Bollywood remembers the evergreen hero

PTI "It is like I lost life from my body," said Naseeruddin Shah (Left), who is seen with the legendary actor Dev Anand in this recent photo.

Shock and disbelief gripped the Hindi film world as the news spread about the death of Dev Anand with Bollywood stars saying an era has come to an end with the passing away of the "eveready battery."

Actor Waheeda Rehman, who worked with him in the classic Guide and several other films, said, "She was sad to hear the news because he was her first hero and she did maximum films with him. We had to learn so much from him because he had so much energy in him. I used to tell him 'Dev you are like an eveready battery."

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan wrote on twitter, "An era has come to an end ...Dev Anand leaves a void never perhaps to be filled again... his never give up belief, his joy of life!,"

"Had just met Dev Saheb at his premiere recently... he was weak but full of spirit… the newspapers confirming his passing away… sad. Just reading news about Dev Saheb... praying it is not true! He was such a positive person...never associated death with him," he said.

Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar said, "He never looked back and never regretted anything. He was a great personality."

"Dev Anand is dead. As the new dawn breaks over Mumbai I salute the memory of this star who has left us with the glow of his smile," veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt said.

"So as a Tribute to Dev Saab let's only humm his songs today. Songs which became such an integral part of our lives. 'Abhi na jao chodkar'. Dev Saab was kind, passionate, courageous, forthright, charming, encouraging, contemporary, always a leader and a great human. Will Miss him," Anupam Kher wrote on the micro-blogging site.

Actor Madhuri Dixit said, "Sad to hear about Dev Anand's demise. Another icon leaves the stage. My condolences to his family. We will miss him."

"Shocked to read of the passing of Dev Saab. Such a great man and actor. A symbol of positivity. Never believed I would ever wake up to this news. Very sad!," tweeted actor Abhishek Bachchan.

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar said, "Still the news is not sinking in, had celebrated his birthday with him, Devsaab was full of energy and life then, just can't believe!"

"On behalf of the family I thank everyone for the thousands of messages of love pouring in from all over the world on passing of Dev Anand. Can I ask friends frm [from] Media to be a little patient? The family is still coming to terms with his passing," filmmaker Shekhar Kapur said about his uncle.

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur tweeted, "My Uncle Dev Anand. V spoke about him as if he would live forever. May be he will. That which seemed immortal passes into myth."

Actor Naseeruddin Shah said, "I still remember one of his songs 'main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya'...while listening to this song, I feel Dev saab is still with us. We always prayed for his well being. He was very close to me. It is like I lost life from my body."

Actor Rishi Kapoor said it is hard to imagine death of someone so full of life. "You can't imagine a person like Dev Anand not living. that man is evergreen and he would always be evergreen. He was a contemporary of my father but he actually behaved younger to my son Ranbir. He lived life to the fullest," Rishi said.

"One of the worst years so far, evergreen romantic actor, director Dev Anand saab, the one who romanced with life is no more but he dies young," Akshay Kumar tweeted.

"Abhi naa jao chhodkar key dil abhi Bhara nahi (a song featuring Dev Anand)... Sad to hear abt [about] Devsaabs demise... May god give him peace," singer Shankar Mahadevan said in his tweet.

"Just got the sad news Dev Anandsahab passed away. I've always been a huge fan of his. And grown up watching his dynamic films. RIP," actor Neil Nitin Mukesh tweeted.

"Can't believe Devsaab is no more? A real institution, dreamer, believer & the grtest [greatest] romantic because he LOVED life. A truly sad say. RIP sir," singer Sophie Choudhary said.

"The last I met Devsaab was at his premiere, sitting next to him, n seeing his smiling face, full of zest energy n enthusiasm!...RIP devsaab! Knowing u working what you is cherished! My evergreen hero! will miss u sir!," actor Divya Dutta said.

Actor Manoj Bajpayee said, "Sad news. Evergreen slept forever. May he rest in peace! He will be conspicuous by his absence."

"Rest In Peace Dev Saab... Your chivalry, charm, optimism and your great body of work will never be forgotten," tweeted actor Dia Mirza.

"Rip dev anand... spread love & never give up attitude just went ahead and did whatever he wanted .. My favourite actor!!! Rip dev anand ... spread love & a never give up attitude just went ahead and did whatever he wanted... My favourite actor!!!, said filmmaker Goldie Behl said.

--



Amar P. Puranik,
Sub-Editor,
Tarun Bharat,
Solapur - 413005
Hindusthan Samachar,
New Delhi - 110055

Resi. Address
960, North Sadar Bazar,
Solapur - 413003
Cell Ph. No : 09370405062
E-Mail : aamarpuranik@rediffmail.com
             aamarpuranik@gmail.com
Blog    : www.amar-puranik.blogspot.com

अमर पुराणिक
उपसंपादक,
दैनिक तरुण भारत, सोलापूर.
हिंदुस्थान समाचार, नवी दिल्ली.
फोन नं : ०९३७०४०५०६२

Ooh la la 'n'loving it

Ooh la la 'n'loving it

Every heroine plays sexy in Hindi cinema today — if it is equated with being skimpily clad, being rebel teen or happy infidel, doing your standard issue jhatka-matkas or item number (not much difference there!). But doing an in-the-face act in a film that rides on the subject of a film actor's sexuality — now that is really plucky. Vidya Balan deserves a place in the history of our cinema for making that audacious attempt.

