SRK means India for Cameron

When James Cameron sat on the couch with Koel Poorie for her TV show, Shah Rukh and Aamir were just some of the many things he knew about India

We all want to know what’s the first thing you said to your ex-wife (Kathryn Bigelow) after she won the Oscar.
(Laughs) I don’t remember exactly. Actually, she got up and went on stage, and then they go backstage, and I didn’t see her again for the rest of the night.

What about the famous picture of you strangling her?
That was before the ceremony. We decided to just give the press the photo op they were looking for.

Of course, the truth is that you both are friends?
Yes, and we made a promise to each other to just have fun that night.

You like powerful women both on and off camera...
Absolutely.

What marriage are you on? Fifth now? When James Cameron sat on the couch with Koel Poorie for her TV show, Shah Rukh and Aamir were just some of the many things he knew about India I’m on my last marriage now.

Oh, that’s a lovely way of putting it ... You’ve been married the longest to Suzie?
I think when we were on our 4th or 5th anniversary, and this was 5 years ago, I said we’ve officially been married longer than all my other marriages put together, so she liked that.

What does the word avatar mean to you? It is a Hindu word for us also ...
Of course, and we don’t even pronounce it correctly in the west. I understand the traditional roots of the word, which is that it is the descent or incarnation of a divine being in the flesh. Of course, that was the significance in the film, although the characters are not divine beings. But the idea was that they take flesh in another body. ‘Avatar’ is a term that’s now widely in use, as we all know, in cyber space, relating to second life, alter ego and things like that.

A lot of your references rang true from the Hindu context. Was that intentional or a happy accident? Did you know that Hinduism is a self-interpreting, non dogmatic religion?
I didn’t, I’m not a practising Hindu. I’m certainly familiar with a lot of beliefs of the Hindu religion; I find it quite fascinating. I tried to make a film that would touch people’s spirituality across the broad spectrum.

So it’s definitely open to self-interpretation?
Yes, exactly. And everybody sees the film through the own lens of their life.

This fascinating world that you created, for me it was, sort of seeing things underwater. And you’re a very keen diver as well. Is that where it’s coming from, or is it a lot of drugs?
(laughs) Not drugs... at least I’m not gonna admit to anything... not since my college days.

It was very trippy...
I have spent 3000 hours underwater (diving). Also, I was a teenager in the 60s. So there were lot of black light posters around and so on. But the underwater part of it, I think it’s my love of nature in general. By the way, a major part of it is having great artistes from all over the world, all feeding into one big pool of imagination... that’s where these images come from.

Would Pandora be quite close to your idea of an ideal world?
No, I think Pandora is kind of a fictionalised fantasy version of what our world was like, before we started to pave it and build malls, and shopping centres. So it’s really an evocation of the world we used to have.

How much do you know of Bollywood?
Very little, because our films tend not to penetrate here that much, and Bollywood films tend not to penetrate in the American market that much. It’s almost like two different worlds to a large extent, but that’s changing.

From our perspective, you make something which we term as ‘masala films’ which are blockbusters, all of Bollywood is about masala films...
You like the epics.

We are all about big scale, emotions and manipulation...
So you get it, you guys get what I like to do...

I’m going to say a word to you, tell me what comes to mind. India...
For me, it’s fantasy.

Shah Rukh Khan.
Giant movie star.

You know him?
Absolutely.

How does it make you feel that this giant movie star, Shah Rukh Khan, has called us up to say, please get a T2 poster signed by you? I’m more than happy to sign it, if he’ll sign a poster for me!

Oh! What poster? You’d have to see one of his films...
My Name Is Khan. How about that?

Aamir Khan?
He is the other big movie star. All the big movie stars here are named Khan – is this a designation or a name?
People change their names just to come in that category!

I like Sunny, Abhay: Hema Malini

Hema Malini talks about matters close to her heart, including her new film as producer and why she recently learnt to cook much to the delight of her daughters and husband Dharmendra. Oh, and she is quite proud to be tech savvy

You are making a film (Tell Me O Khuda) after a long time.
I am making a very pleasant film. Anybody who watches it will feel happy as there is nothing complicated about it. Yes, I took some time to put it together but that’s because I tried reaching out to some directors, but they said that they had no time. It was becoming a time-consuming process, which is why I asked the scriptwriter of the film Mayur Puri if he would like to direct and he agreed. Mayur has been in the industry for 15 years and knows the ropes of filmmaking quite well.


