A French film had inspired Katrina Kaif’s so much that the actress had decided to turn
producer and remake the film for Bollywood. Rumours of the actress casting her sister
Isabel in the film were also afoot.
However, it so happens that her French connection has just been spoilt. Thanks to the
unresponsive people in the other country who she was dealing with.
While Katrina had always remained tightlipped about the film she wanted to buy, industry
insiders speculated it to be the 2002 film He Loves Me…He Loves Me Not starring popular French actressAudrey Tatou (of Amelie
fame).
However, Kat herself broke her silence and later revealed that she wanted to buy the remake rights of the 2006 French movie
Priceless.
And after months of going back and forth, the deal as of today, stands cancelled.
The people in question simply stopped reverting to the Bollywood actress. “It was ridiculous. Katrina is an A-list actress in
Bollywood. They should have dealt with the proceedings very tactfully,” revealed a source close to Kat.
Tired of the unprofessional behaviour, Katrina too, has eventually given up on her French dream.
“She gave lot of time and energy to this project.
She had even thought of a few directors who could handle the subject beautifully. She has every
reason to be exasperated now. She has given up on Priceless, ” added our source.
However, this setback has not managed to squash Katrina’s dream of turning producer. “She is very
much open to other films. She is quite a film buff and sees a lot of foreign films. Who knows, she might
even pick up a Hindi film and remake it,” informed the source.
People are shocked to see how much I eat says actor Kunal Khemu, crediting his
metabolism for not gaining weight
My exercise regime…
I always keep changing my workout. Sometimes, I need to look lean and sometimes, I need
to put on bulk, depending upon the roles in my movies. I feel that an actor’s body needs to
be flexible. Normally when I am not training for a particular role, I workout three to four
days a week for about an hour, doing weight training. I don’t do cardio because I don’t feel the need to. I am not in a rat-race to get a
six pack unless a role demands it.
My problem areas…
Most people only concentrate on their upper body and ignore their legs. It doesn’t make sense to have a bulky upper body and have
skinny legs. I too, fell prey to this and had weak legs. But since the past two years, I have been working on my legs.
My strengths…
I am not a fitness freak. I considered my good metabolism as my strength, which doesn’t allow me to put on weight. Sporting a six-
pack doesn’t necessarily mean that one is fit as it tends to reduce one’s immunity levels. That’s because in order to get a six-pack, one
has to be on a very strict diet which is low on nutrition, totally avoid fat from their diet, etc. I don’t want to take off my shirt and roam
topless all the time, just for the heck of it.
My diet…
I absolutely love food and eat what I please, as I have been blessed with a good metabolism. People are shocked to see how much I
eat. So yes, I don’t follow any diet because I eat whatever tastes good, even if its roadside stuff. However, I don’t have a sweet tooth. I
am not a brownie guy.
Fitness role model
Arnold Schwarzenegger as he’s been a trendsetter.
Ideal celeb body (male)
Salman Khan because he has maintained his great body for years and is an icon for all the youngsters.
Suniel Shetty too.
Ideal celeb body (female)
Bipasha Basu because she has a great body and is extremely fitness-conscious. And Shilpa Shetty too.
Tusshar Kapoor is to the manor born. As producer Ekta Kapoor’s brother, he is certainly more
privileged than a lot others in the film industry.
And though public perception is that elder sister Ekta mollycoddles him, Tusshar has carved a
niche for himself not just in his home productions, but with outside banners as well. Excerpts
of an interview…
How big a role does Balaji (their banner) have in your success?
Balaji has given me interesting roles in films like Kya Kool Hai Hum, Shootout at Lokhandwala and a couple of other films. However,
they have also not included me in movies like Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Love, Sex Aur Dhoka and MissionIstanbul because the
directors felt I wasn’t suited for these films. Ekta signs me only when required. Likewise, I have the prerogative to say no to a Balaji
film.
You are spearheading Shor In The City’s publicity campaign?
Shor In The City is an amalgamation of three different stories. I am not the solo lead. There are actors like Sendhil Ramamurthy and
others. The producers felt it made sense to have my face on the posters because of the lot, mine is the most recognised face at least
in India.
After doing mindless comedies like the Golmaal series, isn’t Shor… a welcome change?
Golmaal is a hugely successful franchise. I have got huge appreciation for my performance in the Golmaal series. But yes, Shor is the
other end of the spectrum. It’s a thriller that has got rave reviews both here and overseas.
Are you happy with the way your career is headed?
2011 is an exceptional year. I have a romantic film Love U Mr Kalakar with the Rajshris, a banner I truly admire. There is Hum Tum
Aur Shabana with Sagar Bellary (Bheja Fry). I’m also hugely excited about Milan Luthria’s Dirty Picture with Vidya Balan.
SatishKaushik, who gave me my break is making his next film with me. And then, there is Kya Kool Hai Hum-2. There are no
complaints as far as my career goes.
So you’ve broken free of Ekta’s apron strings?
Ekta and I are very close (touch wood.) If we work together, people say that she is promoting me blindly. If we don’t work together,
people say there are issues and that I am acting pricey. Either way the media is looking for some controversy. Ekta will always look
out for me but both of us are professionals. If things don’t work out, then we are quite capable of handling our individual careers and
doing it well.
The last time Salman Khan worked on a Dharma Productions’ film was in the college love saga
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai way back in 1998.
After thirteen years, a bad fight with Dharma loyalist Shah Rukh and a couple of comeback hits
Wanted and Dabangg, the original bad boy of Bollywood seems to have got a second chance with
Karan Johar’s production house.
The ice probably broke when KJo asked Salman to be a part of his talk show. The actor agreed to
do so for a price, they had to make a donation to his foundation. Though the filmmaker denied paying up for a celebrity on his show
back then, he approached the Khan for the next Dharma venture to be directed by Rensil D’Silva.
Considering KJo’s association with his favourite Shah Rukh and Salman’s disassociation
with the King Khan, this piece of news should have been surprising. However, with the
filmmaker stretching his professional interests beyond his favourite Khan with Varun
Dhawan starring in his next directorial venture Student Of The Year, the filmmaker
approaching the other Khan becomes understandable.
According to a source, “After Kurbaan, Rensil is directing a fantasy-action caper on the
lines of Ocean’s Eleven. When Karan Johar heard the script, he absolutely fell in love with it. Both Karan and Rensil felt Salman was
perfect for the main part.”
Neil Nitin Mukesh doesn’t subscribe to the view that young actors should only do typical masala fare.
He says, “By design I have managed to do exciting cinema from day one.
Johnny Gaddaar is obviously not the typical launch vehicle for an actor. However, its success and the
accolades that I managed for it motivated me more towards different cinema.” The actor’s oeuvre does
include very exciting fare. Be it Kabir Khan’s New York; Pradeep Sarkar’s Lafangey Parindey, Madhur
Bhandarkar’s Jail or Vishal Bharadwaj’s Saat Khoon Maaf, Neil has dared to do something hatke each
time. Neil feels this generation of young actors, be it Ranbir Kapoor,Imran Khan, Shahid Kapoor or
him, are willing to constantly push the envelope.
The actor believes that the older generation took their time before dabbling in art house or middle-of-the-road films; but now he and
his contemporaries are game to accepting challenges even though they’ve just about begun their careers. “The mind set of these days is to dare to do something different.
An actor is never too young to experiment. While I am a great fan of commercial cinema; I love song and dance; I also feel the
continuous urge to keep experimenting with filmmakers who move out of comfort zones and try and bring a new dimension to their
work. That is why my list of filmmakers includes half a dozen National Award winning directors.”