If you haven't heard of “The Dirty Picture” yet, you're obviously living on some other planet. The Ekta Kapoor-produced Milan Luthria-directed film set for release on December 2 is scorching people's minds with heavy-duty promos of heavy-duty bosom heaving and slithering with hero amidst oranges on hill slopes — reprising the gaudy 80s Hindi cinema. The film's song “Ooh la la…tu hai meri fantasy” scoops out the spirit of the film in generous dollops. There's been enough controversy kicked up about the film being based on iconic cabaret queen Silk Smitha's life, about Vidya Balan never being able to match up to Smitha's sensuality, about Smitha's brother challenging the film in court etc etc. As is the case with any speculation, it's only added to the publicity blitzkrieg.

Vidya knows she's stepped out of her comfort zone; she herself says “I've unleashed myself,” with a bold and becoming pink-lipsticked grin. She was in Bangalore in association with Radio One to promote the film. Vidya's been living her filmi look during the promos, underlining retro chic with wedge heels, huge plastic frame glasses, hoop earrings, pink floral print shirt dress, purple nail enamel et al.

“I don't adhere to any image trap…I don't want to be repeating a Vidya Balan,” emphasises Vidya, who, after her critically acclaimed 2005 Hindi debut “Parineeta” has actually managed not to fall into the un-rescuable typecasting well by doing films as diverse as “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”, “Heyy Baby”, “Paa”, “Ishqiya”, “No One Killed Jessica”. Vidya agrees: “I've had ample opportunities to play completely different characters on screen. That's why I came into films. Directors too are investing full faith in me and many have been telling me I'm brave to do this role.”

Vidya is quick to stress that her role of Silk in “The Dirty Picture” is of a “dancing star in the 80s who wears her heart and sexuality on her sleeve. She is brazen about it and it is that attitude that has made her a star. This is not based on the life of Silk Smitha… but she is synonymous with dancing stars of that era.” But anyone who's seen the promos can't miss the umpteen references.

Vidya admits it's her toughest role till date. “On the one hand she's volatile and brazen, and on the other, she's childlike; to translate that on screen was tough. My roles so far hadn't given me an opportunity to explore that side of me.” She watched some films of the time, especially songs that had suggestive gestures and over-the-top movements. “Added to that we all have an imagination of them in their personal lives, and of course, there were inputs from the director,” she says of her preparation.

When she had switched from her sari-clad “Parineeta” image to a more hipper younger role in “Kismat Konnection”, critics went all out to pan her. “I completely understand them. My heart wasn't in it; I had no conviction and it showed. But with my role in ‘The Dirty Picture' people have been embracing me with open arms!” she says exhilarated. But there's nothing voyeuristic about the film, insists Vidya, despite the titillating title of the flick. “It's just that when you're talking of a woman so unapologetic about her sexuality, it's easy to label her dirty.”

To accentuate the “wholesome woman” she had to play on screen, Vidya was asked to put on weight, which she easily did. “I have a weakness for cream biscuits and I indulged in a lot of them. In the last 15 years I haven't eaten the kind of desserts I did in the run up to this film!” she laughs heartily. Another weakness of hers is the sari, which she indulged in again for the film. “I love saris and it's the sexiest garment that looks great on any body type. I celebrate my curves and the sari does complete justice to that. I always wear cottons or Kanjivarams, but for the film we went in for somejhataksaris,” she laughs.

Sameera loses seven kgs for Tezz item song

Sameera loses seven kgs for Tezz item song

Thanks to Munni and Sheila, item songs have become a big deal in Bollywood. So it’s not surprising that Sameera Reddy is putting her best foot forward for an item number in Priyadarshan’s upcoming film, Tezz. The actor, who plays a club dancer in the film, lost about seven kilos for the part.

The actor followed the strict GM (General Motors) diet to achieve the desired result. “Her close friend Neeta Lulla told her to go on the GM diet, which was extremely difficult, but it worked wonders. She followed it for a week. Besides, she also swam and worked out religiously everyday,” informs a member of her management team.

Besides shaking a leg, Sameera will be seen as a speed-junkie in Tezz, who loves the thrills of riding a bike. She also learnt whitewater rafting and did a few bike stunts for the action film. In fact, Sameera had to start training for her action scenes three months prior to the shoot.

Priyadarshan’s Tezz stars Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Kangna Ranaut, Zayed Khan and Mohanlal.

The GM Diet

The seven-day long diet should ideally be followed only once in a month or once in two months. It involves eating only one kind of food (fruits, chicken etc) for one entire day. It is known to be highly effective. However, it has received a lot of criticism among fitness experts for its extreme treatment, which also does not keep the weight off permanently.

When asked about the song, Sameera refused to reveal any details, but she says with a smile, “I am excited to dance on the peppy track. And I’ve lost oodles of weight for it, so I’m confident that it will be another hit like Sheila and Munni!” The song has been composed by Sajid-Wajid.