You have cast your daughter Esha in the film.
Naturally, I would cast Esha na. But I am not relaunching her, as suggested by some reports. Yes, she hasn’t done any film recently and wasn’t seen around much but that’s because she wasn’t getting good roles. Bekar picture karne se accha hai ki ghar pe relax karo.

You have got your bungalow renovated.
Doing up your house is a very creative process and I am totally involved in it. My new house has one floor each for Esha, Ahana and myself. I didn’t want to renovate my bungalow into a tall building. I still like living in a spacious home.

We haven’t seen you on the big screen after Baabul.
Koi accha role aayega toh karungi na. It’s not that everybody is waiting to make films with me. If I were producing a film, I would definitely think about acting in it. I was doing a lovely film with Nana Patekar, directed by Deepa Sahi. The film got stalled due to recession.

You did a TV show Kamini Damini. Would you like to do TV again?
Yes, but not as an actress. I’d like to be the producer. In fact, I have a few ideas, which I am discussing with some channels. I will start producing TV shows soon. Acting on TV is ruled out. I admire those who do it, but I found it quite strenuous.

Were you disappointed when Amitabh Bachchan turned down Tell Me O Khuda?
He didn’t say ‘No’ per se. Unke paas time hi nahin tha. At the moment, Bachchan is not doing any film. He is taking a little break. But yes, if he was there I would have included the Amar Akbar Anthony angle in the film since I already have Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor.

How do you usually spend your day?
I thought I was very busy when I used to work in films. But my life is far more hectic today. I used to do two shifts a day, but it was just home, sets and back home. Today, I am involved in doing up my new house and also have politics and a production house to take care of. I do yoga and dance every morning at home for one-and-a-half hours. Then I make tea for myself.

I learnt how to cook only recently when my cook left and whatever my mother had taught me kept coming back in flashes. Luckily, my daughters and Dharamji love the food I cook (smiles). It’s a wonderful feeling. Life is fun. Earlier, you hung up your boots when you reached a certain age.

Today, times have changed. Even if you don’t want to do a certain thing, you get pushed into it and start enjoying yourself. I love being in the BJP, communicating with people and doing something for them. It’s very challenging.

What you think about today’s actresses and whom do you like?
In my time, we were just what we were. Aajkal bahut mehnat karke diet karte hain. No excess fat hanging. It’s nice as they can carry off any outfit and not look vulgar. I wouldn’t have been able to do that. I was so shy and conservative. But these girls lose their beauty and freshness so soon and these days it’s all about designer clothes. Films are written for the overseas audience so there are no rural Indians or families on screen. That’s sad. All this is now shown on television.

Thoda bhi acting kar liya saree pehen ke, you end up getting awards. As for my favourite actresses, I like Kareena Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Katrina is also nice, but she hasn’t got much opportunity to display her acting talent.

What do you have to say about today’s heroes?
Sab chhote chhote hai, bahut short hai. That six-foot hero concept has disappeared. The Punjab puttars with lovely complexion like Shammi Kapoor, Dharmendra... woh pata nahin kahaan kho gaya. But today’s guys are good looking and work on their bodies. There is Salman, Shah Rukh, Aamir.

Who is the best among Sunny, Bobby and Abhay?
Abhay has the guts to do different cinema and I really like him. The best thing about him is that he is so convinced about what he wants to do. And I like Sunny too, he was superb in Gadar.

You and Dharamji don’t make public appearances together.
I am not shy at all. Why should I feel shy? Maybe Dharamji is shy.

What is Ahana doing nowadays?
She is a fine dancer and is also a talented fashion designer. She hasn’t yet decided what she wants to do. Esha too has another side to her; she is a very good painter.

Are you tech savvy?
I am a practical person (laughs). I move with the times. The other day, I saw a few ladies carrying iPhones but they didn’t know how to uses it. I am not boasting, but when I bought an iPhone, I learnt everything about it from my daughters. They have even taught me how to email and surf the net.

