an hour, I was up in the air again and this time. I even attempted a somersault!
Trust me guys, buckle up and dive! Attack adventure with a vengeance! It’s one life after all, worth taking a few risks that catapult you into a thrilling frenzy right?
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