Sab chhote chhote hai, bahut short hai (referring to today’s heroes). That six-foot hero concept has disappeared. The Punjab puttars with lovely complexion like Shammi Kapoor, Dharmendra... woh pata nahin kahaan khogaya.

ye dooriyan-YNE

People don't tune in for me: Abhi

Abhishek Bachchan has little reason to fear interviews – after the critical acclaim and good commercial reception of Paa, his TV show, Bingo, notched up the highest ever opening TRPs for a non-fiction show. That’s more than the ratings for AB Sr’s KBC or SRK’s KBC. So when Abhishek walks in for the interview, surprise number one is that he’s brooding and preoccupied.
Surprise number two is that despite the preoccupation, in a gesture slightly unusual among the more famous, he waits for you to sit before he takes his seat, and that begins a sharp but cautious conversation. Abhishek refuses to say anything out of line, or make one self-congratulatory statement, and remains tense throughout – but faultlessly courteous.

Are you old school?
Why’re you asking me that? Because I’m chivalrous? It’s old school?

Sort of. Are you?
Not at all. I think chivalry is a prerequisite. You don’t have to be old school for that. You’re badly behaved if you’re not.

Aren’t men (and women) supposed to be less formal now – less concerned about waiting for ladies to sit down and pull out chairs for them and hold doors open?
No, I haven’t encountered such beasts. I think chivalry is important. You’re sitting on the sofa, otherwise I’d have pulled out a chair for you.

Congratulations about the TRPs of your show. How do you think it came about?
I have absolutely no clue. I’m still under shock, actually. I wasn’t expecting it at all.

You don’t think it’s you?
No, not at all. I was expecting between 2.5 and 3, but to get 5.1 and to be told it’s the largest opening for a non-fiction show ever and the highest for Colors, I think it’s shocking. But the credit should go to the format of the show. I refuse to believe that so many people just want to see me. It’s a fact that the show allows a home-viewing audience to play the game.

Do you monitor what’s written and said about you?
One keeps abreast of what’s going on, but I’m not obsessed with what people are saying about me, no. There’s always so much being written about in this day and age, when there’s so much hunger to fill space, that you’d go mad if you tried to read everything written about you. You all (the media) are a terribly busy lot who work very hard, it’s very hard to keep abreast of all that you write.

What do you think your image is, among your audience, both young and old?
I’m not very sure – I think that’s something an actor looks for throughout her/his career. It’s a process of continuously learning what the audience likes and dislikes. But no one ever gets it completely right, because then we’d all be making successful films all the time, which doesn’t happen, so I think it’s a process of elimination.

What are the memorable things people have come up to you and told you?
Currently, they just come and shout ‘Bingo’ at me. I stop at a signal and they pop their heads out and say ‘Bingo’. I think we’ve managed to connect with the audience. But the credit is not mine, it belongs to the Colors team and the format of the show.

Are you one of those who never takes credit?
No. You should give credit where it’s due. If I felt I were the sole reason for Bingo having had a record-breaking first episode, I’d definitely take credit. I’m an actor; we love credit. But I had to be real and fair, and credit has to be given where it’s due.

Pathologically humble?
No, not humble. I’m just a realist. If tomorrow, I write a piece as a journalist, and people appreciate it, I’ll take the credit, because that’s my effort entirely.

Do you like to write?
As in a diary? No.

Not much of a reader either?
I enjoy reading a lot, when I get the time.

What would you have been, if not an actor?
I’d be a struggling actor.

What do you do when you get aaram time?
Those occasions are few and far between, but when one gets it, one spends time at home with family and friends, because we don’t get to do that very often. Work keeps us busy almost 20 hours a day.

When did you last have an off day?
Today.

Today’s your off?
I’m not shooting.

That’s an off?
You mean a holiday? Umm, three years ago.

You’ve been working non-stop for three years?
That’s the way I like it. I’m not the kind of actor who can do a film a year. I’d like to be able to, but I’m too impatient.

You’d ‘like to be able to’ means you want to be at a place where you can afford to do that ... ?
No, I can do that today if I want to. It’s a mindset. But I’m currently just enjoying the work that I do.

Has there any been a point when you saw the first cut of a film and thought, crap, this was a mistake?
Every film.

Each one?
I find faults of mine in every film, and every actor’d say the same thing. You capture a moment which you review at a different point in life. You always find a better way of doing something. For instance, on stage, if you perform a play over six-months, you can do it better the next night. You can’t do that in films.

What did you not want to do in Paa as a producer?
I was very clear that I wanted to make the film on a very tight budget, because that’s what I thought the subject could afford. I was very sure I wanted to make it in Rs 15 crore, and today, it’s grossed over Rs 60 crore. It was very easy for me to make a 60-70 crore film, but I didn’t think the film required that, and I also wanted to prove to myself that it is possible to make a good film, within a controlled budget, a successful film.

Before the strike and the slowdown, was the industry prone to exaggerated prices?
I think so, the budgets went a bit haywire. Close to 4-5 years ago, we were making films in 20 crores and then all of a sudden, budgets went up to 100 crores. Some films needed those kinds of budgets, but then the entire industry needs to make money.

You’re on Twitter, and that’s a filmstar-fan connect, completely bypassing the media...
It’s very good. Not to make the media redundant – they play an important role , that of a conscience – but with platforms like Twitter or social networking sites, it’s one-to-one. That’s how things are changing, actors are more accessible, but that’s the requirement of the day. You no longer want an actor to be enigmatic and a larger-than-life figure. Today, the audience wants to feel they’re in the same room with them, having a one-to-one conversation.

But fans can comment on not just your work, but also you personally ...
That’s fine. If you’re on a public platform, you should be aware of the fact that you’re putting yourself out there for discussion, and people have the freedom to say what they want. I’ve never been one to oppose that. If I’m on Twitter, I’ve obviously decided to come on to a platform where I want to be accessible to my fans and hear their point of view. And I’m going to hear everyone, not just the good guys. It’s important to listen to the negatives and incorporate them, if they’re justified. I use it as a learning process. If I’m not willing to be judged, or if I don’t want to hear personal comments, I shouldn’t be on it.

What did you most struggle with about ‘celebrityhood’ when you entered the business?
Nothing. I wasn’t a celebrity when I started my career, so I didn’t have that problem!

But you’ve always been famous.
My dad told me that if you want to be an actor, then be prepared to deal what comes with it. If you don’t, then don’t be an actor.

Life Ise Gale Laga Le (Shooting Report) Part -1

Life Ise Gale Laga Le (Shooting Report) Part -2

New Zealand striker pulls out of hockey World Cup fearing security

WELLINGTON: Concerned over security, Kiwi striker Simon Child has pulled out of the hockey World Cup starting on Sunday, even though Hockey New Zealand (HNZ) said it was satisfied with the arrangements made by the Indian government. Child said he took the decision because he felt he could not give his best under such heightened security environment during the February 28-March 13 mega-event. "It's not an ideal environment to be trying to play your best hockey and to be performing for your country," he said. "I think that was the major issue that swayed me when I made up my mind. It was extremely tough, probably the toughest decision I've had to make in my life. "A big part of me of course wanted to go to the World Cup," said the 21-year-old striker, who already has 119 international caps to his name in his five-year-old career. Child travelled with the 18-member Black Sticks squad to Perth for practice games, including two Tests against Australia, in the run-up to the World Cup. But the recent terror threats on foreign athletes visiting India during this year's World Cup, Indian Premier League and Commonwealth Games has prompted the Aucklander to opt out of the tournament at the last moment. New Zealand coach Shane McLeod admitted that security fears have made it difficult for his players to focus on the game. "Just having a threat hanging in the background take its toll and I think, performance-wise, it has affect us," he said. "Also a decision like Simon's is tough on the team. We do a lot of things together and to have one of us not with us is something we will have to work really hard to deal with." Respecting Child's decision, HNZ said the Black Sticks would participate in the World Cup as they have received positive feedback on security from various agencies. "The detail we have received has reassured us that the required level of security will be in place," she said. Poole said they have also been reassured by the New Zealand shooting team which is presently participating at the ongoing Commonwealth Championships in Delhi.